Hundred of Willey

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Map of Hundred Willey, published 1872 Hundred of Willey Map.jpg
Map of Hundred Willey, published 1872

The Hundred of Willey is a historical land division, a hundred in the northwest corner of Bedfordshire, England. Its northwestern boundary is the county border with Northamptonshire, and its southwestern boundary the border with Buckinghamshire. Some of its parishes and settlements lay on the River Great Ouse which flows through the hundred.

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All Saints Church, Odell AllSaints-Odell.jpg
All Saints Church, Odell

The hundred of Willey was formed after King Edward the Elder subdued the Vikings of Bedford in 915 and constructed two burhs on each side of the River Ouse in Bedford. Willey, Barford, Stodden and the half-hundreds of Buckelow and Bedford were created to support the north Bedford burh. [1] Willey consisted of 105 hides, which were situated in the following vills: Carlton, Chellington, Farndish, Felmersham with Radwell, Harrold, Odell, Podington with Hinwick, Sharnbrook, Thurleigh, Turvey, and Wymington. [2] The name of the hundred is derived from Old English wēoh ‘an idol, a shrine’ and lēah ‘clearing, clearing in a wood’, denoting a clearing or grove with a pre-Christian shrine or temple. [3]

The areas of these hundreds were intermingled - so Thurleigh was separated from the rest of the hundred by Bletsoe in the Buckelow half-hundred and Milton, Clapham and Milton Earnest (three vills within Stodden hundred) were separated from the rest of their hundred by Thurleigh and Bletsoe. This is taken as supporting the formation of these hundreds together as a unit of support for the same burh. [1]

It appears that the hundred of Willey and half-hundred of Buckelow were administered together, with Hugh de Willey recorded as the keeper of the bailiwick of Wilie and half bailiwick of Bukkelowe. At his death in 1278 his son Roger succeeded him; making the title appear hereditary. In the 17th century, the half-hundred of Buckelowe, comprising the vills of Biddenham, Bletsoe, Bromham, Pavenham, Stagsden, and Stevington, was formally merged with the hundred of Willey. [4] Other parish combinations have included the parishes of Carlton and Chellington merging in 1934, and Farndish being absorbed into Podington with Hinwick parish.

The Hundreds of Bedfordshire in 1830 Bedfordshire Hundreds 1830.png
The Hundreds of Bedfordshire in 1830

Although there are many small settlements the majority of land in the hundred remains rural and is still used for farming. There is a railway line running close to the northeast border, however some stations on this line are now closed such as Sharnbrook closed in 1960. Today the area of the Hundred of Willey is within the Borough of Bedford.

Parishes

The hundred contained the following parishes: [5]

Biddenham, Bletsoe, Bromham, Carlton, Chellington, Farndish, Felmersham, Harrold, Odell, Pavenham, Podington, Sharnbrook, Souldrop, Stagsden, Stevington, Thurleigh, Turvey

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pavenham</span> Human settlement in England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felmersham</span> Human settlement in England

Felmersham is a small village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, on the River Great Ouse, about 7 miles (11 km) north west of Bedford. As a civil parish, it includes the hamlet of Radwell, and is sometimes known as Felmersham with Radwell, and has a population of about 800, and is circumscribed by the Great Ouse on the north, east and south. Other nearby places are Sharnbrook, Odell, Pavenham and Milton Ernest. Felmersham with Radwell was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey. John de Burnham, later Lord High Treasurer of Ireland, was parish priest here in the 1330s.

Carlton with Chellington is a civil parish in the historical Hundred of Willey in Bedfordshire, England, and is within the Borough of Bedford. The parish is situated on the South bank of the River Great Ouse, from Harrold, and includes the villages of Carlton and Chellington.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Podington</span> Human settlement in England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinwick</span> Human settlement in England

Hinwick is a hamlet in northwest Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom; it is around nine miles north west of Bedford and is about 1 km (0.62 mi) east of the county border with Northamptonshire which is also the postal county. The hamlet is in the parish of Podington, which is sometimes called "Podington and Hinwick" and this parish was within the Hundred of Willey. Hinwick was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Haneuuich, also spelt Heneuuiche or Henewich and has also been recorded as Henewic and Hynewyk from the 13th century. In 1086, the population consisted of 19 households under six owners.

Stevington is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in northern Bedfordshire, England. It is on the River Great Ouse four to five miles northwest of Bedford. Nearby villages include Bromham, Oakley, Pavenham and Turvey. West End lies northwest of the village, and forms part of the same civil parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrold, Bedfordshire</span> Village and civil parish in England

Harrold is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Borough of Bedford within Bedfordshire, England, around nine miles north-west of Bedford. The village is on the north bank of the River Great Ouse, close to the county boundaries of Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire and is the site of an ancient bridge, linking the village with Carlton with Chellington on the south bank. Immediately to the east of the village is Odell. Across the bridge is Carlton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hundred of Stodden</span>

The Hundred of Stodden is a historical land division, a hundred, in the north of Bedfordshire, England. It borders Northamptonshire to the north, Huntingdonshire to the east and the Bedfordshire hundreds of Willey and Barford to the south. Three vills - Oakley, Clapham and Milton Earnest - are separated from the rest of the hundred by the parishes of Beltsoe and Thurleigh, which are part of the half-hundred of Buckelow and hundred of Willey respectively.

References

  1. 1 2 Haslam, Jeremy (2019). "Burhs, burghal territories and 'proto-hundreds' in the English central Midlands in the early tenth century". Academia.
  2. ↑ "Hundred of Willey". Open Domesday.
  3. ↑ Kilpatrick, Kelly (2019). "Saxons in the Meon Valley: A Place-Name Study". Academia.
  4. ↑ "Parishes and dates". British History Online.
  5. ↑ "Bedfordshire Hundreds". Bedfordshire County Council. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15.

52°12′N0°36′W / 52.2°N 0.6°W / 52.2; -0.6

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