White's Directory of Nottinghamshire, 1853

Southwell Town and Parish

Southwell, which is the head of an ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and was once the occasional seat of the Archbishops of York, is an ancient market-town, pleasantly situated upon a gentle eminence, embosomed in trees, and in the centre of an amphitheatre of swelling hills, on the western bank of the little River Greet. It is 14 miles north-east of Nottingham, 8 miles west of Newark, 12 miles east-south-east of Mansfield and 129 miles north by west of London. Its market day is on Friday. The annual fair, for horses, cattle and sheep is on Whit-Monday, and the hiring for servants at Old and New Candlemas and Martinmas.

The town has been much larger than it is at present, for it is said that the foundations of a whole street, running in an east and west direction, have been frequently discovered, in a part of the immediate vicinity where there are now no inhabitants. However, with its adjacent hamlets of East Thorpe and West Thorpe, it has still the appearance of a tolerably large, though scattered, country town. It is properly divided into two parts, or constablewicks, viz. the Burgage and the Prebendage, the former of which comprehends all that space between the Market Place and the River Greet, whilst the other, which is called the High town, is the Collegiate Church and its property.

The parish is very extensive, comprising about 5,613 acres, divided into five constablewicks of High Town, Burgage, East Thorpe, West Thorpe and Normanton, with the four parks of Hexgrave, Hockerwood, Norwood and Southwell, and various scattered farms bearing different names. The five districts maintain the poor conjointly, but their roads separately. Its population in 1851 was 3,458. The soil is generally a rich clay, one-third being arable, about 200 acres in hop grounds, and the rest pasturage.

That Southwell was a Roman station, there can be no doubt, though antiquaries have disagreed about its name. On the Burridge or Burgage Hill are the remains of a Roman fosse, evidently the Burgus or camp, and many Roman bricks have been found in the prebendal houses, and the discovery of a Roman bridge in the Trent, near to Winthorpe, from which the road to Southwell was traced by Mr Dickinson Rastall, has tended very much to confirm the belief that Southwell was the true Ad Pontem of the Romans. Horsley, in his Britannia Romana, whilst commenting on the sixth Iter, thinks that if the distance of Ad Pontem is set off from the station near East Bridgford, it will bring us to Farndon, over against Southwell, but he adds that, though Newark has by some been supposed to be the place which Bede calls "Tiovulfincaster", yet that termination seeming to imply a Roman station somewhere in its neighbourhood, (which he did not believe Newark to have been) might apply to Southwell, "an ancient place, but on the wrong side of the river." He still, however, considers Ad Pontem to have been in this neighbourhood.

The modern name of the town is supposed to have arisen from a spring or well on the south side of the church, now called Lady Well and Holy Well, a noted spring situated on the right of the cloisters. Lelands in his "Itinerary" says, "Southwell town is metely well builded, but there is no market public. The Minster of Our Lady is large, but of no pleasant building, but rather strong."

The National School, in Moor Lane, was erected by subscription in 1840. It is a neat building, to accommodate 200 children.

The Town Hall is a neat brick building, in the Market Place, in which the Petty Sessions are held every Saturday. The upper part is also used as an Assembly Room, and for public meetings. A Newsroom is kept on the ground floor.

The House of Correction, in the burgage part of the town, is a prison for the county at large. The original Bridewell was erected in 1656, and enlarged in 1787, but the whole was rebuilt in 1808, and has since been considerably enlarged, so that it is now spacious and commodious. Mr John Dewhirst is the governor, and Mrs Mary Coulton the matron.

The Police Station is at Burgage Green. William Wimant is the inspector, with one man, and there is one man each at Farnsfield and Eakring.

The Savings Bank, in Westgate, was established March 3rd 1818. There is also an Annuity Society connected with the Savings Bank, established in 1839. Rev. John M. Wilkins is the treasurer, and My John Kirkland the secretary. Also at the same office are established an Endowment Society and a Friendly Institution. Mr John Kirkland is the secretary. There are also in the town several Benefit Societies, besides lodges of Druids and Odd Fellows. A Literary Institution was established in 1847, and is held at Mr Child's in Queen Street. It consists of sixteen honorary members, forty-six shareholders, and sixty-five subscribers, and contains 800 volumes. Mr W. Jones is the president, Mr Jno. Townrow the treasurer, and Mr Thomas Pyzor the secretary.

In 1847, the Midland Railway Company erected a handsome station, and constructed a branch line of railway from here to join the main line, below Fiskerton, but owing to a want of traffic it is all but closed, there being only one goods train a day, and one passebger train weekly, namely to Newark on Wednesday at 11.30, for the convenience of the farmers &c. Mr. John Bridges is the station master.

