Southill, Bedfordshire
Encyclopedia
Southill is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire
, England
, about 5 miles (8 km) from Biggleswade
.
The principal residence, Southill Park, was formerly the home of the Viscounts Torrington
, but was bought at the end of the 18th century by Samuel Whitbread
.
Sir John Byng
is buried in All Saints Church.
.
In 1805, the village was described as follows: "SOUTH HILL, or SOUTHILL, (Bedf.) village distance from Shefford
2 miles North which gives title of baron to Viscount Torrington, whose family seat
is here. On a monument in the church is an inscription to the memory of the Hon. John Byng, Vice Admiral of the Blue, who fell a martyr to political persecution, March 14, 1757. Near it is Wardon, or De Sartes abbey, founded by Walter Espec, in 1135, for Cistercian monks.
In 1914, the village was described as follows: "Southill, parish
and village with railway station (1½ miles north-west, Midland Railway
), east Bedfordshire; parish 5734 acres, population 989, ecclesiastical district 954; village 3 miles south-west of Biggleswade; Post Office; Telegraph
Office at station. In vicinity is Southill Park, seat".
An event was held in the village in March 2007 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the execution of Admiral Byng, and a special "Admiral Byng" ale was brewed (by B&T Brewery Limited of Shefford) to mark the occasion.
The first mention of a post office
in the village is in 1850. The post office national archives record the issue to Southill on 6 August 1850 of a type of postmark
known as an undated circle. Rubber datestamps were issued in May 1889 and April 1895. The village post office closed on 14 October 2008. It was one of about 2,500 compulsory compensated closures of UK
post office branches announced by the Government in 2007.
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, about 5 miles (8 km) from Biggleswade
Biggleswade
Biggleswade is a market town and civil parish located on the River Ivel in Bedfordshire, England. It is well served by transport routes, being close to the A1 road between London and the North, as well as having a railway station on the main rail link North from London .-Geography:Located about 40...
.
The principal residence, Southill Park, was formerly the home of the Viscounts Torrington
Viscount Torrington
Viscount Torrington is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1721 for the statesman Sir George Byng, 1st Baronet, along with the subsidiary title Baron Byng, of Southill in the County of Bedford, also in the Peerage of Great Britain. He had already been created a Baronet, of...
, but was bought at the end of the 18th century by Samuel Whitbread
Samuel Whitbread (brewer)
Samuel Whitbread was an English brewer and Member of Parliament. In 1742, he established a brewery that in 1799 became Whitbread & Co Ltd.-Biography:...
.
Sir John Byng
John Byng
Admiral John Byng was a Royal Navy officer. After joining the navy at the age of thirteen he participated at the Battle of Cape Passaro in 1718. Over the next thirty years he built up a reputation as a solid naval officer and received promotion to Vice-Admiral in 1747...
is buried in All Saints Church.
History
Southill is part of the ancient hundred of WixamtreeWixamtree
Wixamtree is the name of an ancient hundred located in Bedfordshire, England.Wixamtree was one of the hundreds of Bedfordshire, with its council being the primary form of local government in its area from the Anglo-Saxon times to the nineteenth century....
.
In 1805, the village was described as follows: "SOUTH HILL, or SOUTHILL, (Bedf.) village distance from Shefford
Shefford, Bedfordshire
Shefford is a small town and civil parish located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 4,928, although this was estimated to have grown to 5,770 by 2007.-History:...
2 miles North which gives title of baron to Viscount Torrington, whose family seat
Family seat
A seat or family seat is the principal residence of a family. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area. Some families took their dynasty name from their family seat , or named their family seat after their own dynasty...
is here. On a monument in the church is an inscription to the memory of the Hon. John Byng, Vice Admiral of the Blue, who fell a martyr to political persecution, March 14, 1757. Near it is Wardon, or De Sartes abbey, founded by Walter Espec, in 1135, for Cistercian monks.
In 1914, the village was described as follows: "Southill, parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
and village with railway station (1½ miles north-west, Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
), east Bedfordshire; parish 5734 acres, population 989, ecclesiastical district 954; village 3 miles south-west of Biggleswade; Post Office; Telegraph
Electrical telegraph
An electrical telegraph is a telegraph that uses electrical signals, usually conveyed via telecommunication lines or radio. The electromagnetic telegraph is a device for human-to-human transmission of coded text messages....
Office at station. In vicinity is Southill Park, seat".
An event was held in the village in March 2007 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the execution of Admiral Byng, and a special "Admiral Byng" ale was brewed (by B&T Brewery Limited of Shefford) to mark the occasion.
The first mention of a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
in the village is in 1850. The post office national archives record the issue to Southill on 6 August 1850 of a type of postmark
Postmark
thumb|USS TexasA postmark is a postal marking made on a letter, package, postcard or the like indicating the date and time that the item was delivered into the care of the postal service...
known as an undated circle. Rubber datestamps were issued in May 1889 and April 1895. The village post office closed on 14 October 2008. It was one of about 2,500 compulsory compensated closures of UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
post office branches announced by the Government in 2007.