UK Genealogy Archives logo
DISCLOSURE: This page may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission.

Newark, Nottinghamshire

Historical Description

Newark, a market-town, a parish, and a municipal borough in Notts. The town stands on a level tract, on the Fosse Way, and on a navigable cut of the river Trent. It has stations on the G.N.R. and M.R., and a head post office. Acreage of the parish, 2164; population, 14,571. Newark is supposed to have been founded at the site of the Roman Ad Pontem by the ancient British Coritani. It was there a Roman town, or at least the place of a Roman garrison; it was known to the Saxons as Sidnacester, and was made in their time the seat of a bishopric; it was destroyed in the time of Edward the Confessor by the Northmen; and it was then refounded on its present site, and called, in contradistinction to the previous town, the " New Work" or Newark. A castle was built in the Saxon times, probably by Egbert, King of the West Saxons; was regarded as a highly important military strength, and designated the " Key of the North; " was repaired by Leofric, Earl of Mercia; was almost entirely rebuilt on an enlarged plan in 1125 by Alexander, bishop of Lincoln; became then by royal charter the place of a mint; was surrendered in 1139 by Bishop Alexander to the Crown; was the death-place in 1216 of King John; was used as a state prison in the time of Edward III.; gave accommodation in 1530 to Cardinal Wolsey and his splendid retinue on their way to Southwell; was visited in 1622 by James I.; shared with other defences of the town in sieges during the Civil Wars of Charles I.; was demolished about the end of these wars; and is now represented only by portions of the walls, by part of its inclosure converted into a cattle-market, and by another part now disposed in baths and pleasure-grounds. The town was surrounded by walls, with gates at some period not clearly recorded; it was garrisoned for the king at the outbreak of The Civil Wars of Charles I.; it, maintained rule for a time over all Notts except the town of Nottingham, and over great part of Lincolnshire; and it sustained three sieges in the course of the civil wars. In the first of the sieges all Northgate was burnt by order of the governor, Sir John Henderson; in the second it was relieved by Prince Rupert after a sanguinary battle on Beacon Hill, half a mile to the E; and in the third, in 1645, it made successful resistance by great display of heroism and vigorous sallies; but in May, 1646, by order of the king, it was surrendered to the Scottish army. The walls and other defences, with comparatively small exception, were then destroyed; and only two remnants of them, two considerable earthworks, called the King's Sconce and the Queen's Sconce, were left. Roman coins, urns, and other Roman relics have been found. A preceptory of the Knights Templars was here before 1185; there were also friaries of the Augustinians and the Observantines. The town, though not now on the river Trent, bears, in legal designation, the name of Newark-upon-Trent. The ancient current of the river was diverted from it partly by a cut to the brook of Kelham, and partly by obstructions at the Newark Mills; and the navigable reach of the Trent on which it now stands leaves the Trent about 1½ mile above it, and joins the Trent about the same distance below it. Bishop Warburton, Archdeacon Magnus, the surgeon Ardern of the 15th century, and the Hebrew scholar Lightfoot were natives; the metaphysician Hartley practised in it as a physician; and Earl Manvers takes from it the title of Viscount.

The town is neatly built, has a large quadrangular marketplace, is well supplied with water from works at Farnsfield about 8 miles distant, and is governed by a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors. The borough is divided into three wards-East, North, and South-has a separate commission of the peace and quarter sessions, and is also a petty sessional division. The town formerly returned two members to Parliament, but by the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885 its representation was merged into that of the county. Area of the borough, 1932 acres; population, 14,457. There are the ecclesiastical parish of St Mary Magdalene (population, 7632), and the district chapelries of Christ Church (4128) and St Leonard (2697). The living of St Mary's is a vicarage in the diocese of Southwell; gross value, £270 with residence. Patron, the Crown.

