A BRIEF HISTORY OF BEDFORD
By Tim LambertDANISH AND SAXON BEDFORD
The town of Bedford was founded by the Danes. There may have been an existing settlement when they conquered this part of England in the late 9th century. Whether there was or not the Danes created a town at Bedford. They made a burgh or fortified settlement north of the river Great Ouse by a ford. The burgh was surrounded by a ditch and an earth rampart with a wooden palisade on top.
However Bedfordshire was recaptured by the English king Edward in 915 AD. He then created another burgh or fortified settlement south of the river. A ditch called the kings ditch surrounded it. Bedford prospered. It was more than just a fortified settlement. It also had a weekly market and a mint.
Nevertheless Bedford was pillaged by the Danes in 1010.
BEDFORD IN THE MIDDLE AGES
In the Middle Ages Bedford was a small market town with a population of probably no more than 1,500. To us it would seem tiny. Even by the standards of the time Bedford was small and unimportant town.
However the Normans built a wooden castle to keep the people of Bedford in order. (It was later rebuilt in stone). However in 1224 a rebellious baron held the castle against the king. When it was captured Bedford castle was destroyed.
In 1166 Bedford was given a charter (a document granting the townspeople certain rights). In the Middle Ages Bedford had a weekly market and an annual fair. In those days fairs were like markets but they were held only once a year. People would come from all over Bedfordshire to attend a Bedford fair.
The main industry in Bedford was making wool. Wool was woven in the town. Then it was fulled. That means the wool was cleaned and thickened by pounding it in a mixture of clay and water. Afterwards the wool was dyed.
In the 13th century the friars arrived in England. They were like monks but instead of withdrawing from the world they went out to preach. The Franciscan friars arrived in Bedford by 1238. They were known as grey friars because of their grey costumes. There was also a priory (small abbey) called Caldwell Priory just outside Bedford and a leper hostel dedicated to St Leonard.
From 1295 Bedford sent 2 MPs to parliament.
BEDFORD 1500-1800
Henry VIII closed the friary and the priory in Bedford.
However during the 16th and 17th centuries Bedford grew in size. By the mid-17th century Bedford probably had a population of about 2,000. This was despite outbreaks of the plague in 1575-76 and 1578-79. (Like all towns in those days Bedford suffered from plague. However each time it appeared and killed many people the population soon recovered).
In the 16th century wool was still the mainstay of Bedford's economy. It was still woven, fulled and dyed in the town. However in the 17th century the wool industry declined.
In 1554 Bedford was allowed an extra weekly market and 2 more annual fairs.
Then in 1566 a man named Sir William Harpur founded a school in Bedford.
The famous writer John Bunyan was born in the village of Elstow near Bedford in 1628.
The in 1642 came civil war between king and parliament. The people of Bedford supported parliament. However, although a fort was built on the castle mound the royalists captured Bedford in October 1643. Yet they only held the town for a short time before withdrawing.
Then in 1689 the Great Ouse was made navigable as far as Bedford. That was a huge boost to the town. In those days it was cheaper and easier to transport goods by river than by road. Once the river was navigable goods could be brought to and from Bedford much more easily. As a result Bedford began to grow more rapidly.
In the 18th century Bedford became known for its brewing industry.
The first bank in Bedford opened in 1799.
In 1773 John Howard was made High Sheriff of Bedford. He was so appalled by conditions in Bedford jail he
