The Publications of the Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, vol. 8

William Austin FSA (1850-1928) was a founder member of BHRS and its Treasurer until his death.  He was a solicitor, clerk to the justices and steward of the manor of Luton.  He published papers about Saxon graves in Luton and several books and articles on the history of Luton and the area.

Joseph Hight Blundell (1852-1929) was a businessman.  He was born in the Luton area and later lived in Toddington.  He was a numismatist, genealogist and historian, writing books about Bedfordshire tokens, the Blundells, a history of Toddington and contributing to VCH Bedford vol. 3.  He saw Austin’s History of Luton through to publication after the author’s death.

Jannion Steele Elliott (1871-1942) attended Bedford Modern School and later set up in business in Dudley. His main interest was ornithology.  His collection of Bedfordshire birds, mammals, nests and eggs was given to Bedford Modern School and is now in The Higgins, Bedford (opens in a new window) where some items from the collection are on display.  He wrote several books on ornithology and contributed the chapter on birds to the zoology section of VCH Bedford volume 1.

Rev. Canon C. W. Foster (1866-1935), vicar of Timberland, canon of Lincoln Cathedral and secretary of the Lincoln Diocesan Records Committee, was the founder of the Lincoln Record Society in 1910.  He  was secretary, treasurer and editor for much of the next twenty-five years and edited many Lincoln diocesan records for publication.

Dr G. Herbert Fowler (1861-1940) was a zoologist working in London before he retired to Bedfordshire, where he became a county councillor and chairman of the county’s Records Committee in 1913.  He immediately reformed the existing record room, established standard procedures and ran it as a public service, the first in the country. He was a founder member of BHRS in 1912 and its Secretary, General Editor and principal contributor to the annual volumes until his death.  He also published extensively on sources in Buckinghamshire and elsewhere.

Miss A. V. Rickards was a Cambridge history graduate.  She wrote the sections on Biggleswade and Clifton hundreds and Luton in VCH Bedford volume 2.  Later publications are under her married name Mrs Hilary Jenkinson.

Frederic Augustus Blaydes (1845-1931) (who changed his surname to Page-Turner on inheriting the estate of his uncle) was a founder member of BHRS.  He was an antiquarian and best known for his edition for the Harleian Society of The Visitations of Bedfordshire (1884), Bedfordshire Notes and Queries (1882-1893) and Genealogia Bedfordiensis (1890).  He was mayor of Bedford twice, a member of several local societies and a benefactor to the County Record Office.

Robert J. Richmond (1851-1933) was a native of Leighton Buzzard and published a history of the town and its hamlets in 1928. He was a Bedfordshire County Councillor, JP and an active, early supporter and member of BHRS.