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Keyworth

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"Keyworth village and parish is situated seven miles south by east of Nottingham, and contains 667 inhabitants and 1,530 acres of land, on the north side of the Wolds. It was enclosed in 1798, when 214 acres were allotted in lieu of tithes, and 6a 4r 12p to the church, which now lets for £12 5s 8d a year. Lord Rancliffe's heirs own about 180 acres, and are lords of the manor and patrons of the rectory, but the next presentation is sold to the Rev. Thomas Dodson of Wimeswold. Here are several estates belonging to Mr Attenborow, Mr W. Flinders, Mr Hemsley, Mr Bebb and others.
The church, dedicated to St Mary Magdalen, has a curious tower, surmounted by an octagonal spire. The Rev. I.H. Hall is the incumbent, and the Rev. L.P.B. Dykes is the curate.
The poor's land, 4a 1r 12p, is let off in half rood sections to the resident poor of the parish. The interest of £10, left by an unknown donor, is paid to four poor widows at Whitsuntide. The Independents have a chapel here, built in 1768, and the Primitive Methodists erected one in 1828. An annual feast is held on Whit Monday."
[WHITE's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]

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Archives & Libraries

The Library at Keyworth is an excellent resource. It is on Church Drive and is normally open five days each week.

The Library at Nottingham is also a very good resource.

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Bibliography

FISHER, Howard, 'Keyworth and World War One: Those who died and those who returned', Keyworth and District Local History Society, ISBN 978-0-9524602-4-4.

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Cemeteries

  • The municpal cemetery off Wysall Lane was opened in the 1970s.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Keyworth Burial Ground entrance on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of a Belvoir Angel gravestone on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.
     
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Census

  • The parish was in the Ratcliffe-upon-Trent sub-district of the Bingham Registration District until November, 1883.
     
  • In November, 1883 the parish was reassigned to the Bingham sub-district of the Bingham Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1861R.G. 9 / 2486
1871R.G. 10 / 3549
1881R.G. 11 / 3383
1891R.G. 12 / 2718
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene.
     
  • Much of Keyworth St Mary’s parish church was built in the 14th century, in the aftermath of the Black Death of 1348/9, though the chancel dates from the early 14th and the tower may be from the very early 15th century.
     
  • The church was restored in 1874.
     
  • A clock was added to the church in 1796, but was replaced in 1893.
     
  • The church tower was restored in 1926/7.
     
  • The roof of the Nave was restored in 1993.
     
  • The church seats 150.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1653.
     
  • The marriage records for St. Nick's are missing from 1642 till 1683. However, the marriage licenses do exist.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery #1 of Bingham.
     
  • The Congregational chapel was founded here in 1768 and was rebuilt in 1902. This building is now the United Reformed Church.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Keyworth United Reformed Church on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.
     
  • The Primitive Methodists built a chapel here in 1828 and it was still operating in 1912.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Keyworth Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.
     
  • Geoff PICK also has a photograph of the Methodist Church on Selby Lane on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2009.
     
  • The Independents built a chapel here in 1868.
     
  • The village currently also has a Baptist Church, a Catholic church and a United Reformed Church.
     
  • Jonathan WILKINS has a photograph of St. Margaret's Catholic Church on Willow Brook on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2010.
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration started in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Ratcliffe-upon-Trent sub-district of the Bingham Registration District until November, 1883.
     
  • In November, 1883, the parish was reassigned to the Bingham sub-district of the Bingham Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

Keyworth is a village and a parish on a hilltop on the west bank of the River Soar about 117 miles north of London, 7 miles south-east of Nottingham, 13 miles north-west of Melton Mowbray and 6 miles north-north-east of Loughborough in Leicestershire. The parish covers 1,530 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A606 trunk road south-east out of Nottingham.
     
  • Alternatively, take the A60 trunk road north out of Loughborough. The A60 passes near Keyworth village.
     
  • Rail service came to the village shortly after 1900, but was terminated around 1967.
     
  • Richard VINCE has a photograph of the Village Sign on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2015.
     
  • Andrew TATLOW also has a photograph of the Village Sign on Wysall Lane on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2019. The sign reveals that Keyworth is "twined" with Feignies, France.
     
You can see pictures of Keyworth which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Archaeological finds have turned up Roman artifacts in the parish outskirts suggesting human inhabitation of the area as early as 400 AD.
     
  • Keyworth is first mention in the 1086 Domesday Book.
     
  • In the 1800s many workers in the village were framework knitters.
     
  • The village logo is a windmill, but the last windmill was demolished in the 1950s.
     
  • For more on the village/parish history, see the Keyworth History page.
     
  • The Plough Inn on Selby Lane is a popular spot for local conversation and news.
     
  • Geoff PICK has a photograph of The Plough on Selby Lane on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2009.
     
  • J. THOMAS has a photograph of the Salutation Pub on Main Street on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2014.
     
  • The British Geological Survey established an office and a park on the northeast side of the village. Ashley DACE has a photograph of the Geological Educational Walk on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014. At the time, Ashley worked in the nearly BGS office.
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Land & Property

In the early 1900s, Major George Coke ROBERTSON of Widmerpool Hall was one of the principle landowners in the parish.

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Manors

Jonathan THACKER has a photograph of The Hall on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2021.

