):! 0% HVHgFI^ *&! *! ^IOS -ANGELfr. ;0$B ^HIBI .OF-CALIFO% IVERi/A C OF-CALIFO%, ' OF CHES ' CHATSWOIiTH, HARD WICK, BOLSOVE CHKSTF.KKIKLD. - m for the sake of avoiding disputes and controversies that might arise hereafter upon that occasion, that we would vouchsafe to make, reduce and create, those Burgesses and Inhabitants into one certain, definite and undoubted body corporate and politic ; We therefore, considering that the borough of Chesterfield aforesaid is an ancient and populous borough, and being desirous that for the future a certain and undoubted method may be continually held in the said bo- rough, for the keeping of the peace and the ruling and governing the people there, and that the borough for ever hereafter may be and continue to be a borough of peace and quietness, to the terror of evil doers and the reward of them that do well ; and also that our peace and other acts ef justice may be kept and done there without farther delay, of our special grace,, and f rom our certain knowledge and mere motion, We will, ordain, THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, 21 constitute and grant, for us, our heirs and successors, by these presents, that as well the borough as the Town of Chesterfield aforesaid may be and continue to be for ever hereafter a free borough of itself, and that the Burgesses of that borough and the Inhabitants of the aforesaid Town, for ever hereafter may be and shall be one Body Corporate and politic in fact, and named by the appellation of Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses, of the borough of Chesterfield ; and by these presents we make, ordain, and create them really and fully, for us, our heirs and successors, one Body Corporate and politic, by the name of Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the borough of Chesterfield, and that by the same name they may have a perpetual succession, and that they by the name of Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the borough of Chesterfield, may be and shall be for ever hereafter, persons proper and capable in law to have, re- quire, receive, and possess, lands, tenements, liberties, privileges, jurisdictions, franchises, and hereditaments, of what sort, nature or kind soever they be, to themselves and their successors in fee and perpetuity, and also to give, grant, demise, and assign, the same lands, tenements, and hereditaments, and to do and execute all and singular other acts and things by the aforesaid name ; And that by the name of Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the borough of Chesterfield they may plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, defend and be defended, in all courts and places, and before any judges and justices and other persons and officers of us, our heirs and successors, in all and singular actions, suits, complaints, causes, matters and demands whatsoever, of what sort, nature, condition, or kind soever, in the same manner and form as other our subjects of this our Kingdom of England, being persons proper and capable in law, can plead and be impleaded, defend and be defended, and have, require, receive, possess, give, grant, and demise, and that the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, and their successors for ever hereafter, may have their Seal, to serve for all the causes and businesses of them and their successors ; and that it be lawful and shall be lawful for the same Mayor, Aldermen, and Bur- gesses of the aforesaid borough, and their successors, to break, change, and make anew, that Seal, according to their pleasure, from time to time , as shall seem to them more expedient ; And we farther will, and for us, our heirs and successors by these presents grant, to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough and their successors, that for ever hereafter there may be and shall be in the aforesaid bo- rough, one Mayor, six Aldermen, and six Brothers, to be chosen and appointed out of the Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, in the form below specified in these our letters patent; and for the better execu- tion of the same our wills and grants in this respect, we have assigned, nominated, appointed, and made, and for us, our heirs and successors do assign, nominate, appoint, and make, our beloved Ralph Clerke, Burgess of the aforesaid borough, that he shall be and is the first and modern Mayor of the aforesaid borough, willing that the same Ralph Clerke shall be, and shall continue in the office of Mayor of the same borough, from the date of these presents to the Feast of Saint Michael the Arch- angel next ensuing, and from the same Feast till another Burgess of the 22 THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. aforesaid borough shall be appointed and sworn to that office, according to the ordinances and provisions in these presents below expressed and specified, if the same Ralph Clerke shall so long live. Also we assign, nominate, and appoint, by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, our beloved John Woodward, Godfrey Heathcott, Thomas Heathcott, Thomas Raynshaw, Hugh Wheldon, and Thomas Ingman, Burgesses of the said borough of Chesterfield ; that they shall be and are the first and modern Aldermen of the said borough, and that they shall be and continue in the office of Aldermen of the same borough from the date of these presents, so long as they shall behave themselves well in the same. And moreover we nominate and appoint by these presents, our beloved Thomas Rawlinson, Martin Britland, James Britland, John Dobb, John Knott, and John Ash, Burgesses of the said borough, that they shall be and are the first and modern Brothers of the said borough, to be and continue in that office from the date of these presents, so long as Ihey shall behave themselves well in the same ; we also will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, ordain and grant to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses, of the aforesaid borough and their successors, that for ever hereafter there be and shall be in the aforesaid borough, twelve Men of the better and more reputable Bur- gesses of the aforesaid "borough, who shall be called and named Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, and together with the Mayor, Alder- men, and Brothers of the said borough for the time being, shall be made and for ever hereafter shall be called the Common Council of the aforesaid borough, for all things, matters, and causes, touching or concerning the aforesaid borough, and the good state, regimen, and government thereof, and they are and shall be from time to time, aids and assistants to the said Mayor, Aldermen and Brothers for the time being, in all causes and matters touching the same borough ; and we have assigned and nomi- nated, and appointed, and for us, our heirs and successors, do assign, nominate, and appoint, our beloved William Webster, Richard Fletcher, Ralph Ashe the younger, Richard Woodward, Godfrey Platts, Ralph Penyston, William Heathcott, Peter Dowker, Thomas Fore, Ralph Heathcott, John Hemmesley, and George Ingman, that they shall be and are the first and modern Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, so to continue in those offices so long as they shall behave themselves well in the same. And we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do ordain and grant to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, and their successors for ever, that it may and shall be lawful for the same Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses of the said borough for the time being, or for the greater part of them, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, to have, keep, require, provide, or appoint, a certain Council House or Guildhall, within the aforesaid borough; and that the same Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses for the time being, or the greater part of them who shall be assembled together, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, as often as it shall appear to them necessary and convenient, may for ever hereafter call together and hold in the same House, a certain Court or Convocation of the same Mayor, THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 23 Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses, or of the greater part of them, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one ; and in the same Court or Convocation treat, refer, consult, advise, and determine, con- cerning the statutes, laws, articles and ordinances of the aforesaid borough, and the good regimen, state and government thereof, according to their sound discretion, and according to the sound discretion of the greater part of the same who shall be assembled for the time being, of whom we will that the Mayor be one ; and that the Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses for the time being, or the greater part of the same who shall be so assembled, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, in the Court or Convocation aforesaid gathered together and as- sembled, may have, and by these presents shall have for ever hereafter, full power, authority and faculty, of composing, constituting, ordaining, and making, establishing, and publishing from time to time, such laws, institutes, rights, ordinances and constitutions, which to them or to the greater part of them so assembled, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, shall appear according to their sound discretion to be good, wholesome, useful, honest, and necessary, for the good regimen and government of the Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, and of all and singular other Burgesses of the same borough, and the merchants, officers, ministers, artificers, inhabitants and residents of that borough, or within that borough for the time being ; and also for the government of a Grammar School, hereafter to be erected, founded and established within the same borough, and of a Master and Usher of the same, and of Boys in the same school hereafter to be educated, and for a declaration in what manner and order the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers, Capital Burgesses, and all other and singular ministers, officers, burgesses, artificers, inhabitants and residents of that borough, or within the aforesaid borough, and their factors, children, servants and apprentices, in their offices, functions, services, trades, educations, exercises and businesses within the aforesaid borough, the liberty and precincts of the same for the time being, and from time to time, shall behave and demean themselves and otherwise for the farther public good, common utility, and good regimen of the aforesaid borough. And also for the better preservation, government, disposal, letting and demising of the lands, tenements, possessions, revenues and hereditaments of