The Reformation brought sweeping changes to church life. When Henry VIII separated from the Roman Catholic Church through the Act of Supremacy in 1534 and dissolved the monasteries, St James’s Church was transferred to John Gostwick.
That same year, he sold it to William Boteler, who paid £428 2s 5d for lands that had belonged to Newnham Priory, Harwolde (now Harrold) Priory, Cauldwell Priory, and Warden Abbey.
Gradually, the church was stripped of its traditional Catholic features—statues, images of saints and the Virgin Mary, devotional lights, wall paintings, and stained glass were all removed. The interior walls were whitewashed, and the style of worship underwent a complete transformation.
In 1549, the first English Book of Common Prayer was introduced, replacing Latin with English. By 1550, stone altars were taken out and replaced with wooden communion tables, marking a clear break from Catholic ritual. In 1559, it became legally mandatory to attend church services.
These reforms were largely accepted without resistance in Bedfordshire. The community appeared to adapt quietly to the new order. After this period of change, aside from three surviving wall monuments, no major efforts were made to redecorate or enhance the church until the 19th century.
Huge thanks to Katherine Fricker, Mary McKeown and Diana Toyn for the exquisitely written “The Village of Biddenham through the Ages” book and to Mary for granting permission to use fragments in the writing of this section.
Next: After the Reformation