England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Babworth All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Babworth lies in north central Nottinghamshire about 2 miles west of the market town of East Retford. Babworth sits on the A620 road which connects East Retford with the A1 (Great North Road). Today Babworth is a small place, little more than a hamlet but at the time of this transcript it was a typical rural parish engaged largely in arable farming. Much of Babworth today is taken up with the grounds and house of Babworth Hall, whilst a prison occupies another part of the parish. Modern developments have come to Babworth, the Chesterfield Canel passed through the northern edges of the parish, whilst both the London to York and Sheffield to Humberside rail lines also pass through the edges. Babworth is drained northwards by small feeders to the River Idle, the latter joins the Trent and eventually reaches the North Sea through the Humber Estuary. Babworth is sited at around 20 metres bove the sea in fairly gentle terrain where local heights rarely reach much above 40 metres. Babworth parish was extensive, the northern parish within Nottinghamshire often are, it covered an area of almost 5,900 acres and would have supported a population of just under 600 parishioners. In Domesday times Babworth was a holding of one Roger de Bully and a larger holding for the King, collectively they could offer jusy 5 ploughs and the usual meadows, pastures & woodland.

The Church

All Saints' church sits close to Babworth Hall accessed by a metalled footpath heading northeast from the main crossroads of the A620. The church is a creation of the late Perpendicular period the earliest date mentioned by Pevsner places the church in the 15th century. The northern arcades with its octagonal piers is typical of that period. The church follows the standard layout of nave, chancel and western tower and is augmented by those arcades and aisles. The nave and northern aisle is dated to the 16th century placing them towards the very end of the Perpendicular period. The church has also been much altered since completion, initial work commenced in 1784 as part of the prettification of the hall and grounds which date from a similar period. The Victorian changes then followed in both the 1850 and 1870s to reach today's church. The lane to the church leaves at a footpath sign opposite the B6420 and has some limited parking at its start, a walk of some 400 metres to the churchyard is needed to reach what is a rather tightly enclosed church with only limited angles available for photography.