the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, or their successors, and of all other things and causes whatso- ever, touching or in any way concerning the aforesaid borough, or the statutes, rights, and interests of the same ; and that the Mayor, Alder- men, Brothers and Capital Burgesses of the same borough, for the time being, or the greater part of them, who for the time being shall be gathered together or assembled, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, as often as they shall compose, make, ordain, or establish in the aforesaid form, such laws, institutes, rights, ordinances and constitutions, may for ever hereafter make, ordain, limit, and provide such pains, punishments, penalties, and bodily imprisonments, either by fines and amerciaments, or by disfranchisements, and removing from the liberties, privileges, and immunities of the same borough, or by any one 24 THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. of these towards and upon all offenders against such laws, institutes, rights, ordinances and constitutions, or any of them, as to the same Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, or the greater part of them assembled as aforesaid, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, shall seem necessary and requisite for the observation of the aforesaid laws, ordinances and constitutions, and that they may levy and have the same fines and amerciaments, without impediment of us or our heirs or successors, or any officers or ministers of us or our heirs or successors, all and singular which laws, ordinances, and constitutions that shall be made as aforesaid, we for us, our heirs and successors, by these presents will, ordain and command, to be observed under the penalties to be therein contained, yet so that the laws, ordinances, institutes and constitutions of this sort be not repugnant nor contrary to the laws and statutes of our Kingdom of England ; and moreover we will, and for us our heirs and successors, by these presents grant to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, and their successors, that the Mayor, Aid ei men, Brothers and Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough for the time being or the greater part of them, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, from time to time for ever hereafter, may have and shall have power and authority every year, on the Sunday next after the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, to chuse and nominate one out of the number of the aforesaid six Aldermen, who shall be Mayor of the said borough for one whole year then next ensuing ; and that he, after he shall be chosen and nominated as aforesaid to be Mayor of the aforesaid borough, before he be admitted to execute that office, shall make his corporal oath on the Monday next following his nomination and election aforesaid, before the last Mayor his predecessor, if he be living, otherwise before the aforesaid Aldermen of the aforesaid borough for the time being or the greater part of them, in the aforesaid Court or Council House, well and faithfully to perform the office, and that after such oaths so made, he may execute the office of Mayor of the aforesaid borough for one whole year then next ensuing ; And if it shall happen that any Mayor of the aforesaid borough, at any time within one year after he hath been chosen, appointed and sworn as aforesaid, die or be removed from his office, that then and so often it be lawful and shall be lawful for ihe aforesaid Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses of the said borough for the time being, or for the greater part of them, to chuse and appoint another Mayor of the aforesaid borough, out of the number of the aforesaid Aldermen, and that he thus newly elected and appointed, may have and exercise that office during the remainder of the same year, having first made his corporal oath in the aforesaid form, and this as often as that case shall happen. We will, moreover, and for us our heirs and successors, by these presents grant to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough and their successors, that if it shall happen that any one or more of the aforesaid Aldermen of the aforesaid borough for the time being shall die, or be removed from his or their places, that then and so often it may and shall be lawful for the Mayor and other Aldermen, and Brothers and Capital Burgesses of the THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD, 25 aforesaid borough, or the greater part of them, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, to chuse, nominate and appoint one or more others out of the number of the Brothers of the same borough for the time being, into the place or places of that or those Aldermen who happened so to die or be removed ; and that he or they so elected and appointed, having first before the Mayor of the aforesaid borough for the time being, made his or their corporal oath, shall be -of the number of the aforesaid Aldermen of the aforesaid borough, and this as often as that case shall so happen ; and if it shall happen that any one or more of the aforesaid Brothers of the aforesaid borough for the time being, at any time hereafter die or be removed from his or their places, that then and so often it may be and shall be lawful for the Mayor and Aldermen and other Brothers and capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, or the greater part of them who shall be assembled, of whom we will the aforesaid Mayor shall be one, to chuse, nominate and appoint one or more others of the Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, into the place or places of the said Brother or Brothers who happened to die or be removed; and that he or they so elected and appointed, having first before the Mayor of the aforesaid borough for the time being, made his or their corporal oath, shall be from that time of the number of the aforesaid Brothers of the aforesaid borough, and this as often as that case shall so happen ; and if it shall happen that any one or more of the aforesaid Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough for the time being, die or be removed from his or their places, that then and so often it may and shall be lawful for the Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and other Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, still surviving or remaining, or for the greater part of them who for the time being shall be assembled, of whom we will that the Mayor of the aforesaid borough be one, to chuse, nominate and appoint one or more others of the Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, into the place or places of the Capital Burgess or Burgesses who hap- pened so to die or be removed ; and that he or they so elected and appointed, having first made before the Mayor of the aforesaid borough for the time being, his or their corporal oath, shall be of the number of the Capital Burgesses aforesaid, and this as often as that case shall so happen ; and if any person or persons who shall have been elected and nominated to the offices of Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers or Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, or to any one or other of these, and having knowledge and intelligence of that election and nomination, shall refuse or deny the office or offices to which he or they so refusing and denying, have been elected and nominated, then and so often it may and shall be lawful for the Mayor and Aldermen of the aforesaid borough for the time being, or the greater part of the same, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, to commit to prison within the aforesaid borough, the person or persons so refusing and denying to exercise the office or offices to which he or they have been elected and nominated ; moreover, that the aforesaid Mayor and Aldermen, or the greater part of them, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, may appoint him or them to continue there in some convenient place, until he or they are willing to exercise the office ox offices, and tax and impose fines and 26 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. amerciaments upon such refusing person or persons, as to the said Mayor and Aldermen for the time being, or to the greater part of them, of whom we will the aforesaid Mayor be one, shall seem reasonable ; and commit to prison within the aforesaid borough, and keep in the same him or them so refusing, until he or they pay or cause to be paid, those fines and amerciaments for the use of the said borough. And farther we will, and for us, our heirs and successors by these presents grant, to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, that they and their successors for ever, may have in the aforesaid borough one honest and discreet man, who shall be and shall be called, the Com- mon Clerk of that borough ; and that the Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses of that borough for the time being, or the greater part of the same who for the time shall be assembled, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, may chuse, nominate and appoint from time to time, one honest and discreet man to be the Common Clerk of the said borough ; and that he who shall be chosen, nominated and appointed the Common Clerk of the same borough as aforesaid, may have, exercise, and enjoy the office of the Common Clerk of that borough, so long as he shall behave himself well in the same. And as often as, and whensoever it shall happen, that the said Common Clerk for the tune being shall die, or be removed from his office, that then and so often, it may and shall be lawful for the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses of the aforesaid borough for the time being, or for the greater part of them who shall be assembled, of whom we will the aforesaid Mayor be one, to nominate, chuse and appoint another in the place of him dying or being removed, and this as often as that case shall so happen. We have granted moreover, and for us, our heirs and successors by these presents do grant to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, and to their successors, that the Mayor of the same borough for the time being, for ever hereafter may and shall have power and authority of taking recognizances, according to the form of the statute of Acton Burnell, and according to the form of the statute of Merchants, set forth in the parliament of Lord Edward the First, our progenitor, in the thirteenth year of his reign ; and that the Common Clerk of the same borough for the time being, for ever hereafter may and shall be the Clerk of us, our heirs and successors, to receive, make, and inroll due recognizances, according to the form of the aforesaid statutes ; And for us, our heirs and successors, the said Com- mon Clerk of the aforesaid borough for the time being, we make, ordain and appoint by