The Post Office is in the Market Place. Mrs Martha Lawton is the post mistress, Letters arrive from all parts by the Newark mail gig, every morning at 7 o'clock, and are despatched by the same at 6 in the evening. Money Order office opens from 9 am to 5 pm.

Non-Conformist Chapels

The Wesleyans have a chapel in Westgate. The Baptist congregation had considerably increased, that in 1839 they purchased the extensive premises in Moor Lane, previously occupied as the Workhouse, which they have converted into a handsome chapel, capable of accommodating 500 persons, a dwelling house for the minister, a convenient school room and a large burial ground, the whole being at a cost of &pound'1,700, all of which has been raised by volunary contributions. The old chapel has been converted into dwelling houses.

Charities

The charities bequeathed for the benefit of Southwell parish are as follows:

In 1677, Henry Nicholson left to the poor of Southwell and Gainsborough. an estate at Elston, which now lets for £100 per annum, half of which is distributed here. An annuity of ten guineas is distributed out of the poor rates, as the interest of £210, left in 1696, 1717 and 1725 by Bartholomew Fillingham, Jeremiah Brailsford, and Bartholomew Burton. In 1744, Thomas Brailsford Esq left a house, two cow gates and three feet of Easthorpe pasture, to the family of Conde, in trust that each successive possessor should teach 10 poor children to read, knit and sew. In 1771, Richard Stenton bequeathed the interest of £150 to the vicar and churchwardens, to be employed in teaching ten poor boys and girls, and it is now paid to a schoolmistress. The Rev. john Laverack, in 1775, left Stone Croft Close (two acres, let for £6) to educate and clothes poor children, but it is now applied solely in clothing. In 1826, Thomas Spofforth bequeathed £360 (now on mortgage) for the same purpose, and six poor boys are now educated and clothed with the interest. William Thornton, in 1714, left £3 12s yearly out of a house and draper's shop in the market place, to provide six coats, for as many poor men of High town, East Thorpe and Normanton. The common lands of East Thorpe have been held in trust from time immemorial, for the support of the highways of that constablewick, but since the enclosure, and the improvement of the roads, part of the rents have been appropriated for the foundation of a school, at which the master teaches 30 free boys and girls, for which he has a house, garden, and ££25 a year. The trust land now consists of 32a 1r 23p, let for £69 13s per annum. The poor of West Thorpe have £5 yearly, from the bequest of Charles Northgate in 1807.

Civil Government of Southwell

The Civil Government of Southwell is divided between the clergy and laity, the Prebendage being under the jurisdiction of the one, and the Burgage subject to the other. Twenty parishes were subject to its civil limits, called the "Liberty of Southwell and Scrooby". This liberty, as has been seen, is abolished. The Ecclesiatical jurisdiction of the Chapter extends over the whole of the above liberty, and eight other parishes, viz.

Askham, Beckingham, Bleasby, Blidworth, Calverton, Cromwell, Edingley, Everton, Farnsfield, Halam, Halloughton, Hayton-cum-Tiln, Kirklington, Laneham, Lound, Morton, Oxton, Ranskill, Scaftworth, Scrooby, Southwell, Sutton, Upton and Woodborough.

for the granting of marriage licences, probates of wills, letters of administration and all other Episcopal functions within the peciliar, except confirmation and ordination. The Bishop of Lincoln held his first visitation at Southwell in 1843, previous to which the Chapter House was considerably restored.

Holy Trinity Church, Southwell

A new church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was erected in Westhorpe, the first stone of which was laid October 1844. It is in the early English style, 124 feet long and 46 wide, and consists of a nave, chancel, side aisles, porch, and tower 60 feet in height, surmounted by a spire of 78 feet. The cost was £2,500, including the site, containing one acre and a half of land, and £1,000 for the endowment, the whole of which was raised by voluntary subscriptions, towards which Mrs Heathcote, of Southwell, gave £2,000 and H.C. Stenton Esq. £500.

The church will accommodate 600 persons, one third of the sittings free and unappropriated or, instead thereof, to be let at such low rents, as the Bishop of the Diocese shall from time to time direct. This certainly is a very desirable improvement, the district having a population of 899 persons.

The Rev. John Conington B.A. is the incumbent, who resides at the parsonage house, a good substantial building, erected by volunary subscriptions in 1847, in the centre of the district. A new school was also erected about the same time, at a cost of £520, the whole of which was raised by voluntary subscriptions, except a grant of £165 from the Council of Education.

