Please note: Family pages are organised by surname; however, this does not mean that all those people featured are related to each other. Where possible we will try to be clear about any connections there may be.

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The surname ‘Wright’ is a very common British surname and members of the family have been present in Hickling for at least 200 years although it is unlikely that all Wright family records are connected to each other with different branches of the family coming and going rather than being continuously present. No adult male with the surname Wright is listed in the 1642 Protestation returns but it is known that the Wright family were responsible for building Cobblestones in the late 1700s. There are earlier Wright family records in neighbouring villages such as Nether Broughton. Similarly, there is no reference to the surname ‘Wright’ in the Enclosure returns for Hickling of 1775.

British Surnames UK explains: “Wright is an English occupational surname whose origin lies in the Old English word wryhta (also recorded as wyrhta), meaning a worker or craftsman. The term derives from the verb wyrcan, “to work” or “to construct”, and was historically applied to individuals skilled in the making of wooden or metal objects, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, wheelwrights and other specialised makers.

“The surname belongs to the earliest class of English occupational names. Early documentary evidence includes Patere le Writh in the Sussex tax rolls of 1214, Robert Wricht of Shropshire in 1274 and Thomas le Wrighte of Derbyshire in 1327. These forms illustrate the fluid spelling conventions of the medieval period. Later records, such as the marriage of Joan Wright and Richard Trevesse at St. Lawrence Jewry, London, on 29 May 1552, confirm the continued use of the name in urban contexts.

“Variant spellings are numerous and include the relatively common Wright alongside rarer forms such as Wrighte, Wraight, Wraighte, Wreight and Wrate. Patronymic derivatives, notably Wrightson and Wrixon, also appear in the historical record, reflecting the practice of forming surnames from a father’s occupational name.”

In the Parish Records (to 1905):

(Parish records after this date are held on file but haven’t been uploaded to the website, yet)

Baptisms:

(childs name: Father’s Christian & surname: mother’s Christian name: date of baptism: place: abode: notes (often father’s occupation)

• Ann – John WRIGHT – Lucy – 1849 12 16 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• Anne – John WRIGHT – Elizabeth – 1807 10 05 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling     
• Elizabeth – John WRIGHT – Lucy – 1861 11 17 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• Elizabeth – William WRIGHT – Ann – 1820 02 17 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Mason
• Esther – William WRIGHT – Anne – 1824 06 26 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Bricklayer
• Frank – James WRIGHT – Alice Mary – 1894 10 07 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• George – James WRIGHT – Elizabeth – 1823 09 28 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• George – John WRIGHT – Elizabeth – 1805 09 15 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling
• George – John WRIGHT – Lucy – 1855 07 08 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• George – William WRIGHT – Anne – 1829 02 22 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Mason
• Grace – John WRIGHT – Elizabeth – 1803 10 31 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling     
• James – James  WRIGHT – Alice Mary – 1896 04 05 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• James – John WRIGHT – Lucy – 1865 03 07 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• John – John WRIGHT – Elizabeth – 1801 11 01 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling     
• John – John WRIGHT – Lucy – 1854 09 17 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• John – Thomas  WRIGHT – Jane – 1891 03 01 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• John – William WRIGHT – Anne – 1822 03 17 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Bricklayer
• Joseph – William WRIGHT – Anne – 1826 10 30 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Yeoman
• Kate Winifred – James WRIGHT – Alice Mary – 1899 04 02 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• Mary – James WRIGHT – Elizabeth – 1826 10 30 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• Mary – John WRIGHT – Elizabeth – 1810 02 22 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling     
• Sarah – Willm.   WRIGHT – Mary – 1796 08 14 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling     
• Thomas – John WRIGHT – Lucy – 1861 11 17 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• Thomas – Thomas WRIGHT – Jane – 1896 04 05 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• Thomas – William WRIGHT – Anne – 1831 12 11 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Mason
• William – George WRIGHT – Mary – 1683 05 20 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling     
• William – John WRIGHT – Lucy – 1852 11 28 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• William – Thomas – WRIGHT – Jane – 1889 12 04 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• William – Thomas WRIGHT – Jane – 1893 05 07 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Labourer
• William – William WRIGHT – Anne – 1824 06 16 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Yeoman
• William – William WRIGHT – Anne – 1827 06 22 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Bricklayer
• William Thraves – John  WRIGHT – Elizabeth – 1798 09 18 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling

