Biggleswade Index of Pages

The Bridge, Biggleswade c.1905 [Z1130/16/165] 

We have not yet been able to compile comprehensive history pages for Biggleswade, although we do have two pages currently available:  

• The Town of Biggleswade in General 

• Biggleswade in 1086 

If you would like to carry out research and contribute to this site we would be delighted to hear from you.   

Biggleswade is a market town and ancient parish in the east of Bedfordshire, with hamlets at Stratton and Holme. Bedfordshire Archives holds many documents relating to the parish; a search of our online catalogue with Biggleswade as the subject returns nearly 14,000 items. Significant collections for researching people or places in Biggleswade include: 

• P14: Records for the parish of St Andrew, including: registers of baptisms, marriages and burials; records relating to church property; records of overseers of the poor; parish magazines; parochial church council minutes and other records 

• PB: Peculiar of Biggleswade, includes probate records and wills under reference PBwP. Due to its unusual status as an ecclesiastical “peculiar” records of matters which would normally have been dealt with by the Archdeaconry of Bedford are held separately for Biggleswade. 

• RDBw: Biggleswade Rural District Council Records 1872-1974 

• UDBw: Biggleswade Urban District Council Records 1892-1974 

• QSR: Quarter Sessions Records for Bedfordshire from 1714-1900. A search combining Biggleswade as the subject and QSR as the reference will find criminal cases in which the parish is mentioned.   

• MAT5/1: Tithe map for Biggleswade, 1838 

• MB1/BG: Biggleswade Methodist Circuit (originally Wesleyan Methodist) 

• MB2/BIG1: Biggleswade Bourne Methodist Church (originally Primitive Methodist) 

• MB2/BIG2: Biggleswade Trinity Methodist Church (originally Wesleyan Methodist) 

• PUBW: Records of Biggleswade Poor Law Union 

• SDBiggleswadeBD: Records of Biggleswade Board School, originally Wesleyan Methodist School, later British School, Board School, and finally Council School 1863-1931 

• SDBiggleswadeNat: Records of Biggleswade National School, later Voluntary Controlled County Primary and finally St. Andrews C of E VC Lower School 

• SDBiggleswadeStratton: Records of Stratton Upper School (originally Grammar School) 

• CD: Chaundler of Biggleswade, solicitors 

• GK: Greene King (Biggleswade) archive 

• HOBW: Biggleswade Joint Hospital Board and Biggleswade Isolation Hospital, 1903-1948 

• X276: Biggleswade Volunteer Fire Brigade 

• X350: Biggleswade Old Meeting Baptist Church 

• X440: Deeds of the Foster Trust Estates in Biggleswade 

• X705: Biggleswade Clergy Association 

• X809: Biggleswade Afternoon Townswomen’s Guild 

• Z398: Gee and Sons, seed merchants 

• BCNeg: Biggleswade Chronicle photographic negative collection 1930-1969 

• Z50/16: Photographs of Biggleswade 

• Z111: Biggleswade photographs and postcards 

• Z1130/16: Postcards with pictures of Biggleswade 

• Z1306/16: Postcards with pictures of Biggleswade 

Further details of these and other items relating to Biggleswade can be found through our online catalogue. Our detailed collection guides give more information about the types of records we hold.  

Other useful sources for information about Biggleswade include: 

• Victoria County History entry for Biggleswade, available through British History Online.  Although published in 1908 most of the information is still relevant.  

• The National Archives’ Manorial Documents Register lists all manorial documents known to survive for Biggleswade Manor; none are recorded for Stratton Manor. 

Copies of the parish registers listing baptisms, marriages and burials up to 1812 can be purchased from Bedfordshire Archives. 

We offer an enquiry and research service, however this is limited to local history, properties and general subjects; we are no longer able to carry out genealogy research.