Christ Church is a vicarage in the diocese of Southwell; gross value, £275 with residence. St Leonard's is also a vicarage in the diocese of Southwell; gross value, £130. Patron, the Bishop. The church of St Mary dates chiefly from the 15th century, and consists of chancel, nave, aisles, an arcade of five bays, and has a lofty embattled western tower and octagonal spire. It has several very fine stained windows, one erected at the cost of £1000 to the late Prince Consort, and many good brasses. Christ Church was built in 1836 in the Early English style, and was thoroughly restored in 1881. St Leonard's is a modern building in the Gothic style. There are also a Church mission room and Baptist, Congregational, Methodist New Connexion, Primitive Methodist, Unitarian, Wesleyan, and Roman Catholic chapels. The grammar school was founded in 1529 by the Ven. Thomas Magnus, and affords a good public school education. The town carries on an important trade in corn, coal, and cattle -the corn market being one of the largest in The kingdom. There are also extensive iron and brass foundries, steam-boiler and implement works, and breweries. A weekly market is held for fat stock on Tuesday, and a general market on Wednesday. Fairs for horses and cattle are held fourteen days before Good Friday, 2 Aug., 1 Nov., and Monday before 11 Dec.; for pleasure, hiring, and horses and cattle, 14 and 15 May; new ram fair, second Wednesday of Sept.; cheese, cattle, and horses, Wednesday before 2 Oct.; and hiring fair, first Wednesday after 22 Nov. There is a cemetery about 13 acres in extent, with two mortuary chapels; also the county sessions rooms and county police office, town-hall containing council chambers, borough offices, and borough police offices, a corn exchange, the Newark Stock Library, a mechanics' institute, a free library, a fire brigade, and a coffee palace. In 1884 a covered market was built next to the town-hall; in 1886 a cattle market was opened; and in 1881 the hospital and dispensary was rebuilt. The Newark charities are rich and numerous. The bedehouses for ten aged men and fourteen women were founded in 1556.

Newark Parliamentary Division of Nottinghamshire was formed under the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885, and returns one member to the House of Commons. Population, 50,035. The division includes the following:-Bingham- Aslockton, Bingham, Bridgford (East), Broughton Sulney, Car, Colston, Clipstone, Colston Bassett, Cotgrave, Cropwell Bishop, Cropwell Butler, Eiton, Flintham, Gamston, Granby, Hawksworth, Hickling, Holrne Pierrepont, Kinoulton, Kneeton, Langar, Orston, Owthorpe, Ratcliffe-on-Trent, Saxondale, Scarrington, Screveton, Shelford, Thoroton, Tithby, Tollerton,Whatton,Wiverton; Newark-Alverton, Averham, Balderton, Barnby, Bathley, Besthorpe, Broadholme, Carlton-upon-Trent, Caunfcon, Clifton (North), Clifton (South), Coddington, Collingham (North), Collingham (South), Cotham, Cromwell, Elston, Farndon, Flawborough, Fledborough, Girton, Grassthorpe, Harby, Hawton, Holine, Kelham, Kersall, Kilvington, Kneesal, Langford, Maplebeck, Marnham, Meering, Muskham (North), Muskham (South), Normanton-on-Trent, Norwell, Norwell Woodhouse, Ossington, Park Leys, Rolleston, Scarle (South), Shelton, Sibthorpe, Spalford, Staunton (including Staunton Chapel), Staythorpe, Stoke (East), Sutton-on-Trent, Syerston, Thorney, Thorpe, Weston, Wigsley, Winthorpe; Southwell (except the parishes of Bilsthorpe and Eakring)-Bleasby, Edingley, Farnsfield, Fiskerton, Halain, Halloughton, Hockerton, Hoveringham, Kirklington, Morton, Southwell, Thurgarton, Upton, Winkbourn; Nottingham (part of)-Bulcote, Calverton, Caythorpe, Epperstone, Gonalstone, Gunthorpe, Lowdham, Oxton; Newark, municipal borough.

Transcribed from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1894-5

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Ancient CountyNottinghamshire 
Ecclesiastical parishNewark-upon-Trent St. Mary Magdalene 
Poor Law unionNewark 
WapentakeNewark 

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.


Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Newark from the following:


Land and Property

The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Nottinghamshire is available to browse.


Maps

Online maps of Newark are available from a number of sites:


Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Nottinghamshire newspapers online:


Visitations Heraldic

The Visitation of Nottinghamshire 1569 & 1614 is available on the Heraldry page.

CountyCity of Peterborough
RegionEastern
CountryEngland
Postal districtPE1
Post TownPeterborough

Advertisement

Advertisement