these presents, the Clerk of us, our heirs and successors, to receive, make and inroll due recognizances, according to the form of the aforesaid statute within the borough aforesaid ; so that, if any merchant or other person hereafter, shall cause his debtor or debtors to come before the aforesaid Mayor of the borough aforesaid, for the time be- ing, and the Common Clerk of the same borough for the time being, and before them to recognize his or their debts and the day of payment, then the same recognizance may be inrolled by the Common Clerk aforesaid, according to the form of the aforesaid statute. And that the aforesaid Mayor of the borough aforesaid for the time being, and the Common THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 27 Clerk of the same borough for the time being, may have for ever hereafter a Seal of two pieces, of which the larger piece shall remain in the power of the Mayor of the aforesaid borough for the time being, and the less piece from thence shall remain in the power of the aforesaid Common Clerk of the same borough for the time being, for the sealing of such recognizances ; and that the said Mayor and Common Clerk, and any of them for ever hereafter may do and transact all and singular other things which are appointed and required by the aforesaid statutes, or any of them, in and about the aforesaid recognizances. We have granted moreover, and for us, our heirs and successors by these presents do grant to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, and their successors, that the Mayor of the same borough for the time being, for ever hereafter during the tune in which he shall happen to be in the office of Mayor of the same borough, be a Justice of us, our heirs and successors, to preserve and cause to be preserved the peace and the statutes concerning labourers and artificers, weights and measures, in the same borough, the liberty and precincts of the same, and all and singular the things which to the office of one Justice of the peace within the same borough, the liberty and precincts of the same appertain to be done : the same Mayor of the same borough for the time being, may do and perform from time to time. And all and singular things which to more Justices within the borough aforesaid, appertain to be done, the same Mayor for the time being, together with other Justices of the peace of the said county of Derby, may do and perform for ever hereafter, as fully and intirely, and in as ample manner and form as any other Justices of our peace of our heirs and successors, in our county of Derby, by the laws and statutes of this our kingdom of England is enabled to do and perform ; So that no Justices of our peace of our heirs or successors in the said county of Derby, or his ministers, may introduce themselves within the aforesaid borough, the liberty or precincts of the same, to do any thing which to our Justice of the peace appertains to be done ; nor yet enter by himself or his ministers for ever hereafter, within the same borough, the liberties and precincts of the same, without the aforesaid Mayor of the same borough, to do any thing which to the office of two or more Justices of the peace appertains to be done. And farther, we will, and for us, our heirs and successors grant by these presents to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, and to their successors, that they and their successors for ever hereafter, may have, hold, use, and enjoy, as well within the borough aforesaid, the liberty and precincts of the same, as elsewhere, all and singular the customs, liberties, privileges, franchises, immunities, acquittances, ex- emptions, jurisdictions, lands, tenements, revenues, reversions, services, annuities, demises and hereditaments, whatsoever, which the Mayor, Al- dermen and Burgesses of the said borough, or the Aldermen and Burgesses of the same borough, or the Burgesses of the same borough, or a Comptrol- ler and Burgess of that borough, or inhabitants of the same borough, or men of Chesterfield, or any one or more of them, or any other person or persons, to their use or the use of any of them, by what name or names soever, or by what incorporation, or by pretext of what incorporation 28 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Soever, have heretofore had, held, exercised, used, or enjoyed, or ought to have, hold, exercise, use, or enjoy, by reason or pretext of any charters or letters patent, by us, or by any of our predecessors or pro- genitors, or by any other person or persons in any wise heretofore made, confirmed or granted, or by what other legal manner, right, custom, use, prescription or title heretofore commonly had and used, any abuse and non-use, or evil use thereof, heretofore made or committed, to the contrary notwithstanding; all and singular which customs, liberties, privileges, franchises, immunities, acquittances, exemptions, jurisdictions, lands, tenements, revenues, reversions, services, annuities, demises and hereditaments, having ratified and approved of, for us, our heirs and successors, to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, and to their successors for ever, of our special" grace, by the tenor of these presents we grant, approve, ratify and confirm by these presents. And whereas, Godfrey Foljambe, Esquire, deceased, by his testa- ment and last will in writing, bearing date the twenty-fourth day of February, in the thirty-seventh year of our reign, amongst other things, hath willed and apointed that Isabella his wife, her heirs or assigns, after a certain time in the said testament specified, should every year give and pay an annual salary of forty pounds of lawful money of England, for and towards the perpetual maintenance of one preacher, who shall sincerely and diligently preach the Word of God in Chesterfield aforesaid : And also, should every year give and pay one other annual salary of thirteen pounds six shillings and eightpence of like lawful money of England, for and towards the perpetual maintenance of one Schoolmaster for the education and instruction of boys in Chesterfield aforesaid. And whereas the Burgesses and Inhabitants of the same bo- rough, being desirous to keep with them from time to time, as well one venerable honest man, and learned in the sacred Scriptures, who may continually, diligently and sincerely exercise himself in preaching and explaining the word of God at Chesterfield aforesaid, in the parochial Church there, according to the true intention of the said Godfrey Foljambe, as also to build, found and erect one Grammar School within the said borough, for the pious education of boys in the same ; We being earnest as far as in us lies, ta promote such pious works, that the said Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the said borough might be more enabled to perform such and other works useful to the same borough, of our special grace and from our certain knowledge and mere motion, have granted and given licence, and for us, bur heirs and successors do grant and give by these presents, special licence and free and lawful faculty, power and authority to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the aforesaid borough, and their successors, to erect, build, found and establish, one Grammar School within the borough aforesaid, to be governed according to appointment by the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, for the time being, or the greater part of the same, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one ; which School shall be and shall be called the Free Grammar School of Chesterfield j and also, to have, receive and require TftE ftlSTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 29 to them and their successors for ever, as well of us, our heirs and suc- cessors, as of William Bower, Knight, who hath now married the aforesaid Isabella, or of others our subjects and liege men, or of any other person or persons whatsoever, the manor, messuages, lands, tenements, rectories, tythes, revenues, annuities, reversions, services and other possessions, preventions and hereditaments whatsoever, which are not held of us, our heirs or successors in chief, nor by military service, without the special licence of us, our heirs or successors, and without the licence of the lord or lords of whom the aforesaid manor, lands, tenements, revenues, possessions, reversions, or hereditaments are held, or shall happen to be held, at the time of the said requisition therefrom ; Provided that the said manor, messuages, lands, tenements, rectories, tythes, revenues, annuities, preventions and hereditaments, do not exceed the yearly value of eighty pounds per annum, over and above all burthens and reprises, the statute of mortmain, or any statute, act, ordinance, provision or restriction to the contrary, heretofore had, made, published, ordained or provided, or any other thing, cause, or matter whatsoever, in any wise notwithstanding. We will also, and by these presents grant for us, our heirs and successors, to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, that they may have and shall have these our letters patent, under our great seal of England, duly made and signed, without fine or fee, great or small, to us in our Hanaper or elsewhere, for our use to be returned, paid or made from thence in any wise, there having not been made in these presents, express mention of the true yearly value, or of the certainty of the premises, or of any of them, or of other gifts or concessions by us, or by any of our progenitors made to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the borough of Chester- field aforesaid, or any statute, act, ordinance, proclamation, provision, or restriction, to the contrary heretofore had, made, published, ordained or provided, or any other thing, cause or matter whatsoever, in any wise notwithstanding. In testimony whereof, we have caused to be made these our letters patent. Witness ourself at Westminster, the twenty- fourth day of April, in the fortieth year of our reign. And whereas our borough of Chesterfield is an ancient and populous borough, and for many ages already past hath been a corporation or body corporate and politic. And whereas the Burgesses and Inhabitants of our borough of Chesterfield aforesaid, to this time, by the name of Mayor, Al- dermen and Burgesses, of the borough of Chesterfield, and from the whole time aforesaid, have had, held, exercised, used and enjoyed, and now have, hold, use and enjoy, divers liberties, privileges, franchises, customs, powers, immunities, pre-eminences, lands, tenements, possessions and other hereditaments. And whereas, as well by power and virtue of divers charters, letters patent, grants, and confirmations, by divers our progenitors, Kings and Queens of this our kingdom of England, hereto- fore made, granted, ratified and confirmed, as by reason and pretext of