Dunstable

West Street, Dunstable 1906 [Z1306/36/12/5] 

We have not yet been able to compile comprehensive history pages for Dunstable. If you would like to carry out research and contribute to this site we would be delighted to hear from you. 

Dunstable is an ancient parish in the south of the county to the west of Luton. It was founded by King Henry I on land which was originally part of the parish of Houghton Regis. Dunstable was a Borough from 12th to 16th Centuries and a Municipal Borough from 1864 to 1974. In 1907 the Municipal Borough was extended by the addition of part of Civil Parish of Houghton Regis. The ecclesiastical parish of Dunstable includes the Districts of St.Augustine, St.Fremund and St.Peter (The Priory).  

Bedfordshire Archives holds many documents relating to Dunstable; a search of our online catalogue with Dunstable as the subject returns nearly 16,000 items. Significant collections for researching people or places in Dunstable include: 

• P72: Parish records of Dunstable St Peter (Priory). Extensive records including registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, property records, churchwardens’ accounts, records of overseers of the poor, bastardy and settlement papers, charity records, and parochial church council minutes among other items 

• P140: Parish records of Dunstable St Augustine, including registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, property records and parochial church council minutes 

• P154: Parish records of Dunstable St. Fremund, including registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, property records and parochial church council minutes 

• BorD: Borough of Dunstable records 1864-1974 

• TCDunstable: Dunstable Town Council records from 1985 (currently only some minute books are held by Bedfordshire Archives) 

• ABP/W: Wills proved in the Archdeaconry of Bedford, 1536-1857  

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

• MAT12/1: Tithe map for the parish of Dunstable, 1822 revised 1840 

• MB1/DU: Records of the Dunstable Methodist Circuit 

• MB1/DV: Records of the Dunstable Victoria Street Methodist Circuit (originally Primitive Methodist) 

• MB2/DLR: Records of Luton Road Methodist Church 

• MB2/DSQ: Records of The Square Methodist Church 

• MB2/DST: Records of Dunstable Station Methodist Church, High Street North (formerly the Railway Mission) 

• MB2/DVS: Records of Victoria Street Methodist Church (originally Primitive Methodist) 

• MB2/DWR: Records of Waterlow Road Methodist Church 

• SDDunsAE: Records of Dunstable Ashton Elementary School, later St Peter’s VA Lower School 

• SDDunsBH: Records of Brewers Hill Middle School 

• SDDunsG: Records of Dunstable Grammar School 

• SDDunsKY: Records of Kingsbury School (merged with Queen Eleanor’s School in 1972 to form Queensbury Upper School) 

• SDDunstableArdley: Records of Ardley Hill School  

• SDDunstableDownside: Records of Downside County Primary School 

• SDDunstableGlenwood: Records of Glenwood Special School 

• SDDunstableHighfields: Records of Highfields School (formerly Evelyn Road Council School) 

• SDDunstableInfants: Records of Dunstable National Infants School, later Public Elementary School (closed 1922) 

• SD/LRD: Records of Luton Road Nursery School  

• A: Austin of Luton solicitor’s archive 

• X277: Chew’s Foundation 

• X585: Frances Ashton’s Charity 

• X686: Dunstable Downs Golf Club 

• X691: Briggs Charity 

• X699: Jane Cart’s Trust 

• X772: Records of the LuDun Works 

• X855: Dunstable Congregational Church 

• X925: Dunstable and District Regnal Circle 

• X956: Langdale Evangelical Church 

• X961: Dunstable Rotary Club 

• X968: Trades Union Council – Luton, Dunstable and District, and Bedfordshire 

• X984: New Life Church, Dunstable 

• Z416: Ashton Grammar School, Dunstable, including admission registers 1903-1919 and school magazines 

• Z591: Sale catalogues and deeds for properties in Dunstable and elsewhere 

• Z930: Moreton House School, Dunstable 

• Z990: Records of Puddlehill Turnpike Trust, Dunstable rate books, and abstracts of title for the Burr estate 

• Z1035: Papers concerning A5 Dunstable Bypass Planning Conference, 1996 

• Z1362/11: Minutes and papers relating to the Charter Trustees of Dunstable 1974-1985 

• Z1124: Dunstable Business & Professional Women’s Club 

• Z1302: Dunstable & District Chamber of Trade 

• Z1362: Items deposited by Dunstable & District Local History Society 

• Z50/36: Photographs of Dunstable 

• Z1130/36: Postcards with pictures of Dunstable 

• Z1306/36: Postcards with pictures of Dunstable 

Further details of these items 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 Dunstable include: 

• Dunstable and District Local History Society 

• Victoria County History entry for Dunstable, available through British History Online.  Although published in 1912 most of the information is still relevant.  

• The National Archives' Manorial Documents Register lists all manorial documents known to survive for Dunstable 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.