A Hucknall History

Huthwaite and / or Hucknall

Examples from Mansfield Manor court revealed Huthwaite addressing was locally known, even though it remained part of Sutton.
In 1296 John of Hustwayt appears before Walter de Langton as executor of the will of Roger de Insula.   In 1316 there is a note that William de Hothweyt drew blood from Roger, son of William Leuwys of Normanton and had to be distrained.

Alternative naming given Hucknall appears to start when next extracted from a loosely dated Testa de Neville claiming to find it is stated that Sutton-in-Ashfield and Hucknall were a whole villa (town) being of the ancient demesne of the crown, except the fourth part which Jorden de Sutton of the same held of the king.   That did back up previously discovered records like 1341 Patent Rolls when Alice Freeman had a house and 15 acres of land in Hokenale.   Confusing mixture arises beyond 1355 Nottingham Assizes relating John, son of Hugh Cole, recovered possession of the house, 120 acres of land, and 20/- in Hothewayte Hokenale.

Introducing or altering names for less significant places might have taken years before they gain broadest recognition. But as later records only reveal further inconsistent use of either Huthwaite or Hucknall, there appeared to be two different ways of addressing this area. Key unlocking my theory was not just dating a Hucknall renaming. It was realising reference came from use elsewhere.

Initial descriptive settlement would be acceptably known between neighbouring localities. That obviously included Mansfield Manor and Sutton Parish affairs. Its insignificance however, within a larger Broxtowe district under highest county authority, might dismiss this irrelevant extended part of Sutton already being called Huthwaite. Their reference covering lands formerly known Hucknall, will likeliest trace back to when Norman knights were royally rewarded by dividing English grounds asserting them ruling manor lords.

Fully justifying a unique personal theory for Huthwaite later being called Dirty Hucknall, had to begin by answering when and why a Hucknall association was introduced. That eventually leads up to a broadly recognised more descriptively titled Hucknall-under-Huthwaite emerging into 19th century developments. So far determined are relevant factors pre-dating 1066 Norman Conquest.

1. Sutton (later defined in Ashfield) is Anglo Saxon and a vill defined by religious division holding christian parish status.
2. Hucknall (later Torkard) is also an Anglo-Saxon vill, furthermore offering chieftains name hucca to a past hundred district
3. Huthwaite identifies location of a slightly later Viking settlement, remotely situated but an integral part Sutton vill parish.
4. Huthwaite and Sutton plus other areas including Ault Hucknall, are all situated within a potentially definable Hucknall district.
5. Defining shire borders somehow placed Ault Hucknall and neighbouring Hardwick just over northern border into Derbyshire.
6. County borders slightly modified the older Hucknall Hundred, renaming Broxtowe Wapentake district inside Nottinghamshire.

Like Edward the Confessor before him, William the Conqueror next claimed ownership of all lands. Their governing system largely adopted existing feudal political, administrative and religious divisions. Seizing overall control rewarded his Norman French Barons portions of land appointing Manor Lords over past Earls. Manor sizes usually covered smallest boundaries of any parish vills, with favoured Barons allocated greater numbers. Ensuring they were all broadly distanced might seem to balance out varying acreage, productive or profitable resources and population density. But it actually cautiously lessened chance of any one family gaining full control over an entire region big enough to secretly amass enough knights to potentially raise any leadership challengers.

Sutton-in-Ashfield certainly suited an initial Manor. Domesday Book however, records an unusual reallocation of manorial coverage also combining Skegby under Great Mansfield Manor rule. Taxation accepts primary royal concern. Enforcing forestry laws realises another. A secondary Huthwaite settlement housing a few families remotely set in a forest clearing seemed insignificant. Except it happened to not just define part a west boundary shared by Sutton, Broxtowe and Nottinghamshire. Additionally defined borders of a Sherwood Forest will present highly influential reasoning to finalise most other puzzling elements. To complete an entire historic picture though, its worth starting with a previously overlooked area closely resembling size plus association linking Ault Hucknall.

