England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Kempston All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Kempston lies in the extreme west of Bedfordshire forming the tiniest stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Buckinghamshire. Kempston is located roughly 3 miles west of the county town of Bedford on the southern banks of the Great Ouse River and sits a mile north of the A421 road which links Bedford with the modern M1 motorway. Kempston is a rather unusual settlement, previously consisting of a series od discrete "Ends" (Up End, Bell End and Church End) all strung out along the Great Ouse. The expansion of Bedford in modern times has, however, turned most of these discrete areas into a continuous western suburb, part of a large urban area stretching for 5 miles either side of the Great Ouse. At the time of this transcript Kempston would have been predominantly an arable farming community with the flood-plain of the Great Ouse providing some pastures as variety. The ladies of the parish were supporting the community through pillow-lace making a notable local product and highly sought today for its fine quality. Kempston is drained eastwards by the Great Ouse which, after passing through Bedford eventually turns more northerly to reach the North Sea arriving through the Norfolk port of King's Lynn and The Wash. Kempston is sited at around 30 metres above the sea, land gently rises away from the Great Ouse to local high points of around 70 metres at nearby Wootton. Kempston parish was one of the larger in its county by area, covering close to 5,000 acres it would have supported a population of close to 1,700 parishioners. Kempston was already a substantial settlement in Domesday times, large enough to be amongst the largest 20% of settlements recorded by population. Held by Countess Judith its assets were impressive too, 36 ploughs shows the nature of that settlement and backed by typical meadows & woodland it also had a mill powered by the Great Ouse making it a very wealthy holding indeed.

The Church

All Saints' church sits, as you might expect, in the westernmost of the "Ends", Church End and almost sitting on the banks of the Great Ouse, itself. This is a church which masks its origins beneath a veneer of later work, outwardly an example of a late 14th century Perpendicular church it isn't until Pevsner steps inside that the true nature of the church is revealed. The short western tower in Perpendicular style actually sits upon a 12th century Norman Romanesque tower arch, that age being repeated in the equivalent chancel arch. Once these 12th century origins are revealed more detail in the chancel identifies a window which might even be pre-Conquest and others also of the 12th century. The core is, therefore 12th century with the addition of 13th century Early English Gothic 3-bay arcades to both north and south. The overlay in the great church-building era of the Perpendicular has turned this humble origin-ed church something of a spectacle complete with 2-storeyed southern porch, clerestory above a new nave and battlements. Two Victorian restorations in 1864 and 1901 complete the church as we see it today. The narrow lane of Church End leads to the church and a few upmarket houses with the gates to the churchyard straight ahead.  A pathway leads across the churchyard to the church, there are some impediments to the aspects available, a cluster of trees on the southern flank proves tricky whilst it is also difficulat to get far back due to the trees surrounding, enough remains for the canny photographer to exploit.