Local and Family History
at Kempston Library

• Ancestry Library Edition
  Free access in the library to 'Ancestry Library Edition', a web site that has a huge range of resources for family historians. For details, see the top of Local and family history A-Z page
   
• Books
  A selection of books relating to the village and immediate vicinity, and books on Bedfordshire, including:
  
  All Saints Parish Church Kempston: a history, by C.R.Parrott
  Bedfordshire Parish Surveys: Kempston, by John Wood
  Eight thousand years: a Kempston history, edited by H. A. Carnell
  A Martell family history, by John Drewett Martell
  Old Kempston, by Victoria Walker
  The story of Kempston Parish Church, by W. Crowsley
  Kempston memories, by J Hillson Smith
  
  For further details please see the library catalogue
   
• Census Records
  Free access to census records 1841- 1901 on 'Ancestry Library Edition' web site
   
• Council papers
  Kempston Town Council agendas and minutes - 1 year back file
   
• Magazines and journals
  Bedfordshire County Life - 1 year backfile
  All Saints’ Church Kempston parish magazine
   
• Maps
  Current street maps of Bedfordshire towns and villages.
  Current Ordnance Survey 'Explorer' and 'Landranger' maps of Bedfordshire
   
• Newspapers
  Bedfordshire on Sunday, current edition
  Bedfordshire Times and Citizen, current edition
   
• Newspaper cuttings
  On local people and events including files on Bedford’s riverside, Marston Vale and Bedford during World War Two
   
• Parish registers
  Transcribed registers, in printed volumes:

Ampthill 1602-1812
Barton-in-the-Clay 1558-1812
Bedford St. Mary 1540-1812
Bedford St. Peter 1572-1812
Bletsoe 1582-1812
Cranfield 1600-1812
Farndish 1587-1836
Goldington 1558-1812
Kempston 1570-1812
Lidlington 1560-1812
Renhold 1654-1812
Salford 1558-1612
Sharnbrook 1602-1812
Streatley 1602-1812
Sundon 1569-1812
Wootton 1560-1812
 

• Statistics
  Summary census data for Bedfordshire towns and villages from 1841 to date
   
• Town guides and directories
  Kempston Official Guide
   
• Victoria County History
  Bedfordshire volumes I, II & III plus index
  

Kempston Library contact details and opening times