divers laudable antient prescriptions in the same borough for the whole time aforesaid, used and approved of, they have been, and are endowed with the same. And whereas our beloved subjects, the present Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses, of the borough of Chesterfield aforesaid, have 30 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. most humbly besought us, for the improvement and better government of that borough, that we would graciously exhibit and extend our royal favour and munificence to the same Mayor and Burgesses, as well in the ratification and confirmation of the body Corporate aforesaid, and of the antient Liberties and privileges of the same borough, as in the concession of such other liberties and privileges as for the public good, and the better government of that borough and of our people, there shall seem to us most expedient. Know ye, that we graciously affecting the improvement of the bo- rough aforesaid, and the prosperous condition of our people there, and willing that the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of that borough may be armed and endowed with convenient powers and privileges, as well for the due correction and amendment of evils and inconveniences, as for the good regimen and government of the same borough, of our special grace and from our certain knowledge and mere motion, we have willed, ordained, granted and confirmed, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, do will, ordain, and grant, and confirm, to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses, of the borough of Chesterfield aforesaid, the incorporation and body corporate aforesaid, and all and singular, the liberties, privileges, free customs, franchises, immunities, exemptions, acquittances, and jurisdictions of the borough aforesaid whatsoever ; and also, all and singular the same, and such lands, tenements, customs, liberties, privileges, franchises, immunities, acquittances, jurisdictions and hereditaments whatsoever, which the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the borough of Chesterfield aforesaid, or which the Burgesses or Inhabitants of that borough, and their predecessors whosoever, or any of them, by whatsoever names they were noted or called, or by whatsoever name, or by whatsoever incorpo- ration, or by pretext of whatsoever incorporation they have heretofoie been incorporated, have lawfully had, held, used, or enjoyed, or ought to have, hold, use, or enjoy, by reason or pretext of any charters or letters patent, by any of our progenitors, late Kings or Queens of Eng- land, or of any other person or persons whatsoever, howsoever, heretofore made, granted, ratified, or confirmed; or by whatsoever other legal manner, right, or custom, use, prescription or title heretofore used or enjoyed, had, or practiced by these presents, not in the least annihilated, changed, or diminished : And that it be, and shall be lawful for the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, and their successors, to have, hold, and exercise and enjoy all, and all manner of such liberties, privileges, free customs, franchises, immunities, exemptions, jurisdictions, and other premises above mentioned by these presents, in the form aforesaid, confirmed in so ample a manner and form, to all intents and purposes, as in times past they lawfully had, held, used, or enjoyed, or ought to have, hold, use, or enjoy. And farther, We will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, appoint, grant and confirm, that our beloved Richard Coope, Esquire, now Mayor of the borough aforesaid, shall be and continue in the same office of Mayor of the same borough, from the date of these presents, to the Sunday next before the feast of Saint Michael the THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 31 Archangel, next ensuing, and until another Burgess of the borough aforesaid shall be appointed, and sworn in due form to that office, if the same Richard Coope shall so long live. We also will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, appoint, grant and confirm, that our beloved Richard Marchant, John Woodward, Peter Dowker, Richard Youle, Thomas Dowker, and Robert Stringfellow, now Aldermen, of the borough aforesaid, respectively shall be and continue to be in the offices of Aldermen of the same borough, from the date of these presents, so long as they shall behave themselves well in the same. And also, we will, appoint, grant and confirm by these presents, that our beloved George Ash, Francis Holdesworth, Samuel Inman, Abel Tilley, Samuel Bright, and Jonathan Slater, now Brothers of the borough aforesaid, shall respectively be and continue to be in those offices, from the date of these presents, so long as they shall behave themselves well in the same. And also, we will, appoint, grant and confirm, by these presents, that our beloved John Ash, Humphrey Lowe, John Esland, Thomas Button, Robert Dowker, William Inman, Francis Brown, William Thorpe, Henry Boothe, John Allen, Ralph Naylor, and Anthony Beastall, now capital Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, shall respectively be and continue in those offices, so long as they shall behave themselves well in the same. And farther, we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs, and successors, grant and confirm to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses, of the borough aforesaid, and their successors, that they and their successors for ever hereafter may have, and shall have within the borough aforesaid, one honest and discreet man, who shall be, and shall be called the Common Clerk of that borough, as heretofore they have had and now have, who for ever hereafter shall aid, advise and assist the Mayor of the same borough ; and may and shall be our Clerk, and of our heirs and successors, to receive, make and inroll within the borough aforesaid, recognizances, according to the form of the Statute of Acton Burnell, and according to the form of the Statute of Merchants, made in the Parliament of Lord Edward the first, our progenitor, in the thirteenth year of his reign ; And for the better execution of our will and grant in this part, we have assigned, nominated, appointed and confirmed, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, do assign, nominate, appoint and confirm our beloved William Champernoone, Gentleman, that he shall be, and is the modern Common Clerk of the borough aforesaid, and the Clerk of us, our heirs and successors, to receive, make and inroll due recognizances, according to the form of the Statute aforesaid, for us, our heirs and successors, to be continued in that office, so long as he shall behave himself well in the same. And farther, we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, grant and confirm to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses, of the borough aforesaid, and their successors, that from time to time after the death or removal of the aforesaid William Champer- noone, from the office aforesaid, it may and shall be lawful for the 32 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and capital Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, for the time being, or for the greater part of them, of which greater part we will, that the Mayor of the borough aforesaid for the time being, be one, to chuse and appoint one other honest, sufficient and discreet man, to be the Common Clerk of the borough aforesaid, to be continued in that office so long as he shall behave himself well in the same ; and this as often as that case shall so happen : which Common Clerk, so from time to time elected or to be elected, in and by all things in the borough aforesaid, shall supply and execute, according to the tenor of these our letters patent, the business of their and our Clerk, to receive, make and inroll due recognizances, according to the form of the Statute aforesaid. And farther, we will and ordain, that any person so elected and nominated, or to be elected and nominated to the office of Common Clerk of the borough aforesaid, and of our Clerk to receive, make and inroll, within the borough aforesaid, the due recognizances aforesaid of that borough, before he be admitted to execute that office and offices, shall make his corporal oath upon the Holy Gospels of God, before the Mayor of that borough for the time being, in the presence of such Aldermen, Brothers and capital Burgesses of the same borough, as shall chuse to be present, to do and perform in and by all things rightly, well, and faith- fully, all and singular the things appertaining to the office and offices of the Common Clerk of the borough aforesaid, and of our Clerk to receive, make and inroll the recognizances aforesaid. To which Mayor of the borough aforesaid, for the time being, we give and grant, by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, full power and authority from time to time to administer the same oath : And whereas, the same Lady Queen Elizabeth, by her aforesaid charter, for herself and her successors, hath granted to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, and their successors, that the Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and capital Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, for the time being, or the greater part of the same, of whom she willed that the aforesaid Mayor be one, from time to time for ever thereafter, should have power and authority to chuse and nominate every year, on the Sunday next after the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, one out of the num- ber of the aforesaid six Aldermen, who should be Mayor of the borough aforesaid, for one whole year then next ensuing, and that he, after he was so as aforesaid elected and nominated Mayor of the borough aforesaid, before he was admitted to execute that office, should make his corporal oath, on the Monday next following the nomination and election aforesaid, before the last Mayor, his predecessor, if he should be living; or otherwise before the aforesaid Aldermen of the borough aforesaid for the time being, or the greater part of the same, in the Court or Council House, in the charter aforesaid before mentioned, well and faithfully to execute those offices. Now, we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, grant to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, and their successors, that the Mayor, Aldermen, Brothers and capital Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, for the time being, or the THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 33 greater part of the same, of whom we will that the aforesaid Mayor be one, from time to time for ever hereafter, may and shall have power and authority every year, on the Sunday next before the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, to chuse and nominate one out of the number of the aforesaid six