During the reign of King George III a six feet square Royal coat-of-arms, dated 1811, was painted and now hangs on the south wall of the nave in the Church opposite a Liturgical Board of similar size, with the Creed and Lord’s Prayer, mounted on the north wall. They had been stored in the village school for many years but were moved back to the Church in 1978 in very poor condition. They were restored in the 1994 in London by a Fine Art Conservator.
The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in 1825 on the corner of Cross Lane and Back Street. This was eventually replaced with another chapel built over the road, next to the Green, the original chapel being converted into a house. The new chapel closed in 1962, became unsafe and was destroyed in the early 1990’s.
The Original Wesleyan Chapel
Much of the information within this chapter is derived from directories produced during this period and there are many references to tithes. A rector or vicar of a parish was entitled to a tenth part of the main produce of the land, such as grain crops and wood, and this was known as a praedial tithe (arising from the produce of the land). He could also claim the tenth part of the produce of stock and labour such as milk, wool or pigs, known as a mixed tithe (coming from stock on the land) and a personal tithe (from the labour of the occupiers of the land). All these tithes were handed over by parishioners to the church. Tithes were then divided into great or rectorial tithes (for a rector, consisting of corn, hay and wood) and a small or vivarial tithe (made up of other produce, for a vicar). Produce might be stored in a tithe barn, of which several examples still exist today. Gradually this system became outdated and unwieldy, and by the Tithe Commutation Act of 1836, all tithes were to be converted into cash payments by the commissioners, though commutation had happened in many parishes long before and would continue for many years afterwards. Tithes were eventually abolished in 1936. However, the local farmers of Barnby paid off tithes on their land in about 1960/61. The money was put into a chancel fund which is still accumulating interest.
In 1832 the vicarage, in the patronage of Southwell collegiate, was valued in the King’s books at £5. 9s. 9½d. and in the incumbency of the Reverend Jas. Footit. The Royal Commission on the Poor Law survey of 1834 indicated that most labourers in Barnby had gardens, that cottages were rent free, and that their diet consisted of bread and potatoes. The commutation of tithes was made in 1841, the great tithe for £140. Henry Gilbert Esq has a one-sixth part and Henry Neville a one-fifth part. The small tithe was commuted for £219 to the Vicar. The majority of the 1400 acres of land accredited to the village belonged to Colonel Noel Rd Fisher Esq and several other freeholders. Two beer houses were in the village at this time and were run by Gervas Vessey (Junior) and John Vessey (probably The Willow Tree and The Nag’s Head, now Wymondley House). The Church was repaired and partly new pewed in 1843. The new pews were probably some of the box pews around the edge of the Church. The interior was thoroughly restored in 1856. This is probably when the cast iron carving replacements on the end of the central nave and chancel pew ends were incorporated.
The National School for Boys and Girls was erected in 1850, by subscription, aided by a grant from the National Society, the land having been provided by the Neville family. Although it is called Jubilee School, it is not known what jubilee it celebrates as the date does not coincide with any of Queen Victoria’s jubilees.
Jubilee School – now the Village Hall
The school could accommodate up to 70 children, although the average attendance was 40. Millicent Rice was the teacher. In 1853 the Vicar was the Reverend John Loxley MA. John Handley Esq owned Flawford Farm, 357 acres, and erected a large new brick residence in 1862 on the site of the old thatched building. Flawford, with three inhabited houses, and a population at the turn of the century of 14, was amalgamated with Barnby on 25 March 1884, by Local Government Board Order, for civil purposes, but is reputed to be extra-parochial for ecclesiastical purposes. The principal landowners in 1864 were Henry Gilbert Esq, J Handley Esq, J Smith Esq, Mr John Oliver, Mr William Daybell and Mr John Birkett.
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John and Elizabeth Birkett lived on the corner of Front Street and Cross Street in Birkett House. Outside this house is a large stone, known as ‘The Stump’, which was said to be a mounting block. |
| Birkett House |
The Reverend Henry Smith MA was now the Vicar and the vicarage was built in 1869. The village housed people of many trades at this time including several shop keepers, a blacksmith, a carpenter, a shoemaker, a bricklayer and a ‘collector of poor’s rates’. The only beerhouse keeper now listed was Thomas Vessey.
The Vicarage
Last updated: 17 December 2000