White's Directory of Nottinghamshire, 1853

Greasley, Brinsley, Kimberley, Moor Green, Newthorpe and Watnall

Greasley Parish is very extensive, and consists of the six hamlets and constablewicks of Brinsley, Kimberley, Moor Green, Newthorpe, Watnall Cantelupe and Watnall Chaworth, which maintain their poor conjointly, but their roads separately. The contain 5,284 inhabitants and 8,010 of enclosed land, of the rateable value of £9,130.

Greasley, commonly called Greasley Moor Green, from it being included in that constablewick, is situated 7 miles north-west by north of Nottingham. It is a small but pleasant village containing about 360 inhabitants. Lord Melbourne is the principal owner and lord of the manor, but Thomas Grammer, Mrs Marshall and the Misses Grammer also have estates here.

The church is a spacious edifice, with a handsome and lofty embattled tower, and four good bells. The Rev. John Hides M.A. now enjoys the vicarage, which is valued in the King's books at £8 5s, now £134, and has had several augmentations from Queen Anne's Bounty. Lord Melbourne is the patron and impropriator. The Independents have a commodious chapel in the village.

A little to the south are the ruins of Greasley Castle, which was anciently the mansion of Nicholas de Cantelupe, who obtained a licence to fortify it from Edward III. About a mile north of the church are the ruins of Beauvale Priory, which was founded in the same reign by Lord Cantelupe, and dedicated to the Holy Trinity, for a prior and twelve monks, which number was subsequently increased to 19, and whose revenue, at the dissolution, was estimated at £227 8s 0d. The parish school was built in 1751 by the widow of Lancelot Rolleston, who left £300 for its foundation, to which, the said widow, in 1757, added £100 more. The master now teaches 23 free scholars, and has a house and 5a 0r 7p of land in the parish of St Alkmund, in the borough of Derby, now let for £27 per annum. In 1797, Mrs Mary Mansell left £500, and John Mansell £20, to the poor of the parish. These sums are vested in £1,000 three per cent consols. Out of the yearly dividends (£30), £5 is paid for teaching 8 poor girls, 1s per week to four poor widows, and the remainder is distributed at Candlemas and Christmas. The hamlet of Newthorpe is entitled to send one poor person to Ilkeston Almshouses, in Derbyshire, and to receive £5 yearly for teaching 18 poor children, from the bequest of Mrs Smedley, the founder of that almshouse.

Brinsley is a neat village, two miles north-north-west of Greasley church, and contains about 1,150 inhabitants and 888 acres of land, mostly belonging to the Duke of Newcastle and the Earl of Mexborough. Near it is New Brinsley, a small pleasant village. Messrs Barber, Walker & Co. have extensive collieries in this constablewick. A neat chapel of ease was erected in 1838, at a cost of about £1,200, which contains 430 sittings, of which 260 are free. It was built by subscription, and £200 given by the Church Building Society. The Duke of Newcastle gave £100, and the land and stone. Messrs Barber, Walker & Co. gave £100, Col. Rolleston £50, J.C. Rolleston £50 and Mr Joseph Cooper Gething £50. Through the untiring efforts of the latter individual the principal part of the subscriptions were collected. The Wesleyans have a small chapel, erected in 1829, and also one at New Brinsley.

Kimberley is a considerable village, scattered upon elevated and broken ground at the southern extremity of the parish, 5½ miles north-west of Nottingham. This constablewick has 2,000 inhabitants and 800 acres of land, principally belonging to Lord Melbourne, the lord of the manor of the whole parish. The Wesleyans, New Connexion and Primitive Methodists each have a chapel here. A small infant school was erected in 1840. There are also two extensive breweries in the village. The ancient chapel of ease, which was in ruins in Throsby's time (1797) has entirely disappeared.

In 1847, a neat district church was erected, at a cost of upwards of £2,000, defrayed by subscription and a grant from the Church Building Society. The living is a rectory, now valued at £80, in the patronage of the Bishop of Lincoln and incumbency of the Rev. William Clementson. A neat parsonage house is now being erected near the church. Mr John Barnes, schoomaster is now erecting a large school and house which will accommodate about 200 pupils.

Newthorpe hamlet and constablewick includes the small village of its own name, and the scattered dwellings of Baggalee and Hill Top, about one mile west of Greasley church and seven miles north-west of Nottingham. It comprises about 1,150 inhabitants and upwards of 1,000 acres of land, mostly belonging to Lord Melbourne. Here is an infant school and a General Baptist chapel. The Kilhamite chapel is situated at Hill Top, and the Primitive Methodists at Baggalee, where there is also an extensive colliery worked by Barber, Walker & Co.

Watnall Cantelupe and Watnall Chaworth form one village upon an eminence six miles north-west of Nottingham, and derive their names from the ancient owners of the two estates. Cantelupe contains 490 acres and 200 inhabitants, and Chaworth 210 inhabitants and 1,680 acres of land, principally owned by Lord Melbourne. Col. Lancelot Rolleston has an estate here, and resides at Watnall Hall, an ancient brick mansion. Beauvale Priory, already noted, and a colliery belonging to Barber, Walker & Co. are in Watnall Chaworth. The feast here is held on the Sunday after the 2nd of October, but the feast at Kimberley is held on the Sunday fortnight afterwards.

Hempshill is a small hamlet containing 50 acres of land in the parish of Greasley, though separated from it by Nuthall and Bulwell. Hempshill Hall is a neat and picturesque mansion four miles north-west of Nottingham, and is the seat of George Bacon Esq.

[Transcribed by Clive Henly]