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Farnsfield

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"Farnsfield is a populous village and parish, pleasantly situated 4 miles west-north-west of Southwell. Its parish is within the liberty of Southwell and Scrooby, and contains 1,195 inhabitants and 3,625a 2r 13p of land, rated to the county rate at £3,524. It was enclosed in 1777, when 350 acres were allotted to the three Prebendaries of Normanton, Norwell Overhall and Pallishall, 157a 3r 15p to the vicar, and 5a 1r 21p to the Chapter of Southwell, in lieu of tithes. The Archbishop of York is lord of the manor, in which William Holdsworth Esq., Emanuel Howitt Esq., Richard Hall Esq., Jonathan bell, Richard Truswell and some others have estates, and also neat houses in the village. The church has one aisle and a square tower, in which are five harmonious bells. There is a small organ, placed by Miss Milward in 1851. The living is a discharged vicarage valued at £165, and has 19a 3r 6p of glebe, besides the allotment made at the enclosure. The Chapter of Southwell are the patrons, and the Rev. Henry Robert Wilkins B.A. is the incumbent. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists each have a chapel in the village."
[WHITE's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]

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Archives & Libraries

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Cemeteries

David HALLAM-JONES has a photograph of a portion of the churchyard at the Church of St. Michael and All Angels on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2014.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Southwell sub-district of the Southwell Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 865
1861R.G. 9 / 2471
1871R.G. 10 / 3532
1881R.G. 11 / 3368 & 3369
1891R.G. 12 / 2707
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Michael. (Editorial note: One source gives the dedication as: St. Michael and All Angels.)
     
  • The church construction date has been established as 14th century.
     
  • The church was rebuilt in the 1700s with stones from the original building.
     
  • The church was rebuilt, except for the tower, in 1859-60 after a fire damaged the building.
     
  • The church tower was probably added in the 15th century.
     
  • The church-yard was enlarged in 1869.
     
  • The clock was added to the church tower by Canon WHITELEGGE and his wife in May, 1879.
     
  • The church was extended in 1905 by the addition of an organ loft and a vestry.
     
  • SMJ has a photograph of the Parish Church on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2009.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST also has a photograph of the Church of St. Michael on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2014.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1572 for all entries.
     
  • The Parish Book dates from 1794.
     
  • The churchyard contains no gravestones earlier than 1692.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Southwell.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel here in 1829.
     
  • David HALLAM-JONES has a photograph of the present Methodist chapel on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2014.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST also has a phyotograph of the Methodist Church from a different angle on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2020/
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Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the Southwell sub-district of the Southwell Registration District.
     
  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
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Correctional Institutions

Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Farnsfield Lock-up on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2014.

David HALLAM-JONES also has a photograph of the Lock-up on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2014. Local Lock-ups became redundant after the 1893 County Police Act made police stations with secure cells compulsory.

There are likely no records at the parish level for this facility. But prisoners held for county magistrates may be found in county records and are often noted in local newspapers.

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Description & Travel

Farnsfield is a village and a parish 134 miles north of London, 14 miles north-east of Nottingham and 4 miles north-west of Southwell. The River Leen flows through the parish. The parish covers 1,600 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

  • Passenger rail service ceased in 1929. Goods continued until the line closed completely on 27/4/64. The railway station is now a private residence.
     
  • Bus service is available to the parish, but ensure that the bus STOPS here before boarding. You would hate to shoot through the village with nary a stop.
     
  • Richard VINCE has a photograph of the Bus turning area on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014. Please note his warning.
     
  • By automobile, the parish is just south-east of the intersection of the A617 and the A614 trunk roads.
     
You can see pictures of Farnsfield which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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History

The village was lighted with gas in March, 1869.

In 1912 the parish was purely agricultural. The crops were barley, wheat, oats, and root crops.

Graham HOGG has a photograph of the Lion Pub and Restaurant on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2016. This Pub was previously known as The Red Lion.

David HALLAM-JONES has a photograph of the former Wheatsheaf public house on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2014,

Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Plough Inn on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2014,

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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK646565 (Lat/Lon: 53.101797, -1.036605), Farnsfield which are provided by:

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Military History

  • The War Memorial of Whitby stone was raised in the churchyard in August 1922 and dedicated by Captain Sherbrooke RN.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of the War Memorial in the churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2012.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST also has a photograph of the War Memorial in the churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2014.
     
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Military Records

The names on the memorial are listed at the Nottinghamshire War Memorial site.

These are the names listed on the War MemoriaI in the churchyard:

  1. pte. Samuel BARLOW, Royal West Kent Regt.
  2. pte. George BARTLES, North Staffs Regt.
  3. L/Srjt. Robert Edward BARTON, East Surrey Regt.
  4. sapper Frank BOWMAN, Canadian Pioneers/li>
  5. gunner William BUCKELS, Royal Garrison Artillery
  6. pte. Walter CHALLAND, South Staffs Regt.
  7. pte. H COLEMAN, Sherwood Foresters
  8. L/cprl Charles Ernest FARR, Cheshire Regt.
  9. pte. John FOGG, Sherwood Foresters
  10. pte. Norman Cecil GOULDING, Sherwood Foresters
  11. pte. John Henry HOGG, West Riding Regt.
  12. pte. John Southern MARRIOTT, Canadian Infantry
  13. L/cprl Joseph MILNER, Sherwood Foresters
  14. boy George Leonard PARR, HMS Powerful
  15. pte. Charles William POWELL, West Yorkshire Regt.
  16. L/cprl F. ROBINSON, North Staffs Regt.
  17. gunner W. ROSS, Royal Field Artillery
  18. driver Henry Ivor SMITH, Royal Field Artillery
  19. stoker George William Harcourt Avondale SMITH, HMS Black Prince
  20. pte. Arthur John SPITTLEHOUSE, Sherwood Foresters
  21. pte. W. STANLEY, uncertain
  22. lieut. Alexander STRAW, Sherwood Foresters
  23. 2nd lieut. Frederick Walter STRAW, York and Lancaster Regt.
  24. pte. Charles THORPE, Sherwood Foresters
  25. sergt. T. E. WHITE, Machine Gun Corps
  26. L/cprl Leonard WHITWORTH, , Sherwood Foresters
  27. sapper Henry D. WRIGHT, Canadian Engineers

The Newark Great War Bulletin of August 9th, 1915, details the death of private Charles THORPE, aged 26, of Farnsfield who died when the Germans swarmed the trenches of the Sherwood Foresters.

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Politics & 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 Southwell division of the ancient Thurgaton Wapentake (Hundred) in the southern division of the county.
     
  • The parish was also in the ancient Southwell and Scrooby Liberty of Notinghamshire.
     
  • On 9 October 1877 the parish was enlarged by gaining the "Hexgrave" portion of Southwell Civil Parish.
     
  • You may contact the Farnsfield Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they are NOT funded to help you with family history work.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Newark and Sherwood District Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Southwell petty session hearings on alternate Fridays.
     
  • The Common Land was enclosed here in 1777.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, this parish became part of the Southwell Poor Law Union.
     
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Population

 YearPopulation
1801564
1821811
18411,099
18511,149
18611,071
18711,043
18811,044
1891939
1901921
1911961
1921980
19311,021
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Schools

  • A Church of England School was started here in 1790 in a house purchased for that use.
     
  • Norman GRIFFIN has a photograph of the School in Winter on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2018.
     
  • The parish also had a Wesleyan School by 1881.
     
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Societies

The Farnsfield Local History Society meets on Wednesday evenings once a month in New Hill.