Marriages:

• WRIGHT George – MAGSON Martha – 1883 12 27
• WRIGHT James – SMITH Elizabeth – 1822 12 09
• WRIGHT James – KEAY Alice Mary -1893 11 30
• WRIGHT John – GULLSON Lucy – 1848 11 27
• WRIGHT William – BUTLER Mary – 1792 08 27
• WRIGHT William – DICKMAN Ann – 1819 11 23
• WRIGHT William – BELL Ann – 1822 08 31
• DAFT Robert – WRIGHT Mary – 1752 12 26
• DICKMAN Charles – WRIGHT Anne – 1869 07 27
• PAGIT Joseph – WRIGHT Mary – 1703 08 29
• PICK James – WRIGHT Elizabeth – 1885 05 21

Burials:

(2^nd place name refers to abode at time of death)

• George WRIGHT – 1689 02 03 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling                              
• Richard WRIGHT – 1718 02 10 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Clawson        
• Sarah WRIGHT – 1796 10 18 – Inf – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling                
• Mary WRIGHT – 1805 07 22 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling                              
• George WRIGHT – 1806 09 29 – Inf – HICKLING St Luke      – Hickling                          
• Elizabeth Anne WRIGHT – 1828 05 27 – Inf – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Nottingham        
• John WRIGHT – 1829 11 30 – Inf – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Nottingham               
• Elizabeth WRIGHT – 1832 07 15 – 65 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Hickling – Asiatic Cholera
• William Thraves WRIGHT – 1832 07 19  34 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Hickling – Asiatic Cholera
• Elizabeth WRIGHT – 1845 07 03 – 25 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Hickling           
• William WRIGHT 1846 12 25 – 80 – HICKLING St Luke      Hickling – Over Broughton          
• Ann WRIGHT – 1848 03 19 – 48 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Hickling      
• Ann WRIGHT – 1856 12 19 – 66 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling                              
• William WRIGHT – 1890 02 03 – 4m – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling                
• John WRIGHT – 1892 11 01 – 70 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling                           
• Lucy WRIGHT – 1901 04 10 – 78 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling                           
• Elizabeth WRIGHTRAMP – 1823 09 19 – 30 – HICKLING St Luke – Hickling – Loughborough
  • Interestingly, this is how the surname is written on the original handwritten record; a wider FMP search shows that this is the only occurrence of this surname in any UK records. So, what is happening? Is this a coded way of stating that Elizabeth was homeless in Loughborough and buried in her home village? – however, this kind of detail would usually have been added as a note.
  • Is this simply a mis-hearing of her name?
  • There are no Hickling baptism records that seem to fit this record
  • There is a possible baptism record in Loughborough; Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth Wright, 7^th April 1793, Thurcaston. However, research would be needed to establish whether there are later records for this individual or how she came to be buried in Hickling with an altered surname.
  • There is one Hickling marriage record which is a possible but unlikely match: James Wright to Elizabeth Smith 12/9/1822
    • There are 2 baptisms in Hickling with parents James and Elizabeth Wright: George 1823 and Mary 1826.
    • No matching census records have been found for this family in 1841.
  • (more detailed research is needed)

(there are no records of Wright family burials in Hickling cemetery)

St. Luke’s, Hickling – surviving headstones:

Census Records (Hickling)

Census 1841.

Household 1.

• William Wright – Male – 75 – 1766
• Ann Wright – Female – 50 – 1791
• Joseph Wright – Male – 14 – 1827 – Nottinghamshire
• Ann Bell – Female – 20 – 1821 – Nottinghamshire

Household 2.

• Ann Wright – Female – 40 – 1801 – Nottinghamshire
• Elizabeth Wright – Female – 20 – 1821 – Nottinghamshire
• Esther Wright – Female – 15 – 1826 – Nottinghamshire
• George Wright – Male – 12 – 1829 – Nottinghamshire
• Thomas Wright – Male – 10 – 1831 – Nottinghamshire

Household 3. (in the household of John (1766) & Elizabeth (1781) Mann)

• Esther Wright – Female – 15 – 1826 – Nottinghamshire

Household 4. (in the household of John (1811) and Elizabeth(1816) Bell)

• William Wright – Male – 14 – 1827 – Nottinghamshire

Census 1851.