Aldermen, who shall be Mayor of the borough aforesaid for one whole year, then next ensuing ; and that he, after he hath been so as aforesaid, elected and nominated Mayor of the borough aforesaid, before he be admitted to execute that office, shall make his corporal oath, on Monday next following the nomination and election aforesaid, before the last Mayor, his predecessor, if he be living ; or otherwise before the aforesaid Aldermen of the borough aforesaid, for the time being, or the greater part of the same, in the aforesaid Court or Council House, well and faithfully to execute those offices; and that after such oath so made, he be impowered to execute the office of Mayor of the borough aforesaid, for one whole year then next ensuing. And if it shall happen that any Mayor of the borough aforesaid, at any time within one year, after he hath been elected, appointed, and sworn to the office of Mayor of the same borough, shall die, or be removed from his office, that then, and so often it may be lawful for the aforesaid Aldermen, Brothers and Capital Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, for the time being, or the greater part of the same, to elect and appoint another out of the number of the aforesaid Aldermen, to be Mayor of the borough aforesaid, and that he so newly elected and appointed, may have and exercise that office during the remainder of the same year, his corporal oath being first to be made in the form aforesaid, and this as often as that case shall so happen. And farther, we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, grant to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the borough aforesaid, and their successors, that he, who from time to time shall be Mayor of the borough aforesaid, during the time in which he shall happen to be in that office, and also the last predecessor of any Mayor from time to time, for the time being, for and during one whole year next ensuing, after he hath executed the office of Mayor of the borough aforesaid, for ever hereafter, be and shall be, and each of them be and shall be, our Justices, and of our heirs and successors, to keep the peace in the same borough, and the liberties and precincts of the same, and there to do and execute all and singular the things which to the office of a Justice of the Peace, by the laws and statutes of this our kingdom of England appertain ; so that the Mayor of the borough afore- said, and also the last predecessor of any Mayor of the borough aforesaid, for the time being, shall make, and each of them shall make their corporal oath, rightly, well and faithfully to execute the office of Justice of the Peace, and the oaths in that respect required to be made by Justices of Peace, by the laws and statutes of this our kingdom of England. So also that our Justices of the Peace in the County may not be excluded from exercising the office of Justice of the Peace within Ches- terfield aforesaid, but that any of them may freely and peaceably enter into Chesterfield aforesaid, and there exercise the office of Justice of the Peace, in as ample a manner as in other places of the county of Derby. We give also, and grant by these presents to the Mayor and Alder- F 34 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. men of the borough aforesaid, now, and for the time being, or to any one or more of them, full authority and power, to give and administer the oaths aforesaid, without any other warrant or commission from us, our heirs or successors, by any means hereafter to be obtained or sought ; provided always, and it is our will, that the Justices aforesaid, or any one of thorn, may not by any means proceed to the determination of any felony without our special mandate, or of our heirs or successors : provided also, and it is our will, that no Common Clerk of the borough aforesaid hereafter to be chosen or appointed, be admitted to such office, before he be approved of by us, our heirs or successors ; any thing in these presents contained, or any other thing, cause, or matter whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding, there having not been made in these presents^ express mention of the true annual value, or of the certainty of the premes, or any of them, or of other gifts or concessions, by us, or by any of our progenitors, to the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the borough of Chesterfield aforesaid heretofore made, or any statutes, act, ordinance, proclamation, provision, or restriction to the contrary, heretofore had, made, published, ordained, or provided, or any other thing, cause, or matter whatsoever in any wise notwithstanding. In testimony whereof, we have caused to be made, these our letters patent, witness ourself at Westminster, the twenty- first day of July, in the thirty-second year of our reign. By Brief of the Privy Seal. Pigott. For Fine in the Hanaper, for granting and confirming the liberties aforesaid, 6. 13s. 3d. H. FINCH, Chancellor. The civil power was by this Charter entrusted to a Mayor, Justice, six Aldermen, six Brethren, and twelve Capital Burgesses, or Common-Councilmen, assisted by a Town Clerk, a Chamberlain, a Master Butcher, a Master Brazier, and other Officers. The Mayor was chosen by the whole Corporation, on the Sunday next before Michaelmas- day, who, with the preceding Mayor, held the office of Justice of the Peace. But the County Magistrates possessed concurrent jurisdiction, although, from courtesy, they seldom exercised it. The duty of the Master Butcher, was to inspect the meat brought to the market ; and that of the Master Brazier, to examine and adjust the weights and measures. These officers were to be elected annually. Ralph Clarke was nominated the first Mayor of Chesterfield, in 1594. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 35 Rental of the Corporation, A. D/ 1773; Robert Jennings, Esq., Mayor Joseph Ashton .......... House in Beetwell-street .................. 6 10 Brackenfield's Annuity ____ Purchased of the Earl of Shrewsbury ...... 12 Samuel Brown .......... Houses in St. Mary's Gate ................ 2 10 Joseph Burbeck .................................................... 1 '5 0' Thomas Brailsford ........ Two Closes in Calow ...................... 2 10 JohnBassitt ............ One Close, Ashover-hill-top .............. 3 10 John Cooper .................................................... 22 Charles Calow .................................................... 1 1 Jonathan Clarke ........ Land at Bolsover ........................ 4 Thomas Clarke .................................................. 5 William Clarke .......... Farm at Staveley Hague .................. 38 George Croft ............ Four Closes in Tapton-lane .............. 16 John Eaton .............. A Farm at Snitterton .................... 33 o Rev. Mr. Wood .......... One Close in Hasland .................... 6 o William Handley ........ House and Land at Bolsover .............. 7 Stephen Gambolls ........ Two Closes at Brampton .................. 710 John Hudson ............ A Farm at Ramshaw ...................... 16 10 Joseph MUnes .................................................... 2 5 Overseers of the Poor ---- One Close in Chesterfield ................ 315 John Nail ................ The three Tuns, and Closes in Newbold-lane 14 Edward Rickett .......... Two Closes in Tapton .................... 5 1 Rev. Mr. Sanders ........ Porter's Pingle .......................... 310 Ditto ................. . .......................................... 110 o John Rodgers .................................................... 26 William Cowley .................................................. 15 James Woodward ........ A Farm at Barlborough .................. 25 Joseph Graham .................................................. 7 10 Mr. J. Dakin ............ Green, Sand Field, Road .................. 5 George Bainbridge .............................................. 3 5 12 Rental of the Corporation, A. D. 1784 ; Robert Bayle, Esq., Mayor. John Ashton ............ A House in Beetwell-street ................ ^6 18 Brackenfield's Annuity. ... Purchased of the Earl of Shrewsbury ...... 12 Samuel Brown .......... Several Houses in St. Mary's Gate ........ 210 Thomas Brailsford ........ Two Closes in Calow .................... 210 o John Bassitt .............. One Close at Ashover-hill-top ............ 215 John Clarke .............. Land at Bolsover ........................ 4 o Richard Alsop ............ Two Closes in Newbold .................. 811 John Dakin . '. ............ Green 6. 6s., Sand Field 50s., Road 5s ____ 9 1 o John Elam .............. Houses at Tapton, and 18 acres of Land .. 16 John Eaton .............. A Farm at Snitterton .................... 33 John Elliott .............. House (Rented by W. B. Thomas) ........ 110 Rev. Mr. Bossley ........ A Close in Hasland ...................... 6 o Daniel Hill .............. Two Closes in Brampton .................. 7 10 o William Handley ........ House and Land at Bolsover .............. 7 o John Hudson ............ Farm at Ramshaw, near Unston, purchased with j400, of Heathcote's Money ..... 1310 Joshua Hind ............ Barn in Chesterfield, and 3 Closes in Newbold 15 Sampson Holland ........ Close and Houses at Boythorpe .......... 315 o John Norborn ............ Farm at Barlborough, purchased with ^"320 of Heathcote's Money (1300.) ........ 25 a John Marples ............ A Farm at Staveley Hague ................ 42 Elias Needham .......... A House in Chesterfield .................. 710 Richard Parker .......... House in Chesterfield and Close at Newbold 14 o John Rodgers ...................................................... 26 o Edward Rickett .......... Two Closes in Tapton, purchased with ^155 of Heathcote's Money ................ 5 1 Rev. Mr. Shipstone ...... Close in Chesterfield (Petty Pingle) ........ 310 o Thomas Thacker ........ A House, &c. (Three Crowns) Chesterfield. . 2315 Overseers of the Poor .............................................. 315 o .302 1 o 36 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. The Town Clerk, W. Waller, Esq., read the following' statement relative to the property from which the revenue of the Old Corporation was derived, at the first Meeting of the New Town Council, held February 9, 1836 : J. s. A. " The Three Tans Inn, with outbuildings, on the south side of the Market- place, Chesterfield, and two Cottages, erected on the site of the old Dog-kennels. Mr. J. AIsop, tenant 50 10 O A Piece of Ground in Salter-gate, used as a yard, wherein a Barn formerly stood, and two Closes in Brockwell-lane. Mr. D. Batteson, tenant. . 22 A Field in Newbold-lane. Mr. J. Bower, tenant 1 5 ft Two Fields in Calow. Mr. William Brailsford, tenant 6 Part of a Farm at Walton. S. Linley, tenant 26 10 Oo Af eer deducting the amount of chief rent to which some of the above property is liable, there remains a sum of ^"40. 