Dunstable
General History
Kelly's Directory 1869 (Extract
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DUNSTABLE is a municipal borough and considerable market town and polling place for the county, in the hundred of Manshead, union and county court district by of Luton, rural deanery of Dunstable, archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Ely, upon the London road to Chester and Holyhead, 33 miles from London, 5 west of from Luton, and 7 east from Leighton Buzzard: a branch of the London and North Western Railway at Leighton Buzzard runs to this town; the Great Northern Railway Company's branch from Hatfield, via Luton, terminates here. It is a town of great antiquity, and was a British settlement prior to the invasion of the Romans, by whom it was called Forum Diania: it is intersected by High-street, Church.street, and West-street, formerly the Watling Street of and Icknield Street of the Romans. The date of the charter of incorporation is December 8th, 1864: the corporation consists of a mayor, three aldermen, and twelve councillors; of there is also a local board of health.
The church of St. Peter, erected in the reign of Henry I., is a combination of various styles of architecture: the interior is principally Norman. On each side of the nave are six circular arches, consisting of four mouldings, with a pilaster in the middle between each arch: the roof is of oak, finely carved with knots of flowers; the beams are supported by angles horizontal and perpendicular: the south aisle of the church has been restored with a groined Norman roof: there are several ancient monuments: over the altar is a large and handsome painting of The Lord's Supper, by Sir James Thornhill, which, with the plate and rich pulpit cloth, were presented by two sisters in the year 1722. The register dates from the beginning of the seventeenth century. The living is a rectory, yearly value 150 with residence, in the gift of the Lord Chancellor, and held by the Rev. Frederick Hose, M.A., of Queen's College, Cambridge.
Here is a Charity school, for the education and clothing of 40 boys; there are also three other schools, viz., a National school, a British school, and a Free school.
On every Wednesday a market is held here, and four fairs in the course of the year, viz., on Ash Wednesday, the 22nd of May, August the 12th, and November the 12th.
The principal business of the town arises from the manufacture of straw plait and bonnets, in which a great number of females are employed; whiting also forms an important branch of trade.
In the year 1713 several houses were built for the support of six reduced maiden ladies, who receive the annual income of 180 for their support. The charities given to the poor amount to about 100 per annum.
This is one of the places at which Eleanor crosses were erected, but the one in this towit was demolished during thea great Rebellion.
The sentence of divorce between Henry VIII. and Katharine of Arragon was pronounced Dunstalde Priory, by Archbishop Cranmer, in the year 1553. Dunstable gave birth to Elkanah Settle, a well known dramatist and political writer.
The Queen is lady of the manor. The principal land owners are F. W. Brown, Esq., and Mrs. Oliver. The soil is light and chalky. The population in 1861 was 4,470; the number of acres is 309.
Official Establishments and Local Institutions, &c
POST & MONEY ORDER OFFICE & Post Office Savings Bank & Government Annuity & Insurance Office, High street.-George Fisher Scroggs, postmaster. Mails arrive at 5.8 a.m. & 10.40 a.m.; delivered at 7 a.m. & 11.15 a.m.; -dispatched at 7 a.m. for London & all parts; 10.25 a.m -for Luton only; 1.45 p.m. for London & South & East, & also Leighton Buzzard; 8.35 p.m. for the North; 9.20 p.m. for London, all parts, foreign &c Letters can be registered within 30 minutes of the mails leaving. Money order office & savings bank are open from 9a.m. to 6 p.m.; saturdays until 8 p.m
CORPORATION.
