Elected county councils were created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over many administrative functions that had previously been performed by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions.

Shire Hall had also served as the meeting place for the quarter sessions which preceded the county council.

[2] Charles Magniac, who had formerly been a Liberal Member of Parliament for Bedford, was the first chairman of the county council.

Luton was brought back under the authority of the reformed county council, and the lower tier of local government was reorganised at the same time.

[13] In 2000, Bedfordshire County Council became a founding partner in the Forest of Marston Vale, a community forest aiming to restore land south-west of Bedford which had previously been used for brickmaking with a country park and new tree planting.

[14] Between 2007 and 2009, proposals were considered for how to implement a unitary structure of local government across the county council's area.

[15] The county council's last day was 31 March 2009, with the unitary authorities coming into force on 1 April 2009.

[23] Bedfordshire County Council was granted a coat of arms in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations.

[24] Arms : Quarterly Or and Gules a Fess wavy barry way of four Argent and Azure surmounted by a Pale Sable charged with three Escallops of the third.

[24] The division of the field quarterly or and gules is derived from the arms of the Beauchamps, Constables of Bedford Castle, the leading family in the county after the Norman Conquest.

The motto "Constant be" is taken from a hymn by 17th century writer and preacher John Bunyan, who was from Elstow, near Bedford.