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South Leverton

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"Leverton (South) parish contains 484 inhabitants, and 2500 acres of land, including the township of Cottam, which contains 89 inhabitants, and about 625 acres of land, which, by an agreement of the parishioners, was formed into a distinct township to keep its own poor. South Leverton is a scattered pleasantly situated village, 5 miles east from Retford, commanding extensive prospects, in which Lincoln minster may be seen at a distance of 20 miles. The Lincoln branch of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway runs through the parish, and has two stations; one about half way between the village and North Leverton, and the other at Cottam.
The Church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient structure, with nave, chancel, side aisles, and a tower, in which are three bells, and which in 1846 had about £400 expended upon it in alterations, repairs and re-pewing. The living is a vicarage, valued in the King's Books at £6 13s 4d, and by the gift of William Rufus, is in the patronage and appropriation of the Dean of Lincoln, and the incumbency of the Rev. John Mickle.
At the enclosure in 1797 of the open fields and marshes, 382a 2r 30p of land were awarded to the Dean of Lincoln, and 53a 3r 15p to the vicar, in lieu of the great and small tithes, in addition to 10a 1r 17p of ancient glebe."
[WHITE's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]

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Archives & Libraries

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

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Cemeteries

In 1976 the Parish Council purchased a former allotment site from White's Farm for the purpose of a new Parish Council burial ground. Following the purchase the Council prepared the land and this culminated with the completion of the Memorial Wall of Rememberance in 1980 and bench installation in 1983.

Once the majority of plots in the Churchyard had been taken, the Parish Council took the decision to open the new burial ground in 2021.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Clarborough 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 / 2414 & 2415
1871R.G. 10 / 3452
1881R.G. 11 / 3301
1891R.G. 12 / 2639
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to All Saints.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of All Saints' Church on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2006.
     
  • The church appears to be of Norman construction, 12th century origin.
     
  • The church chancel was rebuilt in 1869.
     
  • The church interior was restored in 1898.
     
  • The church seats 355.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1659, but earlier portions are imperfect.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Tuxford.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel here built in 1847.
     
  • William METCALFE has a photograph of the Wesleyan Chapel on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2007.
     
  • Graham HOGG also has a photograph of the Wesleyan Chapel on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2015.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists chapel is now a private residence.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Quaker Meeting House on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2014.
     
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Civil Registration

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

South Leverton is a township, a village and a parish 145 miles north of London, 6 miles south-west of Gainsborough and 5.5 miles east of East Retford. The parish covers 1,630 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, the parish is due east of Retford on the county roads (Leverton Road).
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Village Sign on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2014.
     
  • Railway passenger service ceased in 1959.
     
You can see pictures of South Leverton which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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History

  • The parish feast was held on the Sunday before October 2nd.
     
  • For a bit of local colour in 1876, read this Petty Sessions report.
     
  • Graham HOGG has a photograph of The Plough Inn on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2015.
     
  • The old Railway Inn, once a popular stopover for visitors, is now closed and has been demolished. Richard CROFT has a photograph of the Railway Inn on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2006.
     
  • These are the names associated with the Railway Inn in various directories:
     
YearPerson
1853Wm. HARRISON, vict.
1869William HARRISON
1881William HIBBERT
1891John CLIFTON
1904Frederick W. GOULDING
1912George TAYLOR
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK785821 (Lat/Lon: 53.330002, -0.822751), South Leverton which are provided by:

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Military History

  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Memorial Institute on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2014. It was originally built to honor the dead of World War I.
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Military Records

Inside the parish church is a family memorial, a brass plaque, mounted on the brick wall, to private Arthur Frederick CLARKE of the 12 btln. York and Lancaster Regt., who died in July, 1916 at the First Battle of the Somme.

There is also a lancet window in the church dedicated to the three men from the parish who died in World War I, including private CLARKE, above. The other two men were: Ernest HEWITT, sergeant in the Yorks and Lancs Regt. and Fred Charles Henry SMITH, a private in the same regiment. This last man was actually named Charles Henry SMITH, but apparently preferred being called "Fred".

Again, the men are:

  1. pte. Arthur Frederick CLARKE, 12th Bn York and Lancs Regt.
  2. srgt. Ernest HEWITT, 2nd Bn York and Lancs Regt.
  3. pte. 'Fred' Charles Henry SMITH, 10th Bn York and Lancs Regt.
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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish in Nottingham county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • The parish was in the North Clay division of the ancient Bassetlaw Wapentake (Hundred) in the northern division of the county.
     
  • In March, 1886, this Civil Parish was enlarged by gaining Westbrecks and The Clams from COTTAM Civil Parish.
     
  • You may contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they are NOT funded to assist 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.
     
  • The COMMON Land was enclosed here in 1797.
     
  • 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
1801354
1811383
1821374
1831400
1841451
1851484
1861408
1871488
1881403
1891366
1901376
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Schools

  • A Village School was funded here in 1691 by John SAMPSON. It was later carried on as a Public Elementary School after 1877.
     
  • The Village Website has a photo of students of the Sampson School in 1950.
     
  • The Leverton Church of England Academy is on Main Street in North Leverton.