Nottinghamshire

Contents

Nearby Places

South Wheatley

"South Wheatley is a small parish containing only three farm houses, three cottages, 34 inhabitants and 864 acres of land, principally belonging to William Mason Esq. It is 5½ miles north-east of Retford, and separated from north Wheatley by a rivulet which runs through a deep and narrow valley. The church, dedicated to St Helen, is a small structure, with a tower and three bells, situated on an eminence near the houses. The living is a rectory, valued in the King's books at £6 14s 2d, now £140, discharged from the payment of first fruits. It was anciently of the fee of Roger de Busli, and "formed part of the chapelry of Tykhill", but is now in the patronage of the Chapter of Southwell. The Rev. Thomas Henry Shepherd M.A. is the incumbent. George Savile Foljambe Esq. is lord of the manor, which is mostly freehold. Gypsum is found in great abundance, and is used for the foundation of roads which, when calcined makes good floors &c. The resident farmers are George Hardy and William Radford; and William Fillingham, joiner."
[White's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]

Census

• The parish was in the Gringley sub-district of the East Retford Registration District.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

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Church History

• The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint Helen.
  
  
• The church was closed by 1881, but the churchyard continued in use for burials.
  
  
• In 1909, only the ruins of the tower and an arch from the chancel remained.
  
  
• A plaque from the church, possibly dated 1671, is in the North Wheatley parish church.
  
  
• Jonathan THACKER has a photograph of The ruins of St. Helen's church on Geo-graph, taken in 2012.
  
  

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1546 and is in good condition.
  
  
• The church was in the rural deanery of East Retford.
  
  

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Civil Registration

• The parish was in the Gringley sub-district of the East Retford Registration District.
  
  
• Civil Registration started in July, 1837.
  
  

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Description and Travel

South Wheatley is a small village and a parish within the parliamentary bough of East Retford. The parish covers 631 acres. The parish lies 149 miles north of London, 5 miles south-west of Gainsborough and 5 miles north-east of East Retford.

The village is too small to appear on small scale (lareg area) maps. If you are planning a visit:

• By automobile, take the A620 north-east out of Retford.
  
• There is no rail service to South Weatley.
  
• Check the North and South Wheatley webiste before you visit.
  
  
• See Barbara Whiteman's photographs of South Wheatley.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is SK 7685.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Politics and Government

• This place was an ancient parish in Nottingham county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
  
  
• The parish was in the North Clay division of the ancient Bassetlaw Wapentake (Hundred) in the northern division of the county.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• William SPENCER's charity, established in 1720, distributed £1 and 5 shillings to the poor each year.
  
  
• After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became a part of the East Retford Poor Law Union.
  
  

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Population

Year	Inhabitants
1801	41
1851	34
1871	35
1881	37
1891	44
1901	42
1911	38

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