Sir William Harpur was an English merchant and philanthropist who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1561. Born in Bedford, he moved to London and amassed a large fortune. In 1566, Harpur and his wife Alice gave an financial endowment to support several charities including ones focused on education. The endowment eventually became the Harpur Trust, which supports four independent schools in Bedford today.

Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of its urban area, including Kempston and Biddenham, was 106,940. Bedford is also the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford, a unitary authority that includes a significant rural area.