Village Life
History of Screveton
Screveton is a small rural village with a history stretching back many centuries. Its landscape, church and former manor all tell the story of generations who have lived and worked here.
Although much of the village's early history is no longer visible above ground, Screveton has strong links with some notable Nottinghamshire families and its historic church remains one of the clearest reminders of its past.
The Whalley family
One of the families most closely associated with historic Screveton is the Whalley family.
Their monuments survive inside St Wilfrid's Church and provide a tangible link with the village's past.
Perhaps the most famous member of the wider family was Edward Whalley, a soldier and Parliamentarian who became one of the men who signed the death warrant of King Charles I in 1649.
Following the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Whalley fled England and eventually disappeared from the historical record while in hiding in North America.
The family's association with Screveton makes this extraordinary episode of 17th-century English history part of the village's wider story.
Recorded in Domesday
Screveton was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, where its name appears in forms including Screvetone and Screvintone.
The village name is thought to be of Scandinavian origin, reflecting the strong Norse influence on Nottinghamshire place names following Viking settlement in this part of England.
Like many settlements of the period, medieval Screveton would have been a predominantly agricultural community with the church, manor and surrounding farmland playing central roles in village life.
Screveton Hall
Screveton was once home to a substantial manor house known as Screveton Hall, formerly Kirketon Hall.
In 1685, the manor was acquired by Thomas Thoroton, the younger brother of Nottinghamshire historian Robert Thoroton. Screveton Hall subsequently became the principal home of this branch of the Thoroton family.
The hall remained an important local residence for several generations and historical accounts record a collection of family portraits and objects connected with the Whalleys and Thorotons.
Screveton Hall was eventually emptied and demolished in around 1826.
Although the house itself has disappeared, the families connected with it remain an important part of Screveton's history.
The Thoroton connection
The Thoroton name is particularly significant in Nottinghamshire history.
Robert Thoroton, who lived nearby at Car Colston, published his Antiquities of Nottinghamshire in 1677. It became one of the earliest comprehensive histories of the county.
His younger brother Thomas established the family's connection with Screveton through the purchase of the manor and Screveton Hall.
The descendants of the family later became known as the Thoroton-Hildyards, leaving an extensive archive which today provides historians with valuable information about Nottinghamshire estates, families and rural life.