Bedford Borough Records after c.1650
The minute books and freemen and burgess lists: The first surviving minute book [Ref: BorBB2/1] of the deliberations of the Common Council of Bedford Borough covers the period 1647-1664 and was published by Bedfordshire Historical Record Society (BHRS) in 1949 (vol. 26). The years 1647-1663 were dominated by the struggle for power between the burgesses and the freemen. In 1663 it was decided that the Common Council Chamber should consist of the mayor, aldermen, bailiffs, recorder and his deputy, together with the Thirteen, chosen exclusively from the burgesses. The minutes show that the Borough was overseeing the Town Gaol, preventing outsiders from trading in Bedford, maintaining the Town Bridge and High Street and administering the Holborn property left by Sir William Harpur for maintaining the School (up to 1764). These areas were the mainstay of the Borough's administrative activities until the 19th century. The appointment of burgesses and freemen to bolster up support for Parliamentary candidates bulk large in the minutes. Increasingly throughout the 18th century bands of supporters of one or other of the candidates were sworn in, especially in the 1770s, from Middlesex and Hunts. The earliest surviving list of freemen and burgesses dates from 1679 [Ref: BorBB6/1], but the records are largely complete for the period 1721-1850 [Ref: BorBB6/2-3].
Bedford Borough Quarter Sessions: The Rolls, 1750-1836, contain evidence of crimes committed in the town and details of some of the administrative decisions made by the Borough [Ref: BorBF4]. The records of more than 4000 individual cases, catalogued
since the archive's deposit here, given an unrivalled picture of life in Bedford during this period. The Quarter Sessions minutes [Ref: BorBF3] cover the period 1771-1955, with a gap between 1835 and 1846 when the Borough was not empowered to hold Sessions. Records for Bedford for these years are found in the Bedfordshire Quarter Sessions papers [Ref: QSM & QSR]. Public houses were licensed at special Brewster Sessions while footpath diversions are recorded in the minutes. There were numerous cases of bastardy and binding over people to keep the peace. The trade of those involved is often given.
The Improvement Commissioners: The Commissioners were set up under a special act of Parliament in 1803 [Ref: BorB1/2] to rebuild the town bridge, build a new Market House to replace the old Guildhall, and to relocate the market to a site east of St. Paul's Church. As well as the minutes, there is a contract with John Wing for rebuilding the Town Bridge in 1810 [Ref: Bor.BI2/10]. The Commissioners' achievements are usefully summarised in minutes of 1 November 1839 [Ref: BorBB1/5). Their deeds [Ref: Bor.BE 11] give details of the sites they cleared to the east of St. Paul's church.
The 1835 Corporations Act and the Borough of Bedford: Under the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 the only new powers given to the Borough were the appointment of a Watch Committee [Ref: BorBB3] to police the streets of Bedford and to be responsible for the various fire engines [Ref: BorBB2/13].
Bedford Borough assumes the Powers of the Improvement Commissioners, 1839: The unelected Improvement Commissioners functioned until they were removed by a public campaign, spearheaded by the Bedford Mercury , which included a threat of non-payment of their rate. In 1839 the Borough assumed their powers and in 1860 the Commissioners were abolished, their powers being taken over by the Borough Improvement Committee. The Council continued to regulate the construction of new buildings, encroachments on the highway and the laying of pavements and the naming of roads.
Bedford Borough acting as a Local Board of Health, Sanitary Committee, and later an Urban Sanitary Authority, 1863-1902: Bedford's rapid increase in population and residential housing forced the Council to take sanitary matters seriously (Ref: Bor.B 4/2-4). In 1864 the Borough installed main sewers in the principal streets. Henceforth the plans of all new houses had to indicate how their drains linked to the main sewer. Other planning and building regulations were added over the years. The plans (complete set up to 1948: [Ref: BorBP] are a wonderful source for the history of Bedford housing. Medical Officers of Health reports cover 1860-1918 and provides data on the incidence of disease in the town [Ref: Bor.BB12].
Borough of Bedford and education: Despite the 1870 Education Act, the Borough did not provide education directly until 1897 because the Harpur Trust ran the primary and secondary schools. The Borough was then forced to take over the primary schools, acting as a School Board until 1902 (see D. Bushby's Elementary Education in Bedford, BHRS, 1975, vol. 54). The Borough continued to run the primary schools as an Education Authority until 1944. Subsequently, it acted as a divisional executive of Bedfordshire County Council [Ref: EBM] divisional executive of Bedfordshire County
Council [Ref: EBM]. Bedford Borough did, however, run a School Attendance Committee from 1877 to 1897, which monitored pupils' attendance.
Electoral Registers: Bedford Borough kept a separate register of electors from the County [Ref: RE]. These cover the years 1832-1972/3 [Ref: BorBG6]. Separate burgess rolls from 1835-1886 record those entitled to vote in municipal elections [Ref: Bor.BB8]. Ward lists for 1889-1914 [Ref: Bor.BG9] replace this series.
Records of other institutions found in the Borough Archive: In 1794, a House of Industry to relieve the poor was established by a union of Bedford parishes. The Directors' Minute Books [Ref: BorBI] cover the years 1798-1835. Some of the records of the Bedford Regatta, Young Mens' Mutual Improvement Society, the Infirmary, the Library & Scientific Institute and the Race Stand Company are all to be found in this Archive [Ref: Bor.BI3-7].
Printed Material and other items: This section includes a collection of 19th century election posters for County and Borough seats, material relating to Bedford's churches, visits of royalty and V.I.Ps and the opening of public buildings [Ref: BorBG10 & J]. There are a number of photograph albums, including one showing Bedford streets and buildings prior to demolition in 1954-1959 [Ref: Bor.BK2/5].