Household 5.

• John Wright – Head – Married – Male – 29 – 1822 – Labourer – Hickling
• Lucy Wright – Wife – Married – Female – 29 – 1822 – Laundress – Wartnaby, Leicestershire
• Ann Wright – Daughter – Female – Hickling
• Thomas Wright – Brother – Unmarried – Male – 19 – 1832 – Labourer –            Hickling
• Lucy Gandson – Mother in law – W – Female – 66 – 1785 – Annuitant – Lincolnshire

Census 1861.

Household 5.

• John Wright – Head – Married – Male – 39 – 1822 – Agricultural labourer – Hickling
• Lucy Wright – Wife – Married – Female – 38 – 1823 – Hartwell, Leicestershire
• Ann Wright – Daughter – Female – 11 – 1850 – Scholar – Hickling
• William Wright – Son – Male – 9 – 1852 – Scholar – Hickling
• John Wright – Son – Male – 7 – 1854 – Scholar – Hickling
• George Wright – Son – Male – 5 – 1856 – Scholar – Hickling
• Thomas Wright – Son – Male – 4 – 1857 – Scholar – Hickling

Census 1871.

Household 5.

• John Wright – Head – Male – 49 – 1822 – Agr labourer – Hickling
• Ann Wright – Wife – Female – 49 – 1822 – Wife – Wartnaby, Leicestershire (note: this is likely to be Lucy – her records vary through the successive census records but the indications are that they all relate to the same woman)
• George Wright – Son – Male – 15 – 1856 – Gardenr – Hickling
• Thomas Wright – Son – Male – 14 – 1857 – Plough driver – Hickling
• Elizabeth Wright – Daughter – Female – 9 – 1862 – Scholar – Hickling
• James Wright – Son – Male – 6 – 1865 – Scholar – Hickling
• Charles Dickman – Son in law – lodger – Male – 25 – 1846 – Labourer – Hickling
• Ann Dickman – Daughter – Female – 21 – 1850 – Wife – Hickling
• Harriott Dickman – Granddaughter – Female – 1 – 1870 – Dau – Hickling
• Lucy Ann Dickman – Granddaughter – Female – 0 – 1871 – Far – Hickling

Census 1881.

Household 5.

• John Wright – Head – Married – Male – 59 – 1822 – Labourer – Hickling
• Lucy Wright – Wife – Married – Female – 58 – 1823 – Hickling
• Thomas Wright – Son – Single – Male – 24 – 1857 – Labourer – Hickling
• Elizabeth Wright – Daughter – Single – Female – 19 – 1862 – Domestic servant             – Hickling
• Harriet Dickenson – Niece – Single – Female – 11 – 1870 – Scholar – Hickling

Census 1891.

Household 5 (Mill Lane)

• John Wright – Head – Married – Male – 69 – 1822 – Farm labourer – Hickling
• Lucy Wright – Wife – Married – Female – 68 – 1823 – Wartnaby, Leicestershire
• Harriett Dickman – Granddaughter – Single – Female – 21 – 1870 – Dressmaker – Hickling

Household 6 (Mill Lane).

• John Magson – Head – Widower – Male – 71 – 1820 – Tailor & draper & grocer – Hickling
• Emma Magson – Daughter – Single – Female – 39 – 1852 – Housekeeper – Hickling
• Arthur Wright – Grandson – Single – Male – 6 – 1885 – Scholar – Sheffield, Yorkshire
  • Arthur’s family is recorded in Sheffield for this census:  47, Houghton Street, Brightside Bierlow, Sheffield, Yorkshire
  • George Wright – Head – Married – Male – 35 – 1856 – Labourer in steel works – born Hickling
  • Martha Wright – Wife  – married – Female – 33 – 1858 – Hickling
  • Waller Wright – Son – Male – 5 – 1886 – Scholar – Sheffield, Yorkshire
  • George Wright – Son – Male – 1 – 1890 – Sheffield, Yorkshire

Household 7 (Mill Lane) – linked to Household 5.

