Turvey
Timeline
Places > Turvey
1086: In the Domesday Survey eight entries occur with regard to land in Turvey.
1136: Earliest recorded mention of a bridge at Turvey. The oldest parts of the present bridge are ascribed to the 13th century, though most of the bridge dates from 1795-1820.
13th Century: All Saints Church has Anglo Saxon origins, the south aisle and porch were built in the 13th century and the north arcade in the early 14th century, in the 15th century the south porch and the west tower were heightened.
1603: Turvey Abbey built as a family home for the Mordaunts. The origin of the name probably to be traced to the lands held here by the Abbey of St. James at Northampton.
1782: Turvey Enclosure Act passed.
1786: Charles Higgins a wealthy grocer purchased the property of Turvey from the Mordaunt family.
1794: John Higgins built Turvey House.
1805: Leigh Richmond, writer on village life became Rector of Turvey until his death in 1827. He wrote three tales of village life, "The Dairymen's Daughter", "The Young Cottager", "The Negro Slave". The stories were published in "The Christian Guardian" between 1809 and 1814 and were an instant success. So much so that they were reprinted by The Religious Tract Society in 1814 under the general title of "The Annals of the Poor". The book was translated into French, Italian, German, Danish and Swedish.
1828: The Wesleyan Methodist Church and The Congregational Church were both founded.
1844: The statue of "Jonah" originally stood in the quadrangle of Ashridge House, Hertfordshire. The house was pulled down and the statue was acquired by John Higgins who placed the statue on the island near Turvey Bridge where it was given the nickname Jonah.
1847: Turvey Upper National School, the building comprising school and schoolmasters dwelling was completed.
1852-54: Church enlarged and renovated by Sir George Gilbert Scott.
1853: Turvey Infants National School built.
1855: Organ built by Hill & Sons and presented to the church by Charles Longuet Higgins.
1871-72: The Working Men's Room was converted from a barn by Colonel Higgins for the use of "navvies" building the railway. The building of the railway had caused an influx of some two hundred-railway labourers to the parish.
1872: Turvey station built on the Bedford-Northampton line; this line was closed in March 1962.
1885: Fire destroyed much of Turvey mill, the mill was rebuilt and over the years has been a food store, during World War 1 was a crisp factory, Christo's Crisps, and today is luxury flats. The Barton Almshouses opened.
1919: The war memorial erected. Council houses in May Road built.
1953: "Jonahs wife" arrives, an even more dubious statue with female body and a bearded head.
1958: The popular BBC radio programme "Have a Go" with Wilfred Pickles and his wife Mabel was broadcast from Turvey Village Hall on Tuesday 29th April.
1962: Turvey station closed, the last train ran through Turvey Station on the 3rd March at 9.20pm.
1969: Bailey's buses stop running as Frank and Charlie Bailey retire. Among the services were regular Thursday services to Olney and to Bedford on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
1971: The railway bridge over the main Bedford road demolished.
1980: Turvey Abbey becomes a Benedictine Abbey with three monks and fourteen nuns coming from Cockfosters in North London.
Page last updated: 4th February 2014