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Derbyshire's
Parishes, 1811 : The Town of Derby |
From
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'History of Derbyshire'
by David Peter Davies
The parishes and chapelries as they were nearly 200 years ago
Extracts from an early Derbyshire history
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Kelly's
Directory, 1891 | The Gentleman's
Magazine Library
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The Town of Derby is described under the following sub headings
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Arms of
Derby - exhibit a buck couchant in a park.
Situated in a valley on the west banks
of the River Derwent and called Northworthig
by the Saxons, it had become Deorby
by the time of the Danes. |
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 Derby in 1042 |
The King was Edward the Confessor, who reigned 1042-1066.
There were 243 burgesses or freemen:
41 burgesses had 12 plough-gates of land belonging to the borough
divided between them and 12 plough-gates of their own.
[A Plough-gate was as much land as 12 teams ploughed in a year]
The meadow ground was divided into doles and the tillage by meers.
Freemen held land by a kind of copyhold
- the King, the Earl and the church were the chief proprietors.
An annual rent of £24 was paid to crown by the borough.
There were 14 corn mills in the town.
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| Derby at the Norman Survey |
By this time, Derby was much reduced in size, in comparison to the
year 1042. There were:
100 burgesses, 40 of whom were minors;
10 corn mills;
123 dwellings waste and empty.
Derby was given to William Peverel, the illegitimate son of William
the Conqueror after the Norman Invasion [which took place in 1066]
and there was a new charter to 'encourage industry and increase the
population'. The annual rent was raised from £24 to £30 and 12 thraves
(equivalent of 18 bushels) of corn. The hamlet of Litchurch was added
to the town at this time.
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| Derby in 1811 |
The population was about 13,000 and the town was rapidly increasing
in size and population with houses 'being erected in every direction'.
There were 'modern' improvements: lighting and paving the streets
and 'the removal of those obstructions that prevented a free passage'.
An act of 1792 had appointed commissioners with the power to levy
a small rate on the inhabitants to pay for the modernisation. The
common land called Nun's-green had also been sold. Several bridges
across Markeaton Brook had been taken down and new ones were erected,
paid for by a general subscription.
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| Places of Public Worship
in 1811 |
Reminder: not all the buildings described in this section are still
standing
1. Churches
- All Saints (Allhallows)
The principal church of Derby, first mentioned in reign of Henry
III.
Contains the monuments of the Cavendish family and many members
of the family are buried in the vault beneath. The church's monuments
included those erected in the memory of :
Elizabeth Countess of Shrewsbury [Bess of Hardwick] d.
13 Feb 1607*;
William Earl of Devonshire d. 20 June 1628 and his wife Christiana
- with busts of their four children;
Caroline, Countess of Besborough d. 1760;
William Ponsonby, Earl of Besborough, her husband d. 1793;
Rev Michael Hutchinson D.D. d. 10 July 1730 [note: he
raised money for rebuilding church];
Richard Croshaw, Esq d. 1631 bu. London [note: originally a
poor nailer, who made his fortune].
*This monument, which bears the names of her father, four husbands
and family, was constructed during her lifetime and under her
direction.
In the North aisle was a tombstone dated 1400 with the following
inscription:
Subtus me jacet Johannes Lawe, Quondam Canonicus, Ecclesię Omnia
Sancti Derby, ac subdecanus ejusdem Qui Obiit Anno Dni Millimo
CCCmo. propitiatur Deus. Amen.
- St. Alkmund's
Erected about the middle of the 8th century. Stands at northern
end of the town [Bridge Gate]. Alkmund was the son of the deposed
King of Northumberland who was put to death following an attempt
to restore his father to the throne. Derby was honoured with his
remains once it was discovered that miracles were wrought at his
shrine.
It belonged to Darley Abbey until the dissolution, but Queen Mary
[reigned 1553-1558] gave it to the Corporation (in
the king's books it is a vicarage of the value of £11 6s 8d* and
has enjoyed an endowment of £60 p.a. since 1734 bequeathed by
a bachelor named Godwin). Steeple contains six bells 'and the
building has a number of rude heads and other sculptures designed
for ornaments'. Parish includes Chester, Darley, Quarndon and
Little Eaton. There are chapels of ease at Quarndon and Little
Eaton.
[*Davies notes that this must have been a mistake, because
in reign of King George I the income was only £6 p.a.]
- St. Michael's
In Queen Street, not far from St. Alkmund's. It belonged to Darley
Abbey until the dissolution, but Queen Mary [reigned 1553-1558]
gave it to the bailiffs and burgesses of the town. Living a vicarage,
united with St Weburgh's and has a monthly service. Village of
Alveston belongs to the parish.
- St. Peter
Situated near the southern extremity of the town [St Peter Street]
and is thought to be the church mentioned in the time of King
Stephen [reigned 1135-1154] and dedicated to the apostle.
In 1530 a chapel was founded by Robert Liversage of Derby, a dyer.
