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North Clifton

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"North Clifton parish comprises the four villages and townships of North Clifton, South Clifton, Harby and Spalford, which maintain their poor separately, and contain together 1,107 inhabitants and 5.040 acres of land, now valued at £6,230, which was all exonerated from tithes at the enclosure, and anciently formed four manors of the Bishop of Lincoln's fee, and one of Roger de Bisli's, which in after times passed to the Lovelots, Pigotts and Willoughbys. North Clifton is a small village on the east bank of the Trent, 12½ miles north by east of Newark, near a long cliff, in which numerous fragments of urns, bones and scalps have been found, near the spot which is supposed to have been anciently occupied by a castle.
The church, dedicated to St George, stands on an eminence between North and South Clifton, and was re-pewed in 1831. The vicarage, valued in the King's books at £7 6s, and now at £176, is enjoyed by the Rev. Frederick Parry Hodges D.D.. The Rev. G.C. Gordon M.A. is the curate, and resides at the Vicarage House, South Clifton. The prebendary of North Clifton, in Lincoln Cathedral, is the patron and appropriator."
[WHITE's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]

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Archives & Libraries

The Library at Newark-on-Trent will prove useful in your research.

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Cemeteries

Henry WATSON was buried at St. George the Martyr chuchyard in Aug. 1854. He was about 59 years old.

Florence Mary WATSON, an infant, was buried in the same churchyard in Oct. 1915.

Colin PARK has a photograph of St. George's churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2019.

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Census

  • The parish was in the North Collingham sub-district of the Newark Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 862
1851H.O. 107 / 2136
1861R.G. 9 / 2476
1871R.G. 10 / 3539
1881R.G. 11 / 3373
1891R.G. 12 / 2711
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Church History

  • North Clifton once had a Collegiate Chantry for secular priests, now completely destroyed.
     
  • The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint George the Martyr.
     
  • The church was located between North and South Clifton.
     
  • A small Chapel-of-ease was erected in Harby hamlet in 1820.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of St. George's Church on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2005.
     
  • Richard CROFT also has a photograph of the altar area on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2006.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish starts with burials in 1539, baptisms in 1614 and marriages in 1662. The earliest records are in bad condition.
     
  • Also, you can search the East Trent Genealogy site for church records.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Newark.
     
  • John MELLORS provides us with a list of fees for services from the Baptism/Burials Register:
A wedding at North Clifton if published 5s 0d ditto by licence
A burying 1s 6d
A christening 0s 8d
A churching on a week day 2s 6d & ditto for the Clerk 1s 0d
A christening on a week day 2s 6d & ditto for the clerk 1s 0d
A mortuary 10s 0d if goods valued at £40
A mortuary 6s 8d if goods valued above £30
A mortuary 3s 4d if goods valued above £20

Strangers pay double fee

Signed by Revd Ewd MILLS vicar
Wit by L SETTLE curate

10 Feb 1805
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel in North Clifton by 1869.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel in South Clifton by 1853.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel in Harby built in 1849.
     
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Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the North Collingham sub-district of the Newark Registration District.
     
  • Civil Registration started in July, 1837.
     
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Description & Travel

North Clifton is a parish that includes the villages and townships of North Clifton, South Clifton, Harby and Spalford The parish is 13 miles north-east of Newark, 12 miles south of Gainsborough, 7 miles east of Tuxford and 151 miles north of London. The parish sits on the eastern bank of the River Trent on the border of Lincolnshire and covers 5,050 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, the village is just north off of the A52 trunk road, heading east out of Nottingham.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of the village sign on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2008.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST also has a photograph of the same Village Sign. on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2012.
     
  • Check the Carlberry site for Bus 56 service.
     
  • Many visitors to North Clifton enjoy a walk through the Pureland Japenese Gardens at the north end of Silver street.
     
You can see pictures of North Clifton which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Spalford was a Roman settlement.
     
  • In November 1290, Queen Eleanor died in Harby village. Her body had a military escort as it was carried back to London and each place they spent the night along the way was later graced with an Eleanor Cross carved by local craftsmen. Many of these were defaced during the Reformation, but most still stand. There were Eleanor Crosses in Lincoln, Grantham, Stamford and other towns. The most famous is probably the one at Charing Cross, London, near Trafalgar Square.
     
  • In the 1800s most of the parish residents were farmers.
     
  • The parish feast was traditionally held on September 12th.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the former Cross Keys pub. on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2012.
     
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Manors

  • North Clifton Hall stands just east of the village in a park and in 1881 was the seat of George FREETH.
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK824721 (Lat/Lon: 53.239544, -0.766796), North Clifton which are provided by:

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Military History

The Great War Bulletin for December 7, 1914 tells us that two men of South Clifton township, W. R. LINGARD and George HOLLAND, had been appointed as "Special Constables" to assist the police force in the event of a German invasion. Two men from North Clifton township, E. LILLY and W. HANSON, were also appointed, as was one man of Harby, G. ROLAND.

St. George the Martyr, Church Lane, Nottinghamshire, NG23 7AP on Church Lane links the two villages of North and South Clifton. The War Memorial dedication: 'Parish of North with South Clifton. Remember with gratitude in this place those who gave their lives for their country and all who gave their service. 1914-1918 (name) RIP. 1939-1945 (names) RIP'. There is only one casualty of the Great War but three from the Second World War.

There is a War Memorial plaque in Harby township's All Saints Church.

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Military Records

The World War One casualty on the Clifton War Memorial is:

  1. Lance Corp. Walter HUNT. King's Royal Rifle Corps

The single name on the Harby All Saints' War Memorial is:

  1. Gunner Edwin John NICHOLSON, 50th Trench Mortar Bty, Royal Field Artillery
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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 Newark Wapentake (Hundred) in the eastern (or southern) division of the county.
     
  • The citizens of this parish have elected to forgo a formal Parish Council. Instead, they hold periodic Parish Meetings of all the citizens to discuss civic and political matters.
     
  • 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 Newark petty session hearings every other Wednesday.
     
  • In 1669, Simon NICHOLSON left £100 to the poor. This was used to purchase 16 acres and 3 rods of land which was let, in the mid-1800s, for £17 a year.
     
  • In 1737, Susannah HALL left the rent from a house in South Clifton for the poor.
     
  • The Common Land was enclosed in Spalford in 1814.
     
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, the parish became part of the Newark Poor Law Union.
     
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Population

 YearNorth CliftonSouth CliftonHarbySpalford
180116721418079
1851265367415101
186126931942894
188118127035289
189114427529773
190117924730863
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Probate Records

After Walter HUNT's death in 1914, his Will was proved with his father, George HUNT as the only legatee.

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Schools

  • A Free School was built in North Clifton in 1799.
     
  • A small National School was built in Harby in 1844.
     
  • Brian WESTLAKE has a photograph of the County Primary School on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2016.