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Chapter VII.
Miscellaneous notes
FREEHOLDERS IN 1722.
In the earliest printed Poll-Book for the County of Nottinghamshire the following are given, as having voted in right of freehold property in Colston Bassett.
Matthew Dexter, of Langar.
John Doubleday, of Langar.
Hugh Gill, of Hickling.
Edward Whitaker, of Nottingham.
Thomas Rote, clerk, of Outhorp.
Samuel Hartop, esq., of Little Daulby.
Christopher Dexter, of Hollwell.
Daniel Parker of Loughborough
But no one living in the parish voted at this election for a member of parliament.
THE OLDEST FAMILY.
Very few families seem to have remained in the parish for more than 3 or 4 generations Of families still represented here that of Marriott is certainly the oldest being descended from Christopher Marriott who married Ruth Richman in 1713; he was probably a native of Plumtree, born in 1679, the son of another Christopher. The house in which Mr. John Henry Marriott now lives, with 5 acres of land, including a piece called “The Pingle,” was purchased in 1801 by John Marriott, yeoman, already the occupier thereof, from Jeremiah Wyman, of Oundle, thatcher, and Thomas Dean, of Wisbeach, boatwright, and his wife Charlotte, to whom the property had descended as tenants in common under the will, dated 20th August, 1754, of Mary Sansam, of Muston, co. Leicester; widow.
The next families, in order of seniority, are those of Barnes, Spencer, Faulks, Parnham and Boyce; these were all here before the end of the eighteenth century.
SOME INSTANCES OF LONGEVITY.
The parish registers and some of the inscriptions in the churchyard give the names of some 75 people who had attained the age of 80 and over. No doubt there have been many more, but the burial registers, except in a very few cases, do not give the age before the year 1813. Out of the number just mentioned there were 15 who had exceeded the age of 90, but no centenarian. On 25th May, 1875, was buried here Joseph Thompson, of Hickling, “aged 100 within a few days”; he was baptized here 12th July, 1775, making the fourth generation of a family resident in this parish. Mr Thompson held one of the farms on the Hills but probably went to Hicking before 1842. At Hickling he practised as a herbalist; and his eldest son born here in 1808, had a medical practice in Nottingham, where he was spoken of as “old Dr. Thompson” even before his father’s death. He in turn was succeeded by his son, a third Joseph, born 1844, and his grandson Joseph Bernard Thompson, born 1875, and now practising in Nottingham. A pedigree of this family is given in “Nottinghamshire County Pedigrees.” (Phillimore, 1910).
On 10th September, 1720, lady Anne Fleetwood, daughter of the first Sir Edward Golding, was buried, her age being given in the registers as 96.
Sarah Austin widow was buried 21st November, 1761. A stone, formerly on the floor of the south aisle of the old church, tells us that she was the relict of Thomas Austin, gent. and that she was in her 97th year. The only other reference to this name is also on a tombstone to the memory of “Mrs Anna Church, daughter of Mrs Sarah Austin; died 21st October 1777, aged 76.” There are many burials of the Church family between 1725 and 1800 they were probably Roman Catholics.
John Crabtree, who died 27th July 1870, is stated on his tombstone to have been in his 97th year but the age of 95, given in the registers is probably more correct.
In March 1930 Mr William Jagger reached the age of 100. A north countryman
by birth he had spent many years in business in the
[Other instances can be found among the monumental inscriptions in Appendix III, which record William Parker who died in 1792 aged 92 and John Parker, also 1792, aged 90. T.M.B.]
ANDREW BASILICO.
In the churchyard is a large tomb within iron railings, erected in memory of Andrew Basilico, of this parish gent., who died 29th August, 1824, in his 79th year ; and of Sophia Charlotte. his wife, who died at Hickling, 26th August, 1830, in her 67th year. Andrew Basilico, of the parish of St. James, Westminster, was married at Langar, 4th June, 1792, to Sophia Charlotte Hall. In the printed copy of the Langar Marriage registers is a note, stating that he was an Italian, son of Francesco Basilico, of Milan, by his wife Isabella da Bellana, and had become “King’s Messenger” to George III in 1782. His wife was a daughter of Mr. John Hall, who was steward to Earl Howe from 1766 to 1798. There are some further entries of the name in the Langar registers. John Joseph Basilico, of Hickling, was married here, 21st June, 1830, to Elizabeth Kirkby ; they had a son John, baptized in 1844, the father being described as a farmer. John Joseph died 25th March, 1871, aged 75, and his widow Elizabeth died 23rd September, 1886, aged 84; they both died in Nottingham and were buried at Langar.1
MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.
