HISTORY OF WORKSOP.

CHAPTER I.

Descriptive, Topographical, and Historical Notices.

To a person at all conversant with Topographical History, the little town of Worksop possesses attractions of no common order, among the numerous places which derive an interest and importance, from their local association with the memory of "bygone times:" the ruins of past ages, are always interesting to our own; and the records of departed grandeur afford a pleasing theme for reflection, as well as narration.

With some of the greatest names in our history, the memorials of this neighbourhood are intimately connected; the Lovetots, the Furnivals, the Talbots

"The Talbots ever true and faithful to the Crowne,"

were its ancient lords. This place was amongst their earliest possessions: here they dwelt; and hither were many of them brought for interment, where, with funeral obsequies, equally solemn and magnificent, they were committed to the earth within the sanctuary of the church. Here, invested with no inconsiderable degree of architectural splendour, stood a celebrated Augustinian Priory, where the canons and their superior performed religious services within its walls, and by their perambulations of mercy without, have left in the precincts a claim to something like veneration; for, whatever they might be in personal conduct, in their official character of ecclesiastics, I

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cannot but reverence, even in them, the ministers of that religion to which they professed devotion. The canons have long since passed away, but not without leaving some mementos of their existence behind them: their venerable church still remains, the survivor of the priory, with the ruins of which it is surrounded. And although the Lovetot, the Furnival, or the Talbot, are no longer living names among the inhabitants, and even their very monuments are passing into oblivion, as fast as time and unsparing neglect could hasten them, yet still in their noble representatives, the Howards, they continue to reside on the ancestorial domain, giving to modern Worksop, along with its elder history, additional claims to the notice of the antiquary and the man of reflection.

Worksop is situated in the north-west angle of the county of Nottingham, in the Hundred of Bassetlaw, and within a few miles of the Yorkshire and Derbyshire borders; the Shireoak, once growing in the neighbourhood, being said to adumbrate with its branches a portion of the three counties. The town is 53° 18' north latitude, and 1° 9' west longitude. The parish is estimated at about 17,000 acres, and includes, besides the town, the following hamlets:-Gateford, Ratcliff, Sloswicks, Kilton, Manton, Rayton, Osberton, Scofton, Hardwick, Clumber, and Shireoaks; containing together about 800 houses, and 5,000 inhabitants. The parochial boundary line, as nearly as I can ascertain, from the report of ancient men, who have made the perambulation, appears to be as follows:-A brook a little beyond Harness Grove divides it from Whitwell parish; follow this stream to Mr. Glossop's house, and thence to the Welland or Welbeck water, and to the Sloswicks, which is in this parish; from Sloswicks to the Duke of Portland's park pales, which here bound the Welbeck domains, and separate Worksop from the parish of Cuckney; pursue the line of these pales to the Ollerton turnpike, and then cross the forest to the broad, or white stone, and from thence into Clumber Park, to the Carburton water; from thence to Appleyhead, and from Appleyhead to the Chequer House, beyond Osberton, where the parishes of Babworth, Blythe, and Worksop converge; from Chequer House, by an old road, to near Carlton; then, past Mr. Eddison's farm, by a road, which separates it from Mr. Ramsden's estate, which is in Carlton parish; from Mr. Eddison's farm to Deepcar Lane, and thence, by the boundary between the Shireoaks and Kiveton estates, to Scrattah wood, and to the rivulet mentioned at the beginning of the rout: the whole circumference may be about 20 miles.

It must always be alike gratifying to the inhabitants, as well as the historian of any place, when it may be honestly averred, that its local situation is favourable to health and longevity; and this distinction, I think, may safely be claimed for the town and neighbourhood of Worksop. The general openness of the district, the absence of high hills, and large rivers, or swamps, with the rural occupation of most of the inhabitants, enhance the average probability of constitutional vigour and long life.

The total number of children baptized, from January 1819 to June 1825 inclusive, was 957; of these, 117 died at a year old or under; 49 under seven years; so that 781 of these were living when this minute was taken, in July 1825.

The number of burials, according to the parish register, for six successive years, was as follows:

The comparative amount of mortality, during the above years, exhibits a striking resemblance in numbers. If to these, we add 43 for the remaining entries, to the time when I made the abstract, they will together make 496 burials from January 1819 to July 1825 inclusive. Of these, 117 died at the age of one year or under; 79 under fourteen years of age; 30 from fourteen to twenty-one; 88 between twenty-one and forty-five; 95 from forty-five to seventy; 51 from seventy and upwards, but under eighty; 36 are entered as eighty or upwards; of these, 10 attained to eighty-five, and four to more than ninety years of age.

In a climate like ours, proverbially fickle and variable, where so much of our comfort, and so many of our out-of-door avocations depend upon the weather, it is not strange that experience has rendered familiar with signs and prognostics, a people whose interests and constitutions are so materially affected by atmospherical changes. Although most persons are in the daily habit of talking about the weather, few would have the patience and regularity to make a diary of its changes; and fewer still the faith to believe that any practical advantage could result from such a labour.

In 1795, a tract was published by that curious observer, Hayman Rooke, Esq. of Mansfield Woodhouse, shewing the average result of a meteorological register, there kept, during the nine preceding years. This report, with the diaries afterwards annually published by the same gentleman till the close of the year 1805, are, by the kindness of Thomas Walker, of Bury Hill, Esq., now lying before me, a brief synopsis of which, as they relate to this district, may interest some readers.

