John Shadrach Piercy

Hundred of Bassetlaw | Derivation of the Town's name | General description

Prefatory observations | Extracts from the Doomsday Book | Public and private grants, &c. chronologically arranged

First establishment of corporations | Recapitulation of ancient grants, charters, &c. | Charter of King James I.

State of the representation | Contested elections | Election of 1826 | List of representatives

Antiquity of the office of bailiff | Aldermen of 1607 | List of bailiffs from 1700 | Present body corporate

Places of public worship | The Parish Church | The Methodist chapel | The Independent Dissenters' chapel

The Free Grammar School | The National School | Sleswicke's hospital | The Alms Houses | The Dorcas Charity

Public buildings, works &c. | The Square, &c. | The Town Hall | The Theatre | The News Room | The Post Office | The Bank | The Workhouse | The bridge | The Broad Stone

The Great North Road | The Deanry of Retford | The Chesterfield Canal | The River Idle | The Cars and Commons

Miscellaneous articles | The Savings' Bank | Mr Holmes' Room | Mr John Hudson's Room | Biographical sketches

West Retford | General description | The Parish Church | Catalogue of the Rectors | Holy Trinity Hospital | The Free School | Baptists' Meeting House | Family of the Denmans

Babworth | General description | The Parish Church | The hamlet of Ranby | The hamlet of Moreton

Ordsall | General description | The hamlet of Thrumpton | Whitehouses | The Parish Church | Catalogue of Rectors

Grove | General description | Castle Hill Wood | The Parish Church | Catalogue of Rectors | Family of the Eyres

Clarborough | General description | The Parish Church | Catalogue of vicars | The hamlet of Bolham | Hamlet of Welham | Hamlets of Moorgate and Spittal-Hill | Hamlet of Little Greenley

1751

Benjamin Allison and Joseph Wright

1752

Thomas West and William Smith . The style and calendar altered on the 2^nd,of September. The roof of the nave of the church was found to be in a very defective state; a new one was put on, and a rate of 7s. in the pound was laid on the parish to defray the expense. The rate amounted to £161. 0s. 8d. The top of the bridge over the river Idle, laid with new planks.

1753

John Mason and George Popplewell First sheep market held in this Borough, 29th September. The junior bailiff’s mace re-gilt.

1754

Thomas West and Clifton Woolby. This year the charter of James I. was translated by order of the Corporation.

1755

Benjamin Cromwell and William Kirke. The town-hall re-built. Lisbon totally destroyed by an earthquake.

1756

John Parker and John Bright. An act of parliament passed for making the river Idle navigable to Stockwith.

1757.

John Bright and John Bingley. The militia raised

1758

John Mason and John Hurst. The expenses of re-building the town jail ascertained to be £1773. 19s. 1d

1759

William Smith and John Booth. Land marks ordered to be set up at the boundaries of the estates belonging to the Corporation.

1760

John Bingley and Edward Brown

1761

John Hurst and John Booth

1762

Benjamin Cromwell and John Barker

1763

Edward Brown and Thomas Brumby

1764

John Mason and John Storm

1765

William Smith and Fretwell Hudson

1766

John Bingley and John Taylor

1767

John Hurst and William Gylby

1768

William Kirke and Robert Sutton, Esqrs.

1769

George Popplewell and Sampson Mosman

1770

John Bright and Michael Sampson

1771

John Booth and Richard Hutchinson. The paper mill in the occupation of Mr. Brumby, pulled down and re-built.

1772

John Taylor and James Booth. The position of the door in the south wing of the church was altered to its present situation. Calicoes first made in Lincolnshire.

1773

Robert Sutton, Esq. and David Wheelwright. The roof of the chancel was considerably repaired at the expense of the parish.

1774

Benjamin Cromwell and John Kirke, Esq. July 23rd, Robert Sutton, Esq. resigned the office of senior bailiff, and Alderman John Booth elected in his stead.

1775

Sampson Mosman and John Thornton, Sen. Robert Sutton Esq. Resigned his aldermanship, September 13^th.

1776

Thomas Brumby, Son, and John Thornton, Jun

1777

John Bright and Edmund Kirke, Esqrs. The whole of the streets repaved

1778

John Thornton, Sen. And Thomas Brumby, Jun.

1779

Richard Hutchinson and Francis Haworth. John Spencer, a native of North Leverton, was executed at Nottingham, on the 26th July, for the murder of William Yeadon, and his mother, Mary Yeadon, the keepers of Scrooby toll-bar, near which place his body was hung in chains; the gibbet post still remaining. A few weeks after being hung in chains, a party of soldiers passed that way, when a serjeant fired a musket, loaded with ball, at the body, and hit it. As soon as the circumstance was known, the soldiers were pursued, and the serjeant taken. He was afterwards tried by a court martial, and turned into the ranks.

1780

Edward Brown and John Brumby.

1781

John Barker and Nathaniel Howard

1782

William Gylby and William Clarke. The town first publicly lighted with lamps.

1783

David Wheelwright and Darker Parker

1784

Robert Moody and James Marr

1785

John Parker and John Fell

1786

John Thornton, Jun. And John Ghest

1787

Sampson Mosman and Thomas Hall. Three new chandeliers placed in the church.

1788

Thomas Brumby and Edward Brown, Jan.

1789

John Thornton and John Barker, Jun. On the 30th of January, an address of thanks was voted unanimously by the Corporation to the Right Hon. William Pitt, who by his parliamentary conduct had nobly asserted, and strenuously supported, the constitutional rights of the Commons of this Realm, to provide the means of supplying the defect of the personal exercise of the royal authority from the indisposition of his Majesty. The address was presented to Mr. Pitt by the Duke of Newcastle, Lord High Steward of the Borough: the following reply was received by the Town Clerk.

Downing Street, Feb. 3rd, 1789.
Sir,
I have had the Honor -of receiving from the Duke of Newcastle, a copy of the Resolution, of the Bailiffs, Recorder, and Aldermen of the Town of East Retford, for which I beg thro’ you to convey my best acknowledgments. It gives me great satisfaction ‘to find that the principles on which have felt it my duty to Act in the present unfortunate Emergency, meet with their Concurrence and Approbation.
I am, Sir,
Your most Obdt. and faithful Servant
W Pitt

1790

Darker Parker and Joseph Ginever.

1791

John Booth, Jun. And Joseph Ginever, Jun.

1792

Edward Brown. and George Bailey, Jun.

1793

Richard Hutchinson and Richard Chappell

1794

Sampson Mosman and Beaumont Marshall

1795

Joseph Ginever, Sen. and William Hindley. At a vestry meeting held on the 25th of January, it was resolved to discontinue playing the organ, and the salary of the organist to be funded for the purpose of erecting a new one

1796

John Parker and Thomas Barker. Thirty-six persons admitted to their freedom by redemption.

1797

David Wheelwright and John Hutchinson. On the 2nd of November it was resolved at a meeting of the Corporation that the stockhouse or gaol, standing in the market-place, should he pulled down, and re-built where it now stands. Mr. Donaldson agreed to put a new organ into the old case for one hundred and thirty guineas. John Milner, was executed at Nottingham on the 16th of August, for stealing three cows, belonging to Mr. John Vessey, of Rufford. After he had hung a few seconds, the knot of the rope gave way, and he fell to the ground. Upon being raised up and prepared to be hung a second time, he exclaimed, "My God, this is hard work!".

1798

William Clarke and John Abson. On the 22nd of March the Corporation voted the sum of one hundred pounds per annum to government towards the support of the war.

1799

Richard Dixon and Thomas Marshall