Norton Disney

Description and Travel

Norton Disney is both a parish and a village that lies in the vale of the River Witham, 7 miles NE of Newark and 11 miles SSW of Lincoln. The two Nottinghamshire parishes of North and South Collingham lie to the west, and the Lincolnshire parishes of Swinderby and Thurlby to the north. The parish covers just over 2,300 acres of good farmland.

The small village of Norton Disney is just south and east off of the A46 trunk road between Lincoln and Newark. The River Witham passes just south of the village. If you are planning a visit:

• Check out the village at The Norton Disney Story.
  
  
• Use our touring page for area resources.
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Bassingham sub-district of the Newark Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

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Church History

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to St. Peter. It contains several ancient monuments to the Disney (d'Isney) family.
  
  
• The "Topographical Dictionary of England", 1848, tells us that the parish church is dedicated to All Saints.
  
  
• The church seats 170.
  
  
• Here is a photo of the Church of St. Peter taken by (and copyright of) Wendy Parkinson.

• Here is a photo of the Church of St. Peter taken by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• The parish register dates from 1578, but the Bishop's transcript goes back to 1562.
  
  
• Parish registers are on file at the Society of Genealogists, covering 1578 - 1812.
  
  
• Marriages are in Boyd's Marriage Index, covering 1651 - 1812 and Pallot's Marriage Index, covering 1790 - 1812.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several indexes (marriage and burial) for the Graffoe Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• Methodism came to Norton Disney circa 1821. The Wesleyan Methodists built a chapel here, apparently in 1894. For information and assistance in researching this chapel, see our non-conformist religions page.
  
  
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
  
  

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Civil Registration

• The parish was in the Bassingham sub-district of the Newark Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration starting in July, 1837.
  
  

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History

• The D'ISNEY family was established here by 1300, living in a moated mansion which has since fallen into ruins.
  
  
• William DISNEY was Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1532. His son, Ricahrd DISNEY held that office in 1556 and 1566.
  
  

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Land and Property

• In 1871, most of the land was owned by the Viscount St. Vincent of Godmersham Park in Kent. In 1913, he was still the principal landowner.
  
  

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Manors

• Norton Disney Hall is the manor house in the parish. It has long been the seat of the D'ISNEY (or DISNEY) family, from whom Walt DISNEY is decended.
  
  

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Maps

• The village is at National Grid Reference SK 8859.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has a scale of 2.5 inches to the mile.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Military History

• During the Second World War, RAF Norton Disney was home to 95 MU.
  
  

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Names, Geographical

The parish name derives from the Old English north+tun, which means "northern farmstead" coupled with the Norman family name de Isney. In the 1086 Domesday Book, the parish is listed simply as Nortune. In 1331, the parish is first recorded as Norton Isney.
["A Dictionary of English Place-Names," A. D. Mills, Oxford University Press, 1991]

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Names, Personal

The following surnames were found in the 1872 White's Directory of Lincolnshire under this parish:

BATTERBY, CURTIS, DIXON, FISHER, HITCH, LACEY, LYNN, MARSHALL, MARTIN, MARRIOTT, PEACOCK, ROBERTS, ROBINSON, ROGERS, SEWELL, WALKER, WELLS, and WILSON.

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Politics and Governance

• The parish was in the lower division of the ancient Boothby-Graffoe Wapentake in the North Kesteven district in the parts of Kesteven.
  
  
• For today's governance, see the North Kesteven District Council.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• Around 1758, Dr. Samuel DISNEY left the interest on £100 to provide books to the poor of Norton Disney, Swinderby and St. Margaret's parish in Lincoln.
  
  
• After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, the parish became part of the Newark Poor Law Union in 1837.
  
  

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Population

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Schools

• The children of this parish attended the schools at Bassingham, Carlton-le-Moorland and Stapleford.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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