• Thomas Wright – Head – Married – Male – 34 – 1857 – Farm labourer – Hickling
• Jane Wright – Wife – Married – Female – 33 – 1858 – Hickling
• Annie Speed – Daughter – Single – Female – 9 – 1882 – Scholar – Blackpool
  • This record seems anomalous and it seems unlikely that she is Thomas Wright’s daughter. No record found for Thomas’ marriage to Jane (or her maiden name); they are both recorded as being from Hickling but their marriage isn’t recorded in the Hickling parish records.
  • There is a baptism record in Hickling for Annie daughter of Thomas and Louisa Speed 17/12/1882. And there is a matching census record in Hickling in 1881 with Annie Speed as ‘age 0’.
  • There are census records in 1891 & 1901 for Annie Speed born 1882 in Blackpool with parents Peter and Ellen Speed.
  • (Further research needed)
• John Wright – Son – Single – Male – 0 – 1891 – Hickling

Census 1901.

Household 5. (in the household of Charles (1846) and Ann (1850) Dickman)

• Lucy Wright – Mother-in-law – Widow – Female – 78 – 1823 – Wartnaby, Leicestershire

Household 6. (in the household of William (1864) and Elizabeth (1862) Corner)

• Arthur Wright – Servant – Single – Male – 15 – 1886 – General servant on farm – Sheffield, Yorkshire

Household 7.

• Thomas Wright – Head – Married – Male – 44 – 1857 – Ordinary farm labourer – Hickling
• Jane Wright – Wife – Married – Female – 43 – 1858 – Hickling
• John Wright – Son – Single – Male – 10 – 1891 – Hickling
• William Wright – Son – Single – Male – 8 – 1893 – Hickling
• Thomas Wright – Son – Single – Male – 5 – 1896 – Hickling

Household 8 – linked to household 5.

• James Wright – Head – Married – Male – 36 – 1865 – Waggoner on farm – Hickling
• Alice M Wright – Wife – Married – Female – 39 – 1862 – Leicestershire
• Harriett F Key – Step daughter – Single – Female – 12 – 1889 – Hickling
• Charles A Key – Step son – Single – Male – 10 – 1891 – Hickling
• Frank Wright – Son – Single – Male – 6 – 1895 –                 Hickling
• James Wright – Son – Single – Male – 5 – 1896 – Hickling
• Kate W Wright – Daughter – Single – Female – 2 – 1899 – Hickling

Census 1911.

Household 8.

• James Wright – Head – Married – Male – 46 – 1865 – Farm labourer – Hickling
• Alice Mary Wright – Wife – Married – Female – 49 – 1862 – Labworth, Leicester
• James Wright –  Juns – Son – Single – Male – 15 – 1896 – Farm servant – Hickling
• Kate Winifred Wright – Daughter – Female – 2 – 1909 – School – Hickling
• Lucy Alice Wright – Daughter – Female – 7 – 1904 – Hickling
• Harry Keay – Stepson – Single – Male – 26 – 1885 – Blacksmith – Upper Broughton Notts

Household 9. (in the household of John (1872) and Sarah Ellen (1868) Dickman, Beech House)

• Frank Wright – Servant – Single – Male – 16 – 1895 – Farm labourer – Hickling

Census 1921.

Household 8.

• James Wright – Head – Male – 1864 – 56 – Hickling – Farm Labourer – L Wooley Farmer
• Alice Mary Wright – Wife – Female – 1861 – 59 – Leicestershire – Home Duties
• Frank Wright – Visitor – Male – 1894 – 27 – Hickling – Out Of Work – Army Reserve
• Mary Ann Wright – Visitor – Female – 1894 – 26 – Long Clawson, Leicestershire – Home Duties –
• Evelyn Nancy Wright – Visitor – Female – 1919 – 2 – Long Clawson, Leicestershire
• Frank Harry Wright – Visitor – Male – 1920 – Long Clawson, Leicestershire

Household 10 (linked to Household 6).

• Arthur Wright – Head – Male – 1884 – 37 – Sheffield, Yorkshire – Bricklayer Labourer – Wm Burnett Buildr
• Jennie Mabel Wright – Wife – Female – 1886 – 34 – Redmile, Leicestershire – Home Duties
• Arthur Wright – Son – Male – 1921 – Nottinghamshire
• Louie Bryon – Visitor – Female – 1890 – 30 – Leicester – Home Duties
• Dorothy Bryon – Visitor – Female – 1919 – 1 – Hull, Yorkshire

1939 Register.

Household 10, The Green, Hickling.

