Transcripts Relating to Beeston

In this section, we present transcripts of publications relating to Beeston, written many years ago and long out-of-print.

This currently includes:

• Gleanings or Something About Beeston in Olden Times which was written in 1873 by Rev Thomas Oldrini - a much-respected Beeston vicar from 1854 until his death in 1885. It provides us with a unique insight into aspects of the detail of life in the village at that time and an interpretaion, by the author, of Beeston in "olden times". And it was very nearly even better - a planned sequel had been written but not published at the time of his death and, unfortunatly. the manuscript has never surfaced since.
  
  
• The Autobiography of Thomas John Oldrini was written between 1870 and 1876 and covers the whole of his life up to that date but was not previously avaialble outside of his family. Now, a copy held by descendants in Australia has come to light and, thanks to its painstaking transcription - which continues - by William Cooper, a 3rd gt-grandson, we are now able to learn much more of his remarkable life and times. Of course, the detail of his life in Beeston from 1854 is particularly interesting to readers of this site, who may also click Oldrini for an account of his life and something about his family.
  
  
• A transcription of History of the Parish Church of Beeston by G. W. Deverill, originally produced in 1927 to mark the Beeston church's Sixth Centenary Celebrations. Mr Deverill's combination of original research and content drawn from both Oldrini's "Gleanings" and Mellors' "Then & Now" produced an informative and well illustrated booklet which remains of interest in our understanding of the Parish Church in Beeston.
  
  
• Beeston Then and Now which was written in 1916 by Robert Mellors, a Nottinghamshire antiquarian who, was an Alderman and Chairman of the Nottinghamshire County Council Education Committee in its early days. He was a prolific writer on the local history of the Nottingham area, in the early part of the 20th Century. His series of booklets on Nottingham suburbs included this fascinating insight into the Beeston community and some of its people in that year.
  
  
• Divine Mercy Exemplified, an account of the downfall through drink, subsequent conversion and early death of a young local man, James Walker, who lived in Beeston early in the 19th Century - and whose memorial can be seen, with a typical cautionary epitaph, in the churchyard to this day. It was written in the flowery style of its age by Rev John Hudston, himself born in Beeston, who was to became a national leader in the New Connexion Methodist Church. Click for more on John Hudston and to see the Memorial.
  
  
• The Diary of William Jowett - a remarkable diary, the vivid account of an ordinary soldier from Beeston in the Crimean War, part of an army that faced, not only the conventional enemy it went to fight, but the unexpected and cruel enemies of disease, cold and lack of facilities - and poor command - that killed so many of its number.

It is also intended that the section will contain Register and other record transcripts, largely covering data that is not easily available elsewhere or is not otherwise indexed.

This currently includes:

• A partial transcription of Beeston Parish Burial Register. Currently, this covers the years 1795 - 1805 & 1835 - 1861 but we do expect to add further years during the coming months. Also available on this site are details and photographs of the surviving memorials in the churchyard, each of which has an option to attempt a link to the associated register entry.
  
  
• A transcription of Phillimore, Beeston Marriages 1558 to 1812 by Trish Symonds which we have restructured so that it is presented in a convenient tabular format for ease of use.
  
  
• A list of Beeston Wills Proved at Canterbury. This listing, of wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, which are now held at the National Archives, is a further contribution from Trish Symonds.
  
  
• A list of Beeston Marriage Licences 1754-1770. Beeston related Marriage Licences issued by Archdeaconary Court of Nottingham between the years shown. Another Trish Symonds contribution.