MAYOR
Samuel Burges
ALDERMEN
Joseph Gutteridge
William Jardine
William Mulligan
COUNCILLORS
Joseph Darby
William Henry Derbyshire
Benjamin Bennett
Richard Walton
John Henry Limbrey
William Marshall
Henry Cheshire
Edwin Johnson
John Chambers
William Hopcroft
EdwinWilliam Brown
William Purton Freeman
Assessors, William Cheshire & Henry White
Auditors, William Parton Reading Southam & Edward Carrington
George
INSURANCE AGENTS
Albert Life, William Hopcroft (travelling superintendent
of agencies), High street
Lancashire Fire & Life, Mrs. S. Weatherill, High
street
London Assurance, Frederick Hatt
National Provident, Edward Lockhart
Norwich Union Fire, T. B. G. Clarke, High street;
William Hopcroft, High street
Phoenix Fire, Charles S. Benning, West street
Royal Fire & Life, William Hopcroft, High street
Royal Exchange Fire & Life, C. Stockhart & Son
Standard Ltfr, Charles S. Benning, West street; Benjamin
Briggs, High street
Sun Fire & Life, William Cheshire, West street
Whittington Life, William Hopcroft, High street; Thomas
Keene, Union street
PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS
Burial Board, West street; C. S. Benning, esq. clerk
Gas Company, William P. R. Southam, secretary;Frederick
Simmons, foreman; Charles S. Banning,solicitor
Town Council & Local Board of Health, Charles
S.Benning, clerk
Fire Engine Establishment, High street, keys kept at
Messrs. Bowden & Cheshire's
Inland Revenue Office, Saracen's Head inn
Temperance Hall, West street, Robert Pickering, sec
PUBLIC OFFICERS:-
Clerk to Dunstable Local Government Board, to Luton
District Highway Board & Puddlehill Turnpike Trust, Charles
S. Benning, West street
Registrar of' Births & Deaths for Dunstable District,George
Derbyshire, Church street
Relieving Officer for Dunstable District, Daniel George
Gilbey, Albion road
Steward of the Manor Royal of Dunstable, of the Manor of
Pirton-cum-Ickleford & of the Manor of Dame Sayer, Charles
S.Benning
Town Crier, William Allen, Union street
PLACES OF WORSHIP
St. Peter's Church, Rev. Frederick Hose, M.A. rector
Baptist Chapel, West street, Rev. Daniel Gould, minister
Baptist Chapel (Old), South place, Rev. J, Inward,
minister
Ebenezer (Independent) Chapel, Edward street, Rev. Jabez
Dixon, minister
Primitive Methodist Chapel, Victoria street, ministers
various
Wesleyan Chapel, High street, ministers various
SCHOOLS
British, Miss Amelia Wootton, mistress
Endowed Free, Mr. James Hambling, master
National, Jaines Cook, master
RAILWAYS
Great Northern, Joseph Quarton, station master
London & North Western, Benj. Gregory, station master
CARRIER TO BEDFORD :-
James Randall, at 7.30 a.m. on wednesday & saturday, per
passenger van, from the 'Horse & Groom,' Church street
PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Benning Charles Stockdale, esq.West st
Blackwell William, esq. High street
Collings Mr. George, High street
Corder Miss, High street
Darley Mr. John, Edward street
Derbyshire Mr.Wil1iam H. Church st
Ellis Mrs. West street
Farr Frederick, esq. High street
Fernie Rev.John [Independent],High st
George Edward, esq. High street
Gould (Rev.Daniel Baptist], High street
Guille Miss, High street
Gutteridge Mrs. High street
Hicks Chas. Cyril, M.D., L.S.A. High st
Hose Rev. Frederick, M.A. [rector & rural dean], West street
Jardine Mr. William, High street
Laurie William Forbes, M.D., L.S.A. High street
Limbrey Mr. Elisha, South place
Lockhart Mr. Edward, High street
Middleton Stephen Douglas, esq. The Lawn, High street
Miller Mrs. West street
Parrott Mr. Henry, High street
Rudd Miss, High street
Seccombe Rev.Wm.[Wesleyan],High st
Southam Wn. Parton Reading, esq.High street
Stevens Mrs. Rural cottage South pl
Tibbett Mr. James, Icknield road
Wood Miss, West street
Abraham John, greengrocer, West street
Allan James & Co. straw hat manufacturers, Albion road; & at 157 Cheapside, London e.c
Bailey John, tailor, outfitter & draper, High street
Banning William, shopkeeper, Mount street
Barber John Clarke, builder, Victoria street
Barton Richard, shopkeeper, Mount street
Batemar James, blocker, West street
Bedfordshire Leighton Buzzard Bank (Bassett, Son & Harris), High street, open on wednesdays, saturdays & fair days; draw on Barclay, Bevan & Co. London
Beely Lucy & Sarah (Misses), boarding school for young ladies, Grove house, High street
Beech John, tailor, Albion road
Bennett Benjamin, straw hat & bonnet manufactr. High st
Bennett Benjamin, jun. maltster, High street
Benning Charles Stockdale, solicitor, town clerk & clerk to the local board, perpetual commissioner for Beds, Bucks, & Herts, commissioner in chancery & all law courts, steward of the manor royal of Dunstable, Pirton-cum-Ickleford & Dame Sayer, clerk of highway board for Luton district, clerk to Puddlehill turnpike trust, solicitor to London & County Bank & Gas & Coke Company & for Mrs. Carts' charity, West street