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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK613308 (Lat/Lon: 52.871192, -1.090748), Keyworth which are provided by:

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Military History

  • The in-church war memorials are recorded at the Southwell Churches History Project website.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the War Memorial gates on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.
     
  • A private war memorial was created in 2007, as the parish had no memorial outside the church other than the gates above. Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of this private War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.
     
  • Jonathan THACKER probably impaled himself to get this photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2021. There is now a fence right where Jonathan had to stand.
     
  • The local council has decided to provide a public war memorial on the town green once county approval has been received.
     
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Military Records

Private Henry MARRIOTT of the Sherwood Foresters, killed in action in 1917, is burried in the churchyard.

You can read the list of names from the War Memorial at this Nottinghamshire Council website.

There are two Commonwealth War Graves in St. Mary Magdalene churchyard:

  1. Private Henry MARRIOTT, age 27, died 1 July 1917
  2. Sergeant John William TERZZA, age 20, died 30 Dec. 1944

The inscription on St. Mary Magdalene's wall-mounted War Memorial reads:

To the glory of God and in ever grateful remembrance of the following parishioners who sacrificed their lives in the Great European War 1914-1919. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.

The names from the WW1 Memorial in the church are:

  1. Albert Armstrong
  2. George Gordon Bennett
  3. George William Brown
  4. Samuel Burton
  5. Albert Derrick
  6. Clifford Derrick
  7. Claude Owen Disney
  8. Albert Disney
  9. Arnold Disney
  10. Arthur William Peet Disney
  11. John Dodson
  12. Ivor Henson
  13. Frederick Hopkinson
  14. George Lacey
  15. William Lambert
  16. James Henry Littlewood
  17. Henry Marriott
  18. Harry Murde
  19. Isaac Orme
  20. Edward Arthur Parr
  21. Henry William Richards
  22. Thomas Smith
  23. Thomas Street
  24. James Tyler
  25. John Westerdale
  26. Albert Wilson
  27. Charles Albert Wright

The British Legion (free-standing) War Memorial contains these names:

  1. Albert Armstrong
  2. George Gordon Bennett
  3. George William Brown
  4. Samuel Burton
  5. Albert Derrick
  6. Clifford Derrick
  7. Albert Disney
  8. Arnold Disney
  9. Arthur William Peet Disney
  10. Claude Owen Disney
  11. John Dodson
  12. Ivor Henson
  13. Frederick Hopkinson
  14. George Lacey
  15. William Lambert
  16. James Henry Littlewood
  17. Henry Marriott
  18. Harry Murden
  19. Isaac Orme
  20. Edward Arthur Parr
  21. Henry William Richards
  22. Thomas Smith
  23. Thomas Street
  24. James Tyler
  25. John Westerdale
  26. Albert Wilson
  27. Charles Albert Wright

The names from the WW2 Memorial inside the church are:

  1. ASHTON, D. G., RAF
  2. BILLS, C. E., Leics Regt.
  3. BRAIN, G. W., Royal Artillery
  4. BROOKER, D. N. B., RAF
  5. GUNN, J. B., 1st Royal Hamps.
  6. HANLEY, A., Munitions
  7. HURT, J. M, MM, Leics Regt.
  8. TERZZA, John William, RAF
  9. WRIGHT, G. W., RAF

There is a stained-glass window in St. Mary Magdalene Church that is a "thanksgiving for the peace", dated 1919. The name of William George LACEY has been linked with this memorial (See George LACEY above). Second Lieutenant William George LACEY, RAF, was an observer in an aircraft shot down over France in November, 1918.

The Congragational Church has a Roll of Honour of men lost in World War One:

  1. George Gordon Bennett
  2. Samuel Burton
  3. Albert Disney
  4. Leonard Hatherley
  5. Joseph Hatherley
  6. Ivor Henson
  7. Henry William Richards
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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 north division of the ancient Rushcliffe Wapentake (Hundred) in the southern division of the county.
     
  • Chris ? has a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2014. Stop in when they are open and ask for a schedule of forth-coming events.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST also has a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.
     
  • You may contact the local Keyworth Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to help with family history lookups.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Rushcliffe Borough Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • The Common Land was enclosed here in 1798 by an Act of Parliament.
     
  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Nottingham petty session hearings.
     
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, this parish became part of the Bingham Poor Law Union.
     
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Population

Keyworth was developed in the 1950s through 1970s period and the village is now a commuter town for workers in Nottingham city.

A boundary change in 1984 brought a large part of Normanton into Keyworth parish and increased its population by 2,000 overnight.

 YearPopulation
1801325
1811401
1821454
1831552
1841576
1851667
1871794
1881893
1891771
1901789
1911787
1921836
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Schools

  • A Church of England School was built here in 1862 on the corner of Selby Lane and Elm Avenue and was leter designated a National School. This school building is now the Parish Hall.
     
  • A non-denomonational Board School was built here in 1872 and opened in 1874 for 180 students. The school had 180 students in 1904. This school was demolished in 1985.
     
  • A School Committee was formed here in July of 1903.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST also has a photograph of the newer school on Windmill Lane on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.
     
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Societies

Keyworth & District Local History Society
Keyworth County Council Library
Church Drive
Keyworth
Nottingham
NG12 5FF