Southwell Minster or Collegiate Church

The Minster or Collegiate Church has now, however, an appearance that even Leland might have admired (though more a man of industry than of taste), as much has of late years been donw to give it a thorough repair. For this purpose, a subscription was opened as far back as 1804, the whole of the venerable pile having been long in a decayed and ruinous state. Towards accomplishing this praiseworthy design, Colonel Eyre set a munificent example by subscribing £100, and many others contributed liberally in conjunction with the prebendaries, so that the fabric has been completely repaired and beautified. Its extreme length is 306 feet, and its breadth in the nave and chancel 59 feet, and in the transcept 121 feet.

All historians have agreed in attributing its first foundation to Paulinus, the first Archbishop of York, about the year 628. During a succession of ages, until the Dissolution, the church had been encouraged and endowed by the liberality of both monarchs and nobles, and protected by the decrees of popes, and the regulations of various prelates, and it is said by Mr Rastall, that scarce a person was advanced to the see of York, that did not render it more independent upon his promotion, whilst its own members always manifested their attention by some augmentation of its revenues, whenever they had been long in the enjoyment of their benefices. In the early part of henry VIII's reign, its chantries were dissolved, and that order of its priests expelled, and soon after it shared in the general wreck of collegiate foundations. It was, notwithstanding, declared by Act of Parliament in Henry's 34th year (1542) to be the Mother Church of Nottinghamshire, a favour which it owed partly to Cranmer, and partly to the intercessions of the gentry of the county. In Edward's reign, the chapter was dissolved and granted to the Duke of Northumberland, but restored by Mary to the Archbishop and Chapter, in whose hands the property still remains. Queen Elizabeth I, in her 27th year, obtained a new code of laws which, with some occasional decrees of different Archbishops, form its present municipal law. It suffered much in the civil wars, being sequestrated, but afterwards restored, but it has not yet recovered the damages done by Cromwell's troops, who converted it into a stable for their horses, broke down the monuments, and ransacked the graves of the dead for lead, and other valuables. Even as late as 1793, some of the iron rings, driven into the walls to fasten the horses to, were still in existence. On November 17th 1711 it was struck by lightning, which set fire to the south spire, melted the lead and bells of the great middle tower, and destroyed the organ. The damage was £4,000. The massive pile has, however, lost but little of its pristine appearance, except in some of the windows, whose Saxon arches have given way to the gothic pointed ones of the 14th century, and in the western towers and chapter house, which were formerly surmounted by wooden spires covered with lead, but taken down about 50 years ago. It is supposed to be the oldest building in the kingdom, except St Augustine's at Canterbury, which was founded in 605.

The approach to this venerable fabric from the north is through a large gothic gateway, with reducing parapets, commanding a view of the west front, with the chapter house on the left, and the ruins of the Archbishop's Palace on the right. The west front consists of two lofty square towers, divided into seven storeys, and decorated with ornamented arched windows and arches recesses, whilst between the towers in the western entrance and the great window, which are insertions of a later date than the original edifice, having pointed heads and much tracery. The north side is most strictly Saxon, having five storeys, with breaks or pilasters between the windows, and a plain parapet above them. On entering the western door, the visitor soon leaves the plainness of Saxon architecture, for all the richness and elegance of the meridian pride or gothic of the 14th century displayed in the screen, at the entrance to the choir, which has large arched openings with recesses, and in the interior a kind of cloister, full of the richest tracery. The choir is elegantly pewed, and has a richly carved stall for each of the 16 prebendaries.

The Chapter House, at the north-east corner, is an octagonal building, approached by one of the richest archways in the kingdom, and having its stalls arranged in niches around the room, and separated by small cylindrical columns. The variety in the devices which ornament these niches is extreme, as no two of them are alike. The roof has rich light groins, and the windows pleasing tracery, and below the latter are recesses, with columns and arches, enriched with a variety of heads in ancient costume.

