Clapham
General History
Kelly's Directory 1903 (Extract)

Places > Clapham > General History

CLAPHAM is a village and parish, on the north bank of the river Ouse, and on the road from Bedford to Higham Ferrers, 2 miles north-west from Bedford, in the Northern division of the county, hundred of Stodden, petty sessional division, union and county court district of Bedford, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Bedford and diocese of Ely. The church of St. Thomas--Becket, rebuilt, with the exception of the tower, in 1861, is of native limestone, in the Early, English style, from designs by the late Sir G. Gilbert Scott R.A. and consists of chancel, nave, aisles and a very early and massive tower 82 feet high, without buttresses, mentioned by Rickman as one of the best and most remarkable of the remaining examples of Early Saxon work in the kingdom, and containing 5 bells; the two lower stages, are of earlier date than the third or upper portion; they are lighted by narrow semi-circular-headed openings, deeply splayed within and without and unglazed; the entrance from the outside in the west front is by a semi-circular-headed doorway, 4ft. wide. entirely destitute of moulding, and in the east side from the church by a plain semi-circular arch with abacus, to which the ancient arch between the nave and chancel corresponds; the second stage has on its east face a large square-headed aperture or doorway; coeval with its construction ; the walls of both these stages diminish gradually in thickness from 5 ft. at the base; the, third, or upper stage, is of Late Saxon or Early Norman work, and has very wide round-headed two-light windows, set near the outer face of the wall and broadly splayed within, divided in the centre by a heavy mullion: about 1630 the walls were embattled and a new roof erected, but this was replaced by another in 1897 : there are five stained windows to the Dawson family, and a monument of exquisite design, attributed to Grinling Gibbons, to Thomas Taylor esq of this place, whose widow founded the charity mentioned below. The register dates from the year 1696. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value 170,including 76 acres of glebe in the adjoining parishes of Oakley and Goldington, in the gift of J. Twamley esq. of London, and held since 1861 by the Rev. Jeremiah, William Haddock M.A. of Clare College, Cambridge, and hon. canon of Ely, who resides at 7 Windsor terrace, Goldington road, Bedford, there being no parsonage; the Rev. Thomas Vaughan Evans M.A. 23 Waldeck avenue, Bedford, is curate. The Wesleyan chapel was built in 1876. There is a village social club, founded in 1880 by the late James. Howard esq. at a cost of 900, and managed by a committee appointed by the members The only charity belonging to this parish is one founded by Mrs. Ursula Taylor, widow of Thomas Taylor esq. who died in 1724, " to put out and apprentice to some trade every year one or two poor children "; the income, amounting to about 80 yearly, is derived from lands in Marston and Wootton, the trustees are the vicar of St. Paul's, the rector of St. John's, Bedford, the vicar of Clapham, ex-officio, with two others appointed by the Parish Council. The manufacture of pillow lace is still carried on here by a few women. Clapham Park is the residence of Capt. Hugh Edmond Browning D.L., J.P.; the house is a noble Elizabethan mansion, charmingly seated on the south side of Clapham wood, about 2 miles north from Bedford. The Woodlands, surrounded by trees, to the east of the church, on the road to Bedford, is the residence of William Long Fitzpatrick esq. J.P. The principal landowners are the Duke of Bedford K.G. Lady Power, of Kilfane, Kilkenny, Capt H. E. Browning and W.L.Fitzpatrick esq. The soil in the lower part is clay and gravel, but the surface is very fertile chiefly arable; subsoil, clay. The chief crops are wheat, barley, peas, .beans and oats. Lime burning and brick making are carried on. The area is 1,988 acres of land and 7 of water, rateable value, 2,9I7 ; the population in 1901 was 788.

Parish Clerk, Frederick Tinsley.

County Police Station, Joseph Tabron Steer, constable

Post Office. - Alfred Matthews, sub-postmaster. Letters. through Bedford, delivered at 7.25 a.m. & 4.15 p.m. ; sundays, 7 a.m.; dispatched, at 4.10 p.m, & 6 p.m. on Sundays. Postal Orders are issued here, but not paid. The nearest money order & telegraph office is at Bedford, 2 miles distant.

Pillar Letter Box cleared at 6 p.m.: 4.45 p.m. on Sundays

Parochial School (mixed), built, with mistress's house, in 1872, at a cost of about, 1,600, provided in part from Mrs. Taylor's charity; the infants' room was enlarged in 1900 at a cost of 147; the school, will hold 176 children ; average attendance, 171; Miss. Annie Elizabeth Williams, mist.

Baxter Richard, Ivy House
Browning Capt. Hugh Edmond D.L., J.P. Clapham park
Cole Miss, Clapham lodge
Cole Mrs. Clapham lodge
Fitzpatrick Wm. Long J.P. The Woodlands

COMMERCIAL

Armstrong Thomas, bricklayer
Bandey John, farmer, Little Wood farm
Benson John, shopkeeper & sec. National Deposit Friendly Society
Billington John, beer retailer
Bryant Isaac, Swan P. H
Clapham Social Club (John Pettit, pres.; Roland Pettit, sec.; Josiah Webb, supt)
Clark Thomas, farmer, Church & Britannia farms
Dawson Thomas, bricklayer
Favell Joseph, boot & shoe repairer
Franklin Charles, brick makr. & lime burner
Horne James, Horse & Groom P.H
Howkins John, farmer, Outfield farm
Kidman Frank, farmer Twinwoods
Lilley Mark, beer retailer
Matthews Alfd. boot ma. & sub-postmaster
National Deposit Friendly Society (J. Benson, sec )
Parslow Charles, plumber
Pettit John, baker, grocer & tobacconist, corn & provision merchant, assessor of taxes & guardian & district councilor
Pettit Roland, sec. Clapham Social Club
Poole Charles, wheelwright
Prentice William, carter & farmer
Shadbolt John, grocer
Smith Francis Henry, plumber & c
Smith Rebecca (Mrs.), beer retailer
Steer Joseph Tabron, police constable
Tinsley Frederick, builder, carpenter & undertaker & parish clerk
Walden William, nurseryman
Waller Frederick William, florist
Webb Josiah, supt. Clapham Social Club
Wildman Eliza, (Miss), shopkeeper
Williams Annie Elizh. (Miss), schoolmistress

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