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Hockliffe 
Timeline

Places > Hockliffe

1086: Single entry in the Domesday Book refers to a manorial holding of 10 hides. 

12th Century: Parts of the church date back to the 12th century, the list of incumbents dates back to 1218, the chancel dates from the 14th century and the tower is a 14th century addition.

1209: First reference to Hospital of St. John the Baptist. The hospital was intended for the destitute poor and was run until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the mid 16th century. Pevsner notes that the kitchen exit of Hockliffe House has a "finely moulded Perp arch from the former Hospital of St. John." (1968)

1290: A serious fire caused major damage to the Hospital of St. John the Baptist.

1616: The Gilpin Family move into Hockliffe Grange.

1749: Hockliffe Grange largely rebuilt.

1772: William Dodd was Rector of Hockliffe 1772-74. He was hanged at Tyburn for forgery on the 27th June 1777 after being tried at the Old Bailey.  For a full transcript of the trial visit the Proceedings of the Old Bailey website and search for William Dodd.

1777: John Warner, Rector of Hockliffe 1777-1791, a classical scholar and friend of John Howard the prison reformer.

1825: Congregational Chapel built.

1833: Wesleyan  Chapel built.

1844: National School opened.

1900: Arnold Bennett moves into Trinity Hall farm at the age of 32 where he writes 'Teresa of Watling Street', his only attempt at detective fiction. In the book Trinity Hall Farm is disguised as Queens Farm although most of the other names, Hockliffe, Dunstable and Biggleswade remain. He left Trinity Hall Farm in January 1903.

1929: Part of the parish of Chalgrave becomes incorporated in Hockliffe.

1942: In August the SOE set up a Czech radio station at a farm near Hockliffe.

1990: Serious fire at The Bell Public House in September


Page last updated: 29th January 2014