Living a vicarage: when Darley Abbey dissolved advowson granted
to the Corporation. Steeple contains 6 bells. Villages of Normanton,
Bolton and Litchurch belong to the parish.
- St. Werburgh's
To the west of the town on the Markeaton brook [Friargate]. In
King Stephen's reign [1135-1154] also given to Darley Abbey,
but at the dissolution 'it was recovered' and the vicarage is
now in the hands of the king. The present steeple has five bells.
Osmaston is part of the parish.
[Note 1: St Werbugh was an abbess who died about 700 A.D. She
was one of the early English royal abbesses, the daughter of King
Wufhere of Mercia and St. Ermenilda and this is one of twelve
English churches dedicated to her: References to her may be found
in
'The Penguin Dictionary of Saints', Donald Attwater; (1965)
'Oxford Dictionary of Saints', David Hugh Farmer, 2nd ed (1987)
Note 2: There is/was another church dedicated to St. Werburgh
in Derbyshire. See Spondon]
2. Other Places of Public Worship
- St. Mary's Chapel
Bridge Gate - 15th century forming part of the bridge. Thought
to have been mentioned in Domesday.
- Unitarian Meeting House - present meeting-house in Friargate
erected in reign of King William [reigned 1689-1702].
- Independents or Calvinists - chapel erected 1785
near the Brook-side.
- Baptists (both General and Perpendicular),
the Quakers and the Methodists have chapels.
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| The Principal Buildings
in 1811 |
County Hall: At the bottom of St. Mary's-gate
and erected of free-stone in 1660.
Town Hall: Built by the Corporation about
1731, on the site of a more ancient building. On the South-east side
of the Market-place.
County Goal: Near the upper end of Frair
Gate on the western side of the town. Erected in 1756 by the Corporation,
with a donation of £400 ffrom the Duke of Devonshire. A 'solid, plain,
and respectable building, well adapted for the purpose of its destination'.
Assembly Room: An elegant stone building
on the North-side of the Market-place. The foundation was laid in
1763 and was completed in 1774. It was paid fort by subscription and
subscribers included the Duke of Devonshire.
The Theatre, Bold-lane. Brick built in
1773 by Mr. James Whiteley. 'The interior is plain but commodious'.
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| Charities in 1811 |
Devonshire Alms-houses: near All Saints
and founded by the Countess of Shrewsbury for eight men and four women.
Rebuilt about 1770 by the Duke of Devonshire.
Black Alms-houses, Bridge Gate. Eight,
for four poor men and four poor women. A foundation for these was
laid by the family of Wilmot of Chaddesden 'near 300 years ago'.
Alms-house for clergymen's widows. For
five women and situated at the top of Friar-gate. Endowed by Edward
Large of Derby in 1716.
The Grey-coat Hospital in Walker's-lane.
By 1811 the endowment had vanished and the building was used for other
purposes.
Free-School, St. Peter's Churchyard.
Originally erected by the Corporation. Receipts from is endowed lands
supported two masters in 1811.
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| Trades of Derby |
Before the 18th century
- Dyer - thought to be the oldest trade. In the reign of Edward
III [reigned 1327-1377], Derby had exclusive privelege:
everywhere else within 30 miles, except for Nottingham, was prohibited
from the trade.
- Wool - traded from early times.
- Malt - ...'from the excellent good ale brewed'... (p. 492 Britannia,
Campden)
From the beginning of the 18th century to 1811
- Stocking frame knitting introduced. In 1795 Messrs. Jedediah
Strutt and William Woollatt obtained a patent for making ribbed
stockings. 'The manufacture of silk and cotton hose employs a
great many hands in the town'.
- First silk mill in England built, standing on an island in the
River Derwent. The silk industry was introduced by Mr. John Lombe;
by 1811 it employed 'about 240 hands (principally women and children)'.
- Other mills of a similar nature 'which require the aid of water',
such as those established by Messrs. Strutts, for the making of
silk and cotton.
- The Porcelain Manufactory established in 1750 by Mr.
Deusbury. 'It is thought to be equal in fineness of texture with
the French and the Saxon ... the paintings are in general rich
and well executed and the gilding and burnishing very beautiful'.
It belongs at present to Messrs. Duesbury and Key, who employ
about 200 workmen.
- Messrs. Brown and Son, Bridge Gate - sawing and polishing marble
and forming fluospar or Blue John 'into a great variety of ornaments'.
- The business of Lapidary (precious stones) and Jeweller commenced
about the same time as that of porcelain. The articles, chiefly
paste, 'are thought to be executed with great elegance and ingenuity'.
By 1811 the trade was thought to be on the decline.
- Small bleaching mill on Nun's-green, aided by a small steam
engine.
- Mill for slitting and rolling iron.
- A large furnace for smelting copper ore, with a machine for
rolling copper into sheets.
- A red-lead mill.
- Mill for making tinned plates.
- An extensive shot-mill
For more about the Mills, read "The Derwent Valley Mills and
their Communities"  Details
are onsite
See the
wonderful engraving of Derby, dated 1811, by Henry Moore
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