Grove

The Library at East Retford will prove useful in your research.

A handsome Lychgate was built in 1883 with materials from the old church building.

Gravestone are found on the south, west, and east of the church building. At the north-west corner of the churchyard is a medieval stone coffin.

Richard CROFT has a photograph of the Church Lychgate on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2010.

Julian P. GUFFOGG has a photograph of the graveyard next to St. Helen's Church on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2020.

• The parish was in the East Retford sub-district of the East Retford Registration District.
   
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
   

• A church and priest at Grove are recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book.
   
• The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint Helen, although it also had a second dedication to the Holy Cross. This double dedication seems to have been resolved around 1359 and the name St. Helen's Church was chosen.
   
• In 1587 the churchwardens reported that the chancel was in decay.
   
• By 1618 all was well as the churchwardens presented that: 'our church is in good repair'.
   
• The church was entirely rebuilt in 1882 to a design by Hodgson FOWLER in the Late Decorated Style.
   
• In 1883 a turret clock was installed in the tower. It has one hand that shows the hour.
   
• The church seats 130.
   
• Richard CROFT has a photograph of St. Helen's Church on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2010.
   
• Steven RUFFLES also has a photograph of St. Helen's Church on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2016.
   

• The church was in the rural deanery of Retford.
   
• The Anglican parish register dates from 1726 and is in good condition.
   
• The International Genealogical Index (IGI) includes records from this parish for the period 1601-1836.
   

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

This parish and village lie about 2.5 miles south-east of Retford. The hamlet of Little Gringley lies to the north.  The parish covers about 2,740 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

• By automobile, the village is on a county road just south-east of Retford.
   
• Roger GEACH has a photograph of the Village Sign as you enter Grove on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2012.
   
• There are earthworks for the English Civil War just north of the village.
   

• Geograph
• Flickr

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Grove to another place.

• Traces of a Roman encampment have been found in the parish.

• Grove Hall was built on a rise in a 200 acre park.
   
• Grove Hall is a brick building that was the seat of the Rev. Edward Evelyn HARCOURT-VERNON, J.P. in 1881. He was at that time the sole landowner of the parish and lord of the manor.
   

• See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK739796 (Lat/Lon: 53.308196, -0.89239), Grove which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

The War Memorial is a cross mounted on high ground next to the road north of the church and was in remembrance of men from Grove lost in the First World War. It was dedicated in November, 1923, by Revd. A. K. MOORE. Representing the military was Lt. Col. Percy Robert CLINTON, CMG, DSO, a notable Nottinghamshire soldier. There are no names inscribed on the Memorial.

Steve FAREHAM has a photograph of the Steps up to the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2009.

The War Memorial is a Grade II structure under Historic England. The inscription on the base is sometimes overgrown and hard to decipher. There is a photograph and more information at War Memorials Online.

Gervase Ronald BRUCE was the son of Lt-Col. Percy Robert BRUCE. Gervase joined HMS Monmouth, a cruiser, in August 1914 as a Naval Cadet. The Monmouth was lost at the Battle of Coronel on 1 November 1914. He is commemorated on the Clifton War Memorial.

In the church tower chamber is a memorial to Hugh HERCY (died 1455) and to Elizabeth HERCY (1450) was re-sited from the chancel of the old church in 1882 and re-cut in 1932. It reads:

"BELOW THIS TABLET IS THE TOMB OF SIR HUGH HERCY OF GROVE • NOTTS WHO DIED 11 DECEMBER 1455
AND HIS WIFE ELIZABETH DAUGHTER OF SIR SIMON LEKE OF COTTAM • NOTTS WHO DIED IN 1450.
IT WAS MOVED FROM THE CHANCEL OF THE OLD CHURCH AND PLACED HERE IN 1882 AND WAS RESTORED IN 1932 BY
THEIR DESCENDANT SIR FRANCIS HUGH GEORGE HERCY DEPUTY LIEUTENANT FOR THE COUNTY OF LONDON.
THE INSCRIPTION ROUND THE BORDER READS
HIC • JACENT • HUGO • HERCY • ARMIGR. QUI • OBIIT • XI • DIE • DECEMBRIS • ANNO • DOMINI • MCCCCLV • ET •
ELIZABETH • UXOR • EJUS • QUOE • OBIIT • ANNO • DOMI. MCCCCL • ANIMOE • PROPITIETUR • DEUS."

In the Vestry is a brass to:

"To the Memory Of WILLIAM LEVINZ Esquire Only Son of Sir CRESWELL LEVINZ Knight, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Whose many Virtues he inherited. Having represented in Parliament for many Years, First the Borough of East Retford, And then this County, With uncommon Abilities, Diligence, and Integrity; He died May the Seventh 1747, Aged Seventy Six Years. He married ANN Daughter of SAMUEL BUCK Esquire Barrister at Law, A Partner worthy of so much merit; Who died June 15th 1726, In the Fifty First Year of her Age, And lieth also here Interred."

• This place was an ancient lordship in Nottingham county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
   
• The parish was in the South Clay division of the ancient Bassetlaw Wapentake (Hundred) in the northern division of the county.
   
• Grove is part of the joint "Headon, Grove & Stokeham Parish Council".
   
• District governance is provided by the Bassetlaw District Council.
   

• Bastardy cases would be heard at the Retford petty session hearings held in West Retford.
   
• Two almshouses were endowed by Sir Christopher LEVINZ in 1696. They were still in operation in 1764.
   
• Alam MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of Almshouse ruins at Grove on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2014.
   
• After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became a part of the East Retford Poor Law Union.
   

Year	Population
1801	117
1811	100
1821	106
1831	121
1841	91
1871	117
1881	126
1891	157
1901	195

• There were two schools here in 1881. Dame School was supported by the vicar.
   
• The Parochial School was under government inspection. Mrs. Mary STROUD was the schoolmistress in 1885.