Ault Hucknall

Ault Hucknall seems to merit local consideration, even if its still contentious placing that Derbyshire area originally within an earlier Hucknall hundred. Containing just three houses with an anciently significant Grade I listed church gave residents reason to claim the smallest village in England. Listed spellings for Hokenhale 1291 and Hukenalle 1428, offered earliest recognition. Adding Ault derived from Norman French haut meaning high, seems to miss implication behind Anglo-Saxon Hucknall name origins. Compared to the insignificant role Hucknall Huthwaite played already well identified, an Ault Hucknall manor surely merits Domesday mention.

Including Doe Lea just north, a 2011 civil parish population of 1,053 collectively covers Scarsdale villages and hamlets of Stainsby, Astwith, Harstoft, and Rowthorn That Chesterfield hundred did acknowledge a Hucknall manor, along with Hardwick, being passed onto the Duke of Devonshire. And gazetteers rather interestingly revealed known Nottinghamshire ties under higher county court district of Mansfield. Historically asserting Ault Hucknall was one Domesday manor held by William Peverel would be profound.

There's nothing strange about finding same named places when usually describing commonly found topographical features. Sutton actually counts 31 UK areas. Two of those inside Nottinghamshire. Huge difference with Hucknall are origins from a tribal person whom, as already shown, could hardly account for two, let alone three occurrences within such a small radius. I'm firmly believing that old church site is a keystone supporting reason when and why broader Hucknall association became introduced. Bolder still, this reasoning might even manage to actually identify one person responsible for causing all historic confusion thereafter.

Willelmi Peverell'

William the Conqueror generously rewarded William Peverel the highest number of manors by far. Many historians considered him either a favourable bastard son or rightful heir. Nevertheless, King William I certainly distinguished this particular Norman knight a trusted ally, above granting much land warily overseeing interests between other manor lords spread across combined Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire counties.

Honour of Peverel asserted William Peverel one baronial chief landowner. Building his own Peveril Castle founded name for Castleton lay beneath. Using last recognised spelling just helps emphasise influential powers held elsewhere, such as Peveril being first Norman titled Sheriff of Nottingham.

Intrigue all begins from Norman French invaders exerting ruling governance over this whole new kingdom. Forcefully taking control of England sought to adopt all legal, taxable, religious and administrative districts. It therefore stands to reason they somehow learnt where those feudal divisions stood. Referencing archived crown records best suggests where they discovered a tribal Hucknall hundred. A potential mapped layout stretching northward from first known settlement would have largely covered a redefined Broxtowe Wapentake.

Hucknall Huthwaite

Finally managing to explain where Hucknall association came from still left unanswered questions reasoning why and how it was applied to another two areas.   Big key capable of unlocking that entire mystery lay behind naming Ault Hucknall. Assuming this a second Domesday manor where two brothers ploughed 4 bovates of taxable land, the fact its under lordship of William Peveril can relate him being most capable and likeliest responsible reasserting Hucknall land to actually offer name beyond his claimed manor.   Viewing current Ault Hucknall parish layout easily sees it mainly contains scattered farm dwellings focused around St John the Baptist's Church. Collectively covering those, plus other smallest farmsteads unworthy of separate manorial status, can then see Hucknall stretching beyond Huthwaite grounds, simply to generally best identify this part of the kings barely distinguished land.

The Domesday Book gives us little more than just one locally blurred 1086 snapshot. Darkness of an overall underexposed picture is all we have up until finding 13th century documents gradually spotlighting more shadowy details.   Entire Peveril estate spanning joint shires dealt with greater concerns beyond these relatively minor areas.   As kings custodian of Nottingham Castle taking over Saxon role of shire-reeve, he was the appointed High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. To concisely conclude Hucknall basis - Peveril likely reinstated name generally spanning lands of little worth, when collectively asserting one of his minor manors.

County and district affairs barely acknowledged a locally known Huthwaite address. Directly overseeing the kings land held greater concerns taxing ploughable fields. But legally protecting forest woodlands rewardingly entertained the privileged sport of hunting. Despite some legal matters relating Huthwaite folk, Hucknall reference sufficiently satisfied higher general interests. Authoritatively defining forest boundaries eventually promoted use. Influencing Mansfield court and Sutton parish affairs to locally favour Hucknall addressing had to accept some wider confusion arising. Compromise would justify combined 15th century title Hucknall Huthwaite.