The Ouse, with the Ivell, the Ouzel, and other small rivers and brooks which fall into it, form the principal of Bedfordshire, which is without any natural lakes or artificial reservoirs or ponds of water of any magnitude, except in the parks at Wo burn, Wrest, and Chicksands. There arc mineral springs at Bromham, Clapham, Cranfield, Holcutt, Oakley, Turvey, Wrest-gardens, &c. but they are little if at all used. The Ouse is navigable for boats up to Bedford, with a branch to Biggleswade, which is intended to be carried up the vale of the Ivell to Shef ford, according to an act long since obtained for this purpose. The grand junction canal skirts this coun ty for about 3 miles, near Leighton-Busard, but it can scarcely be said to enter it.
Bedfordshire is within the Norfolk circuit of judges : it is within the diocese of Lincoln, and under the jurisdiction of an archdeacon, and is divided into six deaneries, viz. Bedford, Clapham, Dunstable, Eaton, Fleete, and Shefford ; Woburn parish, form ing a peculiar jurisdiction under the duke of Bedford, as the lay abbot of Woburn.
It returns two members to serve in parliament, (besides the two for Bedford town,) and contains, according to Mr Lysons, 121 parishes, distributed in 9 hundreds, besides the borough of Bedford, viz. Barford, Stodden, Willey, Biggleswade, Clifton, Wixamtrec, Marshead, Redbornestoke, and Flitt : • 63 of the parishes are vicarages, and the great tithes of these are prie';ipally in lay hands, as the possessions of the suppressed religious houses.
Bedfordshire probably contains about 275,200 acres ; its greatest length is about 36 miles, and greatest width about 22 miles. In the year 1801, when the population returns were made to parliament, this county had 11,888 houses which were inhabited, and 185 which were empty : the number of families was 13,980 ; the number of persons chiefly employed in agriculture was 18,766 ; persons chiefly employed in trade, manufactures, cr handicraft, 13,816 ; and persons to whom no occupation was assigned, and children, 28,789 ; the total number of resident indivi duals being 63,393, of whom 30,523 were males, and 32,870 females. It is supposed that more of the people of Bedfordshire are serving in the army, militia, uavy, marines, and merchants' service ; and, from the annual registers of baptisms, it has been calculated,' that in 1700 the total population belonging to this county, was 48,500 ; in 1750, 53,900 ; and in 1801, 65,500 persons. Whence it appears, that there are
in Bedfordshire 5;- persons, and acres to each inhabited house very nearly. There is more than 4-1 acres to each person : and the persons employed in cultivating the soil, Are 1 in every 34- of the whole population ; and in trade, manufactures, and handi craft, 1 in 1,7, nearly.
From the returns made to parliament in 1776, 1781., and 1803, it appears, that the amount of poor-rates raised in this cdunty, at the first period, was £18,193 9 : 4 ; in the second, R22,638 : 1 : 10 ; and in the latter, £47,481. : 6 : 74 per annum, making then a rate of about 3s. 91(1. in the pound, on a rental of X2I8,600, or 14s. 91-d. a head on the whole popula tion. Out of the sum raised in 1803, £1175 was expended in removals of paupers, and suits at law re specting their settlements, with the expenses of over seers and other parish officers : also £8430 in county rates and militia expenses, and for the repairs and ex penses of the churches, the expenditure by the con stables, and the special rates for the repair of the high ways, but not including the statute duty or corpora tion money paid in lieu thereof. The total expendi ture for the poor being £38,070, of which £37,944. was distributed to 7276 persons, being parishioners of the county, or to 1 in every 83 of the individuals be longing to it, their average allowance being £5 : 4 : annually, or 2s. per week. Of these paupers, 674 were wholly maintained in workhouses, at the expense of X8440, average X12 : 10 : 5-1 each, or 4s. 94.d. per week each person. Besides the above, 761 persons were relieved, who were not parishioners, at the ex pense of £76, as is supposed. There were at that time 2730 persons associated in 75 friendly societies, or box clubs, in the county, 16 only of which had entered their rules at the quarter sessions, and made their funds disposable by the magistrates of the county ; a circumstance which may perhaps be ac counted for, from the few among the landed proprie tors who here act as magistrates, and the important. duties of that office being suffered, in a great mea sure, to fall into the hands of the clergy. Eight parishes in this county had schools of industry, in which 196 children were taught to work. In Eaton Socon, Risley, and Clophill parishes, the poor were farmed, or maintained by contract.