Bedford Rural District was a rural district in Bedfordshire, England from 1894 to 1974. It surrounded but did not include the Municipal Borough of Bedford and Kempston Urban District.
Evolution The district had its origins in the Bedford Rural Sanitary District. This had been created under the Public Health Acts of 1872 and 1875, giving public health and local government responsibilities for rural areas to the existing Boards of Guardians of Poor Law Unions.
Under the Local Government Act 1894, Rural Sanitary Districts became Rural Districts from 28 December 1894. Where Rural Sanitary Districts straddled county boundaries, they were to be split or otherwise adjusted so that each new Rural District was in one county. Whilst the Bedford Rural Sanitary District was entirely in Bedfordshire, the neighbouring Wellingborough Rural Sanitary District straddled Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire as it included two small Bedfordshire parishes at Podington and Wymington. An order was made prior to the new councils coming into force directing that Podington and Wymington should join the Bedford Rural District.
The link with the Poor Law Union continued, with all the elected councillors of the Rural District Council being ex officio members of the Board of Guardians for Bedford (or Wellingborough for those two parishes). The first meeting of the new council was held on 5 January 1895 in the board room of the Bedford Union Workhouse. The council's first chairman, Major William Francis Higgins, had been the chairman of the previous Bedford Board of Guardians.The Bedford Rural District Council, Bedfordshire Times and Independent (Bedford), 5 January 1895, page 7Bedford Rural District Council, Bedfordshire Times and Independent (Bedford), 12 January 1895, page 6
Kempston was initially included within Bedford Rural District, but work began almost immediately to create an urban district council for the more built-up part of the parish. In June 1895 Bedfordshire County Council decided that the parish of Kempston should be split between a Kempston Urban District and a new parish called Kempston Rural which was to stay in the Bedford Rural District. These changes came into force on 1 April 1896.Administrative County of Bedford: Parish of Kempston, Bedfordshire Mercury, 6 July 1895, page 4
Bedford Rural District was enlarged in 1934 when it took in the territory of the disbanded Eaton Socon Rural District.
Parishes Bedford Rural District contained the following civil parishes. Parish From To Notes Biddenham Bletsoe Bolnhurst Abolished to become part of Bolnhurst and Keysoe. Bolnhurst and Keysoe Created on abolition of separate parishes of Keysoe and Bolnhurst. Bromham Cardington Carlton Abolished to become part of Carlton and Chellington. Carlton and Chellington Created on abolition of separate parishes of Chellington and Carlton. Chellington Abolished to become part of Carlton and Chellington. Clapham Colmworth Colworth Farm Former extra-parochial area, deemed to be a civil parish after 1858. Covered a single farm near Colworth House, west of Sharnbrook. Abolished to become part of Sharnbrook. Cople Dean and Shelton Created on abolition of separate parishes of Shelton and Dean, and transferred to Bedford Rural District from abolished Eaton Socon Rural District on same day. Eastcotts Eaton Socon Transferred to Bedford Rural District on abolition of Eaton Socon Rural District. Parish abolished 1965, with its former area being split between St Neots Urban District in the county of Huntingdon and Peterborough and a new parish called Staploe covering the rural parts of the parish, which stayed in Bedford Rural District. Elstow Felmersham Goldington Parish abolished 1934, with most of the area and population added to Bedford Municipal Borough, and smaller areas added to Ravensden and Renhold. Great Barford Harrold Kempston Parish divided into two parishes called Kempston Urban and Kempston Rural, with Kempston Urban becoming an urban district independent of Bedford Rural District. Kempston Rural Parish created from that part of old Kempston parish excluded from Kempston Urban District. Keysoe Abolished to become part of Bolnhurst and Keysoe parish. Knotting Abolished to become part of Knotting and Souldrop parish. Knotting and Souldrop Created on abolition of separate parishes of Souldrop and Knotting. Little Barford Transferred to Bedford Rural District on abolition of Eaton Socon Rural District. Little Staughton Transferred to Bedford Rural District on abolition of Eaton Socon Rural District. Melchbourne Abolished to become part of Melchbourne and Yielden. Melchbourne and Yielden Created on abolition of separate parishes of Yelden (or Yielden) and Melchbourne. Milton Ernest Oakley Odell Pavenham Pertenhall Transferred to Bedford Rural District on abolition of Eaton Socon Rural District. Podington Ravensden Renhold Riseley Roxton Sharnbrook Souldrop Abolished to become part of Knotting and Souldrop. Stagsden Staploe Created from that part of Eaton Socon parish which was not transferred to St Neots Urban District. Stevington Stewartby Created from parts of Wootton and Kempston Rural. Swineshead Transferred to Bedford Rural District on abolition of Eaton Socon Rural District. Thurleigh Turvey Wilden Willington Wilshamstead Wootton Wymington Yelden Abolished to become part of Melchbourne and Yielden.
Premises From its formation until the 1920s the council generally met at the Bedford Union Workhouse.Bedford Rural District Council, Bedfordshire Mercury (Bedford), 26 July 1912, page 5Bedford Rural District Council, Bedfordshire Times and Independent (Bedford), 19 May 1922, page 11 By 1929 the council was meeting at the Town Hall in Bedford.Bedfordshire Times and Independent (Bedford), 5 July 1929, page 10 Administrative offices were nearby at 6A St Mary's Street.Rural District of Bedford, Bedfordshire Times and Independent (Bedford), 28 February 1936, page 6 In 1958 the council moved to a pair of large Victorian houses at 41-43 Goldington Road in Bedford, and gradually acquired adjoining properties. By the time of the council's abolition in 1974 it occupied numbers 37-45 (odds) Goldington Road.London Gazette, 11 April 1958, page 2282London Gazette, 4 January 1974, page 186
Abolition In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, it was merged with Bedford borough and Kempston Urban District to form the new Bedford district. The old council's former offices on Goldington Road continued to be used as offices by the new authority for several years.London Gazette, 6 October 1986, page 12893
References