History of Bedford

The history of Bedford can be traced back to the early 1800s. The area was originally inhabited by the Xhosa people, but in the 1820s, a group of British and Scottish settlers arrived in the region. The settlers were part of the British government’s plan to populate the frontier with British subjects in order to strengthen its hold on the area.

The settlers established a number of farms in the Bedford area, with the Scottish settling in the Baviaans River Mountains to the north and the English mainly in the Albany district to the south. The town of Bedford was founded in 1854. The town was named after the Duke of Bedford, a friend of Sir Andries Stockenström, the Lieutenant Governor of the Cape Colony at the time.

Bedford quickly became a major center for trade and commerce in the region. The town was also home to a number of schools and churches, and it became a cultural hub for the local farming community.

In the 19th century, Bedford was involved in a number of wars between the British and the Xhosa. The most notable of these wars was the Sixth Frontier War, which took place in 1834-1835. The war ended with the British victory, and the Xhosa were forced to cede a large amount of territory to the British.

In the 20th century, Bedford continued to grow and prosper but the town suffered a major decline in fortunes in the latter half of the 20th century before reviving itself around the turn of the millennium. It is regarded today as an artist’s haven and retirement village.