Research papers relating to parishes in Nottinghamshire, undated, c.1705

Each sheet bears the name of a parish and responses to numbered questions. There is no record ofthe questions themselves, but they can be reconstructed from the replies as follows: 1. Are thetithes appropriated? 2. With what is the church endowed? 3. Has there been any augmentation to thebenefice? 4. When was the church founded? (before or after the Reformation) 5. Has there been anyunion with another church, or dismembering of the benefice? 6. Is there a library? 7.What is theyearly value of the benefice? 8.To whom does the advowson belong? 9.Is it conomical with any otherplace [has the same name]? 10.In which county, Archdeaconry, Deanery or Peculiar is it, and is ittaken notice of in the Valor Beneficiorum?

The parishes included are: Adbolton, Averham, Balderton, Barnby in the Willows, Basford, Bingham,Blyth, Broughton, Coddington, Burton Joyce, Car Colston, Clarborough, East Retford, Colston Bassett,Costock, Eaton, Edwalton, Colwick, Eastwood, East Stoke, Egmanton, Gamston, Elston, Bunny, Everton,Flawborough, Gedling, Eaton, Oxton, Kelham, Greasley, Gringley, Grove, Hargrave, Headon, Hickling,Hucknall, Kirton, Kingston, Langar, Laxton, Mansfield, Marnham, Mattersey, Morton, Leake,Willoughby, Linby, Collingham, North and South Leverton, North Wheatley, Radcliffe,

Nottingham, Nuthall, Ordsall, Ruddington, Ragnall, Rampton, Scrooby, Norwell, Elton, Whatton,Weston, Rolleston, Plumtree, Selston, Shelford, Wysall, Walkeringham, Southwell, Stanford, Staunton,Sutton in Ashfield, Upton, Sutton cum Lound, Sutton on Trent, Thorney, Thorpe, Tollerton, Tuxford,Walesby and Syerston.

The origin of these research papers can in part be determined by internal evidence. Thecollection comprises 87 leaves of manuscript notes, containing details of some of the parishes ofNottinghamshire. The notes are largely undated, but four sheets are dated between 15 and 21 October1705, and the formulaic nature of the notes suggests that all were written at a similar time. Theinformation was apparently submitted in answer to an advertised request. The sheet for Colwickstates that it is 'an answer to some queries proposed by a Revd Divine of the Church of England uponhis Asking [later altered to 'Publishing'] the present State of Parish Churches', while that forEdwalton stated that it is 'a particular answer to the several queries in the advertizement'.

The notes were originally written and signed by the various incumbents of the parishes involved,but were subsequently copied out and now appear in one hand, probably that of the compiler, whoremains unknown. The compiler also wrote the name of the county at the top of each sheet, and athree or four figure number, apparently relating to a filing sequence which is now obscure. Thesheets were then arranged alphabetically by parish and, in another hand, allocated running numbersstarting from 93. This suggests that the pages were part of a wider survey of parishes in England.The inclusion of one stray sheet from Hargrave in Northamptonshire supports this theory.

The sheets have been bound together in a brown paper cover, to which is attached a printed notedescribing the papers, apparently in the context of a sale catalogue (with the reference 346).

No archival arrangement has been necessary.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

LANGUAGE: English

• This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright on thedescription belongs to the University of Nottingham.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposesonly, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult.Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advancein writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).

The collection was given to the University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts in July1960.