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Bestwood

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Archives & Libraries

The Library at Nottingham will prove useful in your research.

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Bibliography

  • RUTHERFORD-MOORE, Richard, "Bestwood Park - A Thousand Years of History", 2001.
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Cemeteries

Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the old lych gate, Emmanuel Church on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2010.

Alan MURRAY-RUST also has a photograph of Emmanuel Church's resited Lychgate on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2010.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Hucknall Torkard sub-district of the Basford Registration District.
     
  • In 1911, the parish was re-assigned to the Arnold sub-district of the Basford Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 856
1851H.O. 107 / 2127
1861R.G. 9 / 2447
1871R.G. 10 / 3489
1881R.G. 11 / 3332
1891R.G. 12 / 2671
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Emanuel (often spelled as "Emmanuel").
     
  • The church was built in 1868 of stone, the cost provided by the Duke of St. Albans.
     
  • The church is Grade II listed with British Heritage.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of Emmanuel Church on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2010.
     
  • St. Mark's ecclesiastical (mission) parish was carved from Emanuel ecclesiastical parish and services were held in a schoolroom at first. The first service at the new church (at the end of Church Road at School Walk) was held on Saturday 7th May 1887.
     
  • St. Mark's seats 250.
     
  • David HALLAM-JONES has a photograph of St. Mark's Church on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2012.
     
  • Bestwood Park Church is an ecumenidal church serving both Anglican and Methodist congregations. It lies in the part of Bestwood Park later amalgamated into Nottingham City in 1933. Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of Bestwood Park Church on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2009.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1870.
     
  • This parish is not included on the International Genealogical Index (IGI).
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Hucknall Torkard sub-district of the Basford Registration District.
     
  • In 1911, the parish was re-assigned to the Arnold sub-district of the Basford Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

Bestwood is both a village and a parish. The parish lies 137 miles north of London, 7 miles north-west of Nottingham and 2.5 miles north-west of Greasley. The parish borders Derbyshire on the west and covers 958 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

  • Bus service is available from Nottingham city.
     
  • M. J. RICHARDSON has a photograph of the Bestwood Lodge Hotel on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2016.
     
  • Check out the village website for events and road closures and current bus timetables.
     
You can see pictures of Bestwood which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

M. J. RICHARDSON has a phtograph of Bestwood Lodge on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2016.

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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK564472 (Lat/Lon: 53.019302, -1.160154), Bestwood which are provided by:

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Military History

There is a churchyard grave for Captain Leonard G. HEATH, Sherwood Ranger who died in France in March, 1916.

Leonard's brother, William Henry HEATH served with The South African Constabulary during the Boer War and died in Pretoria of disease on 14th February 1902.

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Military Records

These are the names on the Bestwood Emmanuel Church War Memorial:

  1. James Bailey
  2. Walter James Cowie
  3. Thomas Hollis Hall
  4. Archibald Gilbert Hamilton
  5. Leonard George Heath
  6. Thomas James
  7. Thomas Albert Reynolds
  8. Arthur Cecil Richmond
  9. Thomas Whitby

For a photograph and the list of names on the St. John the Baptist Church War Memorial, see the Southwell Church History Project site.

There is also a St. Marks Mission churchyard grave for lance corporal Thomas WHITBY 15th Sherwood Foresters who died in 1917.

And St. Mark's has its own War Memorial. The names on it are:

  1. James Bailey
  2. Harold Bass
  3. Walter James Cowie
  4. Robert Oswald Gardner
  5. Thomas Hollis Hall
  6. Archibald Gilbert Hamilton
  7. Leonard George Heath
  8. Thomas James
  9. Gerald William Lancaster
  10. James Lancaster
  11. John Cecil Lancaster
  12. John Thomas Lane
  13. Frederick Henry Pates
  14. Thomas Albert Reynolds
  15. Arthur Cecil Richmond
  16. Thomas Whitby

On the south wall of St. Mark's is a War Memorial recording those who lost their lives in the Second World War There are the 3 names listed:

  1. Sergt. Eric BARRETT
  2. Pte. Harold CARTER
  3. Wren Iris CARTER

Iris CARTER was assigned to the Naval facility at H.M.S. Pembroke (Chatham depot) and was the daughter of Harry and Sybil Mary CARTER of Bestwood Colliery. She was 23 years old.

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Politics & Government

  • This place was formerly within the parish of Lenton. In March, 1878, is was constituted as a modern Civil Parish under the name "Bestwood Park".
     
  • This parish was in the southern portion of the Broxtowe Hundred or Wapentake.
     
  • On 1 April 1933, this parish surrendered 1,101 acres (all of Bestwood Park Estate) to provide growing room to Nottingham City.
     
  • In 1974, the parish joined the new District governance provided by the Gedling Borough Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Nottingham petty session hearings.
     
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became a part of the Basford Poor Law Union.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
1871180
1881697
1891736
1901650
1911619
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Schools

A Public Elementary School was built here in 1878 and enlarged in 1890 to hold 230 children.

A school board council of 7 members was formed in June, 1903.

David HALLAM-JONES provides a photograph of the Big Wood School on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2014.