13s. applicable to charitable purposes, and rf65. 12s. to the Borough Fund. A Dwelling-house and Farm, and an Allotment at Snitterton. Mr. Anthony Eaton, tenant 57 Oft Three Closes at Ashover. Messrs. Robert and George Barker, tenants. . 9 Oc An Allotment in Ashover parish. John Holmes, tenant 310 Od A Dwelling-house, Shop, Warehouse, Stable, and Outbuildings, on the south side of Chesterfield Market-place. Mr. James Lingard, tenant 31 10 A Dwelling-house and Shop adjoining the above. Mr. J. Lingard, tenant 30 A Cow-house and garden Mr. J. Lingard tenant 4 7 0- A Dwelling-house in the Theatre ^ard Mr. Plant, tenant 9 The Theatre Mr. Manly, tenant 30 Oe Workhouse and Garden. Overseers, tenants 2 Workhouse Meadow. Mr. Joseph Bower, tenant 212 6 Bowling Green. Mr. Pinder, tenant 500 Two Fields in Derby-lane. Mr. Nicholson tenant 20 Of A. Close of Land in Brampton, called Petty Field. Messss. Oldfield and Co. and William and Joseph Mason, tenants 10 Og A Field hi Ashgate Back-lane. Messrs. Rollinson, tenants 11 An Allotment at Brampton High Moor. Messrs. Hewitt and Co. tenants 5 17 Oh Tithes arising from a Farm at Tinstone 3 10 Mortgage for ^"136. 10s. on the Tolls of the Chesterfield and Sheffield Turnpike Road 6 H> 6- An acknowledgement of 5s. annually is paid by Mr. Johnson, for the use of the road from Beetwell-street to the stables in Falcon-yard, and 6d. from the occupiers of the Arminian Chapel, for an entrance on the Bowling-green side, instead of from the Silk-mill Yard. The above with the pews in Chesterfield Church, and the silver gilt mace, form the property of the Corporation. There is, owing by the body, a sum of 200, which was borrowed of Mr. James Plant towards erecting the Baths in Derby-lane. The document, in conclusion, stated that in 1829 a suit was instituted in Chancery against the Corporation of Chesterfield as trustees of the Free Grammar School, and in July, 1830, a decree of the court was obtained whereby the sum of 719. 15s. 7d. was a Subject to a payment of \, 10s. yearly. b i\. is. lid. of which belongs to a charitable fund, and ^15. 18s. id. to the corpo- ration. c Half of which belongs to a charity and the other to the corporation. d Half of this sum belongs to a charity, and the remainder to the borough fund. e Subject to bespeaking a play, and 51. yearly in tickets. / Half of which is applicable to charitable purposes the remainder to the corporation. g tS5. out of this sum belongs to a charity. 3. 13s. 6d. of which belongs to the chapel school, and 2;. 3s. 6d. to the corporation-. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 37 ordered to be paid on the School estate account by the Corporation into the Court of Chancery, with interest at 4. per cent, per annum, from 1815 to the time when the principal money should be paid into Court. The Court, on application, allowed the sum of 719. 15s. 7d, to be paid by instalments, the last of which was paid in June, 1834. The document also stated that the interest due from the Corporation Fund might be taken at about 500, and with costs of suit would probably amount to 700, no part of which had yet been paid. Before the income of the Chesterfield Corporation can be made avail- able to the purposes of the borough, the sum of 200 will have to be paid to Mr. Plant, and about 700 into the Court of Chancery on the Chapel School account." The following- are correct copies of the two Tables of Bye- Laws, which hang up in the Council-House, or Guildhall of the Corporation of Chesterfield : NO. I. " CONSTITUTIONS AND ORDERS heretofore anciently made and established, and still confirmed by Richard Taylor, gent., Mayor of the Burrough of Chesterfield, in the County of Derby, and the Aldermen, Brethren and Chief Burgesses of the said Burrough, at their Convocation in their Council House, holden there the 20th day of November, in the twelfth year of the reigne of our souersigne Lord Charles, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. Annoque Domi. 1630. To re- main and continue firme and stable, to be observed and kept by the said Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren, Chief Burgesses, and by all other the Burgesses and Inhabitants within the said Burrough, and by their and every of their successors, as followeth : First, that every Alderman, and every of the six Brethren, and every of the Chief Bur- gesses now being, or which shall be hereafter, shall from time to time, and at all times hereafter, upon reasonable monition and warning to be given by either of the Chamber- laines of the said town, attend upon the Mayor for conference and consultation, touching the common affaires of the said Burrough and Burgesses, upon paine of every one offending and not having reasonable cause, to pay to the Corporation, 2s. The same cause to be allowed by the Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren, or the greater number of them. Also, that every other Burgess now being, or which shall be hereafter, shall from time to time, as aforesaid, give like attendance upon the Mayor, upon paine of every one so offending, to pay to the use of the Corporation, I2d. Also, that the Aldermen, Brethren r.nd Chief Burgesses, and their successors and every of them, shall use and behave themselves in word and deed towards the Mayor and his successors for the time being, honestly, discreetly and reverently, without shewing any stubbornness, contempt, or any other misdemeanour, contrary to the effect and good mean- ing of this ordinance, the same offence to be censured and adjudged by the sentence of the Mayor and the rest of the Common Councell, or the greater part of them, the Mayor being one* and snch offenders to pay to the Corporation for every offence contrary to this order, 40s,; or else by the discretion of the Mayor and Aldermen, or the greater part of them, the Mayor being one, to be committed to the prison by the space of three days and three nights, if not remitted by the said Mayor. Also, that all other Burgesses, and every of them and their successors, shall use and behave themselves honestly, discreetly and dutyfully towards the Mayor, Aldermen and Brethren for the time being, in manner aforesaid j and likewise every Burgess towards another, in paine of every one not performing as aforesaid, to pay to the Corporation 6s. 8d. or else at the discretion of the said Mayor and Aldermen, or the greater part of them, the said Mayor being one, to be committed to prison and there remain by the space of three days and three nights, if not remitted by the said Mayor and Aldermen, and the greater part of them, the said Mayor being one. Also, that the Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren and Chief Burgesses, being of the Common Councell, and every of them, upon the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist every year, shall meet at the Common Councell House by one of the clock in the afternoon, then and there to consider, confer, and agree which Alderman shall be thought meet to be elected anti 38 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. chosen Mayor at the appointed day next following after the said Feast. And if any such Alderman so elected, thought meet and chosen, at or upon the said appointed day, by the most voices, (the Mayor being one) shall utterly mislike and refuse the said agreement, then he and every other Alderman in like manner so dislikeing and refuseing as aforesaid' shall forfeit and pay to the Corporation, 13. 6s. 8d. Also, that it is agreed by the Common Councell in general, that the one half of the forfeiture of every Alderman refuseing to take upon him the office of a Mayor as aforesaid, shall be due to the next chosen Mayor. Also, that neither the Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren or Chief Burgesses, or any of them, which now are or hereafter shall be of the said Burrough, shall rashly utter or discover any matter of Councell, or secret affaires of the said Burrough, but unto such persons, and in such time and place as may be for the benefit of the said Burrough or Corporation, in paine of every time so offending, to pay to the use of the Corporation, the sum of 10. Also, if any other Burgess shall rashly utter any matter of Councell as aforesaid, every one so offending shall pay to the use of the Corporation, 5. Also, that the aforesaid Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren or Chief Burgesses, and all other Burgesses and their successors, or any of them, shall not at any time hereafter, resort forth of the said Burrough to labour or speak to the prejudice of any matter, touching the rights, customs and libertys of the said Burrough and Burgesses, without consent of the Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren and Chief Burgesses, or the greater part of them, [the Mayor being one] in paine of every one so offending, to pay to the use of the Corporation, 10. Also, that the Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren and Chief Burgesses, and all other Burgesses and every of them, shall not take part in any trade or occupation now used or hereafter to be used, with any foreigne person, not being a Burgess, contrary to the liberty, agreement and order of this Burrough, and contrary to an order or article contained in these presents, without the consent of the Common Couucell of the said Burrough, or the greater part of them (the Mayor being one) in pain for every month so offending, to pay to the use of the Corporation, 40s. Also, every Mayor for the time being, shall keep in readiness a Register Book, wherein shall be registered and contained, the election of the Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren and Chief Burgesses, and their successors, and of all other Burgesses, and their Accompts, and all good Orders, and Constitutions and Laws now in use, or which shall be advised hereafter by a Common Councell, in pain to forfeit to the Corporation, 10. Also, that the Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren and Chief Burgesses, being in the Common Councell, and their successors for the time being, or the greater part of them, to be as- sembled (the Mayor being one) at such times as they have occasion, -to prosecute and defend any suite for any cause touching this Burrough, shall chuse and appoint one, two, or more persons being Burgesses, to follow, prosecute and sollicite such suite and cause till the determination and ending thereof, and shall give unto them their warrant and money sufficient for his and their charges ; and if any Burgess or Burgesses so chosen, do or shall refuse, and will not take upon him or them such charge and travill in the premisses, unless it be for some reasonable cause alledged, and they be otherwise dispenced with, shall pay unto the Corporation, 5. Also, if any such Burgess or Burgesses so chosen, shall sustaine any hinderance, damage, or loss, through any cause touching the said Burrough, the whole Corporation of Burgesses do bind themselves and their successors, to make him recompence, and to be thereunto assessed, upon paine of every one so refusing to such contribution, to pay to the Corporation the double value of such assessment. Also, that the costs and charges of all suits and necessary causes, touching the said Burrough, shall be received forth of the common Stock and Treasure as far as it will ex- end, and the residue to be levied and gathered by assessment from time to time, as shall be needful ; to be assessed by eight persons, (viz. by the Mayor and two Aldermen, and five others of the Brethren and Chief Burgesses,) the said stock to be chosen by the Mayor, Brethren and Chief Burgesses, or the greater part of them, (the Mayor being one) and the said five to be chosen by the Mayor and Aldermen, or the greater part of them (the Mayor being one). Also, that no man of the Common Councell do or shall discover, disclose, or utter to any person or persons, being not of the said Common Councell, any matter of speech, spoken of or in the Councell House, whereby any malice or grudgengmay arise and grow betwixt party and party, in paine of every time so offending, to pay to the Corporation, 20s. Also, that every Mayor shall after Michaelmas-day, upon warning to be given to him, within one month next after such warning given, make a true and perfect accompt unto the next Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren and Chief Burgesses, or the greater part of them, in paine to pay to the Corporation, 10. