Gotham

Laura ? has a photograph of the Gotham library on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2016. This Library stands on Nottingham Road, and is only open two days per week.

The Library at Nottingham will prove useful in your research.

In 1869 additional land (3 roods and 30 perches) was purchased to extend the churchyard. This land was consecrated in November, 1870.

This cemetery lies between Church Street and Orchard Street on the opposite side of Leake Road to the church and is ¾ of an acre in extent.

In 1939 an extension of 0.67 acres of the Gotham cemetery was opened and was consecrated on the second day of May.

This extension of the churchyard was nearly full in 2001.

• The parish was in the Wilford sub-district of the Basford Registration District.
   
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
   

• The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint Lawrence.
   
• The church was built in 1180.
   
• The church seats 400.
   
• Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of Gotham Church on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2008.
   
• Andy JAMIESON also has a photograph of Gotham Church on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2009.
   
• We have a List of Organ Contributors of 1870, compliments of John MELLORS.
   
• At last report, services are no longer held in this church.
   

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1554 and is in good condition.
   
• The church was in the rural deanery of West Bingham.
   
• The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel here by 1881.
   
• The Primitive Methodists built their chapel in 1870.
   
• Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the former Primitive Methodist Chapel on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2010.
   

• The parish was in the Wilford sub-district of the Basford Registration District.
   
• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
   

This parish and village lie about 123 miles north of London, 7 miles south-west of Nottingham city centre and 3 miles north-east of Kegworth. The parish covers about 2,740 acres.

The village square retains the hexagonal village pump. If you are planning a visit:

• By automobile, take the A453 south out of Nottingham and turn off at Clifton. Proceed due south on the county road to Gotham.
   
• Railway service ceased in 1965.
   
• Richard VINCE has a photograph of the Bus from Nottingham City on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2011. This stop is at the southern edge of the village.
   
• Stephen SWEENEY has a photograph of the Village sign on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2016. You should offer your talent and skill to create a replacement sign.
   
• Ahhh, but Laura ? has a photograph of the Gotham totem pole on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2016. Some may say this is the village sign, but others have a different name for it.
   

• Geograph
• Flickr

• We have an extract from White's 1853 Directory relating to this parish.

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Gotham to another place.

• Read about Wheldon Spring on Geo-graph.
   
• Gotham is famous for its tall tales. The name is often applied to New York City in America where similar tales were written by Washington Irving.
   
• Chris J. DIXON has a photograph of the Gotham Business Park on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2005. This is located at the south end of the village.
   
• J. THOMAS has a photograph of the Cuckoo Bush public house on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2016. This is only a short walk from the church going to and from the cemetery.

• Proprietors of the Cuckoo Bush:

• J. THOMAS also has a photograph of The Star Inn on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2016. This is another good spot to meet and chat with the locals.
   
• Andy JAMIESON has a photograph of the Sun Inn on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2009.
   
• Proprietors of the Sun Inn:

• You'll want an Ordinance Survey "Explorer" map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
   
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
   

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK536301 (Lat/Lon: 52.865721, -1.205244), Gotham which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

• Gotham dedicated a Recreation Ground and a Memorial Hall to those of the parish who fell in wartime. Inside the Memorial Hall are Rolls of Honour for World War I and WWII. The World War I roll includes the names of women who served.
   
• Gotham History Society used to have photographs of the Rolls of Honour on their website, but for some reason removed them.
   
• Gotham St. Lawrence church has two memorials, one for each war.
   
• Sir Hervey Juckes Lloyd BRUCE, a Colonel in the Coldstream Guards was a landowner in the parish. He served as Deputy Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire in the early 1900s.
   

There is a memorial plaque to "Arthur Powys WODEHOUSE" in the parish church. He achieved the rank of Captain in the Army in 1911. He was Deputy Commissioner of Police Calcutta in 1909 and died at Ctesiphon, Mesopotamia, Nov. 22. 1915.

These are the names on the Roll of Honour in St. Lawrence Church. It appears to cover both World Wars:

1. Charles Bowley
2. George William Bowley
3. Harry Brailsford
4. George William Brown
5. Charles Henry Chadburn
6. Frederick William Cooke
7. John William Dakin
8. Arthur Dring
9. Joseph William Dring
10. Christopher Leonard Freeman
11. Marshall Gill
12. Charles Edward Hale
13. Albert Hallam
14. Herbert Hallam
15. Robert Willie Hickling
16. William Harry Howard
17. Peter Frederick Hudson
18. Charles James Ernest Jessop
19. George William Jessop
20. George Hinds Maltby
21. Harold Newell
22. William Oliver Orridge
23. Joseph Samuel Powdrill
24. Raymond Price
25. Beacham Sharp
26. Daniel Smith
27. Henry Strutt
28. gunner Samuel Towers, RFA
29. Arthur Powys Wodehouse

• In the 1086 Domesday Book the name is rendered as Gatham from the Old English "Homestead where goats are kept."
  A. D. MILLS, "A Dictionary of Engish Place Names," Oxford Press, 1999. ISBN: 0-19-869156-4
   
• David GRETTON tells us that the name is pronounced like "Goat um" by the locals.

• This place was an ancient parish in Nottingham county and it became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
   
• The parish was in the ancient Rushcliffe Wapentake in the southern division of the county.
   
• You may contact the local Gotham Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to help with family history lookups.
   
• District governance is provided by the Rushcliffe Borough Council.
   

• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Nottingham petty session hearings.
   
• The Common Land was enclosed here in 1804.
   
• After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became a part of the Basford Poor Law Union.
   

Year	Inhabitants
1801	475
1811	549
1821	625
1841	747
1851	792
1871	917
1881	1,026
1901	1,009

• A School Board was formed here in 1879. Samuel PEPPER was the clerk to the School Board.
   
• A board School was built here in 1879.
   
• Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Gotham Board School on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2014. The new, modern school is across the road.