BEDFORD (Saxon, Bedcanford, town of the ford), the chief t. of Bedfordshire, is situated on the Ouse (which is navigable thence to the sea, a distance of 74 in ), about 63 m, n.n.w. of London by rail, and in the midst of a broad expanse of rich pasture, wheat, and barley lauds. The town is clean and well paved, and the drainage has been recently greatly improved by the board of health. The charitable and educational insti tutions of B. are mostly due to sir W. Harpur, alderman of London, in 1561, who founded a free school, and endowed it with 13 acres of land. The enormous increase in the value of the property (from £150 to £14,000 or upwards a year) enables the trustees to main tain grammar, modern, and preparatory schools for boys, the same class of schools for girls, and 45 almshouses. Formerly, much of the charity was under the control of pop ularly elected trustees, but under the endowed schools act, the constitution has been changed. Now, the governing body consists of 27, instead of 52, members-6 ez officio (the mayor of B., the lord-lieutenant of the county, and the members of parliament for the town and county), 9 nominated, and 12 representative. The eleemosynary element —shown in the maintenance of almshouses, the giving of marriage-portions and appren tice-fees, etc.—used to be predominant in the distribution of the charity, but now the educational prevails, the funds being annually divided thus: One eleventh to the main tenance of the almshouses; two elevenths to elementary education; four elevenths to the grammar•school, and high-school for girls; and four elevenths to the modern schools. The
only important manufacture of B. is that of iron goods, especially agricultural implements. Lace-making and straw-plaiting employ many poor women and children. A considerable traffic in malt, timber, coals, and iron is maintained with Lynn Regis, by means of the Ouse. B. is of great antiquity, and is mentioned in the Saxon chronicle under the name of Bct1canfond, as thescene of a battle between the Britons and Saxons in 571. The Danes burnt it in 1010. Afterwards its old castle, said to be built by Edward the elder, is frequently mentioned in history. B. has returned two members to parliament since 1295. Pop. '71, 16,850. John Bunyan was born near Bedford. lie dreamed his immortal dream in B. jail, and ministered to the Baptist congregation in Mill lane from 1671 to his death in 1688. The inhabitants still hold his memory in deep veneration, and some relics of him are preserved. A handsome new building, Italian in style, for the Bunyan schools, was completed in 1867. A bronze statue of Bunyan was erected by the duke of Bedford in 1874.