Knotting, Bedfordshire

Knotting is a small village in the county of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, and situated 10 miles north of the city of Bedford.

The village's population has remained low, with around 135 inhabitants in the 1830s, up to 185 in the 1870s, and now probably fewer than 100.

Knotting in the 17th Century

The village was home to my Hale family in the 17th Century, with my earliest known ancestor being my 10x Great Grandfather William Hale, who was buried there in December 1657

William's descendents remained in the village for at least 80 years, although my 7x Great Grandfather (William's grandson) who was also named William Hale, left for the Bedfordshire village of Potton when he married Elizabeth Truelove in June 1706.

William (the younger's) brother Giles Hale raised his family of five children in Knotting, and they appear in the church records until at least the late 1730s.

Researching family history in Knotting

The bulk of the parish records for Knotting and the surrounding area are stored at the Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service, which includes a searchable online catalogue to help you identify whether they are holding the records you need prior to visiting. There are also transcripts of the parish records of St. Margaret's Church, which are available for purchase from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

When I visited in October 2007, there were several headstones still standing in the churchyard, although few that were old enough to cover my early Hale ancestors.

Just two months after my visit, the church was closed and handed over to The Churches Conservation Trust, but re-opened in 2011 after a renovation.

Places Nearby

• Bedford
• Kimbolton