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Hickling

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"Hickling is a large village and parish on the Grantham Canal, at the foot of the Wolds, near the Leicestershire border and the Vale of Belvoir, 12 miles south-east of Nottingham and 8 miles south by west of Bingham. In 1771, a farmer whilst ploughing near the village, found an urn containing about 200 Roman silver coins and medals, most of them of "the age of Vespasian". This discovery seems to confirm the opinion of Camden, that there has been a Roman station here. Fossils, chiefly shellfish, are often found here in the limestone. The parish is called in Doomsday Book Eeheling and Hegeling, and was partly soc to Cropwell and Granby. It contains 613 inhabitants and 2,663 acres of land, of the rateable value of £3,014 8s, which was enclosed in 1776, when 431a 0r 4p were allotted in lieu of tithes, in addition to 62a 0r 4p of ancient glebe. The principal land owners are the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln, Mr Marshall, Mr Collishaw, Mr Eaton, Mr Robert Hardyard and Mr Mason, and several other freeholders, but Earl Manvers is the lord paramount.
The parish church is dedicated to St Luke, and has a fine lofty tower with four bells and a clock. A stone coffin, bearing a Runic inscription, was found some years ago under the chancel."
[WHITE's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]

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Archives & Libraries

The Library at Nottingham will prove useful in your research.

The Community Library at Bingham is also an excellent resource.

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Bibliography

Hazel M. WADKIN, "'Hickling Reflections of Yesteryear: A further collection of notes and photographs", Sherwood Free Press. ISBN 0 9508086 1 X.

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Cemeteries

  • The parish had a cemetery out on Clawson Road, just east of the village.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of a close-up of the gate at Hickling Cemetery on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2008.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of a portion of the Church graveyard on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2015.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST also has a number of gravetstone photograph of Geo-graph. Do a search on "Belvoir Angels" to find them all.
     
  • We have a partail list of burials for this parish.
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Census

  • The parish was in the Ratcliffe upon Trent sub-district of the Bingham Registration District.
     
  • In November, 1883, the parish was reassigned to the Bingham sub-district of the Bingham Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 853
1861R.G. 9 / 2485
1871R.G. 10 / 3548
1881R.G. 11 / 3382
1891R.G. 12 / 2718
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint Luke.
     
  • The church was built in the 14th century in the Early English style.
     
  • The chancel was rebuilt in 1845.
     
  • The church tower was rebuilt in 1875.
     
  • A clock was added to the church tower in 1890.
     
  • Inside the church are two ornate grave lids that date from the 10th century.
     
  • The church seats 260.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of St. Luke's Church on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2008.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of St. Luke's Tower on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2013.
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1646 and are in good condition.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery No. 1 of Bingham.
     
  • Check the Guy Etchells website for a list of marriages in the parish from 1646 to 1812.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel here. They rebuilt the original one in 1846.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of the Wesleyan chapel on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2008.
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Ratcliffe upon Trent sub-district of the Bingham Registration District.
     
  • In November, 1883, the parish was reassigned to the Bingham sub-district of the Bingham Registration District.
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Description & Travel

This village and parish are just east of the Vale of Belvoir. Leicestershire forms the eastern border and Kinoulton parish is to the north. The parish lies 8 miles north-west of Melton Mowbray and 12 miles south-east of Nottingham city. The parish covers 2,866 acres.

The old Grantham Canal passes through the north end of the village. There is a large turn basin next to the main road, but the canal here is unused these days, except by swans and ducks. If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A606 trunk road northwest out of Melton Mobray and turn north at Nether Broughton.
     
  • Remember, swans and ducks have the right of way!
     
  • The village has its own Website to attrract and advise visitors.
You can see pictures of Hickling which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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History

  • In 1771, a Roman urn containing about 200 coins and medals of Vespasian's era was ploughed up in a field here. It is presumed that a Roman camp was nearby
     
  • The village holds an annual Hickling Scarecrow Festival over a weekend each September.
     
  • A large portion of the village lies in a Conservation area which includes 24 listed buildings.
     
  • The village has a natural mineral spring in the stable yard of the old rectory.
     
  • In the 1800s and early 1900s, more than half the parish was pasturage.
     
  • In the 1800s and 1900s, Stilton Cheese was made here.
     
  • Andrew TATLOW has a photograph of the Old Wharf Tea Room alongside the Grantham Canal on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2021.
     
  • Andrew TATLOW has photographs of Hickling village notices on the Community Board on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2021.
     
  • Jonathan THACKER has a photograph of The Plough Inn on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2020.
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK691289 (Lat/Lon: 52.853172, -0.975289), Hickling which are provided by:

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Military History

The War Memorial in the parish church is an alabaster tablet with black lettering.

There is also a War Memorial of a white marble tablet in the Village Hall. It was unveiled in April 1921.

The Wesleyan Methodist Church had its own War Memorial which has since been relocated to St. Luke's Church. There are seven names listed on this memorial.

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Military Records

Hickling School, Main Street, Hickling, Nottinghamshire. The school is now the village hall. The tablet of white marble was unveiled in April 1921 following a service in St Mary's parish church (dedication now St Luke). The memorial was unveiled by Mr J. L. Laws of Gotham who was headmaster of Hickling School 1903-1911. The memorial was executed by Thomas Drake of Melton Mowbray, a native of Hickling, who was a contemporary scholar of those commemorated on the memorial. Dedication, 'In ever loving memory of seven brave lads educated in this school who fell in the Great War 1914-1918:

  1. Stephen George Arthur Crump
  2. Samuel Cheshire Doubleday, born 1892, Cambridgeshire
  3. John George Faulks
  4. John Hill
  5. Thomas William Salt
  6. Cecil Simpson
  7. Charles Simpson

The parish church has a war memorial plaque with 8 names on it. Most are the same men:

  1. William Charles Collyer
  2. Stephen George Arthur Crump
  3. Samuel Cheshire Doubleday
  4. John George Faulks
  5. John Hill
  6. Thomas William Salt
  7. Charles Simpson
  8. Cecil Simpson
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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish of Nottinghamshire and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • The parish was in the south division of the Bingham Wapentake (or Hundred) in the southern division of the county.
     
  • Hickling does not appear to have its own Parish Council Website, but you can see their details at the Rushcliffe Hickling Council website. They are NOT staffed to help with family history searches.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Rushcliffe Borough Council.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Bingham petty session hearings every other Thursday.
     
  • The Common Land was enclosed here in 1776.
     
  • The poor had the interest on £37 given in bread each year, until that money was lost. It was restored at £40 by Rev. E. ANDERSON in 1840.
     
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became part of the Bingham Poor Law Union.
     
  • The Nottingham Archives Office holds copies of Hickley's bastardy bonds, Register of Apprentices and other parish chest material. Some of this material has been microfilmed for the LDS Family History Library. Check their catalog for full information.
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Population

 YearPopulation
1801391
1841581
1851613
1861642
1871559
1881498
1891448
1901426
1911357
1921399
1931394
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Schools

  • A National School was built here in 1838.