England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Biggleswade St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Biggleswade lies in eastern Bedfordshire not too far from its 3-counties meet with neighbouring Cambridgeshire and with Hertfordshire. Biggleswade is located roughly 10 miles southeast of the county town of Bedford and occupies a strategic position where the former route of the A1 road (London to Newcastle) crossed the River Ivel. For the great benefit of the town's traffic issues that road now passes to the west as a bypass. Biggleswade is a market town and regional centre for specialist trades & skills, its hinterland encompassed not only eastern Bedfordshire but also adjacent portions of Cambridgeshire & Hertfordshire. The region is a strongly rural area and the market specialised in the agricultural produce of that area, despite the weighting towards arable there were also markets for livestock. Biggleswade also was a major centre for lace and straw plait making, an activity largely carried out by the female population. Biggleswade also was an extensive parish with its own arable agriculture. With the coming of the railway from London, which granted Biggleswade a station, the trade switched extensively towards market gardening for the London Market. Also boosting the town was the mid 19th century Act to make the Ivel navigable enable light vessels to reach the town from the port of King's Lynn bringing in goods from overseas and also aiding in the distribution of its own products. Sadly Biggleswade's centre was largely destroyed in a fire of 1785 leaving few buildings other than the church from earliest times. As already mentioned modern developments have come aplenty, the Ivel navigation, the East Coast main line and the Great North Road, now a speedy modern dual-carriageway have all combined to make Biggleswade an attractive location for both light industry, services and some commuter volumes. From the small medieval market town it has grown such that is spans almost 2 miles from north to south and spreads a mile east from the Ivel. Biggleswade is drained northwards by the Ivel which meets the Great Ouse just north of Blunham, from here water crosses Fenland to King's Lynn, the Wash and the North Sea. Biggleswade is sited at around 30 metres above the sea in gentle terrain, land rises gently west of the Ivel to around 60 metres at nearby Old Warden. Covering 4,200 acres Biggleswade parish was an extensive parish for rural eastern England, that acreage would have supported a population during the transcript period of around 3,800 parishioners, many more today. By way of contrast Biggleswade was a relatively small place in the time of Domesday, held by Ralph de L'Isle it had only 20 households, its assets of 10 ploughs, some meadows and 2 mills indicated a potential for prosperity that was clearly materialised.

The Church

St Andrew's church stands on the western edges of Biggleswade close to the banks of the Ivel and usually accessed from Shortmead Street. As would be expected the church is large as befits a market town of Biggleswade's size. It is also, however, a relatively late church with nothing remaining from its early collegiate predecessor. Externally the church is entirely the product of the Victorian restorers but Pevsner's internal examination reveals a more nuanced history. There is some small amounts of the early 14th century Decorated style but the majority is Perpendicular, the early features are the tower arch and southern doorway from the first half of the 14th century. Whilst the nave and its aisles are originally late 14th century they too have been much modified in Victorian times. Modification, however, began in the medieval period when between 1467 & 1481 the chancel was completely rebuilt, its highlight is the magnificent 7-light east window, at the same time the southern porch was added. The major restoration came between 1885 & 1888 and gives us the facade we see today as well as thoroughly restoring the eastern end and adding the northern vestry. A fire in 1953 destroyed some of that work and required repair to the chancel roof as well as new organ chamber. Shortmead Street has a few parking bays which allow up to 2 hours if one may be found vacant. The church is set well back from the road and is reached by various paths, unfortunately for the photographer it is also set close to the southwestern corner of the churchyard restricting markedly the aspects available.