Notes from Other web-sites
and Links to Other web-sites
on the History of Mapperley, St.Ann's and Thorneywood follows
St.Ann's (and the expansion of Nottingham)
(There's a very good book - Ruth Johns' local history of St.Anns)
From - http://beehive.thisisnottingham.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=7909&PageID=42360 by Richard Pearson
The town of Nottingham had tight restrictions in 1801 preventing any expansion outward to cope with its rising population, and soon overcrowding, and slums, appeared with families often living six in an average size room; notably in Middle Marsh, and Upper Marsh. The mortality rate among children was high, and often very few youngsters lived beyond their sixth birthday. With the industrial revolution, and subsequent lace manufacturing boom beginning in 1821, things got gradually worse. In 1750 the population of the town was 10,000, a total reached slowly over the centuries, but from 1750 onwards growth was more rapid to 17,500 by 1779, and 25,000 by 1793. In 1801 the population of Nottingham was 28,861 which had increased to 40,415 in just 20 years, and had reached 50,680 by 1831. After three decades the population was increasing at the rate of over 10,000 every ten years. To give you an idea of the extent of the problem, Nottingham was divided into eight distinctive town wards. In the main four wards during the same period 1801-1831, the population of St. Mary's increased from 22,654 to 33,139; Exchange 2,732 to 5,681; Castle 3,415 to 6,804; and Park from 60 to 5,056. Clearly something had to be done. With many of the common lands owned by burgesses, the town council had to move carefully, and in 1839 the West croft, and Lammas Fields Enclosure Acts were obtained, and the Corporation absorbed 52 acres of common land within its town boundary, increasing the total they owned to 928 acres. The 1839 Enclosure Act covered West croft (the Station Street area), Burton Leys (the Trinity Square area), and the Lammas fields (the Wellington Circus area). The second Enclosure act was passed in June 1845 under Prime Minister William Lamb (1835-1841), which allowed Nottingham to take over more of the common lands, as a result, the Corporation absorbed a further 1,068 acres of the Clay fields, and St Ann's was 'born.' The initial population of St Ann's in 1841 was 11,062 which was helped by the lace boom, and with 34,477 people living in St.Mary's, that ward was obviously full to capacity. The population of St Ann's steadily increased to 24,229 by 1871 from the over spill. To the good fortune of Nottingham there also come into force an 'Act to facilitate the enclosure, and improvement of commons', which stipulated that a proportion of enclosed lands should be allocated to open spaces. Under this act the Corporation planned, and created Queen's Drive, the Forest, the Arboretum, Elm Avenue, Corporation Oaks, and Robin Hood Chase (which are not designated as highways). The passing of the Extension Act of 1877, under Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (1874-80), allowed Nottingham to absorb a further 1,068 acres of common lands including more of the Clay fields, giving a total of 10,935 acres owned by Nottingham Corporation. Two more Extension Acts followed, one in 1932, and another in 1951, giving a grand total of approximately 18,364 acres of land owned by the City of Nottingham. By 1881 Saint Ann's had a healthy population of 4,626 people with a number working in the lace industry, and factories that were built in the area. The construction of St Ann's actually began as early as 1750 when Charles Morley, Sheriff in 1737—8, manufactured brown earthenware very prosperously in a small factory in Beck Street, his speciality being his brown beer jugs (Beck Street lies off Bath Street prior the St Ann's Well Road roundabout). Toby jugs, christening bowls, and punch bowls were also being manufactured in St Ann's at this time, while warehouses for Nottingham lace, were later built in Great Alfred Street, and St Ann's Well Road. The construction of St Ann's, proper, began in early 1839 when the individual Clay fields, covering a relatively small area, were divided up into plots (Enclosures, and a general layout was proposed. This included a grand tree lined recreation walk leading from St Ann's Well Road to the top of Toad Hill, with large houses for doctors, solicitors, and factory owners, lined up on either side. Corporation Oaks then continues the short walk to the top of Toad hill, where the Nottingham Water Works Company built its reservoir, which was opened in 1864. From here the panoramic view over Nottingham is astonishing. Then a further recreation walk, lined with Elm trees, was constructed leading downhill, where the gentry taking their Sunday constitutional, would cross over Mansfield Road into the Arboretum park.
