East Bridgford (or Bridgeford on the Hill)
"East Bridgford, or Bridgeford on the Hill, is a large and well built village,
on the summit of a precipitous bank, that rises on the south side of the Trent,
opposite Gunthorpe Ferry. The parish contains 1,155 inhabitants, and 1,910
acres of loamy land, which was enclosed in 1798, when 326 acres (now called New
Bridgford), were allotted in lieu of rectorial tithes. The greater part of the
parish belongs to Magdalen College, Oxford, with the remainder belonging to
several freeholders.
In the parish is found both opaque and transparent gypsum, the latter of which
is very beautiful, and during the last twenty years has been in great demand
amongst the lepidaries of Derby and other places, who turn it into beads and
various other ornaments, in which it looks as brilliant and richly variegated
as the Derbyshire spar. There are several neat mansions on the village,
occupied by Captain Geo. Bohun Martin, Mrs Brooks, and Geo. Beaumont Esq."
[White's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]
- The parish was in the Bingham sub-district of the Bingham Registration District.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year |
Piece No. |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2483 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2717 |
- There was a Christian church here in Saxon times.
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter.
- The church tower was rebuilt in 1778.
- The church was thoroughly restored and reseated in 1862.
- The church was also restored brtween 1901 and 1914.
- There is a photo of St. Peter's Church on Panoramio.
- Richard CROFT has a photo of the church interior on Geo-graph, taken in 2010.
- There is a history online of St. Peter's Church on Panoramio.
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1557 and is in good condition.
- The church was in the rural deanery #2 of Bingham.
- The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel here which was enlarged in 1835.
- Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photo of the Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in 2009.
- The Primitive Methodists had a chapel built here in 1836.
- The Congregationalists had a chapel here also.
- The parish was in the Bingham sub-district of the Bingham Registration District.
- Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
The town lies about 122 miles north of London, 10 miles north-east of Nottingham, 10 miles south-west from Newark and 23 miles north-north-west of Bingham. The town is on the eastern bank of the River Trent near an ancient ford to Gunthorpe in Nottinghamshire. An iron bridge leading to Gunthorpe was built and opened in 1875. The parish covers about 1,600 acres.
If you are planning a visit:
- The Romans had a bridge over the River Trent near here and a quay for vessels to tie up to for loading and unloading. The Roman Fosseway passes within a mile west of the village.
- Bridgford is the birth-place of Colonel HACKER, who escorted King Charles to his beheading. Afterwards he suffered as a traitor, and his estates were confiscated.
- In June, 1875, an iron bridge was built across the Trent River to Gunthorpe.
- In the 1800s, bricks were made here.
- The parish was known for the fine transparent gypsum that was mined here only 8 or 9 yards below ground.
- In 1881, Mrs. HACKER lived in the Old Hall
- The national grid reference is SK 6948.
- You'll want an Ordinance Survey Explorer map, which has a scale of 2.5 inches to the mile.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- The war Memorial was erected in the churchyard in 1920.
- There are two photographs of the War Memorial at Southwell Churches.
- This place was an ancient parish in Nottingham county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
- The parish was in the north division of the ancient Bingham Wapentake in the Southern division of the county.
- District governance is provided by the Rushcliffe Borough Council.
- The Common Land was enclosed here in 1798.
- A charitable fund was established in 1792 creating £290 from contributions by the reverends Henry SMITH, Christopher OVEREND and Peter PRIAUX as well as from John WILSON, Sarah KIRK and two unknown donors. The yearly dividends from this fund were given to the poor each February.
- In 1827, Thomas HOLLAND left £40 for the poor.
- In 1828, Rev. Peter BROUGHTON left £50 for the poor.
- After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became a part of the Bingham Poor Law Union.
- In 1837, Rev. Thomas BEAUMONT left £200 for the poor.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1801 |
526 |
| 1811 |
662 |
| 1821 |
768 |
| 1831 |
938 |
| 1841 |
1,110 |
| 1851 |
1,155 |
| 1861 |
1,078 |
| 1871 |
934 |
| 1881 |
895 |
| 1891 |
866 |
| 1901 |
756 |
| 1911 |
797 |
- A National School was built here in 1829 and a new one replaced it in 1861.
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[Last updated: 8-February-2013 - Louis R. Mills]