• Arthur Wright – 25 May 1884 – Male – Builder’s Labourer – Married
• Jennie M A Wright – 30 Jun 1886 – Female – Unpaid Domestic Duties – Married
• Arthur Wright – 06 Jun 1921 – Male – Apprentice Works Cold Water Fitter – Single
• George Wright – 16 May 1924 – Male – Labourer On Poultry Farm – Single
• Mary Wright – 14 Oct 1930 – Female – At School – Single
• (no closed records)

Household 11 (linked to households 8 and 5) Chestnut House, Hickling.

• Frank Peters – 26 Nov 1871 – Male – Farmer (Own Account) – Widowed
• James Wright – 31 Jan 1896 – Male – Herdsman Paid – Married
• Doris Wright – 28 Aug 1899 – Female – Housewife Paid – Married
• James Wright – 10 Jan 1921 – Male – Farm Labourer (Dairy) Paid – Single
• Jean Strutt (Wright) – 06 Dec 1922 – Female – Embroider Machinist – Single
• Charles P Wright – 31 Jul 1924 – Male – Farm Labourer (Dairy) Paid – Single
• Wallace Wright – 01 Oct 1926 – Male – At School – Single –
• Grace Dennis (Davison) – 20 Jul 1926 – Female – At School – Single
• Joyce Davison – 28 Feb 1931 – Female – At School – Single
• The record for this person is officially closed.
• Dennis Akins – 24 Jul 1931 – Male – At School – Single

Belvoir Angels – who were the stonemasons?

Hickling, Nether Broughton and Upper Broughton host the most intensive clusters of these beguiling Swithland slate headstones from the first half of the 1700s. It is thought that the majority of these headstones were crafted by a single mason, family or workshop but who these individuals were is unknown.

Several names have been put forward and one of these is ‘Wright’. The clues are a little sparse but research continues. The Wright family doesn’t appear to be resident in Hickling during the relevant time period; 1690s-1750s but they are present in Nether Broughton. The earliest settled reference to the family in Hickling seems to be in the Deeds of Cobblestones (previously Cromwell House) which records the first owner as John Wright in 1797 where he is described as a bricklayer. The work of builders, bricklayers and masons often over-lapped in this period and it is possible that this John Wright (or William Wright, below) is also the craftsman who signed the a Wright family headstone commemorating Mary Wright dated 1805 and which is signed ‘Wright sculpt’. A further link to the Wright family and Cobblestones came with the discovery of a discarded Belvoir Angels headstone in the garden.

Baptism records in the 1820s refer to the family of William Wright who is variously described as a bricklayer and mason. There are also 3 earlier baptisms which record the Wright family in the parish; two of these seem to link to John and William Wright (above), the third is considerably earlier and seems to be an isolated record.

• Sarah; parents William and Mary Wright, 1796
• William Thraves; parents John and Elizabeth, 1798
• William; parents George and Mary Wright, 1683

There are no surviving Wright family Belvoir Angel headstones in Hickling. However, there are Wright family Belvoir Angel headstones in Nether Broughton churchyard in the early 1700s and it seems possible that these are the family of the original stonemasons/craftsmen and that the family later arrived in Hickling.

Hickling at War

Three members of the Wright family appear on the Hickling WWI Roll of Honour: Arthur, Frank and James Wright. All returned from the War.

(From the Wadkin archives):

• October 1916: Pte Jim Wright, Leicestershire Regiment, second son of Mr and Mrs James Wright of Hickling Pastures, was wounded on 20^th Sept. He was wounded with shrapnel and wounded in the forehead, nose, left arm and leg. He is now in hospital at Gravesend and progressing favourably. He was wounded on October 13^th 1916 at the Hohenzollern Redoubt and during the early part of the year had been in hospital with diphtheria.
• November 1916: […] James Wright recently wounded, is now at home for a short leave.
• October 1917: Pte James Wright of Lincoln Lodge is still in hospital near Ransgate suffering from arm trouble.
• November 1917: […] Bombardier Frank Wright is in hospital with a poisoned hand.
• December 1917: […] Bombardier Frank Wright has left hospital at Southport where he has been receiving treatment for a poisoned hand, he is now at Lincoln Lodge.
• February 1918: […] Pte. Arthur Wright is home on leave from France.
• April 1918: Pte James Wright of Lincoln Lodge, three times wounded has now been discharged from the army.