Mapperley
From -
The simplest web-site on the history of Mapperley I've found is at -
Mapperley, Nottingham
Mapperley is an area about a mile away from Arnold and three miles from Nottingham City, known as the Mapperley Plains Ridge, which is approximately 155 metres above sea level , and overlooks the City of Nottingham. The Mapperley Plains Ridge and the Standard Hill (Carlton Hill) was used by the Cromwell Troops, in organising attacks on NottinghamCity and its Castle.
The name is thought to derive from that of Thomas Mappurley, from Derbyshire, who became owner of an area of land known as the Mappurley Closes in 1377.
Thomas Mappurley was member of Parliament for Nottingham from 1353 to 1356. Other prominent local families are commemorated by street names such as Blyth, Querneby, Staples and Byron.
Modern Mapperley covers an area on the north-eastern edge of the city of Nottingham spreading into the adjacent borough of Gedling.Woodborough Road takes you from Nottingham through the centre of Mapperley, becoming Plains Road in Gedling.
"Nottingham was built upon Mapperley Hills"
Records tell us that by 1738, several brick kilns had been established in the Mapperley area. Common bricks were sold at 10 shillings per thousand, and dressed bricks at 17 shillings. In summer, bricks were carted down Coppice Road and stored for use in winter, when the brick yards were inoperable. Indeed, if the carts became bogged up, they often had to be abandoned until spring.
It was estimated that in the 1850's, annual brick production in the Nottingham area was upwards of 5 million bricks. Overall, more than a thousand million bricks were made - many being transported to London for the construction of St. Pancras Station.
To celebrate the coronation of King George V on 22 June 1911, a bonfire was held at the Patent Brick Company's premises, being the highest point in the region.
The office at the Brick Company was used in the evenings as a reading room, and on Sundays for religious services until the Wesleyan chapel was built in 1903.
Local Lad makes Good
Charles Bennett (1832- 1909), a local lad, began work at the brickyards aged 9. He became a workman, a foreman and then Manager of the Works of the Nottingham Patent Brick Company. In his public life he achieved the positions of town councillor, alderman and magistrate. He also gave the land for the Wesleyan chapel on Woodborough Road. His house still stands, at the junction of Bennett Street and Woodborough Road, alongside a row of terraced cottages built for brickyard workers in the 1840's.
The Coppice
For hundreds of years, the town coppice was the source of timber used by the Nottingham Corporation for the construction and repair of buildings and bridges.
In the 17th century, the corporation attempted to sink pits beneath the well-established oaks in the search for coal, trying at least twice but without success.
Another major road in the area was Coppice Road (later renamed Ransom Road), a thoroughfare constructed in 1837, as part of a road building and repaving scheme to put labourers with families back to work. Connecting Coppice Lodge to Mapperley Plain, the road passed through the coppice, with toll gates at each end, and a toll house at the bottom for horses and carts. This later became St Ann's Well Road Police Station.
Mapperley Hospital
The Borough of Nottingham Lunatic Asylum opened (unfinished) on August 3rd, 1880, occupying 125 acres. It had its own farm, bakery and butchery, along with a church and recreation hall. It was designed by local architect George Thomas Hine, son of TC Hine, the designer of the Coppice Hospital. Previously, both Town and County patients were accommodated in Sneinton.
Initially, the hospital was built for 300 patients, but was constantly extended. The population of Nottingham increased from 40,415 in 1821 to 259,942 in 1911.
In 1889 a new wing was added, but only 12 months later was found to be already overcrowded, with only 44 patients. In 1896, drawings were produced for further extensions to the wings and a further two storeys were added to the Male Epileptic Dormitory. The female wing was really being updated it was to have electricity installed!
In order to persuade the Asylum Committee to consider electric lighting throughout the hospital, Hine encouraged them to visit the Dorsetshire County Asylum in 1900, part of which he had designed. Here, they were surprised that none of the doors were locked, noting that this would hardly be safe at Mapperley. In fact, the locked door practice remained until the arrival of Dr. Duncan Macmillan, the medical supervisor from 1942 - 1966. He was famed for his policy of unlocking the wards to create an open hospital.
The hospital finally closed its doors to mentally ill patients in December 1994. The main buildings are now named Duncan Macmillan House.
Last updated 01/31/2002
Other web pages referenced -
Some notes taken from -
- "NOTTINGHAM - An Illustrated History"; book by John Beckett with Ken Brand, 1997.
- "In Search of Mapperley"; pamphlet by John Tanner, 1995.
- "An Introduction to Mapperley Park"; pamphlet by Ken Brand, 1996.
Thorneywood
[No pages found on the web-site]
Comments