Nottinghamshire

Contents

Nearby Places

Attenborough

"Attenborough Parish consists of the two manors and townships of Chilwell and Toton, which contain 1,036 inhabitants and 1,930 acres of land, at the south-western corner of the Broxtow Hundred, where the Erewash divides it from Derbyshire, and falls into the Trent, which forms its southern boundary. Thomas Charlton Esq. is principal owner, and lord of the manor of Chilwell, and Hon. William Vernon (a minor), second son of Lord Vernon, owns most of the land, and is lord of the manor of Toton. But the rectorial tithes of the parish belong to the Chesterfield Free School, being granted to that institution by the Foljambe family, who obtains the impropriation and advowson from Edward VI, after the dissolution of Felley Priory, to which they had previously belonged.

Attenborough is a very small village, standing in the two townships of Chilwell and Toton, on the north side of the Trent, five miles south west by west of Nottingham. The church is a neat fabric, dedicated to St Mary. It has a nave, chancel, side aisles, and a tower with five bells, surmounted by a handsome spire. The vicarage has the church of Bramcote annexed to it, and is valued in the King's books at £4 15s, now £250. George Saville Foljambe Esq., of Osberton, is the patron, and the Rev. Joseph Shooter the incumbent, for who the Rev. James Haylock B.A. officiates."
[White's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]

Census

• The parish was in the Stapleford sub-district of the Shardlow registration district.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

Return to top of page

Church History

• A chapel stood on the banks of the River Trent in 964 AD.
  
  
• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary.
  
  
• The church was built on the same site as the chapel before 1042.
  
  
• This church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest.
  
  
• In 1957 a mission church was built in the Chilwell area and dedicated to Saint Barnabas at Inham Nook.
  
  

Return to top of page

Church Records

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1560, but there is a gap of ten years from 1643 to 1653. The original registers are otherwise in good condition.
  
  
• The church is in the rural deanery of Mansfield.
  
  

Return to top of page

Civil Registration

• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
  
  
• The parish was in the Stapleford sub-district of the Shardlow registration district.
  
  

Return to top of page

Description and Travel

Attenborough parish includes the township and village of Attenborough, the hamlet and manor of Chilwell and the township and manor of Toton. The parish lies on the north bank of the River Trent and borders on Derbyshire. It is 126 miles north of London and 6 miles south-west of Nottingham city.

Toton township is the western part of the parish, and lies next to the Erewash River and the boundary of Derbyshire. If you are planning a visit:

• There appears to be rail service to Toton, but the author has no schedule.
  
  
• By automobile, from the intersection of the M1 motorway and the A52 trunk road, head east to Stapleford. Take the first road to the right (south), which should be the B6003, which should take you to the south end of Toton.
  
  

Return to top of page

Directories

• We have an extract from White's 1853 Directory relating to this parish.
  
  

Return to top of page

Maps

• The national grid reference is SK 5136.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordinance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

Return to top of page

Military History

• Andy JAMIESON has a photograph of a War Memorial on the Traces of War website.
  
  
• There are two War Memorial plaques inside the parish church.
  
  
• There is a memorial plaque inside the church to the men and women killed in the Chilwell shell-filling factory explosion of 1918. 134 people died in the tragedy, most of them women. Another 250 people were injured. You can read more about this factory at PastScape.
  
  

Return to top of page

Politics and Government

• This place was an ancient parish in Nottingham county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
  
  
• This parish was in the lower south-west corner of the Broxtowe Hundred or Wapentake.
  
  
• The Civil Parish of Attenborough was abolished in 1866.
  
  

Return to top of page

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Shardlow Poorlaw Union.
  
  

Return to top of page

Population

Return to top of page

Schools

• There were two National Schools in Attenborough by 1881.
  
  

Return to top of page

Find help, report problems, or contribute information