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 89 Also, that every Chambcrlainc and Constable shall, upon the Wednesday next before Michaelmas-day, shew unto the Common Councell all such Bills of Assessments and Rentalls, as be in their keeping, upon pain to pay to the Corporation, 10s. Also, that every Chamberlaine, Constable, and every other Officer that shall be put in trust for the said burrough, after his year and office ended, shall make a true and full accompt within one month next after such warning given, the same accompts to be made before the Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren and Chief Burgesses, or the greater part of them, (the Mayor being one) in paine to pay to the Corporation, 5. Also, that no Aldermen, or any of the Brethren, Chief Burgesses, or any other Burgesses which now are or hereafter shall be, or their successors, for any offence or misdemeanor contrary to these present orders, shall be committed to close prison or other place under locke and key, or other restraint, but in such convenient place as his friends may come to him ; and if any such person committed shall depart thence without licence of the Mayor, such party to pay to the Corporation, 40s. for every such offence. Also, it is by the Common Councell generally agreed, that no Burgess shall commence or prosecute suite against another Burgess for any debt, trespass or matter growing of malice, before he truly makes known to the Mayor, in paine to forfeit to the Corpo- ration, 3. Chesterfield, written by Thomas Mellor, Anno : Dom : 1?14 15. NO. II. Also, that no manner of person or persons, being a forreigner or victualler, shall set up any stand or standing upon any markett day, to forestall any shop or shops within the aforesaid towne of Chesterfield, in paine to forfeit for every such offence to the Corpora- tion, the sume of 3s. 4d. Also, that no inhabitant within the towne shall take any apprentice before such times as the Mayor be acquainted therewith and shall consent thereunto, and then not under the terme of seven years, in paine to forfeit to the Corporation, a. And that all such apprentices as are already bound, shall bring their indentures to the Towne Clark to be enrolled, betwixt this and the Feast of the Annunciation of our blessed Lady the Virgin Mary next j and they which are to be bound within six months next after the date of their indentures. And that all indentures within the Town shall be written by the said Towne Clark or his Deputy, and by no other person or persons, in paine of every default the master of such apprentice to pay to the Corporation, 3s. 4d. The same Town Clark taking for writing of every pair of indentures not above I2d. beside the fee of enrollment appointed by the statute. Also, that no apprentice after the years ended, shall use his trade as a master, before such time as he shall come before the Mayor, Aldermen, Brethren and Chief Burgesses, and shall desire to be made free, and shall take the oath of a Burgess and so to be enrolled, paying therefore to the Town Clark, 3s. 4d. ; and then he shall be free Burgess, and may enjoy the libertyes and customs belonging unto Burgesses, in paine to forfeit to the Corporation in doing the contrary, 5. Also, if any apprentice do depart from his master before his terme ended, that then every such apprentice shall make fyne as a stranger, before such time as he be admitted to keep shop in the said Burrough of Chesterfield. Also, that no manner of person or persons inhabiting within the said Burrough, except Burgesses born and created, shall use or exercise any manner of trade or occu- pation within this Towne, before such time as such person or persons shall be allowed by the Mayor for a sufficient skilfull workman, and shall compound with the Mayor, Aldermen, [and] Brethren for the same, in paine to forfeit to the Corporation 5. Also, that no manner of person or persons haveing any house or tenement within the Towne of Chesterfield, in fee or by lease, shall receive or take into any house or tenement, any manner of person or persons whatsoever, that shall come out of any other Shire or Towne, unless such person or persons be licensed thereunto, by the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Councell of this Towne, upon pain of every offender against this order, for every such offence, to pay to the Corporation, 3. 6s. 8d. Also, that no inhabitant within this Town shall suffer any person or persons dwelling forth of the Towne, to sell any manner of corne or graine upon any market-day, in any house or chamber within the said Towne, to the hinderance of the market, before such time as proclamation be made for such purpose, or in the market before the market bell be rung, in paine to forfeit to the Corporation for every such offence, 2s. Also, that no manner of person or persons within this Towne, shall keep or suffer to go abroad from henceforth unmuzzled, any mastive dog or bitch, upon paine of every one so offending, for every time to pay to the Corporation, 40s. Also, that no innholder, or alehouse-keeper within this Town, shall keep or lodge any 40 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. stranger above the space of one day and one night together, without notice thereof first given to the Mayor, in paine to forfeit for every time so offending, to the Corporation, 40s. Also, that no inhabitant within this Town shall procure or suffer any taylor dwelling in the country, to work of that trade in their houses within this Town, in paine to forfeit for every offence, to the Corporation, 3s. 4d. Also, concerning the cleansing of the streets of the said town, the Chamberlain shall once every fortnight survey and view the same, and the faults that they shall see, they shall give warning to the offenders for the redressing thereof; and if, upon such warning given, such default shall not speedily be amended, then every such offender shall forfeit for such default, to the Corporation, 6s. Also, that every Constable and their successors, shall do their best endeavour to apprehend and take all such wandering persons which travel contrary to the late statute, and shall punish them accordingly ; in paine for every time not so doing, to forfeit to the Corporation I2d. besides the forfeiture appointsd by the statute. Also, concerning the trade of butchers, it is agreed that noe butcher by himself, go himself, or send forth any other upon the Sabbath-day, to buy or fetch any ware without the liberty of the towne of Chesterfield, in paine to forfeit for every tune so doing, to the Corporation, 3s. 4 d. Also, that all manner of person and persons within the said Burrough of Chesterfield, shall not sell nor suffer to be sold by any servant upon the Sabbath-day, any manner of ware or merchandize in the time of divine service, or keep open any shop windows or work therein, in paine to forfeit for every such default, to the Corporation, 2s. Also, that no butcher of this Town, either by himself or his servant, shall kill any pork to sell in the open Shambles from the Feast day of St. Philip and Jacob, commonly called May-day, untill one fortnight before the Feast of St. Mart'.n the Bishop, in winter, commonly called Martenmas -day, but for every default he or they so offending, shall severally for himself forfeit and pay to the Corporation, 3s. 4d. Also, that none of the said butchers shall sell or offer to sell in the open Shambles, any mesled pork, beef or sturdy beast, or any other meat that is not good and wholesome, but shall pay for every such default, to the Corporation, 3s. 4d. Also, that no butchers which shall set up or occupy the said trade within the aforesaid Towne of Chesterfield, shall have any more apprentices at once, or at any one time, but one, during the terme of years that the said apprentice shall be bound, in paine to forfeit for every time so offending, and doing to the contrary, to the use of the Corporation, afs. Also, that every foreign butcher or victualler shall have sufficient time to sell their meat on the market-day in this Town, between tenn of the clock in the forenoon and three of the clock in the afternoon, and that the said butcher or victualler shall bring with him or them, their hydes and skins, whereby it may be known how the party came by the ware or wares which they carry from place to place, because there hath been great defect therein, and likewise shall bring with them the tallow, whereby the Towne maybe as well served with the tallow as with meat; and that the said butcher or victualler being once warned, the Chamberlaines or other officers, or one of them, shall after offend in any of these matters, shall forfeit for every time (it being known and proved) to the Corporation, 3s. 4d. Also, that all such persons as do bring any wollen cloth to be sold within this Town upon the market-day, and have stalls or standings, shall keep their standing and sell the same in the place now used and accustomed, being the late accustomed place for that purpose, in paine to forfeit for every market-day so offending, to the Corporation, 3s. 4d. Also, that all penalties, forfeitures, assessments, contributions, and all other dutyes and summs of money which shall arise or grow within this Burrough amongst any of the Burgesses, by