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White's Directory of Nottinghamshire, 1853

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Normanton upon Trent

Normanton is a pleasant village and parish, upon a declivity 4 miles south-east by east of Tuxford, and 1½ miles west of the river, to which the parish extends. It contains 359 inhabitants and 1,163a 2r 19p of land, of the rateable value of £2,061 2s 3d. The open fields were enclosed under an act passed in 1800, when 124a 3r 30p of land was awarded to the Duke of Devonshire, as impropriator, and 56a 2r 17p to the vicar, in lieu of tithes.

The church, dedicated to St Matthew, is a small edifice, with name, chancel, side aisles and tower, with three bells. A gallery was erected for the singers a few years ago, by subscription. The Rev. Edward Howell is the incumbent, and has upwards of 74 acres of glebe. The living is valued in the King's books at £4 5s, now £154.

The Duke of Devonshire sold the impropriate lands, with the advowson, to the Rev. William Doncaster, at whose death it was sold to the Rev. Robert Gamson. William de Lovetot gave the church to the priory, which he founded at Ratford. J.E. Dennison Esq. is lord of the manor, principally copyhold, on small certain fines, and courts are held at Easter and Michaelmas at Grassthorpe. Mr William Moody and Samuel Siddons Esq, and some others, have small estates in the parish.

On the Trent Bank is an open pasture called the Holme, of 265¾ acres. It is divided into gates, each containing 1a 0r 33p, which are nearly all freehold, and held by residents and non-residents. Two of these gates give a vote for the county, and there are above 60 voters for members of parliament in the parish.

A Wesleyan chapel was erected in 1829. The school was built in 1776 by Henry Jackson, and was endowed in 1781 by Mrs Hall, with land that now lets for £9 a year for which, and a house with a garden, the master teaches 10 free scholars. In 1781, Elizabeth Gaches built two houses for poor old women. In 1790, Elizabeth Hail erected four almshouses, for four poor women, and endowed them with land at Little Hale, in Lincolnshire, which now lets for £55 per annum. The indigent parishioners have £12 15s yearly, arising from the poor's land, left by Walter Mellor, and several other benefactors.

[Transcribed by Clive Henly]