Nottingham 
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Most such places have been the sites of ancient castles, or religious houses, the owners of which were privileged with an independent jurisdiction, and did not permit any interference with their own authority within their own limits. Hence, they enjoy a vurtual exemption from maintaining the poor, because they have no overseer on who a magistrate's order may be served; from the militia laws, because they have no constable to make returns; and from repairing the highways, because they have no surveyor. According to the ancient law of England, such places were not "Geldable nor Shireground"; and as the sheriff was the receiver-general in his county, till about the time of the Revolution in 1688, extra parochial districts were neither taxable, nor within the ordinary pale of jurisdiction. They are still virtually exempt from many civil duties, and the inhabitants are not called upon to serve many public offices, to which others are liable.
These exclusive privileges are enjoyed by all the Castle-ground at Nottingham, viz. the Castle Enclosure, the Park, Standard Hill and Brewhouse Yard which, though they contain 117 houses at the west end of Nottingham, are not within the jurisdiction of the "town and county of the town", but included within the county at large, and within the hundred of Broxtow. Many neat mansions have, during the last twenty years, been erected in the Park and Standard Hill, the inhabitants of which avoid the payment of their just share of the parochial burthens of the town.
This is a small district under the south-east side of the castle rock, and on the north bank of the Leen, where the old Waterworks' Company have an engine house. It was formerly in the jurisdiction of the castle, and contained a malt kiln and brewhouse, for the use of the garrison; but in 1621, James I constituted it a separate Constabulary, and granted it to Francis Philips, gent, and Edward Ferres, mercer, both of London. Here is a dye house, and two public houses, one of which has a hole cut in the rock, with a hole at the top for the admission of light, from which it has obtained the name of the Star Parlour.
Another tavern has two large chambers and other conveniences, cut in the rock, near the entrance to Mortimer's Hole, which is now walled up. Dr Thoroton, in speaking of this place, calls it "a receptacle for fanatics, and other like people, who could not live conformable to the laws". A cosiety of people used to meet here, called the Philadelphians, or the Family of Love, from the love which they professed to bear all men, though never so wicked. Their founder was one David George, an Anabaptist of Holland, who propogated the new doctrine in Switzerland, where he died in 1556, after which his tenets were declared to be impious, and his body and books sentenced to be burnt by the common hangman. Since King James' reign, Brewhouse Yard has had a constable and overseer. Mr Charles Ley is the former, and Mr John Fisher the latter.
This comprises about five acres, nearly one half of which is occupied by St James' Church, and the gardens of the General Infirmary, the north end of which charitable institution is within the limits of the county of the town, in the parish of St Nicholas', which bounds Standard Hill on the east, as the Park does on the north and west, and the outward wall of the castle on the south. This was formerly called Hill Close, and took its present name from the Royal standard, which Charles I set up here on August 25th 1642. In 1807, the Duke of Newcastle divided that part not occupied by the Infirmary into 32 building plots, containing together about 9,000 square yards, which he sold for nearly £7,000. Since this sale, St James' Church, and upwards of 60 large and handsome houses have been erected, so that every building site is now occupied, each purchaser having covenanted "to pave and keep in repair one half of the streets, so far as they respectively extend in front, or by the side of his lot; to make foot pavements four feet broad; and not to build any houses upon the premises, of less value than £25 per annum, nor erect any manufactory, or suffer any obnoxious trade whatsoever to be carried on". In 1814, the parishioners of Nottingham complained that the wealthy inhabitants who had built houses on Standard Hill, were not only exempt from the poor rates of the town, but refused to relieve those paupers who by servitude were considered to have gained a settlement in that extra parochial district. In consequence of these grievances, the magistrates appointed of the inhabitants Overseers, and afterwards gave orders for the removal of a pregnant servant girl from St Mary's parish, to the house of one of the said overseers, where she was refused admittance. After an expensive law suit, in which the three parishes of Nottingham united, it was finally determined by the Court of the King's Bench, "that Standard Hill, not having been proved to be an ancient Ville, or ville by reputation, is not subject to the jurisdiction of magistrates in the appointment of overseers. Consequently, according to this decision, no settlement can be made within its boundaries either by servitude, occupation, or any other means.
This is bounded on the north by Standard Hill, on the east by Gillyflower Hill, on the south by Brewhouse Yardm and on the west by the Park. It contains about nine acres, including the abrupt declivities of the rock, on the south and west sides, where many trees have been planted, and where one or two modern Gothic buildings may be seen peeping through the sylvan recess. The Riding School stands within its limits, a little below the castle lodge where, in 1798, some part of the old wall was removed to make way for its creation by the Nottingham troop of Yeomanry Cavalry. It is now used as a carriage repository.
This contains 129 acres, 1 rood, and 9 perches of land, and is bounded on the south by the Leen, on the east by Castle Rock and Standard Hill, and on the north and west by the parishes of Radford and Lenton. It is now an open pasture, except a bowling green, and garden plot at its south-east corner, the site of the barracks at its north-east corner, and its eastern and northern boundaries, which have been lined with large and beautiful houses, with hanging gardens in front, descending by an abrupt but picturesque semicircular sweep to the green pasture of the park. Many very curious excavations have been made in the rock by the owners of these houses. The Park forms a leasant summer promenade, and is much frequented from different roads leading though it to Wilford, Lenton, Wollaton &c. Until 1720 it was well stocked with deer, and had many large trees, but both have now disappeared, except a few sycamores, a little above the barracks. Formerly there was a fish pond in the lower angle of the Park, facinf the Castle Rock, Which was converted about the year 1700 into a reservoir bu the Waterworks' Company, who so neglected it, that it became a filthy bog, and in 1795 was divided by the Duke of Newcastle's agent into garden plots, and let to the inhabitants of the town, as also was the picturesque acclivity of the Park Hill, in 1809, which rises to a considerable altitude above it and the River Leen, and had been unproductive for ages. This sterile spot has, by the labour and horticultural skill of its occupants, been converted into a fertile and delightful paradise. One portion has been converted into a bowling green. On the north side of the Park is the appearance of an embankment enclosing an oblong area, to which tradition has given the name of Queen's Gardens.
White's Directory of Nottinghamshire 1853
[Last updated 19 June 1997 - Clive Henly]
© Copyright C.R.G. Henly 1997