Kelly’s trade directory – a 241 page PDF covering the towns and villages of Bedfordshire in 1898 local history, private residents, trades and professions, plus advertisements.
The first recorded use of the name in 1011 was “Bedanfordscir,” meaning the shire or county of Bedford, which itself means “Beda’s ford” (river crossing).
Bedfordshire was historically divided into nine hundreds: Barford, Biggleswade, Clifton, Flitt, Manshead, Redbornestoke, Stodden, Willey, Wixamtree, along with the liberty and borough of Bedford. There have been several changes to the county boundary; for example, in 1897 Kensworth and part of Caddington were transferred from Hertfordshire to Bedfordshire.
The places include; Alameda, Aleppershall, Aley Green, Ampthill, Arlesey, Arlsey, Aspley End, Aspley Guise, Aspley Heath, Aspley Wood, Astwick, Barford Great, Barford Little, Barton, Barton-le-Cley, Battlesden, Beacon Hill, Bedford, Beeston, Beggary, Belham, Bell End, Biddenham, Bidwell, Biggleswade, Billington Great, Billington Little, Bishopscote, Bletsoe, Blunham, Bolnhurst , Boughton End, Bourne End, Box End, Bridge End, Broad Green, Bromham, Brook End, Broom, Brumham, Budna, Bury End, Bury Hill, Bushmead, Caddington, Cadwell, Caesar’s Camp, Cain Hill, Caldecote, Caldecote Lower, Caldecote Upper, Campton, Cardington, Carlton, Carlton-cum-Chellington, Castle Hill, Cemetery Hill, Chalgrave, Chalk Hill, Chalton, Channels End, Chapel End, Charlton, Chaul End, Chawston, Chellington, Chicksands, Chiltern Green, Church End, Clapham, Clifton, Clipstone, Clophill, Cockayne Hatley, Colesden, Colmworth, Colworth, Cople, Cotton End, Cranfield, Crawley Green, Cross Hall, Crow End, Deadman’s Cross, Dean, Dean Nether, Dean Upper, Denel End, Duloe, Dunstable, Dunton, East End, East Hyde, Eastcotts, Eaton Bray, Eaton Ford, Eaton Socon, Edworth, Eggington, Elstow, End Little, Eversholt, Everton, Eyworth, Fancott, Farley, Farndish, Felmersham, Fenlake, Flitton, Flitwick, Foster’s Hill, Gannock’s, Girtford, Goldington, Gravel End, Gravenhurst, Grayshill, Great Barford, Great Billington, Great Bishopscote , Great Close, Green End, Greenfield, Grove, Grovebury, Hardwicke, Harlington, Harrold, Harrowden, Hatch, Haverings, Hawnes, Haynes, Heath & Reach, Henlow, Heath, Renhold, Revensden, Ridgmont, Ridgmount, Riseley, Hern, Higham Gobion, Hightown, Hills, Hinwick, Hockliffe, Holcut, Holme, Holme Green, Holwell, Holwell Bury, Holy Well, Honeydon, Houghton Conquest, Houghton Regis, Houghton Upper, Howe End, Hulcote, Husborne Crawley, Hyde, Hyde East, Hyde West, Ickwell, Ireland, John-o’-Gaunt’s Hill, Keeley, Kempston, Kensworth, Kensworth Lynch, Kensworthbury, Keysoe, Keysoe Row, King’s Mead, Kinsman Green, Kysoe, Langford, Leagrave, Leighton Buzzard, Lidlington, Limbury-cum-Biscott, Little Barford, Little Billington, Little Bishopscote, Little End, Little Park, Little Staughton, Littleworth End, Lower Caldecote, Lower Gravenhurst, Lower Shelton , Shillington, Silsoe, Slip End, Souldrop, Lower Staploe, Lower Staplow, Lower Stondon, Lower Stopsley, Lower Sundon, Luton, Luton Hoo, Maiden Bower, Marston Morteyne, Marston Pillinge, Maulden, Melchbourne, Meppershall, Mill Hill, Millbrook, Millow, Milton Bryant, Milton Ernest, Moggerhanger, Moor End, Morhanger, Nell’s Well, Nether Crawley, Nether Dean, New Fenlake, New Mill End, New Town, Newnham, Newton, North End, North Wood End, Northill, Oakley, Odell, Old Warden, Park End, Park Town, Pavenham, Pegsdon, People’s Park, Pertenhall, Pict’s Hill, Podington, Potsgrove, Pottesgrove, Potton, Puddington, Puddlehill, Pulloxhill, Quince Hill, Rad’s End, Radwell, Reach, Relmersham, Round Green, Roxton, Salford, Salph End, Sandy, Scold End, Seddington, Segenhoe, Sewell, Sharnbrook, Sharpenhoe, Shefford, Shefford Hardwicke, Shelton, Shelton Lower, Shelton Upper, South Mills, South Mills, Southill, St. Peter’s Green, Stagsden, Stanbridge, Stanford, Stanford Bury, Staplow, Staughton Parva, Staughton Little, Steppingley, Steventon, Stevington, Stopsley Lower, Stopsley Upper, Stotfold, Stratford, Stratton, Streatley, Studham, Sundon, Sutton, Swineshead, Swynshed, Tebworth, Tempsford, Thistley Green, Thorn, Thorncote, Thurleigh, Tilsworth, Tingrith, Tipple Hill, Toddington, Totternhoe, Town Park, Turvey, Up End, Upper Caldecote, Upper Dean, Upper End, Upper Gravenhurst, Upper Houghton, Upper Shelton, Upper Staples, Upper Staplow, Upper Stondon, Upper Stopsley, Upper Sundon, Upton End, West End, West Hyde, Westoning, Whipsnade, Whit’s End, Wick End, Wilden, Wilder, Willington, Wilshamstead, Wilstead, Wimington, Wingfield, Woburn, Woburn Sands, Wood End, Woodside, Wootton, Wootton Green, Wootton Keeley, Wrestlingworth, Wroxhill, Wyboston, Wymington, Yelden
Price: £4.50 GBP