Bedfordshire Villages - Haynes

An Illustrated History of the

Village of Haynes

 

Many villages in Bedfordshire have had histories written about them in recent years but Haynes has been somewhat lacking in that no comprehensive history has yet been published. It has taken a relative newcomer to the village to do so and David Morris is to be congratulated for his painstaking research into the history of the village and recording for posterity the anecdotes and reminiscences of some of the older villagers before they are lost in the mists of time.

He vividly recreates village life in the early twentieth century with a walk around the local lanes, describing the cottages, many of which have long since disappeared, and bringing the characters that lived and worked in them to life. I was amused to learn that milk was delivered by two ladies known as ‘Fatty’ and ‘Skinny’ and that the undertaker displayed a sign outside his premises that read ‘If you don’t die we can’t live’. The village at that time must have been self sufficient with a great number and variety of trades. My own special interest is farming and I was fascinated to learn a lot more of the history of my own farm. David records the tenants of the various farms in Haynes and I was amazed at the frequency of change that occurred in the nineteenth century.

However, in the twentieth century tenants bought their own farms resulting in a more stable farming community. This book encompasses all aspects of the village including the manor of Haynes, the church, education, transport and agriculture to name but a few. In each aspect the author manages to set the local scene within the county and national context that adds greatly to the enjoyment of this history. The book covers almost a thousand years of history and I hope that readers in the next millennium will enjoy reflecting on the rich heritage of Haynes.

Reviewed by Andrew Phillips, Chairman, Haynes Parish Council, August 2006

Available now on CD, this fully illustrated and detailed account of the history of Haynes, from the Norman Conquest to  the present day, makes compelling reading. To obtain a copy email David at able@fsmail.net for details.

Sample chapters include:

Location, Location, Location

The village of Haynes lies between the A600 and west of the A6 in the county of Bedfordshire, England. It is 7 miles from the county town of Bedford to the north and 3½ miles from the market town of Shefford to the east. 

The Parish of Haynes comprises the diverse hamlets of Deadman’s Cross, Northwood End, Silver End, Church End and West End. At the heart of the village are Northwood End and Silver End, with Deadman's Cross 1¼ miles to the south and Church End 1½ miles to the west. Church End is a designated Conservation Area and dominated by the 18th century Haynes Park Mansion. It is also home to the Parish Church of St. Mary’s. The Church is of Medieval origin dating from about 1150. West End is a further 2 miles west, being divided by the A6 Bedford/Luton road. In all, the village extends some 5 miles south to west.....more

1066 And all that

It would not be possible to write a history of the village of Haynes without first recounting the events of 1066 - and all that. In January of that year, Edward the Confessor (Eadweard III 1042-1066) died childless, and on his deathbed designated Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, his royal heir, although he had previously promised the crown to his cousin William, Duke of Normandy - an apparent moment of forgetfulness that forever changed the course of British history. The last Anglo-Saxon king of England, Harold II, held the crown for nine months before being famously killed by an arrow in the eye at the Battle of Hastings while trying to repel the Norman invasion under William (Duke of Normandy) the Conqueror...more           

The Manor of Haynes

Following the Norman Conquest, the Manor of Haynes was held by the Beauchamp family for nearly 200 years until John de Beauchamp, the last of the line, was slain with Simon de Montfort and his supporters in the Vale of Evesham during the Baron’s war in 1265. It descended by marriage to the de Mowbray family through the marriage of Maud, daughter of William de Beauchamp of Bedford to Roger de Mowbray. When a descendant of his, John de Mowbray, was hanged following an abortive insurrection at the battle of Boroughbridge in 1321 against Edward II, it was granted to the King’s favourite, Hugh de Despenser...more

The Parish Church of St. Mary's

The Church of St Mary's is of Medieval origin dating from about 1150, but much rebuilt and enlarged (with the exception of the tower) by Henry Woodyer in 1850. An elegant structure in the Early Decorated style, consisting of chancel, memorial chapel to Anne Constantia (Beresford) wife of Lord John Thynne, nave, aisles, with vestry beyond, south porch and an embattled tower. At the north side of the chancel there are three stained windows and one in the west end of the church in memory of Lady Thynne, besides one in the south of the chancel in memory of the Rev. Arthur E D Osborne BA vicar 1878-1887. There is a brass portrait of a Tudor Knight at prayer in the north wall of the sanctuary...more