Colston Bassett has been the centre of a large country practice for about 100 years. There is a stone in the churchyard in memory of John Marriott, “who successfully practised as a surgeon in this neighbourhood for upwards of 50 years “he died 2nd January, 1874 in his 80th year. He was married here, 28th September, 1822, to Elizabeth. daughter of William Crabtree she died 7th September 1832 and he afterwards married Miss Frances Smith, by whom he had 8 children, all baptized here. At the time of his first marriage he was living at Long Clawson. The font in the new church was given by Mr. William Kenns Marriott, of the Manor House, Barking, Essex, in memory of his parents John and Frances Marriott. Dr. Marriott was succeeded by Alfred Claude Taylor, surgeon, who, on 5th November, 1874, took a 21 years’ lease of the house now known as “The Yews.” He had already been here for several years as partner with Dr. Marriott, and had occupied the house (since divided into two) at the top of the school lane. Dr. Taylor left in the following year, his place being taken by Dr. Williams.
Henry Williams held the practice for 14 years. When the new church was built in 1892, he presented the Bible, Prayer Book and Office Book, which are still in use, “in gratitude for 14 years (1875 to 1889) of health and happiness spent in this village.”
Dr. William Windley, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., a native of Nottingham and a B.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge, came next and remained here until 1925, when be retired to live at Ruddington. During 36 years he and Mrs. Windley had thoroughly identified themselves with the religious and social life of the village.
The practice is now held by Dr. Arthur Trevor Woolward, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., B.A., of Caius College, Cambridge.
The doctor’s residence, “the Yews,” was built about 80 years ago on a site formerly occupied by a blacksmith’s forge.
The new church from the S.W.
CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE.
The following notes are additional to those given by Mr. Godfrey.
The opening, described as having the appearance of an elaborate “founder’s tomb,” is now occupied by the keyboard of an excellent organ, built by Messrs. Norman and Beard, Ltd. in 1908. This was the gift of R. M. Knowles, esq.
Outside the church, on the north side and standing well above the road, is a well-designed War Memorial, —a slender shaft, erected on a double base and surmounted by a Maltese Cross. On the upper stage of the base there is an inscription, which is similar to that on a mural marble tablet inside the church in the south aisle. This is as follows:—
| TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOURED REMEMBRANCE OF THE MEN OF COLSTON BASSETT WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-19. |
|
| ARTHUR ANDERSON | THOMAS PARNHAM |
| ALBERT BIRKIN | ALFRED RICHARDS |
| ALFRED FAULKS | ROBERT ROGERSON |
| JOHN GREEN | AMOS SHAW |
| ALBERT LANE | BENJAMIN SHEPHERD |
| CHARLES NEWTON | JOHN WAGSTAFF |
| ERNEST PARNHAM | EDWIN WESTMAN |
| DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. | |
In the memorial chapel (north transept) is an alabaster tablet bearing the arms, crest and motto of Knowles, and the following inscription:—
Sacred to the memory
of
ROBERT MILLINGTON KNOWLES
of Colston Bassett Hall
Deputy Lieutenant, justice of the Peace,
and Alderman of the County Council
for Nottinghamshire,
who, during a long life, ably and
conscientiously accepted
his public responsibilities.
he died on the 28th November, 1924
in his 82nd year,
and rests by the walls of this Church
which he erected,
This memorial was placed herd
by his affectionate Daughter
and Son-in-law
Evelyn and Edward Le Marchant.
The memory of the just is blessed.
[Although only erected in 1892, so poor was the construction of this elegant and pleasing fabric that by 1934 its condition was dangerous and the west end had to be shored up. A thorough repair was put in hand under Mr. C. M. Oldrid Scott, F.S.A. as architect, and Messrs. Thompson of Peterborough as contractors. The west end walls were under-pinned as well as the N.E. and S.E. angles of the chancel ; the pinnacles and shafting of the tower were taken down and re-built the whole floor of the nave was taken up and relaid; gables and walls, which shewed cracked joints, were grouted and pointed. The total cost of these repairs, incurred on a building little more than forty years old, amounted to over £1,600, of which over £1,300 was defrayed by the munificence of Sir Edward Le Marchant and his wife, the daughter of the Founder. The Bishop of Southwell re-opened the repaired building on 12 August, 1936, at the same time as he instituted the new vicar, the Rev. John Booth. T.M.B.]
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1. There are allusions to Andrew Basilica, King’s Messenger, in Mr. V. Wheeler-Holohan’s “History of the King’s Messengers” (1936) and his messenger’s badge with a silver greyhound is still preserved in the family. John Joseph Basilico’s wife, Elizabeth Kirkby, was the illegitimate daughter of his uncle, Vincent Hall of Langar—., so was his cousin by the “left-hand.” Their son John Basilico, born 17th Oct., 1843, married at Car Colston, 8th Oct., 1850, Hannah Mary, eldest daughter of Henry Chettle of Shackerdale in that parish, and farmed first at Bottesford and afterwards for many years at Lambley House and then at Osmondthorpe in Edingley. He died at Southwell 20th July, 1917, leaving two sons, John, now at Southwell, and Andrew Basilico, who emigrated to Western Australia. T.M.B.