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Below is a village history that was written in the 1930's. Frank Mitchell, who has written a history of the village in the 20th Century, is willing to discuss previous residents of the village with those researching their ancestry.
Rolleston,
in the The
early history of Rolleston is of considerable interest. The Domesday Book, compiled in
1086, shows that at the time of the Norman Conquest there were three Manors in Rolleston.
After the Conquest in 1066, the first manor, which had been in the possession or tenancy
of Aluric, was transferred to the fee (or estate) of Thomas, Archbishop of York. The
second and best was formerly held by Godwin, who was deposed to make room for Odo, Bishop
of Bayeux, half-brother to William I. The
Bishop’s tenant was Lefoardus and there were three mills in this manor. The third
manor formerly belonged to Tori, but this was then transferred to the fee of Walter
d’Aincourt. From the Domesday Book we also gather that there was “a priest and a
church,’ and that the latter was in Walter d’Aincourt’s manor. Tracing
the history of the manor of Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, we find that apparently this was later
transferred to the Earl of Richmond, who granted the tenure to the family of Rollestons,
knights, for early in the 13th century Amflicia de Rodliston (or Rolleston) married Jolan
de Neville, bringing him the Manor of Rolleston as dowry. The following is dated 1375: - “The
King to the archbishops, etc
greeting. Know ye that we have granted &
by this our charter confirmed to Jollan de Nevill that he & his heirs forever have
free warren in ......Roldeston in the county of Nottingham .....So that no one may enter
those lands for the purpose of hunting in them or for taking anything which appertains to
the warren without permission ..... from the said Jollan or his heirs on pain of
forfeiture of 10 pounds. Whereof we will, etc
......" The
Nevilles held this manor until the time of Queen Elizabeth, when it was sold to Nicholas
Lodge, an Alderman of London (a Tablet to whom is situated over the door in the chancel of
Rolleston Church) from whom “by mean conveyance” it became the inheritance of
the Suttons, Lords Lexington, in whose estate the greater part of Rolleston remained until
after the Great War, when it was purchased in 1919 by the Ministry of Agriculture for the
purpose of founding a farm settlement for Ex-Service Men. The
moated enclosure whereon the ancient Manor House formerly stood came, however, into the
possession by purchase of Thomas Searcy Cullen, whose family for several generations had
held the tenancy of the farm, which included the ancient site. Shilton's
"History
of Southwell" (1818) states “
. . . The
Manor House, a remarkably antique structure, moated round, was taken down in 1813, and
several silver coins of Henry VIII found, all or most of them in the vile debased state
mentioned by historians"
That
there was at one time a chapel in the Manor House itself is evident from a licence dated
1456, to John, Prior of Lenton, to marry "in the chapel within the manor house of
Thomas Neville at Rolleston." The
site of the Manor House is still well defined, with its moats, fishponds, etc., the supply
of water to which was from the River Greet until the railway was built. In front of the
site stands the stump of an old stone cross, the original purpose of which may have been
that of a boundary cross. Two 15th cent stones, carved with the Nevill arms, are now used
to carry the hinges of a barn door near the site, whilst two more stones stand in the
garden of the present Manor Farm House. Other carved stones were found during the
demolition of some cottages in more recent years which may have formed part of a parapet
of either the old Manor House itself, or of the Nevill Chapel at the Church before it was
demolished. In
the centre of the village stands the base of another old cross, round which there were at
one time several carved shields, but these can no longer be seen; this cross would seem to
show that there was formerly a Market at Rolleston (Shilton "History of
Southwell") Within living memory the portion of ground adjacent to this cross, now
cultivated, and surrounded on three sides by the road, used to form the Village Green,
where also the ancient Stocks (now disappeared) for the punishment of evil-doers were
placed; the actual use of these is still remembered by an old resident, who confesses to
ridiculing, as a little girl, an offender undergoing the punishment. Another
feature of olden days which has disappeared is the Pinfold, an enclosure erected by local
authority wherein stray or trespassing cattle or other beasts were confined. This was
situated at the east end of the village on the road towards Fiskerton. Items concerning
the Pinder’s salary, and for repairs to both pinfold and stocks, appear in the old
account books of the various Parish Constables and Overseers of Rolleston. An entry in the
Church Register gives the burial on In