There is no Hickling Roll of Honour for WWII; Charles (Peter) Peters Wright 5th Battalion Leics Regiment; died in Tunisia on 22nd February 1943 at the age of 18.

Miscellaneous

FREDERICK JOHN DICKMAN 1905-1991: Memories of Hickling.

• (p.1) Another episode was when Frank Wright, one of the farm hands, got me to help milk a quiet old cow. With his help about one and a half pints of milk was produced in a bucket a bit too big for me. Frank now said “go and show your mother what you have achieved”. No doubt pleased to show it off to her I got in the house to find Mother upstairs, front stairs at that, so up I go with my big bucket, mother heard me coming and came to the top of the stairs, me halfway up showing off my handiwork . Proudly I turned to go down and the big bucket went up and tipped the milk all the way down the stairs. Frank Wright was always full of tricks. I think he was mostly on my side but he let me down on one occasion when I refused to go to Sunday school and mother confined me to the front room for the period. I must have told Frank that it was better than Sunday school and he passed it on. So the next week I had to be taken to the school room with Mother on one side, cousin Dot Munks on the other. Mother slipped off home as soon as the Rev Canon Ashmore came to assist. Dot often repeated the Rev’s remarks as I was no doubt making a struggle of it. He said, “we mustn’t let him go Florence”.
• (p.5) Tim Wright and family were employed at Lincoln Lodge and lived in the house there. Another good strong helper was Jack Cox who was good with the horses. They used to use Black Treacle in the cattle feed in the winter and one day they had fetched some barrels from the station. Rolling them out of the cart down a ladder to the barn when one of the ends gave way spilling treacle onto the barn floor. Jack and Tim tipped the barrel onto its end and started shovelling the stuff back into the barrel. Poor old Tim took a quick look to see how much had been retrieved when a shovel full from the hard working Jack dropped on his head. The treacle was sweet but not the language.
• (p.8) My father once remarked on passing Woolley’s fields when Doris was ploughing, “That’s a rare good lass to stick to that job in all weathers.” l don’t think that had any influence on my choice of girl friend but she did some years later become my wife. What it did was to give him the idea that I should go ploughing for Jim Wright on Saturdays or Holidays but not on Sundays, only looking after the stock was allowed on Sundays.

Wadkin Archives:

Hickling: Reflections of Yesteryear.

• (p.29) Will of John Bell 1815 – 1876. I John Bell of Hickling in the County of Nottingham Farmer do make and publish this my last Will and Testament revoking all former Wills by me made. I give and bequeath unto my three friends Mr. John Waite Gill of Old Dalby Farmer, Mr. William Collishaw junr Water Lane Hickling Farmer and Mr. Thomas Brown, Upper Broughton. All and singular my furniture, plate, linen, household goods and chattles used in and about my Dwelling house where I now live together with all my live and dead farming stock, implements of husbandry and the like upon my farm at Hickling with All my Real Estate wheresoever situated in trust for the sole use and benefit of my dear wife Elizabeth Bell during the term of her mortal life And after her decease in trust to sell and dispose of the same either by Public Auction or Private contract to the best advantage And in trust to receive all monies arising from such sale or sales And after paying all reasonable and necessary expenses attending such sale or sales together with all just debts and the Funeral expenses of my Wife Elizabeth Bell to dispose of the same in the following proportion, namely two thirds to be divided equally among my three sons John Henry Bell, Charles Christopher Bell, Edward Wright Bell And one third to be equally divided among my three daughters Maria Louisa Bell, Elizabeth Ann Bell, Emily Bell. Lastly I do hereby Nominate and appoint my three friends John Waite Gill Old Dalby, William Collishaw Junr Water Lane Hickling and Thomas Brown Upper Broughton Joint executors to this my last Will and Testament and I Will and direct that they shall not be accountable for in voluntary losses attending this Trust and they shall reimburse to themselves at reasonable and necessary expenses in fulfilling the same. As Witness my hand this sixteenth day of November One thousand eight hundred and fifty five. Witnesses John Featherstone Mary Hopkins John Bell
• (p.43-7 photos – see gallery, below)