This magnificent church is parochial and collegiate. The living was a vicarage, valued in the King's books at £7 13s 4d, and in the patronage of the prebendary of Normanton, the prediul tithes of the whole parish being divided amongst the three ancient prebends, viz. Normanton, Norwell Overhall and Norwell Pallishall. In 1841 the living was made a rectory, by the Ecclesiastical Commisioners of England, by a notice dated Buckingham Palace October 14th 1841 who, in pursuance of an act passed in Parliament, held the 3rd and 4th year of Her Majesty's reign, have prepared, and now humbly lay before your Majesty's council, the following scheme for making better provision for the spiritual care of the parish of Southwell. Whereas that:

"so soon as convenient may be, the vicarage of Southwell shall be endowed with such portion of the tithes, or with other provisions, as by the like authority may be determined on, and may be consituted a rectory with care of souls. By reason of the vacancy of certain canonries and prebends in the Collegiate Church, certain lands, tithes and other endowments and emoluments, have accrued to, and become vested in us, under the providence of the said act &c., we propose the vicarage shall be a rectory &c. The rector to employ a person, licensed by the Bishop of Lincoln, and not being a minor canon of the said church, to be his assistant curate. Such stipend to be assigned him, not exceeding the sum of a non-resident incumbent. And we further propose, out of the proceeds aforesaid, the sum of £300 shall be paid to the rector of Southwell, first payment made November next, 1841. Further, nothing herein contained shall prevent a further augmentation. When means are sufficent for the purpose at any future time, a gross sum of stock in government funds, shall be apportioned to the rectory, or the tithes, when they shall become vested in us, or any portion thereof, shall be conveyed to the rector, the said act to take effect after it has been published in the Gazette."

The Rev. John Murray Wilkins M.A. is the incumbent, and the above notice appeared in the Gazette November 9th 1841.

Two Synods, at which all the Nottinghamshire clergy attend, are held here yearly, and a certain number of the prebendaries and other clergymen are nominated by the Bishop of Lincoln to preside over them. Ten of the prebends have reverted to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and the vicars choral are made minor canons, of whom there are only two. In a few years all these revenues will revert to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

The Residentiary, which is occupied by one of the Prebendaries, for three months in rotation, is a handsome modern building, near the east end of the Minster, and has on each side of it the houses of the Vicars Choral, built on the site of the ancient vicarage, which was taken down in 1780. The Prebends will be abolished as the Prebendaries die off, and the Vicars Choral are now called Minor Canons, of whom there are but two at present. These changes are made by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, into whose hands all the income of the Prebendaries &c. revert, for the carrying out the great objects of that measure, when the Diocese of Lincoln will only extend over Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, whereas it formerly extended into Leicester, Huntingdon, Bedford and Buckingham.

For the reparation of the Minster, there are certain appropriated lands and tenements, the income of which, with the pew rents, have proved insufficient to keep it in repair. To supply this want, it had been determined by the prebendaries &c. that in future, certain absentee shares and surplus revenues should go to the fabric fund, and should so continue to do, until there should be sufficient monies to meet the ordinary, as well as the extraordinary repairs of the Minster. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners, after all these revenues shall have fallen into there hands will, no doubt, devise means by which this magnificent structure may be kept in a complete state of repair.

In 1740, in cleaning one of the vaults in the Minster, the entire skeleton of a man standing upright was found, with boots and spurs on, and some part of his arms. This seems to corroborate a traditional report that, when Charles I was here, a spy was taken up and thrust into a vault.

In 1764, a Mr Fowler, a clergyman, fell into Lady Well and was drowned.

In 1779 or 1780, a very broad gold ring was found on digging a grave in the churchyard, having this inscription underneath:

Miev - Moore - Que - Change - Ma - Foy

Some few Roman coins have been found.

The Archbishop's Palace

The Archbishop's Palace, on the south side of the minster Yard, has long been in ruins, but still there is enough standing to show its magnificence and extent. In the ruined walls are still many pointed gables, gothic windows, and circular chimneys, of the age of Henry VIII, and being deeply overshadowed with ivy, they add much to the beauty of Southwell.

The north wing, which contained the Chapel and Great Hall, has been fitted up as a Sessions House, for the Southwell Division, and has consequently been preserved from the ravages of time, though much modernised in its appearance. The quadrangle, once surrounded by the offices, is now a garden, encompassed by the crumbling walls of this once pround Archipiscopal seat, which appears to have been first neglected in the reign of Elizabeth I, for that at Scrooby. There were attached to it four parks, but they have long been divided and enclosed.

The Palace is supposed to have been founded wither by Cardinal Wolsey or Archbishop Bothes. During the civil wars, it was completely gutted of anything that was valuable or useful. In those unhappy times Charles I was often here, and lodges sometimes at the Palace, and sometimes at the Inn, now called the Saracen's head, but formerly the King's Arms.. Here it was that he surrendered himself to the Scotch Commissioners on May 6th 1646.

