Biggleswade History Society Project Plan

Projects completed May 2006 to MARCH 2018:

• The First World War Soldier Project, started in 2013 was completed in March 2018. A team, led by Sandra Ransom has been working on an archive of all the service men and women from the Biggleswade area who took part in the 1914-1918 war.For further information please go to Home>For Researchers>First World War Project> or click here.
• Full transcription of the 1851 census for Biggleswade – Mike Strange
  This is not being made available to the public; there is a look-up facility for members or those who
  purchase one of our publications (one surname printed out per purchase)
• In-depth reorganisation of storage of photographs – Mike Strange
  This is the structure of our photographic records.
• Detailed recording of photographic records – Indexing and scanning by Roy Chadwick and Penny Gilbert
• In-depth reorganisation and cataloguing of storage of artifacts – Tim Haddow and Mike Strange
• Transcription of 1915 Qualification of Electors and Jurors – Babs Elsworth
• Publication of “Townsfolk of Biggleswade” – Ken Page, Mike Strange, Eric Lund and Jennifer Lawrence
  Volume 1 – 2007, Volume 2 – 2008 and Volume 3 – 2009.
• 2008 – Succeeded in getting the name entry on the Biggleswade War Memorial corrected for Private Victor John Milton who gave his life in WW1   Click to see the War Memorial Event
• Transcription of the Rose Lane School Registers – Babs Elsworth and Peter Horn – also see below ….
• Transcription of Spong’s Directory & Almanac 1914 contains 1300 heads of household – Jean Strange
  Follow the link down to Trade and Residents Directories on our Research page.
• Added an on-line listing of the interviews the Society has carried out with Biggleswade townsfolk and other Biggleswade Society audio recordings
• Provided an on-line surname list from the school admission registers – Mike Strange
• Summer 2010 two of our committee members undertook the logging and photographing, of burials of some important people within the grounds of the Biggleswade Cemetery Chapel using Council records to locate the plot numbers. This included a number of Commonwealth Commission Graves. This was to provide background information for the Heritage Open Day to take place in September.
• Biggleswade buildings. Photographs taken of houses and buildings in Biggleswade with builders plaques and other features. – Chris Johannesen.  These are available on this web site here
• September 2011 We had concern as to the future of Biggleswade Common, knowing that in the past approaches had been made to extend rights to excavate for gravel. The common is known to be one of a few, in this country, left intact and undisturbed. Aerial photographs show evidence of settlements, which have yet to be fully investigated. Therefore, an application was submitted to English Heritage for listed status. This is currently in their hands.

Projects in the pipeline:

• In-depth reorganisation and cataloguing of storage of ephemera, maps and books – Geraldine Mason.

Ideas for the future:

• Produce a Biggleswade Heritage Trail booklet to support and expand on a leaflet, see link.
• Produce Volume 2 of the “Heritage Trail” book. Volume 1 includes the High Street and Market Square; our next objective would be Shortmead Street. It was said that you could be born and buried in this street and want for nothing else; sadly no longer a true state of affairs but it does have a number of buildings and sites of interest and these are portrayed in our Research section under Roads.
• Reinstate the “Beating the Bounds” ceremonial walk around the parish boundary as an annual event in Rogation Week, between the fifth Sunday after Easter and Ascension Day.
• Have a town museum.