Place:Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Southwell is a town in Nottinghamshire, England, best known as the site of Southwell Minster, the seat of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, the Church of England diocese that covers Nottinghamshire. Its population was measured as 7,297 at the 2011 UK Census.

The town lies on the River Greet, approximately 14 miles (22 km) northeast of Nottingham. The old workhouse, built in 1824, was the prototype for many others around the country. It is now owned by the National Trust and recreates the same appearance and conditions as it did in the 19th century.

The town is something of an oddity for north Nottinghamshire, being visibly affluent, when compared with its near neighbours of Newark on Trent and Mansfield. Whereas agriculture and coal respectively have seen the fortunes of the other two towns fluctuate over the years, Southwell has remained an area of residence for many of Nottingham's wealthiest residents.

For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article Southwell, Nottinghamshire.

Research Tips

• Southwell Registration District, which existed from 1837 till 1930, covered a great many more parishes than Southwell. (Source: A Vision of Britain through Time) If you find a vital statistic in FreeBMD index remember to cite Southwell Registration District as the place rather than the town of Southwell.