Turvey is a village, parish and a station on the Bedford and Northampton branch of the Midland railway, 7 miles north-west from Bedford, 4 east from Olney, and 9 north-east from Newport Pagnell, on the borders of Buckinghamshire, from which it is separated by the river Ouse, in the hundred of Willey, union and county court district of Bedford, rural deanery of Clapham, archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Ely. The streets and principal dwellings are lighted with gas. The church of All Saints is a handsome stone structure, consisting of chancel, nave and aisles with tower and has been much enlarged and beautified; it contains a very fine organ, which cost £1,600, the expense of which, as well as of the enlargement of the church, was entirely borne by Charles Longuet Higgins, esq.; the chancel windows are stained; there are several fine monuments to members of the Mordaunt family, afterwards Earls of Peterborough. The register dates from the year 1629. The living is a rectory, in the gift of William Francis Higgins, esq., yearly value £383, with residence, and is held by the Rev. George Frederick Woodhouse Munby, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. Here are National and Infant schools, with residences, and a reading room, a working men’s room, and museum. The house and cottages are nearly all built of native stone, and a re unusually capacious and neat. The Three Fishes inn is one of the old inns, with projecting gables, and is dated 1624. A great flood, on September 26th, 1797, rose about four feet above the roadway, near the “Three Fishes.” There are Wesleyan and Independent chapels; also charities, value £75 yearly, for distribution. There is also the Bedfordshire Reformatory, under Government inspection, at which about fifty boys can be maintained and instructed in agricultural pursuits. Large quantities of pillow thread lace are made here, and shoe making is carried on. The approach to Turvey from Bedford is by an avenue of trees, nearly a mile in length; at the further extremity of the village is a bridge over the Ouse, with eight arches, facing which, in the water, is a statue, representing Jonah and the fish; the other entrances to the village are also picturesquely interesting. Turvey House and Turvey Cottage are the property of W. F. Higgins, esq., J.P., the latter at present the residence of Robert Gillespie, esq. Turvey Abbey is the seat of C. L. Higgins, esq., J.P.; it is situated in an extensively and finely wooded park. Piets Hill, a mile and a half east of Turvey, the seat of Lieut.-Col. W. B. Higgins, J.P., is in a park. Turvey House, occupied by William Francis Higgins, esq., J.P., is situated in a pleasant park, which has been recently much enlarged and extends to the Ouse. The principal landowners are W. F. Higgins, esq., C. L. Higgins, esq., who is lord of the manor, and Lieut.-Col. W. B. Higgins. The soil is mixed gravel and strong clay; subsoil, clay, gravel, and rock. The land is chiefly arable. The area is 3,944 acres; rateable value. £6,000; the population in 1871 was 1,117, which includes 96 persons temporarily in the parish.
Parish Clerk, Richard Wooding.
POST & MONEY ORDER & TELEGRAPH OFFICE, Savings Bank & Government Annuity & Insurance Office - Gillaway Harley, postmaster. Letters received from Bedford at 8 a.m. & 12 p.m.; dispatched at 4.45 p.m.; sundays at 3.25 p.m.
INSURANCE AGENT. - Whittington Life, G. Taylor
Reading Room, George Taylor, Librarian
SCHOOLS:-
National, George Taylor, master; James Gardner, pupil teacher
Infant, Miss A. Hulatt, mistress; Mary Elizabeth Foskett, pupil teacher
Reformatory, John Jones, superintendent
CARRIERS:-
Midland railway, to all parts; (vacant), station master
Thomas Bailey, to & from Bedford, Monday, Wednesday & Saturday; to & from Olney, Thursday
Field passes through from Olney to Bedford, Thursday
Gillespie Robert, Turvey cottage
Higgins Lt-Col. William Bartholomew, J.P. Picts hill
Higgins Charles Longuet, J.P. Abbey
Higgins William Francis, J.P. Turvey ho
Horwood Rev. Robert, Holme Wood ho
Munby Rev. George Frederick Woodhouse, M.A. [rector]
Swinson George Newton. M.D.
Yeoman George Dundas & Lady Dora, Laws house
COMMERCIAL.
Bailey John, Three Fishes
Bailey Thomas, carrier
Bamford James, bricklayer
Birch Henry, Railway
Brown Henry, farmer, Great Oaks
Burdin & Son, boot & shoe makers
Dunkley George, farmer
Finch Elizabeth (Mrs.), Three Cranes, & butcher
Finch George William, butcher
Finch Thomas, farmer
Foskitt Robert, saddler; & at Harrold
Gas Company (George Taylor, sec)
Gasking John, lace manufacturer
Grace George, shopkeeper
Harley George, baker & shopkeeper
Harley Gillaway, grocer, & post office
Hinde John, blacksmith
Hinde Michael, plumber, glazier & painter
Hinde Thomas, blacksmith
Hinde William, blacksmith
Lay Thomas, carpenter & wheelwright
Noakes William Thos. grocer & draper
Paine Charles, tailor
Paine George, tailor
Paine John, farmer, Elders Well farm
Paine Mary Ann (Miss), draper & grocer
Pressland Marie (Mrs.), laundress
Sargent Isaac, boot & shoe maker
Skevington Edward, farmer, Lodge farm
Skevington Sarah (Mrs.), King’s Arms
Swinson George Newton, M.D. surgeon
Taylor & Cuthbert, chemist & druggists
Tysoe David, farmer, Northey farm
Tysoe Joseph, news agent & stationer
Tysoe Sarah (Mrs.), baker & shopkeeper
West George, boot & shoe maker
Whitmee Sarah (Mrs.), baker
Whitworth Charles, miller
Whitworth Charlotte (Mrs.), farmer
Woods Eli, boot & shoe maker
Wright John, carpenter