Bignell Thomas, umbrella maker, High street
Billington Benjamin, shopkeeper, Union street
Blake Ann Elizabeth (Miss), milliner & dress maker, West at
Bliss William, shopkeeper, West street
Botterill William, Ewe & Lamb, West street
Botterill William, painter & glazier, plumber & gas fitter, paper hanger & decorator, West street
Bowden & Cheshire, timber merchants, builders &c High st
Bowers Joseph, beer retailer, High street
Bowles John, silversmith, jeweller & watch & clock make; High street
Brookes Thomas shoe maker, Union street
Brown Charles, beer retailer, Winfield street
Brown david, fishmonger, High street
Brown Edwin, farmer, High street
Brown John, straw hat manufacturer, Albion road
Brown Thomas, greengrocer, Union street
Budd John, photographer, High street
Bunker John, boot and shoe maker, High street
Burges Samuel, tailor, woolen draper, clothier and outfitter, High street
Burges John, dealer in rags and bones, Church street
Butt Sophia (Mrs.), dressmaker, Mount street
Butterfield William, straw dealer, South place
Byrns John, travelling draper, High street
Chambers John, grocer, general ironmonger, oil and hop dealer, High street
Champkin John, greengrocer, West street
Cheshire Arthur, Bricklayers Arms, Regent street
Cheshire Thomas, straw hat and bonnet ma. Albion rd
Cheshire William, builder, cabinet maker & furniture dealer, west street
Chilton John, pawnbroker, Church street
Clarke Tom Gilham Burn, pharmaceutical & dispensing chemist, patent medicine vendor & manufacturer of Clarke's wheat protector for preventing smut in wheat, High street
Cobb Thomas, shopkeeper, Mount street
Collings James, beer retailer, South place
Collins Thomas George, straw hat and bonnet manufacturer, High street
Cook George, boot and shoe maker, High street
Cook John, plumber and glazier, High street
Cook William, beer retailer and tailor, Ashton street
Cooper John, James and George, straw hat & bonnet manufacturers, High street
Cooper Samuel, Rose & Crown, High street
Costin Daniel, whitesmith, locksmith, bell hanger & gas fitter, West street
Cowley John, blacksmith, Church street
Currant Christopher, mealman, Union street
Daniel Thomas, grocer, High street
Darby Joseph, butcher, West street
Davis Frederick, boot & shoe maker & leather dlr. High st
Derbyshire Charles, grocer, High street
Derbyshire George, registrar of births & deaths for Dunstable district, Church street
Derbyshire William Henry auctioneer & appraiser, land, house & estate agent & landsurveyor, High street
Dightam Edward, watch maker, Ashton street
Donne Charlotte & Dinah (Misses), boarding & day school for young ladies, High street
Donne Edwin Bower, professor of music, High street
Driffill William, plumber & glazier, painter, paper hanger & decorator, High street
Duncomb Frederick, Waggon & Horses, High street
Dunstable Burial Board (C. S. Benning, clerk), West st
Dunstable Gas Company (William P.R. Soutliam, esq.sec.; Frederick Simmons, foreman; Charles S. Henning, esq. solicitor
Eames William, straw plait dealer, West street
Edmonds John, boot & shoe maker, West street
Elliott William (Mrs.), straw hat & bonnet manufacturer, High street
Emerson James, shopkeeper, West street
Emery John, grocer, High street
Farr Frederick, surgeon, High street
Fearn Joseph, Crow, & Cooper, High street
Fensom Daniel, chimney sweeper, Church street
Field Elizabeth (Mrs.), beer retailer& whiting manufacturer, Chapel place
Field Frederick, beer retailer, Albion road
Field Mary (Mrs.), Britannta, High street
Fosdick S. W. coal mer. Great Northern Railway coal wharf
Fowler Thomas, The George, Church street
Fox Ann (Mrs.), shopkeeper, West street
Fox George, saddler & harness maker, West street
Fox William, saddler & harness maker. West street
Franklin George, boot& shoe maker, Victoria street
Franklin John, beer retailer, Church street
Freeman Henry, temperance coffee house, Asliton street
Freeman William Purton, grocer &'provision dealer & dealer in british & foreign wines, High street
Funge Amos, Shoulder of Mutton, High street
Gadsden Adelaide (Miss), dress maker, West street
Gadsden Westley, fancy repository, West street
Gage George, manufacturing & dispensing chemist & druggist, High street, & at Market hill, Luton
Gibbard Ann (Mrs.), corn & flour dealer, High street Giddings Henry, plumber & glazier, painter, paper hanger & decorator, High street
Gilbey Daniel George, relieving officer for Dunstable district, Albion road
Good Henry, boot & shoe maker, High street
Goode William, boot & shoe maker, High street
Gostelow Thomas Cooke, stationer & dairyman, High street
Groves Elizabeth Ann (Miss), straw bonnet maker, Albion rd
Grubb William, boot & shoe maker, Church street
Gutteridge Matthew, miller, West street
Hallifax Joseph, boot & shoe maker, High street
Hanchard Edwin, upholsterer & fancy repository, High street
Page last updated: 24th January 2014