Hide

White's Directory of Nottinghamshire, 1853

hide
Hide

North and South Clifton, Harby and Spalford

North Clifton parish comprises the four villages and townships of North Clifton, South Clifton, Harby and Spalford, which maintain their poor separately, and contain together 1,107 inhabitants and 5.040 acres of land, now valued at £6,230, which was all exonerated from tithes at the enclosure, and anciently formed four manors of the Bishop of Lincoln's fee, and one of Roger de Bisli's, which in after times passed to the Lovelots, Pigotts and Willoughbys.

North Clifton is a small village on the east bank of the Trent, 12½ miles north by east of newark, near a long cliff, in which numerous fragments of urns, bones and scalps have been found, near the spot which is supposed to have been anciently occupied by a castle. The church, dedicated to St George, stands on an eminence between North and South Clifton, and was re-pewed in 1831. The vicarage, valued in the King's books at £7 6s, and now at £176, is enjoyed by the Rev. Frederick Parry Hodges D.D.. The Rev. G.C. Gordon M.A. is the curate, and resides at the Vicarage House, South Clifton. The prebendary of North Clifton, in Lincoln Cathedral, is the patron and appropriator.

The Duke of Newcastle is lord of the manors of North Clifton, containing 1,000 acres, and South Clifton, containing 1,140a 0r 3p. george Freeth Esq. and Mr Henry Wells are the principal owners. There are also several other small freeholders and copyholders. Colonel Sibthorpe is lessee of the prebendal lands. At the enclosure, 11 acres were allotted to the church, and two acres of the sand hills for repairing the roads. In 1669, Simon Nicholson left to the poor £100, which was laid out in the purchase of 16a 3r 9p of land, let for £17 a year, of which ten guineas are given to the master of the school, which was built in 1799 for the use of the two townships. The poor have £3 10s yearly, as half the rent of a house in South Clifton, left in 1737 by Susannah Hall. The parish feast is on September 12th.

South Clifton, one mile south of North Clifton, is a village containing 367 persons. Here are the Vicarage House, a Methodist chapel, and a ferry across the Trent to Marnham. A remnant of the tithes were commuted in 1842, and valued at £12 4s 6d. It contains 1,140 acres of land. Much damage was done here by the overflowing of the Trent in the floods of 1736, 1770, 1785, 1824 and 1838.

Harby at the east end of the parish, bordering upon Lincolnshire, and 13 miles north-north-east of Newark, is a village and chapelry with 415 unhabitants and 1,187a 33 20p of land. The Duke of Portland is principal owner and lord of the manor, but Colonel Sibthorpe and some others have estates here. It anciently contained a palace belonging to Queen Eleanor, consort of Edward I, who expired here on the 29th of November 1290. Here, her august husband founded a chantry, which he afterwards removed to Lincoln. The chapel of ease was repaired in 1820. A small National School was erected in 1844. The Wesleyans have a small chapel here, built in 1849.

Spalford, 10 miles north by east of Newark, has only 101 inhabitants and 830 acres of land, enclosed in 1814. Two of its farms are in Girton parish. Sir William Welby, bart., is the principal owner and lord of the manor.

[Transcribed by Clive Henly]