History of Norton Green | 'the grayn
"The past is a different country:they do things differently there" L.P.Hartley
Norton Green Village, Norton le Moors, like most other villages throughout England, traces it's ancient origins to Saxon landowners and is steeped in history.
The surrounding land lay full of natural resources of Water and Minerals, Limestone, Ironstone, Sand, Coal And Clay.
Roman settlers reported that “villages led a hard and scratching life”.
The Domesday Book records in 1086:
Robert (de Stafford) holds 2 hides in NIWETONE (norton le Moors) and in its dependencies. Godric and Wulfgeat, who were free, held it. Land for 4 ploughs;
“6 villagers and 3 smallholders with 3 ploughs
Woodland 3 leagues long and 2 leagues wide
- Value 40s.”
William de Mere and Robert de Stafford were the first Lords of Norton le Moors Manor when William the conqurer invaded England ... Read more
Museum records show that two Axe Hammers have been found in the area and have been dated 2,000B.C - 701B.C & 4,000B.C - 701 Early Neolithic (the period in history from when the first farming of the land began).
Further reading of our village history is available via links that are provided on the link menu on the left.
Please note that not all projects are complete at this time as ongoing research is being carried out, so all available links are not yet completed! .... As projects become available they will be uploaded ... so please visit us often to keep up!
If you would like to join our mailing list to keep ahead of our updates then please email … Site Editor
Memories of Norton Green Publication
Norton Green Village is “The First Village on the River Trent” and in December 2007 with the aid of Lottery Funding we were able to publish our first book about the village called, “Memories of Norton Green — The First Village on the River Trent”
We had a fantastic response to the book and we still have a few copies left which is free of charge!
For info on how to get your copy please email ... Site Editortop
Lords of The Manor
Lords of Norton le Moors Manor throughout the centuries resided in Norton Green at Norton Green Old Hall. The Lords over the centuries were Knights, Barons and Dukes, who all supported their Kings, Queens and Governments of England hence gaining land and favours to rule over their 'Demenses'.
William de le Mere, Robert de Stafford, Charles Bowyer Adderley were all powerful men of great importance. Lords of the Norton le Moors manor … Read more top
Architecture
Norton Greens architecture today is a mixture of 16th century farmhouses, 17th century Millstone Grit brick cottages & Terraced red brick cottages, early Victorian & modern housing built between 1800 - 1970.
Agriculture
Agriculture played a big part in the daily lives of the locals. There were many farms situated in Norton Green, only a token of which still exist today eg; Norton Green Old Hall Farm, Annatts House Farm and Heakley Hall date back to the 16th century. top
Norton Green Old Hall Farm
One of our oldest buildings is Norton Green Old Hall - as locals refer to it. A listed Grade 11 Yeomans House, an Historic monument and built in 1643* with a fascinating history all its own (* Source Nortonian Society) … Read more
Heakley Hall Farm
Heakley Hall Farm, on Heakley marshes is built on an ancient moated site, historic records show this site to be a listed monument and a great stronghold in Medieval times … Coming soon top
Annatts House Farm
Annatts House Farm built in 1686, up until early 2000 was a working farm. The list of benefactions displayed in the parish church, Norton-in-the-Moors, included the following gift by William Meare: William Meare, late of Pott-Shrigley, The County of Chester, left charged on a field called Annatt-field, at Norton Green, the yearly sum of £2 10 0(* Source: Staffordshire Parish Registers Society, Introduction to Norton-in- the Moors Parish Register 1924) … Coming soon
Iron Foundry 1800
The Iron Foundry works operated around the 1800s owned by Mr. Charles Cope. The testament to its existence today are the - terrace of workers cottages in Foundry Square, built between 1851 -1861 with additions built between 1872 - 1878, rumors of connections in 1829 with the forging of the huge chains that hold together the Menai Straits Bridge & mention of Primitive Methodist meetings (mid 1800) at the Foundry before the Chapel was built in 1857 … Read more top
Primitive Methodism | Hugh Bourne 1800
Less than 3 miles from Norton Green is Bemmersley Green, the home of Hugh Bourne and co-founder of Primitive Methodism (ranters). By 1799 Hugh was an established Wheelwright & Local Preacher.
Very little is mentioned about Norton Greens part in Primitive Methodism. In actual fact the village played an important role in helping the 'Ranters' evolve locally. Hugh Bourne preached in the house of a local man … Read more
Mr. Norman Holdcroft local resident and Senior Steward of Norton Greens Zion Primitive Methodist Chapel has been dedicated to the chapel for more than 50 years has compiled and written a three part History taken from minutes of meetings held at the chapel over a period of 116 years, spanning the years from 1857 - 1993. Exerpts will be available to view shortly via our history pages. Full copies will also be available in PDF format.
