Farnsfield
"Farnsfield is a populous village and parish, pleasantly situated 4 miles
west-north-west of Southwell. Its parish is within the liberty of Southwell and Scrooby, and contains 1,195 inhabitants and 3,625a 2r 13p of land, rated to the county rate at £3,524. It was enclosed in 1777, when 350 acres were allotted to the three Prebendaries of Normanton, Norwell Overhall and Pallishall, 157a 3r 15p to the vicar, and 5a 1r 21p to the Chapter of Southwell, in lieu of tithes. The Archbishop of York is lord of the manor, in which William Holdsworth Esq., Emanuel Howitt Esq., Richard Hall Esq., Jonathan bell, Richard Truswell and some others have estates, and also neat houses in the village.
The church has one aisle and a square tower, in which are five harmonious bells. There is a small organ, placed by Miss Milward in 1851. The living is a discharged vicarage valued at £165, and has 19a 3r 6p of glebe, besides the allotment made at the enclosure. The Chapter of Southwell are the patrons, and the Rev. Henry Robert Wilkins B.A. is the incumbent. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists each have a chapel in the village."
[White's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]
- The parish was in the Southwell sub-district of the Southwell Registration District.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year |
Piece No. |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2471 |
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Michael.
- The church construction date has been established as 14th century.
- The church was rebuilt in the 1700s with stones from the original building.
- The church was rebuilt, except for the tower, in 1859-60.
- The church tower was probably added in the 15th century.
- The church-yard was enlarged in 1869.
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1572 for all entries.
- The Parish Book dates from 1794.
- The church was in the rural deanery of Southwell.
- The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel here by 1881.
- The parish was in the Southwell sub-district of the Southwell Registration District.
- Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
Farnsfield is a village and a parish 134 miles north of London, 14 miles north-east of Nottingham and 4 miles north-west of Southwell. The River Leen flows through the parish. The parish covers 1,600 acres.
If you are planning a visit:
- By automobile, the parish is just south-east of the intersection of the A617 and the A614 trunk roads.
- The national grid reference is SK 6456.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- This place was an ancient parish in Nottingham county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
- The parish was in the Southwell division of the ancient Thurgaton Wapentake (Hundred) in the southern division of the county.
- The parish was also in the ancient Southwell and Scrooby Liberty of Notinghamshire.
- On 9 Cotober 1877 the parish was enlarged by gaining the "Hexgrave" portion of Southwell Civil Parish.
- The Common Land was enclosed here in 1777.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, this parish became part of the Southwell Poor Law Union.
| Year |
Population |
| 1801 |
564 |
| 1851 |
1,149 |
| 1861 |
1,071 |
| 1871 |
1,043 |
| 1881 |
1,044 |
| 1891 |
939 |
| 1901 |
921 |
| 1911 |
961 |
| 1921 |
980 |
| 1931 |
1,021 |
- A Church of England School was started here in 1790 in a house purchased for that use.
- The parish also had a Wesleyan School by 1881.
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[Last updated: 12-July-2011 - Louis R. Mills]
