Salford Church

 
Salford Church about 1900 [Z50/98/17]

The earliest parts of St.Mary's church, the nave and south aisle, date to the late 13th century though, as the list of incumbents below demonstrates, there was a church here at an earlier date. Interestingly the north porch includes a beam with a 13th century dogtooth ornament. The chancel is early 14th century, the nave rood and some of the pews are 15th century. An inventory of 1552 notes the church had a lead covered roof and steeple and a tiled porch and three bells, one of which remains in the open bellcote. The steeple was taken down around and replaced with a brick tower with corner pinnacles and a pyramidal roof, William White in 1866 reckoning that this had happened about a century before. At that date a gallery existed under the belfry. In 1836 the church had new pews installed and the south doors were stopped up.

 
Salford church in March 2007

During the decade Salford acquired a pulpit and church from Wavendon [Buckinghamshire] which had received fine specimens from St.Dunstab-in-the-West, London. By 1845 the church as "in very bad condition". White's survey of 1866 prepared the way for restoration in 1867 with considerable work on the chancel, walls and roof and the erection of the current bellcote in place of the old brick tower. A vestry was added in 1900 in memory of Rev.Peter Charnock Smith who is also remembered in a stained glass window fitted in 1901. More stained glass was added to the north side of the nave in 1921. The Victorian fittings in the chancel were removed in 1971.

 
interior of Salford church in 1900 [Z50/98/7]

Most of the notes on the structural history of the church can be found in greater detail in Bedfordshire Historical Record Society Volume number 79 of 2000 Bedfordshire Churches in the Nineteenth Century: Part III: parishes S to Y, put together by former County Archivist Chris Pickford from numerous sources some held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service and some held elsewhere or published.

Hulcote was united with Salford in 1750. From 1939 to 1953 Hulcote with Salford shared an incumbent with Ridgmont and since 1961 Hulcote with Salford has shared an incumbent with Cranfield, though the two parishes maintain separate parochial church councils, churchwardens and services.

 
interior of Salford church in March 2007

List of Vicars

- Walter de Saleford - 1229 [capellanus];
- William;
- Robert de Stapilford - 13 Jun 1277 [priest; on death of William];
- John de Barton - 16 Dec 1280 [capellanus; on death of Robert de Stapilford];
- Simon de Letton - 10 Feb 1291 [on resignation of John de Barton];
- Hugh Boterel - 30 Oct 1328 [of Tyffeld [Tiffield [Northamptonshire]?]; priest; on death of Simon];
- Nicholas;
- Hugh Helm - 14 Mar 1349 [of Lufwyk; deacon; on death of Nicholas];
- Nicholas de Salford - 17 Jun 1357 [priest; on resignation of Hugh Helm];
- John Aleyn - 16 Nov 1357 [of Cranfield; priest; on resignation of Nicholas];
- John de Caldicote - 2 Sep 1396 [priest; on resignation of last Vicar];
- Richard Chorlee - 27 Nov 1407 [Vicar of Sarratt [Hertfordshire], on exchange with John Caldecote];
- William Cook - 11 Apr 1409 [priest; Vicar of Great Barford, on exchange with Richard Chorlee];
- Robert Bungay - 22 Aug 1414 [priest; on resignation of William Cok; exchanged to Parva Grava];
- Walter Cheil - 24 Sep 1416 [capellanus; on resignation of Robert Bungay, exchanged to Rectory of Childeswardesbury];
- William Collys - 5 Aug 1421 [priest; on resignation of Walter Cheyle];
- Robert Wysebeche - 21 Feb 1421 [1422] - [priest; on resignation of John Cowys [?William Collys]];
- John Hudson;
- Henry Grymsby - 6 Jul 1435 [priest; on resignation of John Hudson];
- Thomas Levoth - 21 Jan 1442 [priest; vacant];
- Richard Clifford - 18 Mar 1463 [priest; on resignation of Thomas Levoth];
- Thomas Whitakre - 13 Jan 1478 [on death of Richard Clyfford; collated by Thomas Rotherham, Bishop of Lincoln];
- Richard Swayne - 11 Sep 1491 [capellanus; on death of Thomas Whitaker];
- William Scavyngton - 1499 [occurs as Vicar in this year];
- William Peers - 15 Jul 1531 [capellanus; on death of William Skevyngton];
- Roger Burghe - 20 Jun 1535 [capellanus; on death of William Peers];
- Michael Carpenter - 1553;
- William Nodsonne - 27 Mar 1561 [clerk; on death of last Vicar; presented 11 Feb 1560 on petition of Mr,Taverner; value £7];
- Thomas Cooke - 16 May 1565 [clerk; on deprivation of last Vicar; presented on petition of parishioners];
- Richard Robertes - 18 Aug 1569 [clerk; presented on petition of Mayor of St.Albans];
- Thomas Bingley MA - 26 May 1600 [vacant; married Judith Smith on 10 Sep 1634; buried 11 Jul 1639];
- Richard Harvey - 17 Feb 1578 [clerk; presented on death of last Vicar on petition of Mr.Rotherham; no evidence of institution];
- Richard Pearce - 19 Oct 1579 [clerk; presented on lapse on petition of Mr.Smythe];
- Nicholas Lemme - 13 Mar 1583 [clerk; presented on resignation of last Vicar];
- Ralph Withers - 1616 [clerk];
- Charles Langford [clerk; buried 19 Feb 1620];
- Thomas Eaton - 1635;
- Nicholas Langford MA - 27 Mar 1639;
- William Puttenham - 5 May 1642 [clerk];
- John Bunn - 1645 [minister]
- Roger Clerke - 22 Oct 1646 [clerk; buried 21 Feb 1659];
- Simon Lowth - 27 Jul 1660;
- Richard Sam AM - 7 Nov 1661 [clerk; buried 27 Dec 1689];
- John Litlejon MA - 9 Jun 1690 [ordained priest by Thomas Morton, Bishop of Durham, 23 Oct 1658];
- Thomas Whishaw AM - 30 Nov 1713 [on death of John Littlejohn];
- John Littlejohn AM - 6 May 1715 [on resignation of Thomas Wisher];
- Edward Hervey - 5 Jan 1746 [clerk; on death of John Littlejohn];

- union with Hulcote - 25 Jun 1750

 
Salford church on a map of 1595 [X74/2]

Rectors of Hulcote with Salford

- Edward Orlebar Smith MA - 19 Dec 1782 [on resignation of Edward Hervey];
- Edward Orlebar Smith MA - 10 Dec 1790 [on cess. of Edward Orlebar Smith; inducted 2 Jul 1790 to be Rector of Bletchley [Buckinghamshire]; was also Rector of Bradenham [Buckinghamshire]];
- Boteler Chernocke Smith BA - 8 Dec 1865 [to Hulcote with Salford on death of Edward Orlebar Smith];
- Richard Curtis Folliott Scott - Nov 1898;
- Irwin Frost Smith - Nov 1939 [with Ridgmont];
- Edgar Richards - Sep 1943 [with Ridgmont];
- Alan Wilkinson - May 1949 [with Ridgmont];
- John Henry Seymour Spread - Nov 1949 [with Ridgmont];
- Charles Edward Standen - 1953;
- John William Brown - 1961;
- Derek Henry Hunt - 1978;
- Hugh K.Symes-Thompson - 1995