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Babworth

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"Babworth Parish comprises the hamlets of Babworth, Morton and Ranby, and several scattered dwellings. It lies betwixt the Ryton rivulet and the Great North Road, and extends northwards from Ordsall to Barnby Moor, and contains 608 inhabitants and 6,030a 3r 20p of excellent forest land, all enclosed and tithable, and belonging to several freeholders, who each have the manorial rights of their own property. Babworth lordship contains 1,184 acres, and is all in the occupancy of the owner, Henry B. Simpson Esq. Morton has 3,614 acres, belonging to the Duke of Newcastle, the Hon. and Rev. J.L. Saville, William Mason, and John and William Walker Esqrs., and Ranby has 1,222 acres, of which the Ladies Clinton and Henry Champion Esq. are the principal proprietors. Babworth is a pleasant village, on the Worksop Road, 1½ miles west of Retford. Its vicinity contains some of the finest scenery in this part of the county, and its beauty has been greatly enhanced by its present proprietor, Henry Bridgman Simpson Esq. of Babworth Hall, a very handsome mansion, situated on a gentle declivity, in the midst of beautiful pleasure grounds and thriving plantations. The grounds are ornamented with a fine sheet of water, a Swiss cottage, and other picturesque objects.
The church, dedicated to All Saints, stands on an eminence near the Hall. It is a neat, Gothic edifice, with a tower and three bells, and contains several marble monuments of a modern date."
[WHITE's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]

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Archives & Libraries

The Library at East Retford is an excellent resource.

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Cemeteries

Richard CROFT has a photograph of All Saints Churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2008.

Babworth also has a modern Crematorium. I was unable to find when it was established, although one article gives a year of 2018.

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Census

  • The parish was in the East Retford sub-district of the East Retford Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 849
1861R.G. 9 / 2416
1871R.G. 10 / 3454
1891R.G. 12 / 2641
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church was dedicated to All Saints.
     
  • A church was built in the early Norman era, circa 1290. A replacement structure has a low stone tower with a clock and three bells. Much of the structure was built or rebuilt in the 15th century in the Perpendicular style.
     
  • The church was partially restored in 1859.
     
  • The church was completely restored in 1877-78.
     
  • The church seats 220.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of All Saints Church on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2008.
     
  • The church is famous for the Snowdrops (flowers) growing around it.
     
  • Richard CLYFTON was curate of All Saints from 1586 until 1604. His preaching in the new manner had a strong influence on the foundation of the Pilgrim movement. William BREWSTER from Scrooby and William BRADFORD from Austerfield, both friends of CLYFTON and regular attendees of his services, were passengers on the Mayflower.
     
  • A mission church was an iron structure built at Ranby in 1898.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1622 and is in good condition.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Worksop.
     
  • The church is currently in the Bassetlaw and Bawtry Deanery.
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the East Retford sub-district of the East Retford Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

Babworth is a township and a large parish that sits in the north of Nottinghamshire, about 1.5 miles west of Retford and 7 miles north-east of Worksop. The parish covers over 6,300 acres and includes the hamlets of Ranby, Great Morton, Little Morton and Morton Grange.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the B6079 arterial road off of the A1 motorway at Ranby and turn east toward Retford. The vilage of Babworth will be just before entering Retford.
     
  • The Babworth Rovers are the local football (soccer) club. Many players come from surrounding villages, but you'll be expected to cheer them on in the local pubs.
     
You can see pictures of Babworth which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Babworth has a connection with the American Pilgim founders. Richard CLYFTON was parson here between 1586 and 1605. Two of his friends were William BREWSTER and William BRADFORD, both passengers aboard The Mayflower.
     
  • Babworth also has a connection with America through the vicar Frank WILBERFORCE. He was the great grandson of William WILBERFORCE who was one of the leaders of the campaign to abolish slavery.
     
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Land & Property

In 1904, Lieut.-Col. Henry DENISON, Royal Engineers, was a chief landowner in this parish.

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Manors

In 1904 Captain Albert Edward Whitaker, J.P., resided at Babworth Hall.

Also in 1904, the Dowager Lady ROSSMORE resided at Ranby Hall.

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Maps

  • You can find some Babworth area maps at the Francis Firth site.
     
  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK685808 (Lat/Lon: 53.319705, -0.973158), Babworth which are provided by:

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Memorial Inscriptions

There is a tablet mounted on the North Wall of the Chancel:

To the memory of
JOHN SIMPSON, Esq.
(son of WILLIAM SIMPSON, Esqr.
Late of this Place)
who Died February the 5th 1727
in ye 57th year of His Age;
this Monument was Erected by
ELIZABETH his Relict
Daughter of FRANCIS STRINGER Esq.
Late of Sutton upon Lound
in this County.

They had Issue, Six Sons WILLIAM,
FRANCIS, JOHN, GERVASE, THOMAS, & LINDLEY,
& four Daughters,
ELIZABETH, MARY, JANE, & ELEANOR:
of the Sons, two Lye
Buried near this Place,
FRANCIS and THOMAS; and
of the Daughters one, ELEANOR:
the rest still Survive.

ELIZABETH SIMPSON,
Relict of IOHN SIMPSON.
Died the 6th February 1746
Aged 76
And was Buried near the remains
of Her Beloved Husband
in the Chancel of this Church

There is a sarcophagus set on to the ground of the monument to Arthur Bridgeman Simpson who died in 1827.

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
ARTHUR BRIDGEMAN SIMPSON, MIDSHIPMAN
ON BOARD HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP, TWEED,
WHO DIED AT THE AGE OF FIFTEEN OF
A FEVER CAUGHT AT THE
CAPE DE VERD ISLANDS,
ON THE 6TH OF NOVBR 1827.

 

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Military History

In the church chancel, is a stained-glass window to Arthur H. EYRE, son of Major-Gen. Sir William EYRE, K.C.B., killed during the war in Ashanti, Feb. 4th, 1874.

In the All Saints Churchyard Extension there are two Commonwealth War Graves from World War 1 and one from World War II.

Lieut-Col. Henry DENISON retired from the Royal Engineers as full Colonel after being a landowner in this parish. He settled in Eaton, NTT, with his wife Edith Kate (nee TAYLOR) who was born in India.

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Military Records

There are three Commonwealth War Graves in All Saints churchyard (data from the CWGC site in August, 2017):

NameRankUnitDiedOther info.
Dennis Walter PICKsub-lieutenantRoyal Navy Volun. Rsrv., HMS Seaham23 Sept. 1946Age 21, son of Walter H. G. PICK and Mary PICK
Thomas SPENCERdriver3rd Depot Coy, Army Service Corps18 Feb. 1917Age 33, son of L. SPENCER
William James WADEprivateNottinghamshire Yeomanry19 Dec. 1914Age 41, son of W. J. WADE
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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish of Nottinghamshire and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • The parish was in the Hatfield division of the ancient Bassetlaw Wapentake in the northern division of the county.
     
  • You may contact the Babworth Parish Council regarding civic and political matters but they are NOT funded to help you with family history searches.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Bassetlaw District Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard at the Retford petty session hearings held in West Retford.
     
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became a part of the East Retford Poor Law Union.
     
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Population

 YearPopulation
1801297
1851608
1871726
1881731
1891753
1901760
1911752
1921678
1931670
20011,329
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Schools

Babworth Public Elementary School (mixed) was built in 1876 and enlarged in 1895 to hold 72 children.

Ranby had an elementary school (mixed) to hold 80 children built before 1904.