GADSBY'S   YARD

SHERWOOD STREET.

 

There being a Sherwood Road as well as Sherwood Street in the parish, it may be puzzling sometimes "to get where one wants to get." The latter, which is interlinked with Parliament Street and Low Street, was known in the days of our ancestors as "Gadsby's Yard,"—derived from a family of that name, and who owned the property there then, and who resided in a shop on the site of the old Market Hotel, with the entrance door facing Low Street. Thomas (the father of the family) died February 23rd, 1791, aged 42, and Rosamond (the mother), August 12th, 1827. aged 80. It will thus be seen that that family (whose burial-ground is in the south side of Sutton churchyard) were residents of Sutton 130 years ago at least. Matthew, their son, was an old hero. He enlisted in the 13th Light Dragoons in 1805, and went through the whole of the Peninsular War, being fortunate enough to escape without a wound. He was also present at Waterloo, and afterwards went out to the East Indies with his regiment, where he received his discharge, with a pension of 1s. 21/2d. per day. He died at Pinxton on October 28th, 1865. aged 82, but was interred at Sutton November 1st in a coffin that he had purchased 27 years previously. He was borne to his last resting-place by Sergeant T. Otaway, Corporal Dellow. Sergeant Truelove, and Private Hibbert.

Sherwood Road lies off Kirkby Road, which (from the Staff of Life corner) was originally known as Rice Road.