Our own Primitive Methodist Zion Chapel was built in 1857 … Read more
Three years before our own Norton Green Board school was built in 1876 local children attended and were taught lessons at the Primitive Methodist Sunday School … Read more top
Gretna Green of the North 1700
Norton in the Moors was also known as “The Gretna Green of the north” around the 1700s, recording an unusual amount of marriages taking place, this was before Lord Hardwicks Marriage Act came into force in 1754 … topcoming soon!
Cockshead Colliery 1773
In the 1700's historic records show in Norton Green a coal mine called Cockshead Colliery, built in 1773 in agreement between John Sparrow, John Hales, William Lowndes, Frances Moor, John Repton & William Sherratt to mine lands at Norton Green. This was eventually destroyed by flooding. There is evidence today of a mystery lake near to the site of the mine … Read more top
River Trent Bridge 1777
1777 Norton Green Bridge over the River Trent was built. A cobbled Ford leading through … Read More top
Norton Green Branch Canal 1778
1778 saw the construction of the Branch Canal through Norton Green adjoining the Caldon Canal … Read more top
Norton Green Workhouse 1798
Norton Green workhouse was built around 1798 and is situated on Endon Rd on the edge of the village opposite Norton Green Old Hall. Little is known that a much earlier workhouse existed … Read more top
Ale Houses
There were many Pubs or Ale Houses as they were known back then located around the village and over the years closed down and became dwellings. The Foaming Quart built in 1867, once owned by Alec Hancock, father of the once famous Maureen Flowers who became British Ladies Darts Champion. The 'Quart' as it's affectionatley known is now our only pub left in the village.
Formerly called the Old Brown Jug and where the noted Norton Green Riots took place … Read more top
Norton Green Board School 1879
Our local school built in 1879 as Norton Green Board School, taught local children for 104 years before closing its doors for the last time as Trentside Middle Infants and Juniors in 1983. Today it is known as Trentside Manor and is currently occupied as a Residential Home for the elderly. The old school building today has still retained its charm and presence like much of the architecture in the village, even after renovations and a change of occupancy since its closure … Read moretop
Norton Green Floods
Millstone Grit is underlying in the area making the land susceptible to flooding. Old maps of the village show many ‘natural springs’ and old mineshafts sited around the area. Local flooding from the River Trent over the years has caused much damage locally, but has since subsided, although there are ‘sandbags’ still to be found at a few of the properties in close proximity to Norton Green bridge. The last incidence of floods occurred in 1987 … Read more
Parishes
Our neighbours Milton, Brown Edge, Smallthorne, Baddeley Green and Stockton Brooke, all once in an age gone by were part of the same parish of Norton in the Moors.
Norton Parish and Bemmersley Parish were the two townships of the area, supporting the poor and supplying housing to its growing population to the Mining Industry.
Hamlets were Norton Green, Brown Edge, Milton, Ball Green, Cornhill, Whitfield, Chell, Bemmersley Green, Knypersley, Baddeley Green, Baddeley Edge, Sneyd Green and Smallthorne.
Parish Parochial Records are under the Lichfield Diocese and are also recorded under the Civil Leek Union and Stoke on Trent Councils, so for anyone tracing their family history, existing records for Birth's, Deaths & Marriages are known to be at the Library archives of The William Salt Library Stafford, Stafford Library, Leek and Hanley Libraries.
Examples of records held at the Staffordshire Record Office / William Salt Library (Stafford):
- * Church registers for christenings, marriages, banns & burials, 1539-2000+
- * National Civil Registration Indexes (GRO) for births, marriages and deaths, 1837-1900
- * Staffordshire census returns (every 10 years 1841-1901)
- * National 1881 census returns
- * Soldiers who died in WW1 and WW2 (CD-ROM)
- * Indexes to Wills for Staffordshire, and parts of Shropshire, Derbyshire and Warwickshire, 1521-1858
- * Quarter Sessions: including Land Tax Returns, Calendars of Prisoners, Alehouse Licenses, Gamekeeper lists
- * Electoral Registers
- * Monumental (Gravestone) Inscriptions
- * Maps, trade directories, local history books, photographs and prints
Information is also available online like Plea Rolls, Domes Day Book, etc .... most of the references available are free to explore online. top
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