Scrapbook of Hickling:

• (p.41) Photo: Mother ‘s Union on Rectory Lawn – 28th June 1951 […] Centre Row Mrs. Tom Starbuck, Mr. Billy Marriot , Mrs. R. Salt, Mrs. Richard Copley Mrs. John Parkes (Polly), Mrs. S. Walker, Mrs. W. Woolley, Mrs. Warrington, Mrs. Jack Squires, Miss. Millie Cross, Mrs. Arthur Wright.
• (p.50) Dan Wright from Keyworth – Hardware. This is now the ‘bus company’ which operates taking the senior children to school at Keyworth . Wrights used to take the senior children to school in Melton during the late 1940’s and 1950’s.
• (p.58) Photo: The Chapel Sunday School pupils with teacher Alwyn Shelton 30th June,1930. […] Front row – Peter Marriott, George Wright, Cecil Rose, Eva Robinson, Freda Copley, Arthur Robinson, Lorna Marriott, Dorothy Marriott, Charles Shelton, Jim Wright, Dick Copley,
• (p.62) Parish Council. […] March 1904 Seven nominations, the required number were handed in, the following were declared re – elected, George Henry Collishaw, James Wright Collishaw, Chas. Dickman, John Dickman, Thomas Drake, William Marvin, and Joseph Parr, Mr. George Henry Collishaw was re – elected District Councillor.
• (pp 77, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85) – see school photos, 1913-1938, below)

Maggie’s Memories.

• (p.55) ROADMAN Each village had its own roadman when I went to school, we would see his wheelbarrow and tools by the roadside, and everywhere was kept as clean and tidy as todays mechanical implements, and much friendlier than today, we children did talk to our roadman, and he did a magnificent job with his barrow and brush, they took pride in their work. There was a Mr. James Wright (Senior) he lived down The Green. Mr. J. Smith of Kinoulton, and the last village roadman Albert Smith who also lived down the Green, he was the son of Mrs. J. Smith.
• (p.80) Dan Wright from Keyworth. Hardware, also the Bus Proprietor, which still is in business. ‘Dan’ was a local preacher and he had a withered arm, we youngsters enjoyed the many tales he told when preaching.
• (p.90) Mr. & Mrs. Maltby at one time kept the Off Licence, and their daughter Jenny who married Arthur Wright, known as Macky. Mr. Maltby was roadman and kept the roads, kerbs etc. cleaner than today, with the mechanical devices. Not been any of this family here for a long time.

(p.91) Mr. & Mrs. James Wright Moved from Lincoln Lodge down into the village and lived down the Green. I believe Mr. Wright took over the roadman job after Mr. Maltby finished. Mrs.Wright would go out washing or cleaning, and was caretaker at the Chapel at one time, had a large family, there aren’t any Wright’s here now.

Wadkin notes on WWI

(not published in the Wadkin books)

• October 1916: Pte Jim Wright, Leicestershire Regiment, second son of Mr and Mrs James Wright of Hickling Pastures, was wounded on 20^th Sept. He was wounded with shrapnel and wounded in the forehead, nose, left arm and leg. He is now in hospital at Gravesend and progressing favourably. He was wounded on October 13^th 1916 at the Hohenzollern Redoubt and during the early part of the year had been in hospital with diphtheria.
• November 1916: […] James Wright recently wounded, is now at home for a short leave.
• October 1917: Pte James Wright of Lincoln Lodge is still in hospital near Ransgate suffering from arm trouble.
• November 1917: […] Bombardier Frank Wright is in hospital with a poisoned hand.
• December 1917: […] Bombardier Frank Wright has left hospital at Southport where he has been receiving treatment for a poisoned hand, he is now at Lincoln Lodge.
• February 1918: […] Pte. Arthur Wright is home on leave from France.
• April 1918: Pte James Wright of Lincoln Lodge, three times wounded has now been discharged from the army.

This gallery is from the Wadkin Archives

Wadkin Archive: photographs

Wadkin Archive: Newspaper clippings

(these clippings are still to be transcribed; if you would like to help with this, please contact us.)