the Marriage Registers we find an entry of the marriage of John Miller, of St. James, Another
interesting personality who used to visit Rolleston was Kate Greenaway, the English artist
and book illustrator, especially well known for her children’s books and
illustrations, and her designs for children’s costumes. When visiting the village she
stayed at the cottage of Thomas Chappell, whose portrait she used to paint, as well as
picturesque portions of the cottage and its surroundings, and parts of the old kitchen. Several
picturesque old cottages with their thatched roofs have been pulled down since the
beginning of the present century, and modern ones erected since the Great War under the
before-mentioned scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture. Early this year (1931) an Electric
Light and Power Supply was made available to the village. Adjoining
the Railway Station is the Course of the Southwell Hunt Race Club; previous to 1898 these
Races were held at Southwell. The
following are a few interesting incidents of local history collected from various sources
other than the Church Registers: "The
General Sessions each quarter were held at the three towns of Petty
or Parish Constables. On On
the 13th.July, 1642, the inhabitants of Rolleston, Upton and Southwell were indicted for
not scouring the "Inquest
taken at Neuwerk before the coroner of the King’s household and in the presence of
John Rosell coroner of the county of Nottingham on the death of Robert Jolyvet of Neuwerk
feloniously killed who say upon their oath that it happened at Neuwerk that when the said
Robert Jolyvet and William son of Ralph of Roldeston had met in the town Neuwerk in (the
street called) Milnegate and "a strife was moved" between them the said William
struck the said Robert with a certain long knife in the chest to the heart whereof he died
there without confession" (1334). "Simon
son of Geoffrey Coupere of Horspole taken for this that he....... stole by night in the
fields of Roldeston a certain draught horse belonging to Robert Blaunch of "Richard
Gundy of Farndon taken for this that he feloniously stole two horses of the value of xxx
shillings from William Nevill, Knight at Rolleston and 18 oxen and cows value 10 marcs
from William parson of the church of Houton
at Houton" (1380). "They
present that John Moge of Rolleston at Rolleston took and abducted Walter servant of
William Anot of Rolleston from the service of the said William against the peace of the
lord King ....."(1395). "The
jurors say that John Anot of Rolleston feloniously stole at Wynthorpe the Tuesday next
after the feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross .....a horse from John Smyth of
Wynthorpe” (1395). (Holy Cross Day, Sept. 14th, was the supposed anniversary of the
recovery of a large piece of the Cross after it had been carried away from “Thomas
Sturbull husbandman of Rolleston was indicted before the Guardians of the peace of this
that he at Rolleston feloniously stole a black cow of the value of ix s. IIII d. of the
goods and chatels of Agnes Helweys of Southwell....."(1415). "Reginald
Hopton of Newark yeoman of thage of 59 years knoweth that above fortie years agone in the
lifetime of Anthonie Forster diverse carriers of corne and loade horses as namelie the
millers of Upton, Rolleston and Fiskerton came to the towne of Newarke for corne and were
theare staied by the said Anthonie Forster his comaundement and “ theire horses
carried to the castell and theire loades of corne carried to his majesties said milles and
theare grounde and tolle paied for the same and theire horses impounded in the castell
fold and theare detained until by intreatie they were delivered. And he further deposeth
that about XIIII yeares agoe in the lifetime of the right Ho: Edward Earle of Rutland hir
Majesties then farmer of the saide milles hee hath knowne that the miller of Rolleston
coming for corne to the said towne of Newark was likewise staied by the commaundement of
the said Earle and the corne sent to her Majestie's said milles which was there ground and
paied tolle and the Loades man upon his submission and promise to fetch no more come from
the said Towne of Newark was suffered to passe with his horse without impounding."
(1598). "George
Bromiche of Rolliston laboror of thage of 86 yeares says he knows that the occupiers of
Rolleston Mill have kept load horses to fetch corne to theire said mill from the town of
Newarke and from other places and that the inhabitants and tenants of the town of Newarke
have voluntarily used to carry their corne to the mill of Rolleston there to be grounde
without intreatie or procurement of the farmers there to his knowledge. John Page of
Newark says that 40 years ago he carried corn
for the master whom he then served to Rolleston Mill and he saith that at one time
carrying his corn to Fiskerton Mill Anthony Foster’s men had the corn brought to his
mill at which time upon speech had hee was suffred to carrie his corn to Fiskerton Mill.
John Poole of Rolleston yeoman says that the inhabitants of
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