The result of the observations on the winds from 1785 to 1794 inclusive:

• Mild or hot refers to the temperature of the air in summer, when the Thermometer is above 76 degrees, and above 45 degrees in winter.

While there is observable a striking similarity in the aggregate amount of the observations, during the above periods of comparison; yet nothing can exhibit greater differences in every respect than the details of the changes both in the wind and weather, as they are registered under the respective years: and where the resemblance of the figures is the greatest, the difference in the seasons is no less remarkable; for instance, the amount of the changes in wind and weather for the years 1790 and 1800, are in the nearest accordance with each other of any in the lists; and yet, in the former spring, the leaves did not appear on the hedges till about the 15th of May, and then only on the S.W. sides; whereas, in the latter, the hedges were in leaf, and vegetation forward by the 12th of April. In general, however, the medium period, is that when in this neighbourhood the foliation of the hedges is expected.

Situated as Worksop is, in a rich and gentle valley, on the border, although not within the bounds of that ancient sylvan tract, called "Sherwood Forest," the neighbourhood is not generally surpassed, in the beauty and variety of its woodland scenery and park landscape: and the approach to the town is interesting, by whichever side it is entered. Many persons have been struck with, and some have celebrated its appearance from the Retford road. The entrance from Sheffield is still more striking; both views deriving much of their effect from the magnificentlywooded eminences about the manor; and the cathedral-like appearance of the two noble towers surmounting the church, which have been said to strike the eye with an impression equal to Westminster Abbey.*

Another feature, which immediately attracts the notice of a stranger, is the great number of malt-kilns standing almost in every direction. Whatever others may think, to my eyes these structures are rather picturesque than unpleasing objects, partly from their general construction, but principally from the appearance of their cowls, as the wooden turn-about hoods on their roofs are termed. Of course, the malting business is here extensively carried on; and, as would be inferred, the land is well adapted for, or at least extensively devoted to the growth of barley: this is the case, and abundant and beautiful crops of this generous grain, constitute one of the richest

• Very pleasing views of the town may be obtained from other points; for instance, where the Blythe road joins with Kilton Lane; from the manor cottage on the Barlbrough road;

and a sweet glimpse of the church towers may be obtained from Mr. Dethick's house, by looking over the charming paddock of Mr. Roe, opposite.

field pictures in the neighbourhood. There are three corn mills in the town, respectively propelled by wind, water, and steam: the last, being the most considerable, is the only instance in the town of the application of that powerful agent: it is competent to grind 100 loads of corn per day.

The soil in the neighbourhood is various.—About two miles from Worksop, near the canal side, towards Shireoaks, a good clay is dug, and made into bricks, house tiles, and drain covers. It consists principally, however, of that light red sandy description, which prevails so extensively in this county, and is favourable for most of the purposes of agriculture. It is, however, less favourable to the growth of wheat than the stronger argillaceous earths.* The tillage for wheat, which used to be confined principally to the tract of clay land stretching on the north-west side of the town, has become more generally prevalent of late years, owing to the high rents, and the still higher price of corn, during the late war, and which produced a more successful system of management; insomuch that some farms, which scarcely grew any thing except a little barley, are now so plentifully productive, that the landlord receives a higher rent, while the tenant has crops proportionately good. This diluvial sand, is in some places concreted into a soft rock, specimens of which may be seen, where it is intersected by the roads: it is, however, utterly unfit for building purposes, even for fence walls; and as the magnesian limestone, although dug in the vicinity, is not appropriated for this purpose, the enclosures are generally fine thorn hedges, which, according to the season, are sheeted with fragrant blossoms, adorned with roses, or luxuriantly invested with brambles, and which have a very pleasing effect on the eye accustomed to the monotonous appearance of stone fences.

The diluvial gravel and sand, here prevalent, and exhibiting such singular phenomena in corroboration of the Mosaic account of the deluge, and interspersed with tracts of more recent or alluvial deposition, extend over the greatest part of this county, and a portion of the eastern extremity of Yorkshire. The western limit, commencing at Nottingham, preserves a regular course through Mansfield, Worksop, Doncaster, Thorne, and northward into Yorkshire; covering the yellow limestone through its whole extent. The average depth of this bed, is said to be from 200 to 300 yards, consisting, in general, of a reddish-coloured sand, and rounded pebbles of quartz and silex, which are irregularly arranged in layers, but do not appear to be portions of any strata in England. Speaking of the tracts which in this county are denominated "Forest land," the late Mr. Speechley, gardener to the Duke of Portland, observes, "It is a continuation of hills and dales: in some places, the hills are very steep and high; but in general the descents are gentle and easy. The soil is composed of a mixture of sand and gravel; the hills abound most with the latter, and the vallies with the former, as the smaller particles are, by the winds and rains, brought from time to time, from the high grounds to the lower. It is on the hilly grounds we make our plantations,

The clays in the neighbourhood of Retford are celebrated for the growth of hops, which, it would seem, has been attempted here also, as between Worksop Park and

Shireoaks, there are some fields still retaining the appellation of "Hop-yard closes."