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Local Church History

It appears that there are just three houses in the County of Bedfordshire which kept the faith alive during penal times: Houghton Conquest, Turvey Park and Chawston Manor.

The Conquests were lords of the Manor in the thirteenth century and continued to live there until 1741 AD.  Bury Farm now marks what was the site of the Conquest home.

Turvey Park was pulled down before the end of the eighteenth century.  Apparently the materials were used to build Old Hall Farm.  The Mordaunt family lived there from the thirteenth century.  The fourth Lord Mordaunt left the estate to his widow, Margaret Compton.  Thanks to her the Catholic Faith was kept alive throughout the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.  It is on record that in 1742 AD Bishop Challoner administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to twenty-five people.

In Chawston the Hunt family kept the faith alive.  In 1742 AD when Bishop Challoner made his visitation he noted that there were about twenty Catholics in the vicinity of Chawston and Shefford.

It is likely that a priest from Weston Underwood looked after the Church at Shefford.  Bishop Challoner visited Shefford in September 1742 AD.  Throughout penal times, the Throckmorton family at Weston Underwood had a resident priest.

John Bamwell the priest of Shefford was buried in the churchyard at Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire on 11th February, 1782 AD.  His brother Anthony, also a priest, ministered at Kingscliffe, in what was known as 'the Riding Mission'.  A tombstone marks the spot where the two priest brothers are buried.  In the same plot is buried the secular priest William Hayes, who arrived in 1804 AD, and continued at Kings Cliffe till his death there on l0th July, 1855 AD.

In 1830 AD there were two hundred Catholics in Shefford and the wide area that made up that 'parish'.  By 1850 AD Shefford had the only Mass centre in the entire county.

In 1863 AD Father Warmoll arrived in Bedford on Christmas Eve. He celebrated Mass in the home of the Tandy family, Grove Place.  He lived in a one room flat in Offa Street and devoted most of his energy to collecting money for a Church.  There were about twenty Catholics in the town. In 1865 AD he bought land - part of a field, which is now the corner of Brereton Road, where the present church of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus stands.  In 1867 AD he built a small house and the small chapel which is now used as the parish meeting room.  The chancel end of the church was built in 1874 AD and the church completed in 1912 AD.

By 1950 AD there was a Mass Centre at Faldo Road, Bedford, served from St. Joseph's.  There was also a chapel at Cardington, served by the RAF chaplain.  In the last years of his life, the Chaplain, Father Harold Bleach, SDB lived at 262 Harrowden Lane, Cardington.  He died 8th February, 1977 AD, RIP.  The parish hall was opened in 1953.  Originally it was part of a larger complex which was used as a school for many years.  In June, 1960 AD, the Church was blessed.

These notes taken from 'Diocese of Northampton, Centenary Souvenir', published in 1950 AD are intended to show that the Catholic Church is no newcomer to this area.  There is a thread that links us with the Church founded here by St. Augustine of Canterbury, Apostle of England, who was sent to these shores by Pope Gregory in 597 AD, who is also honoured as 'Apostle of England'.

Brendan Gorman

Parish Priest.