LENTON, a parish in the southern division of the
wapentake of BROXTOW, county of NOTTINGHAM, 1
mile (W. S. W.) from Nottingham, containing 1240 inhabitants.
The living is a discharged vicarage, in the
archdeaconry of Nottingham, and diocese of York,
rated in the king's books at £9 2. 65., endowed with
£400 royal bounty, and £200 parliamentary grant, and
in the patronage of the Crown. The church is dedicated
to the Holy Trinity. The village of Lenton has
recently increased in importance, several new streets,
and many elegant mansions having been erected, and
manufactories for lace and extensive bleaching-works
established. The Nottingham canal passes through the
parish. A fair for cattle, sheep, and hogs, is held on
St. Martin's day, and another on the Wednesday in
Whitsun-week. The Peverel court, for the recovery of
debts not exceeding £50, the jurisdiction of which extends
over parts of the counties of Derby, Nottingham,
and Stafford, is held here  every Tuesday: the charter
for holding this court was granted by William the Conqueror
to his son, William Peverel, and confirmed by
others subsequently granted by Charles II. and Anne]:
the officers constituting the court are, a steward, deputy
steward, and judge, prothonotary, and capital bailiff.
Here is a prison for debtors, of which the bailiff is
gaoler. There are some remains of a Cluniac priory,
founded, in the reign of Henry I., by William Peverel, in
honour of the Holy Trinity; it was subject to the great
foreign abbey of Cluny, but, on the suppression of other
Alien priories, the monks here procured it to be made
denizen, and thus it survived till the general dissolution,
when its revenue was estimated at £417 19 3.
Here was also a house of Carmelite friars, and, in the
church-yard, an hospital dedicated to St. Anthony.