The third in Bedfordshire Historical Record Society's series of poll books covers the years from the fall of Walpole to the rise of William Pitt the younger. It was a period when Britain was constantly at war, when it suffered a dangerous Jacobite rebellion and when the American colonies were lost. Yet this constant warfare did not produce the revolutionary changes to the national and local economy that the Napoleonic wars subsequently created. There is only one complete poll book for the county (1774) but surviving lists from Bedford borough, including a partial poll book of 1747, enable political allegiance to be gauged. Lack of contested elections does not mean an absence of political activity. Detectable trends are illustrated from the Duke of Bedford's archives and the Hardwicke manuscripts in the British Library. They include the attempts of the Duke to increase his power, which was successfully challenged in Bedford Borough by the creation in 1769 of many new out-of-town freemen to detach it from his influence; the decline of formerly prominent political families; and, from the 1760s, the rise of the Whitbreads. The volume also details the political dimension of the legal cases about the appointment of the rector of St John's, Bedford; the administration of the Harpur Trust; and turnpike and enclosure acts. JAMES COLLETT-WHITE is an archivist at Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service, and to Sir Samuel Whitbread.

The Turner Letters cover the years 1830-45 and give a lively view of life in a rural village in times of upheaval. The Turner Letters originated in Milton Ernest in Bedfordshire. They travelled to St Andrews in New Brunswick, Canada, to Thomas Turner, brother of John, the principal writer. They survived the journey by sailing boat and later steam ship. In the 1980s they returned to England and were bought by the Bedfordshire Record Office, so they are now housed a few miles from where they were written. The Turner Letters cover the years 1830-45 and give a lively view of life in a rural village in times of upheaval. The main writer of the letters, John Turner, was a Methodist baker, whose father ran a farm. John's religion and his hatred of the Church of England colours his writing. John Turner's sharp insights cover a number of the major issues of the day such as the Reform Bill, the New Poor Law and rural unrest as well as local issues such as the establishment of fox hound kennels in the village. His description of the villagers in 1834 is particularly valuable, bringing them to life and giving a real sense of what life in Milton Ernest was actually like. John's brother, Thomas, was a merchant in a small Canadian port close to the United States border. Part of the correspondence relates to Thomas's suppliers and gives an idea of the precariousness and danger of the passage from England to Canada and the difficulties of setting up a new business overseas. Above all the Turner letters tell human stories. The tragedy of the drowning of Susannah, Thomas's wife, in 1834 is revealed in graphic newspaper descriptions. John and Thomas Turner's sister was abused by her alcoholic husband. John's own life was frustrating, initially coping with his housekeepers and later, when he gave up his bakery and returned to his father's farm, coping with an aged and obstinate man, who did not appreciate him.

The diaries of Charlotte Bousfield, extending from 1878 to 1896, paint a vivid picture of the activities of the multi-talented Bousfield family of Bedford, led by its strong-minded matriarch. The diaries of Charlotte Bousfield, extending from 1878 to 1896, paint a vivid picture of the activities of the multi-talented Bousfield family of Bedford, led by its strong-minded matriarch. The Bousfields were prominent in local life. Charlotte's husband, Edward, was an influential figure in developing agricultural machinery at the Britannia Iron Works, Bedford's successful exemplar of a modern iron foundry, important as a factor in Bedford's growth. Will, the ablest of their children, became a QC and Conservative MP, whose election campaigns are described in lively detail. Charlotte was also active both in Bedford and further afield. Her concern for the underprivileged in the town, a practical expression of her fervent Methodist beliefs, emerges clearly in her lifelong work for the temperance cause, locally and nationally. She founded a home for 'inebriate women', which was ground-breaking for the time, and describes the work of the home in fascinating detail. She was also a Poor Law Guardian and a leading figure in the Bedford workhouse scandal of the 1890s. Throughout, the diaries bring out aspects of Victorian social life which are not always obvious: the dependence of the family on their servants; the ease of travelling using railways and horse-drawn transport; and the frequency with which family members would spend time staying with friends and relatives.

A very useful analysis of the political debates of the times. ANCESTORS [for volume I] This second volume of BHRS`s series of late seventeenth and early eighteenth century poll books continues the story of Bedfordshire voting in the context of local and national politics up to the election in 1734. It contains transcriptions of the poll books for four Bedford borough elections and three county elections held between 1722 and 1734. Except for the 1722 county election, the poll books are taken from hitherto unpublished manuscripts. Much of the political and local background to voting is recounted in volume 1. For this volume, each chapter has an introduction which draws upon letters to provide an insight into the political alliances and manoeuvres which occurred in selecting candidates, including the part played by the Duchess of Marlborough. The poll books themselves are a mine of local information about Bedfordshire. The 10,000 names in this volume (fully indexed), added to the 8,500 names in the first volume, provide evidence for in-depth study of people, places and landholding in Bedfordshire. They will also help family historians find ancestors between the 1671 Hearth Tax and the 1841 Census.

Poll books tell the story of local people and their link with national history. This book contains transcripts of the poll books for the County and Borough seats of Bedford and some election accounts showing candidates' expenditure. The introductory commentary gives an insight to political influences in Bedfordshire during the seminal period of English history from the Glorious Revolution to the accession of George I. It enables comparisons and political trends to be detected, including allegiances of regions of the county and parishes, the survival of the Tory party, the political allegiance of Anglican clergy and the role of Protestant Nonconformists. Major landowners were important in Bedfordshire politics but not dominant and local gentry played a crucial role. The transcriptions list all those who voted in four county and one borough election. County voters were 40 shilling freeholders; Borough voters were freemen, burgesses and those qualified by 'scot and lot'; and for both seats numerous voters came from London and surrounding counties. The 8,500 names (fully indexed) will help family historians find ancestors between the 1671 Hearth Tax and the 1841 Census and will give unparalleled information on local landholding. A further volume, 1716-1734, will be published in 2008. JAMES COLLETT-WHITE is Archivist at Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service, and Archivist to S. C. Whitbread, Southill Park