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West Drayton

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"West Drayton is a small village, township and parochial chapelry, containing 101 inhabitants and 612 acres of land, near the confluence of the rivers Maun, Wollen and Idle, on the Worksop and Tuxford Road, 2½ miles north-north-west of the latter town. This manor was anciently of the fee of Roger de Busli, and is now the property of the Duke of Newcastle, who is also lord of the manor.
The church, or chapel, is a small fabric, with a turret and one bell. The living is a perpetual curacy, valued at £165, annexed to the vicarage of East Markham.
Walters' Charity. -- In 1688, Henry Walter bequeathed out of lands in Yorkshire, £25 per annum towards the maintenance of a school at West Drayton; £20 a year to four poor widows of ministers, to be elected by the ministers of East and West Markham and Kirton; and £3 a year to the trustees for their trouble. The master is appointed by the Duke of Newcastle, and the before-names ministers are visitors to the school, which is open to the poor of West Drayton, Bothamsall, Haughton, Elksley, Gamston, Milton and Bevercotes."

  • Blenkarn John, schoolmaster
  • Frith John, parish clerk
  • Makings James, gamekeeper
  • Marshall John, joiner
  • Marshall Jose@, land drainer
  • Smith Joseph, wheelwright
     
  •   Farmers.
  • Elack William
  • Brown George
  • Brown William
  • Brownlow Philip
  • Gabbitass Ann
  • Hubbard Jno.
  • Justice Richard
  •   Haughton Pork
  • Rawson Jno., sen.
  • Richards John
  • Richards Thomas
  • Whiteley John

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

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Archives & Libraries

The Library at East Retford will prove useful in your research.

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Cemeteries

Jonathan THACKER is kind enough to provide us with a photograph of part of the churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2016.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Tuxford sub-district of the East Retford Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 849
1861R.G. 9 / 2417
1871R.G. 10 / 3457
1891R.G. 12 / 2642
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Paul.
     
  • The church was built in the 12th century.
     
  • The church was restored in 1874.
     
  • The church is a Grade II listed structure with English Heritage.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of St. Paul's Church on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2005.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of St. Paul's bell turret on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1632.
     
  • The church was in the rural No. 2 deanery of Retford.
     
  • If your ancestor was a Wesleyan Methodist, they may have used the chapel across the river in Rockley.
     
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Civil Registration

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

West Drayton is a village, a chapelry and a parish on the River Maun, 140 miles north of London, 4 miles south of Retford and 2.5 miles north-west of Tuxford. The parish covers 954 acres.

Haughton (or Haughton Park) is a hamlet and former Chapelry. It lies about 2 miles south-west of the village.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A1 motorway south out of Doncaster. After you pass thru Elkesley parish, the second exit should be West Drayton.
     
  • Adrian CABLE has a photograph of the Roadsign on the Old London Road on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2018.
     
  • Ian S. has a photograph of the old Great North Road thru the village centre on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2012. As you can see, it is a lot quieter than the nearby A1 trunk road.
     
You can see pictures of West Drayton which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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Manors

Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Manor Farmhouse on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014.

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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK710747 (Lat/Lon: 53.264555, -0.936997), West Drayton which are provided by:

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Military History

There is no War Memorial in the parish.

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient Chapelry in Nottingham county and it became a modern Civil Parish shortly after those were established.
     
  • The parish was in the ancient Bassetlaw Wapentake (Hundred) in the northern division of the county.
     
  • Local government is provided by a joint Gamston with West Drayton & Eaton Parish Council.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Bassetlaw District Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard at the Retford petty session hearings held in West Retford.
     
  • 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

 YearPopulation
180195
1851101
186196
187198
188175
189175
190190
191186
192172
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Schools

  • An Endowed School was founded here near the end of the 17th century by Henry WALTER. This school also served Elkesley parish. This school was completely rebuilt in 1878.