White's Directory of Nottinghamshire, 1853

Upton

Upton is a handsome village and parish, pleasantly situated on a gentle declivity, two and a half miles east of Southwell. Its parish is in the liberty of Southwell and Scrooby, and contains 640 inhabitants and 1,408 acres of land, enclosed in 1795, and exonerated from tithes by allotments to the vicar and appropriator. The Rev. J. Banks Wright is lord of the manor, and owner of about 60 acres of land. There are a few other small freeholders, but it is mostly copyhold under the Archbishop, or leasehold under the Chapter of Southwell. The latter are appropriators and patrons of the vicarage, which is valued in the King's books at £4 11s 5½d, now at £91, and is enjoyed by the Rev. Frederick William Naylor, who erected a neat Sunday School in the village, and resides at the vicarage house, a neat mansion erected a few years ago. The church is a small gothic fabric, dedicated to St Peter, with a chancel and handsome tower, in which are four bells. There is a small Methodist chapel.

Upton Hall is the delightful seat of the Dowager Lady Galway. It is a large, elegant mansion, surrounded with pleasure grounds, from which extensive and beautiful prospects are seen. It was built by the late Thomas Wright Esq., on the site of the old manor mouse. J.C. Wood of Normanton, and W. Esam of Averham Park have estates here.

The parish land consists of 20a 2r 17p, bequeathed in 1578 by John Collie, for the repair of the church, highways etc. It is now let for £40 a year, out of which £5 is paid for eight free scholars, at the school which was built by subscription in 1827. The Charity land, 5a 0r 17p, was purchased with the bequests of Mr Cooper and others in 1717, and now lets for £18, which is distributed yearly amongst the poor, who have also £2 2s yearly from the bequests of John trueman, Elizabeth Kirk and Joseph Tinlay. A cottage and garden at the east end of the village, were left by Ralph Babthorpe, for the oldest poor widow or widower of the parish, who also receives £5 8s 4d yearly out of the charity lands. The large Workhouse, built in 1824, at the cost of £6,595 (including furniture, lands &c.), for the use of 40 associated parishes and townships, is now the Southwell Union Workhouse for 60 parishes.

[Transcribed by Clive Henly]