Malcolm Plumb, Town Clerk
It seems from existing documents and research that the first reference
to Eastwood was in the Doomsday Survey in 1086 which referred to
a small Saxon settlement called ‘Estwic’. A  later
reference by a Minister of Religion (Owen Meredith) corrected this
name to 'Eastwick alias Eastwood'. Thus - by this simple act - our
current name was born. A copy of this section of the Doomsday Book
can be seen in the now restored Durban House on Mansfield Road.
The original small settlement (about 28 houses) remained as such
until about 1830 when corn milling, pottery, brewing, rope making
and brick making joined the traditional activity of the area - that
of farming. Roads, canals and railways increased the population
further.
In 1875, a marriage took place in St. Stephens Church, Sneinton,
Nottingham, between a schoolteacher Lydia Beardsall and a coal miner
Arthur Lawrence. They had five children and the youngest was named
David Herbert Lawrence. 'Bert' as he was known, grew up to follow
his mother's profession in teaching and then - as history now shows
- to become a literary legend.
Many of D. H. Lawrence's writings used characters and locations
from Eastwood and surrounding areas and the similarity was not lost
on local people.
Lawrence married a daughter of a German Aristocrat in 1914 and probably
as a result of intimidation from local people during the 1914/18
war became progressively unsettled. It is also clear that Lawrence
was increasingly disillusioned with the many unpleasant social consequences
of industrialisation. As his fame as a writer grew - and his income
- he travelled extensively with his wife to America, Asia, Australia
and Europe. He spent much of his later life in Taos, New Mexico
and after his death, his remains were finally laid to rest in Mexico.
Eastwood continued to develop in the early 1900's, mainly through
coal mining and the Town's proximity to road, canals and the railway.
In 1900 the main railway line was called the Great Northern Railway
and the canal was the Nottingham Canal. Agriculture, corn milling,
framework knitting, malting and brewing, rope making and pottery
all developed during industrialisation, but coal mining remained
the principal industry. Records show the location of many mines
from small 'bell shaped' holes in fields to the main pits (eg Moorgreen
Colliery).
In 1908 the local Urban District Council opened its new offices
in Church Street. Built at a cost of £2000 it housed the Council
Chambers and offices for the Town Clerk and Council Surveyor. Pictures
of the Council dignitaries at this time are still held in the Town
Council records. Situated behind the Council offices was Eastwood
Fire Station. It is a curious similarity that the present day Eastwood
Fire Station situated on Nottingham Road is again sited next to
the present day Town Council's Offices.
Progressing further in the 20th Century, Eastwood developed into
much of what can be seen today. During the two world wars, Eastwood
coal, metal castings, rope and wire products and agriculture all
continued to make valuable contributions. During the 2nd world war,
Eastwood had it's own Company of Soldiers attached to the famous
Sherwood Foresters Regiment. The War Memorial at the junction of
Nottingham Road and Plumptre Way commemorates the names of Eastwood
people who gave their lives in both world wars.
And so Eastwood continued to develop but during the mid half of
the Century this development slowed down. Canal traffic had, of
course, long since disappeared when the railways took over the freight
transport. Both the railway line and the local coal mines were closed
and as a consequence Eastwood saw a 'mini depression' with unemployment,
some poverty and shops closing down. The population of Eastwood
fought back however and following the spirit of D. H. Lawrence's
personal symbol - the mythological Phoenix raising itself from the
ashes - has now created a new atmosphere of regeneration.
The History of Eastwood therefore continues and the Town is again
becoming a thriving community with considerable potential for building
a new and exciting future from a proud past.
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