Nottinghamshire 
ContentsLeverton (South) parish contains 484 inhabitants, and 2500 acres of land, including the township of Cottam, which contains 89 inhabitants, and about 625 acres of land, which, by an agreement of the parishioners, was formed into a distinct township to keep its own poor.
South Leverton is a scattered pleasantly situated village, 5 miles east from Retford, commanding extensive prospects, in which Lincoln minster may be seen at a distance of 20 miles. The Lincoln branch of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway runs through the parish, and has two stations; one about half way between the village and North Leverton, and the other at Cottam. The Church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient structure, with nave, chancel, side aisles, and a tower, in which are three bells, and which in 1846 had about £400 expended upon it in alterations, repairs and re-pewing. The living is a vicarage, valued in the King's Books at £6 13s 4d, and by the gift of William Rufus, is in the patronage and appropriation of the Dean of Lincoln, and the incumbency of the Rev. John Mickle. At the enclosure in 1797 of the open fields and marshes, 382a 2r 30p of land were awarded to the Dean of Lincoln, and 53a 3r 15p to the vicar, in lieu of the great and small tithes, in addition to 10a 1r 17p of ancient glebe.
Under draining the land has for several years been rapidly progressing here, and the parish expended annually for five years £500 in making and repairing their roads, which amount to about 18 miles. G.S. Foljambe Esq. is the lord of manor, the principal owners are Lord Middleton and G.H. Vernon Esq., and the latter is lessee under the Dean of Lincoln; Rev. H. Massingberd, the Trustees of the late William White Moody, Thos. W. Gylby and G.K. Holmes Esq. are also owners in the manor, which was of the King's great soke of Mansfield, and was granted in 22nd of Henry III to Henry de Hastings. The parish feast is held on the Sunday before October 2nd. John Sampson in 1691 granted to eight trustees the school buildings, and a yearly rent charge of £20, out of an estate for the maintenance of a master to teach poor children of South Leverton. The vicar of this parish and those of North Wheatley and Sturton are appointed visitors to inspect the school and the trustees' accounts. A neat Wesleyan Chapel was erected in 1847, at a cost of £350.
Cottam is a township and chapelry at the east end of the parish, on an eminence overlooking the vale of the Trent, 7 miles east by south from Retford, and 2½ from South Leverton. The small chapel is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, in which devine service is performed once a fortnight.
Residents of South Leverton parish, 1853. White's Directory of Nottinghamshire 1853
© Copyright C.R.G. Henly 1997