 Education, Education, Education

Under the authority of an Act proposed in the 5th year of the Reign of Queen Victoria entitled ‘An Act for affording further facilities for the conveyance and endowment of sites for schools’, Lord John Carteret (Thynne) and his wife, the Right Honourable Mary Anne Carteret, of Hawnes House and Park, granted and conveyed to the Reverend Frederic Charles George Pafsy, (Passy) Vicar of Willhamstead and the Reverend Henry John Rose, Rector of Houghton Conquest, 25 perches of land ‘as a site for a school for poor persons and for the residence of the Schoolmaster and Schoolmistress.’ The system of education to be ‘according to the plan of the Incorporated National Society for promoting the education of the poor in the principles of the Established Church throughout England and Wales.’ Conveyance signed and dated 10th January 1847. An Application for Aid towards the building of a School for 60 Boys and 60 Girls together with a residence for a teacher or teachers at Hawnes was made to the National Society 9th February, 1850...more

Commerce and the Community

A study of the history of the village from 1851 shows just how self-sufficient it was, with a great number and variety of trades serving an average population of just 900 inhabitants. Northwood End was the commercial centre of the village. In 1857 there are records of Lawerence Atterbury, a baker; William Beard, a baker, miller and beer retailer; Mrs Elizabeth Hart, a grocer; John Gudgin (jnr) a butcher and Ebernezer Ebbs, brick and tile maker. In 1862, William and John Cox, wheelwrights; George Cox, grocer and baker; Joseph Allen, Brewer; William Dunham, beer retailer; Henry Gudgin, baker and grocer; John Atterbury, baker; Samuel Atterbury, carpenter and joiner; John Wiles, tailor; William Cole, mealman; William Trigg, blacksmith and boot and shoe maker, with premises opposite the Old Mill House and Thomas Walker, shoemaker. In Silver Lane Thomas Allen, worked as a bootmaker....more

Celebrations

The Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902 began with the ringing of the Church bells at 10.30 a.m. on 26th June. The ringers were Messrs J Joy, G Smith, W Joy and A Brittain. The coronation was originally scheduled for this date but Edward had to undergo an emergency appendectomy operation, so the actual coronation was postponed until 9th August 1902. The Reverend W C Browne conducted the service in the Parish Church. Dinner and tea for adults and children was served in Haynes Park, with 650 being present. Coronation mugs were provided by the kindness of Mr W B Greenfield for children between 3 and 13 years of age, and presented by Mrs Browne due to her husband’s absence in London. Sports were also held in the Park with £4 being spent on prizes...more.

Mine Hosts

In the middle of the 19th century the community was served by a wealth of licensed premises. The Osborne family of Chicksands probably built the Greyhound Public House in Northwood End during the 1780’s. The property is not mentioned in the Land Tax assessment of 1782 and occurs for the first time in 1787. Moses Freeman was the tenant, and after his death in 1818 the licence passed to his wife, Catherine. By 1839 the tenant was William Waller and the pub was known as ‘The Dog’. Joseph Simms was the tenant in 1853 and had established a butchers shop there. It was then called the ‘Dog and Butcher’...more

Drunk and Disorderly

William Langley, a tramp, was charged with unlawfully exposing his person on the highway at Haynes on 24th June 1892 with intent to insult Fanny Pateman, a married woman. A similar offence had occurred on the same day to Jane Smith. The defendant pleaded not guilty. He was given 2 months hard labour for each offence. Alfred Godfrey of no fixed abode was sent to prison in July, 1895 for one month with hard labour. The charge was obtaining 5 quarts of beer value 1s. 6d. by false pretences from Abraham Deer, landlord of the Red Lion...more

The Murder of Nellie Rault

On 9th May, 1919 a young girl from Jersey serving with Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps (QMAAC) was murdered in woods near an army camp in Bedfordshire. The crime has never been solved. Nellie Rault was murdered in Wilstead Wood, Beds. She was last seen alive at about 3.30 pm on Friday, 9th May but was not missed until roll call at 9.30 the next morning. On the following day search parties were organised but her body was not found until the afternoon of Monday, 12th May. She had been stabbed several times in the chest and back, and attempts had been made to hide the body under bundles of cut undergrowth in woodland about 150 yards outside the camp gates...more

To obtain a copy of this unique CD contact David at able@fsmail.net