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Divisions for Ecclesiastical and Legal Purposes

The number of parishes in this county has been already given as 124, but this will not represent the number of benefices, for several of these have been consolidated. Some of these consolidations are of recent date. Messrs. Lysons (Magna Britannia) state, that of 121 parishes (they probably omit the three that are partly in other counties) 63 are vicarages, the great tithes of which were formerly, with few exceptions, appropriated to religious houses, and are now in lay hands.

The county is in the diocese of Lincoln, and is under the jurisdiction of the archdeacon of Bedford. It is divided into six rural deaneries, viz., Bedford, Clapham, Dunstable, Eaton, Fleete, and Shefford.

It is in the Norfolk circuit. The assizes and sessions are held at Bedford, which is also the chief place for the election of the two members for the county. The other polling places for the county are, Sharnbrook in the north, Biggleswade in the east, Leighton Buzzard in the south-west, Luton in the south, and Ampthill. Besides the two county members, two are returned for the borough of Bedford.

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