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Linby

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"Linby is a small village and parish seven and a half miles south of Mansfield, containing 310 inhabitants, and 1,461 acres of land, principally belonging to Andrew Montagu Esq., who is also lord of the manor. Before the Conquest it had three manors, which by the victorious Conqueror were given to William Peverel, whose son William gave the "town and whatever it hath in it" to the Priory of Lenton. The estate was bequeathed by its late proprietor, the Right Hon. Frederick Montagu, in 1800, to Fountayne Wilson Esq. and his heirs, on condition that they use the surname of Montagu, which he himself refused to comply with, but conferred it upon his son, together with the said estate. The present landlord having discharged all the framework knitters from the parish, has caused a decrease in the population from 515 to 310 souls. Two ancient crosses stand at the north and south ends of the village, having a maypole at the south.

The church is a small structure, dedicated to St Michael, with a tower and four bells. It contains some ancient monuments of the Strelley and Chaworth families. The rectory, valued in the King's books at £4 9s 9½d, now £220, is in the gift of Andrew Montagu Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. Thomas Hurt M.A., who resides at the rectory, a neat mansion near the church, with 21a 2r 10p of ancient glebe; and in 1843 the tithe was commuted for £280. A feast is held on the Sunday after Old Michaelmas Day, or on that day if it falls on a Sunday. The Nottingham and Mansfield Railway passes through the parish and has a neat station here."

[WHITE's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]

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Archives & Libraries

Linby has a tiny Heritage Centre which was restored and opened in 2003.

David HALLAM-JONES has a photograph of the Linby Heritage Centre on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2012.

The Library at Nottingham will prove useful in your research.

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Cemeteries

Jonathan THACKER has a photograph of The churchyard, Linby on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2019.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Hucknall Torkard sub-district of the Basford Registration District until 1901.
     
  • In 1901 the parish was reassigned 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 / 858
1851H.O. 107 / 2128
1861R.G. 9 / 2444
1871R.G. 10 / 3494
1891R.G. 12 / 2677
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Church History

  • The 1086 Domesday Book tells us that Linby had a priest, but does not mention a church.
     
  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Michael.
     
  • The church construction date is thought to be in the 13th century.
     
  • In 1631 Frances CLARKE, wife of Thomas CLARKE, was presented before the churchwardens 'for abusing our church porch and making a bed and a fire in it, and refusing to leave it and abusing us in words.'
     
  • In 1877-78 the gallery was removed, the 'hideous openings' blocked up and original windows reinstated. The building was 'thoroughly cleansed and repaired, the old fashioned pews and benches removed, and open but comfortable seats of best red deal, varnished, with foot rails and book desks' installed.
     
  • The churchyard was enlarged in 1898.
     
  • The church was restored in 1898 and again in 1914.
     
  • The church clock was installed in 1947 as a result of a legacy from the Rev A. B. REID. A plaque on the south wall of the tower states:
     
    "1913 + 1941
    A.M.D.G.
    THIS TABLET MARKS THE GRATITUDE OF THE
    PARISHIONERS OF LINBY CUM PAPPLEWICK
    TO THEIR LATE RECTOR
    ARTHUR BERKELEY REID
    FOR THE GIFT OF THE CLOCK
    INSTALLED IN THIS TOWER
    AND IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF THE
    TWENTY EIGHT YEARS SERVICE GIVEN BY HIM
    AND HIS WIFE EMILY TO THIS PARISH"

     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of St. Michael's Church on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1640 (one source says 1692) and is in very good condition.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Bulwell.
     
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Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the Hucknall Torkard sub-district of the Basford Registration District until 1901.
     
  • In 1901 the parish was reassigned to the Arnold sub-district of the Basford Registration District.
     
  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
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Description & Travel

Linby is a village and a parish 134 miles north of London, 9.5 miles north of Nottingham and 7.5 miles south of Mansfield. The River Leen flows through the parish. The parish covers 963 acres, but used to be far larger.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A611 north out of Nottingham past Hucknall. Linby will be just to the right.
     
  • There were three railways that ran through Linby historically, but passenger service ceased in 1916. Freight rail service ceased in 1968. There appears to be no current passenger service to Linby.
     
  • By bus, take the 141 bus from Mansfield or Nottingham Victoria Bus station.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of one of the two village crosses on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2014.
     
  • David HALLAM-JONES has a photograph of the "famous" Linby Docks on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2012. The Linby Docks were bombed by the Germans in World War Two, but they missed this area.
You can see pictures of Linby which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Limestone was quarried here.
     
  • Around 1850, the lord of the manor discharged all of the framework knitters in the parish, dropping the population from 515 down to 310 souls.
     
  • The village feast day is on the Sunday nearest to Old Michaelmas day.
     
  • Local legend tells us that the pancake was invented here by the women of the village to celebrate the defeat of the Danes who had enslaved them.
     
  • Jonathan THACKER has a photograph of The Horse and Groom Pub. on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2019.
     
  • Linby has two village Crosses from the medieval period: Top Cross and Bottom Cross.
     
  • Jonathan THACKER has a photograph of Bottom Cross, 17 century, under restoration on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2019.
     
  • Bottom Cross has a water trough for animals at its base.
     
  • Jonathan THACKER also has a photograph of Top Cross in all its 14 century glory on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2019.
     
  • Linby won the "Best Kept Village in Nottinghamshire" award in 1997.
     
  • David LALLY has a photograph of the Linby Colliery memorial plaque on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2017.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK534510 (Lat/Lon: 53.053598, -1.204776), Linby which are provided by:

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Military History

  • The War Memorial is a plaque on the south wall of the south aisle of the parish church.
     
  • Rachel FARRAND has a photograph of the War Memorial plaque in St. Michael's Church.
     
  • There is an identical War Memorial plaque at in Papplewick St James' Church. There are details about men from the two villages who served in the Great War in documents in Nottinghamshire Archives.
     
  • There is an additional War Memorial which is a brass plaque, on the south side of the chancel archway, facing the nave.
     
  • There is a World War II memorial on the window recess at the south-east end of the south aisle chapel.
     
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Military Records

  • Here are the names on the War Memorial:
  1. John Herbert Askew
  2. Harold Bass
  3. Edward James Baxter
  4. George Alec Cranswick
  5. William Leslie Gray
  6. Charles Harold Haywood
  7. James Johnson
  8. Frederick Henry Pates
  9. George Vincent
  10. Herbert Webster
  11. William Harold Weston
  12. Oliver Whiting
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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish in county Nottingham and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • This parish was in the northern division of the Broxtowe Hundred or Wapentake in the northern division of the county.
     
  • In April, 1935, this parish was reduced by 527 acres which were granted to Hucknall Torkard Civil Parish.
     
  • You may contact the local Linby Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to provide family history searches for you.
     
  • In 1974, the parish joined the new Gedling Borough Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Nottingham petty session hearings.
     
  • The burial registers of the late 18th to the early 19th centuries contain frequent entries for the burials of 'London boys' in the churchyard. During this period a large number of boys from St. Marylebone Workhouse in London were sent to neighbouring Papplewick to work in George, James and John Robinson's cotton mills on the River Leen and the entries are records of their deaths. In 1801 14 of 19 burials which took place at Linby were those of London boys and they were buried close to the north-east boundary wall of the churchyard. In total there are 41 entries in Linby's parish registers relating to the interment of 'London boys'.
     
  • 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
1801515
1811434
1821439
1831352
1841271
1851310
1861257
1871257
1881320
1891310
1901319
1911273
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Schools