Houghton Regis

High Street, Houghton Regis 1912 [Z1306/63/1/2]  

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

Houghton Regis is an ancient parish 1 mile north of Dunstable and 5 miles north-west of Luton, with hamlets at Bidwell, Puddlehill, Sewell, Thorn, Tithe Farm and Upper Houghton Regis. Bedfordshire Archives holds many documents relating to the parish; a search of our online catalogue with Houghton Regis as the subject returns over 4400 items. Significant collections for researching people or places in Houghton Regis include: 

• P101: Records for the parish of All Saints, including: registers of baptisms, marriages and burials; records relating to church property; parish magazines  

• PCHoughton Regis: Parish council records, including: minutes 

• B: Brandreth Archive  

• LHE: Luton Hoo Estate 

• X21/342-348: Collection of Mr R B Holbourn, Enclosure Papers 

• MC1/5/0/1: Books of reference to the first edition OS plans 

• MA84: Inclosure maps 

• MAT: Tithe Apportionment Maps 

• R1: Russell Estate Maps 

• MB2/CH: Chalk Hill Methodist Chapel, Houghton Regis 

• MB2/HR1: Houghton Regis Wesleyan Methodist Chapel 

• MB2/HR2: Houghton Regis Primitive Methodist Chapel 

• X373/608: Houghton Regis: Cemetery of Baptist Chapel at Thorne 

• Z676/1: Houghton Regis Baptist Chapel, High Street marriage registers 

• SDHoughtonRegis: Records of Houghton Regis School [British, Board, Council, CP, Lower] 

• SDHoughtonRegisBritish: Records of Houghton Regis British School [British, Board, Council, CP, Lower] 

• SDHoughtonRegisLower: Houghton Regis Lower School [British, Board, Council, CP, Lower] 

• SDHoughtonRegisWhitehead: Records of Thomas Whitehead School [Houghton Regis Free, National, Whitehead's Free, Whitehead's Free Endowed, Houghton Regis Public Elementary, VC CP, later Thomas Whitehead VC CP, Lower, Whitehead Lower] 

• SMM10: School Managers’ records, Houghton Regis Group of Primary Schools [Thornbury, Tithe Farm & County Primary]. 

• SB21: School Board records, Houghton Regis  

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

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

• BW: Brownlow muniments 

• SF31: Swaffield & Son, auctioneers and estate agents, Ampthill 

• X277: Chew's Foundation 

• X939/83: Houghton Regis Women's Institute 

• Z591: Sale Catalogues 

• Z1356: Deeds and wills relating to Brandreth and Buckeridge families, 1723-1776  

• Z50/63: Photographs of Houghton Regis  

• Z580: Mrs B Chambers Collection of postcards, 1904 - 1969  

• Z1130/63: Postcards with pictures of Houghton Regis  

• Z1306/63: Postcards with pictures of Houghton Regis  

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 Houghton Regis include:  

• Houghton Regis Heritage Society

• Victoria County History entry for Houghton Regis, 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 the manors of Houghton Regis, Caldecote and Sewell. 

• Open Domesday lists 1 entry for Houghton Regis in the Domesday Book of 1086  

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.