Parishes: Crophill-Bishop

CROPHILL-BISHOP & CROPHILL-BUTLER.

These two Towns, I suppose, have their Name Crophill, from a round Hill which is between them, now called Hou-Hill; they lie near together, and have their Lands intermixed in one Field, and have been esteemed as one. For in an old Book of Fees in the Exchequer it is recorded, that the Chapter of Suwel and Prior of Lenton (of Thurgarton rather) held the whole Town of Crophill, in pure Alms of the Fee of John de Vilers, except fourteen Bov. of Land which William Gernet held of the said John, by 6s. per Annum: (fn. 1) but they are very distinct Lordships; and Crophill-Bishop (now commonly called Great-Crophill) in Doomsday-Book is reckoned amongst the Lands of Thomas, the Archbishop of York, but did then belong to St. Mary, of Sudwell, there certified to have a Manor in Crophill, and a Berew in Hegeling, wherein were two Car. and a Half for the Geld. (fn. 2) The Land seven Car. There the Canons had in Demesne two Car. there were seven Sochm. twelve Vill. four Bord. having six Car. two Bov. and twenty Acres of Meadow. In King Edward the Confessor's Time valued at 3l. then at 50s.

Robert, Son of Raph (de Hickling), for the Love of God, and of his Lord William Peverell, gave two Bov. of Land in Crophill-Bishop to the Priory of Lenton, where he, the said Robert, himself, and Dame Adelina, his Wife, and William, his Son, offered the Gift with their own Hands on the Altar. (fn. 3)

There was a Fine levied, 5 E. 2. between John de Sandwich, and Margaret, the Daughter of Walter de Lumby, Quer. and Nicholas de Haliwell, Deforcient, of three Mess. four Bov. of Land, and 8s. Rent in Crophill-Bishop; one Mess. one Bov. and thirty Acres and a Half, and three Acres of Meadow and a Half, with the Appurtenances in Goverton, Bleseby, and Gippesmere; (fn. 4) whereby they were settled on the said John and Margaret for Life; afterwards on Idonea, the Daughter of John, and the Heirs of her Body; Remainder to William, her Brother, and his; Remainder to John, his Brother, and his; Remainder to John de Sandwich, and his Heirs.

The whole Lordship of Crophill-Bishop (except three or four not very considerable Freeholders) together with the Tythe of Corn and Hay, and two good Farms in Hickling, makes Part of the two Prebends of Oxton, belonging to the Collegiate Church of Southwell, in very near equal Proportion; but the Provision for the Vicar is so small, as it too often happens, both in this Church of Southwell, and many others of like Sort, that it is not to be mentioned without a good Wish, that the Law did not, or might not, suffer any Alienation of Profits from Churches, great or small, without a more effectual Reservation of a competent Share to that to which they did and do originally belong. For the Laity to have good Leafes, may be good Policy in some Sort to preserve the Church; but for so many Places to be so extraordinarily ill-supplied, cannot consist with Religion or good Government, whatever some modern Statesmen fancy.

The Lessees of the two Prebends of Oxton are, at present, Patricius Viscount Chaworth, of Armagh, and Sir William Child, for Mr. John Andrews's Son-in-Law's Children. The Freeholders are George White, Joseph Henson, Thomas Haukinson, Thomas Mabbott, &c.

The Vicarage was ten Marks; (fn. 5) it is now 5l. 3s. 4d. in the King's-Books; and the said Prebendaries Patrons, as they ever were.

[Throsby] Cropwell-Bishop

LORDSHIP contains about 1400 acres of land, partly enclosed, owned by several reputable freeholders; among which are a Mrs. White, a native of Bingham, now resident at Nottingham; Mr. White, of Bingham; and some others, inhabitants of the village. The Duke of Newcastle has the manor.

The village consists of about 60 dwellings, and lies fouth-west of Bingham three miles.

The church is dedicated to St. Giles, has a nave, and a tower-steeple with four bells. Michael Richards, of Trinity-College, Cambridge, is remembered, who, it says, was "A humble and faithful minister of the true living God, who departed this life on July the fifth, Anno Dom. 1680." Another stone remembers John Astie, M. A. "who," it says, "was vickar of this parish, and died May the 16th, aged 51 years, Anno Dom. 1708."

The first date of the old register is 1539, Baptisms in the first five years 36, burials 19; baptized the last five years 54, buried 34.

The living is in the gift of the Prebendaries of Southwell, worth about 40l. per ann. in the king's-books 5l. 3s. 4d. Incumbent the Rev. Mr. Greenaway, of Great-Dalby, Leicestershire. Vicars before him, in succession, were a Mr. Hagar, Mr. Fairfax, Mr. Becher, and Dr. Berdsmore, vicar of St. Mary's, Nottingham. Bacon says the clear yearly value is 25l. 13s. Syn. et Prox. null. pens. rec. Preb. de Southwell 1l. 6s. 8d. in oblat. in decim. lan. agn. porc. &c.