Southwell Union

Southwell Union comprises 60 parishes and townships. The union Workhouse is pleasantly situated at Upton, and was built in 1824, for 49 parishes associated under Gilbert's Act, at a cost of £6,596, including 10 acres of land, of which six acres have been resold. The present Union contains 112,110 acres of land, with a population of 25,674 souls, and is divided into 10 medical districts:

1. Southwell and the Workhouse. Mr J.B. Warwick, Southwell.
2. Upton, Staythorpe, Morton, Rolleston, Fiskerton and Halloughton. Mr Calvert, Southwell.
3. Halam, Edingley, Farnsfield, Kirklington, Winkburn, Maplebeck, Bilsthorpe and Hockerton. Mr Swann, Farnsfield.
4. Thurgarton, Hoveringham, Caythorpe, Bulcote, Gunthorpe, Lowdham, Oxton, Epperstone, Gonalston and Bleasby. Mr Day, Lowdham.
5. Stoke, Syerstone, Elston and Thorpe. Mr Smith, Newark.
6. Caunton, Muskham North & South, Bathley, Holme, Kelham and Averham. Mr R.H.Smith, Newark.
7. Weston, Grassthorpe, Sutton Carlton, Norwell, Norwell Woodhouse, Ossington and Cromwell. Mr Gilby, Sutton-on-Trent.
8. Laxton and Egmanton. Mr Whittington, Tuxford.
9. Kersall, Kneesall, Ompton, Wellow, Rufford and Eakring. Mr Lilly, Ollerton
10. Bodby, Clipstone, Edwinstowe, Ollerton, Kirton, Perlethorpe, Walesby and Boughton. Mr Lilly, Ollerton.

Chairman: W.H. Barrow Esq., M.P.
Vice-chairman: W.J. Gregory Esq.
Chaplain: Rev. Frederick Powell
Master of the Workhouse and Matron: Mr John and Mrs S. Taylor
Auditor: William Power Esq.
Clerk to the Board of Guardians, who meet every other Tuesday: Mr Thomas Martriott, who is also Superintendant Registrar
Registrar of Marriages: Mr William Jones, for the whole Union
Registrar of Births and Deaths: John Turtle, Kneesal, for the North Division, and Thomas Pawson, Southwell, for the South Division
Relieving Officers: Thomas Pawson, for the South Division, and George Saxilby for the north Division.

Surrounding Villages and Hamlets

Normanton, on the east side of the River Greet, is enclosed, and has had land allotted in lieu of tithes. Part of the soil is freehold, and the rest is either leasehold under the Chapter of Southwell, or copyhold under the Archbishop of York, who is lord of the manor, and holds four or five copyhold courts yearly, and a court every three weeks. R.B. Barrows Esq. is the steward of these courts. It is situated on a declivity, one mile north of Southwell.

East Thorpe and West Thorpe hamlets form two handsome suburbs of Southwell. St Catherine's Well, at the extermity of West Thorpe, was formerly noted for the cure of Rheumatism.

Brackenhurst, 1½ south-west of Southwell, is the modern seat of the Rev. Thomas Coats Cane.

Hexgreave Park is distant 5 miles north-west of Southwell, and is separated from the rest of the parish by Kirklington, Hockerton and Edingley. It contains 500 acres, distinguished by Upper and Lower Hexgreave, and is held by Richard Milward Esq. Upon a hill are evident vesiges of a Roman encampment. The ditch and vallum may be traced in some places, but the intermediate lines are completely destroyed by the plough. In 1849 a large liece of lead was found here, and is now in the possession of Richard Milward Esq., of Thurgarton Priory. Upper Hexgreave is the residence of John Parkinson Jun. Esq., and Lower Hexgreave is the residence of Miss Milward.

Hockerwood Park lies between Normanton and Hockerton, one and a half miles north-east of Southwell. It is now a farm of 130 acres, held on leashold tenure from the Archbishop of York, by Mr John Parsons.

Norwood Park, one mile north-west of Southwell, contains 190 acres of richly wooded land, and is the property of Sir Richard Sutton, bart., to whose family it was granted in fee by the Archbishop, in exchange for other lands of equal value. It is the seat of Lord Edwin Arthur Hill M.P. When the lands of the see in this neighbourhood were sold by Cromwell for £5,000, this park was purchased by Edward Cludd Esq., who was a civil magistrate, and according to the custom of the Commonwealth, often performed the marriage ceremony under the branches of an oak, which is still standing, and is known by the name of "Cludd's Oak".

Southwell Park adjoins the town, and is partly in East Thorpe, but has long been divided.

[Transcribed by Clive HENLY]