Family Group Sheet for Valentine Allen / Troth Silkstone (F1781) m. 21 Oct 1697

Notes

The Parish
St. Mary's parish is the largest of the three parochal divisions of the town, and county of the town of Nottingham, as it contains about four-fifths of the buildings and population, and the whole of the forest and burgess lands. It includes all the buildings and land on the south side of the Leen, betwixt the Trent and the parishes of Sneinton and Lenton, and all that part of the town on the north side of the Leen, lying east of Sussex Street, Middle Hill, Market Street and Fletchergate; whence the boundary turns westward, and includes all the buildings north of Bottle Lane, Poultry, Timber Hill, Beastmarket Hill, Chapel Bar and the Park, until it joins the parish of Radford. Its principal streets are the High Pavement, St. Mary's Gate, Stoney Street, Carlton Stret, George Street, Pelham Street, Clumber Street, Parliament Street, Derby Road and Mansfield Road. Its most important public buildings consist of the Exchange, the Post Office, the Town Hall, the churches of St. Mary, St. Paul, Trinity and St. John; St. Barnabas Catholic Church, Wesleyan Chapel, and many other dissenting places of worship; the Dispensary, the Theatre, the Grammar, National, Lancasterian and British Schools; Town Gaol and House of Correction &c.&c. The County Hall and Prison are within the boundary, but the ground on which they stand is exempted from the jurisdiction of the town, by a charter of Henry VI.

The Church
St. Mary, the largest of the three parish churches in Nottingham, is a venerable edifice, in the collegiate style in the form of a cross, with a very august tower. It is on the north side of High Pavement, upon a bold eminence, which rises nearly 100 feet above the River Leen, so that it presents a commanding appearance to the spectator in almost every direction. It has evidently been built in the Gothic style, which prevailed in the reign of Henry VII, and Leland, who visited it about 1540, describes it as being " newe and uniforme yn worke " . Its interior dimensions are from east to west, 216 feet, from south to north at the transcepts, 97 feet, in the nave, 67 feet, and in the chancel 29 feet. In 1726, the west end was rebuilt in the Doric order, and the south wall of the nave was new faced in 1761, since which many other parts of the walls have been renewed. Much of the stone used in its frequent repairs is of a very soft and perishable freestone, so that many of the modern parts now present an air of antiquity. In the steeple is an excellent peal of ten musical bells, all cast between the years 1605 and 1761. many of the monumens, and all the brass plates in the church were destroyed by the liberal Roundheads in the civil commotions of the seventeenth century. In the south aisle is " Our Lady's Chapel " , which contains the tombs of the first and second Earls of Clare, over which is a mutilated alabaster figure. On the opposite side is the Chapel of All Saints, where many of the ancient family of Plumptre are interred; and on one of their tombs lies the recumbent figure of a man dressed in a gown with wide sleeves. The Earl of meath and several other distinguished figures lie interred in the church, as is recorded on many mural monuments, several of which belong to the family of Wright. In the north window is a beautiful figure of St. Andrew.

White's Directory of Nottinghamshire 1853.

Family: Valentine Allen / Troth Silkstone (F1781)