Harpenden, Hertfordshire Genealogy

England   Hertfordshire  Hertfordshire Parishes

Parish History
HARPENDEN (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the union of St. Alban's, hundred of Dacorum, county of Hertford, 4½ miles (N. by W.) from St. Alban's; containing 1872 inhabitants. The parish comprises 5010 acres, of which 253 are waste land or common; the soil is loamy for the most part, and set with flints. The road from St. Alban's to Bedford, by Luton, Silsoe, and Ampthill, runs through the village; and the river Lea passes on the east at the distance of about three-quarters of a mile. A fair for horses and cattle is held on the 16th of May. The living is annexed to the rectory of Wheathampstead: a rent-charge of £479. 10. is paid to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, who hold a glebe of 2a. 2r. 23p. The church is an ancient cruciform structure, composed of flint and stone, and is in the Norman style, with a square embattled tower. There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyans.

From: Lewis, Samuel A., A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848)

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
Contributor: Include here information for parish registers, Bishop’s Transcripts, non conformist and other types of church records, such as parish chest records. Add the contact information for the office holding the original records. Add links to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection

Census records
Contributor: Include an overview if there is any unique information, such as the census for X year was destroyed. Add a link to online sites for indexes and/or images. Also add a link to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Hertfordshire Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
Contributor: Add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.