reason of these ordinances or otherwayes, the Chamberlaines for the time being, according to ancient custom, shall gather and receive the same. And for default of payment thereof shall levy and distrayne of the goods of those that make default, and the same distress or distresses to detain and keep until the forfeiture be paid ; and if such Chamberlaine or Chamberlaines shall not of himself or themselves to the uttermost of his or their power and authority, performe the premises, but negligently make default in collecting or distarining as aforesaid, then he or they for every such default to forfeit and pay to the Corporation, 10s., the same to be levyed by the directions of the Mayor, Aldermen and Brethren, or the greater part of them. The said Mayor being one." Written by Thomas Mellor, Anno : Dom : 171415 In the fifth year of the reign of his present Majesty, William the Fourth, A. D. 1835, under the Administration THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, 41 of Lord Melbourne, an entire change took place in the con- stitution of Corporate Bodies. Previous to this time, the Bodies were self-elected ; and the whole management of the Borough Funds, and Charity Estates, was therefore vested in irresponsible hands. The meetings of the Body Corporate were conducted with closed doors; and, as is almost certain to be the case where individuals in authority are controlled by no responsibility, the system was in many towns found to be corrupt. A Commission was issued under the sanction of his Majesty, to examine into the state of the different Municipal Corporations in England and Wales ; and the result was such as to lead ]F SMlBSTISIKFniEILID) THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 53 structure^ in the cathedral form. Its ground plan is that of a single cross ; and at the intersection of the two arms are four large pillars, each composed of clusters of fluted columns, supporting four very beautiful arches, from whence arises a well-proportioned square tower, surrounded by a plain simple parapet, bearing at each angle an octagonal pinnacle, sur- mounted by a rod and weather vane. On this tower is placed the spire, which, but for its crookedness, would be thought of very just proportions. It rises to the height of 230 feet,, exclusive of the rod which bears the weathercock ; and is built of timber, and covered with lead in such a manner as to divide each octagonal side into two distinct and channelled planes, giving altogether a singular, and, indeed, a unique appearance. Its dark colour, however, and the want of brackets to break the outline, give it an appearance of heavi- ness, which is utterly at variance with the general character of the building. The interior of this Church is light and elegant : it con- sists of a nave, two aisles, a transept,, and chancel. Five columns on each side support the roof; the windows are large and handsome ; and the symmetry and harmonious propor- tions of the building have a very pleasing effect. It is in every respect a comfortable and commodious place of worship, with spacious galleries. The western division is set apart for the performance of divine service. The eastern division or chancel, is appropriated for the celebration of evening service on Sunday and Thursday. The following are the dimensions of the Church : Feet. Inches. The length from the east window to the west door. ... 168 9 Total length of the church. 17011 The breadth of the body from north to south 59 6 The breadth of the middle aisle, or nave 29 5 From pillar to pillar 15 The length of the transept from north to south 109 6 The breadth of the transept 27 4 The chancel from north to south 47 7 The breadth of chancel 39 9 Height of transept, church body, &c 43 Various opinions, and innumerable arguments have been advanced for and against the spire being in a perpendicular direction. It appears to lean different ways according to 54 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. the sides on which you approach it. The Rev. G. Hall says, " It is built of wood and covered with lead, and no doubt was once straight and perpendicular ; but the sun, at the time when its power is strongest, i. e. between one and two o'clock, has shrunk the wood and warped the spire in the direction it now appears. By measurement in January, 1818, the ball on which the weathercock is fixed, was found to lean towards the south six feet from the perpendicular of its base ; and four feet four inches out of its perpendicular towards the west : therefore its greatest deviation from the perpendicular of its base, is nearly at the angle between these two points, or nearly at south-west. If the sun continues to have influence on the materials of this spire, as no doubt it has, though in a very moderate degree in comparison to what it had when the timber was put up : yet if this be true at all, there will be a time, when the deviation it now has from the perpendicular of its base will be so much increased, that it must inevitably drop to the ground. How many years may elapse before it thus gets beyond its balance, it is diffi- cult to say : but there is no doubt but it will continue drooping more and more, even if there was nothing more than its own inclining weight to occasion it," A writer in the Penny Magazine, says " Whoever approaches Chesterfield, either from the north or from the south may be struck with the singular appearance of the spire of its church, which, instead of being perpendicular, is evidently much bent towards the west. It is singular that almost every one who has had occasion to mention Chesterfield, has called this appear- ance an optical deception, arising from the twisted form of the leaden plane which covers its surface. Even Mr. Rickman, in his work on Gothic Architecture, says " The apparent leaning of the spire arises partly from the curious spiral mode of putting on the lead, and partly from a real inclination of the general lines of the wood-work of the spire." But had he walked out of the town to the eastward, or to the westward, he would have seen this crooked spire assume a perfectly perpendicular appearance, for in one case the bulging and in the other the hollow part of the steeple would be towards him, and consequently the crookedness would be lost ; or had he ventured to mount the tower, and walk round the base of the spire, he would have seen on the south, or rather at the western angle, the ball at the summit almost vertical to his head, while on the opposite side the same ball would be hidden from the sight by the swelling of the middle of the spire. These observations would at once have proved the fact, that this curious steeple is not apparently but really crooked. To place its real crookedness beyond a doubt, the situation of the ball was subjected to a careful measurement some years since, when it was found to deviate from the perpendicular six feet towards the south, and four feet four inches towards the west, giving its greatest angle of inclination somewhere near to the southwest angle. ** It is stated in the newspapers that, on Sunday evening the 8th of February, 1835, two churches in the neighbourhood of Huddersfield, in THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 55 Yorkshire, were struck by lightning ; that from one, several stones were forced out of the spire, but that the spire of the other (Linthwaite Church) " was struck in such a manner, that without any of the stones being shattered, the spire was bent out of its perpendicular, and now inclines to- wards the church, so that it is thought there will be a necessity for taking it down." This occurrence may throw some probable light on the man- ner in which Chesterfield spire was reduced to its present position, though no record can be found of any such event, and the long lapse of years in which it has appeared in the same state, has thrown every tradition respecting it into oblivion." Mr. Matthias Wilson, cabinet-maker, formerly of this town, who minutely examined, and made a model of it, says that one of the upright beams, of which there are four, being drawn out of its tenon, has shrunk several inches ; and that this has caused the spire to have the singular leaning appear- ance, which now arrests the attention of every traveller who approaches it. An architect of some eminence stated, that he had plumbed the spire from the vane to the base, and had tried it in every possible way, and found it to be perfectly upright. The fluting, or volutes, that run up the spire (in a twisted direction) from the base to the top, and the manner in which the lead is laid on, undoubtedly deceive the eye, and cause an apparent inclination to the south-west. Some persons admire this architectural singularity, and consider it an ornament ; but this admiration is principally confined to those who are natives of the town. By strangers it is generally regarded as a deformity. The following lines, from the pen of the late John Munnings, Esq., are probably a true representation not only of the feelings of the author, but of those of most persons, who see it for the first time. " Whichever way you turn your eye, It always seems to be awry j Pray, can you tell the reason why ? The only reason known of weight. Is that the thing was never straight : Nor know the people where to go, To find the man to make it so ; Since none can furnish such a plan, Except a perfect upright man : So that the spire, 'tis very plain, For ages crooked must remain ; And while it stands, must ever be An emblem of deformity." When this spire was erected is not known. No docu- ments can be found referring to the subject; and the proba- bility is, that the records were either secreted or destroyed 56 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. during the wars which distracted the country at the time of the Commonwealth. Various are the opinions, which have been transmitted to the present age, concerning the mode of its first erection, some affirming that it was, and others that it was not, intended to be straight. In 1817, this singular pile was supposed to be in danger of falling, and the following Reports were in consequence published : " We whose names are hereunto subscribed, did on the 26th of November, 1817, carefully examine the state of the wood in the steeple of Chesterfield Church, and found it not only in a very decayed state in some parts, but the greatest part of the principal timbers having a tendency to push the steeple towards the south, the top of which is now very far from being perpendicular over its base, which renders it neces- sary to prevent the top part of the steeple going further southward : if it be suffered to remain unsupported a few years, it will certainly become in a dangerous state, and it is very probable that it will fail at about the middle of the steeple, and fall towards the south or south-west. D. HODKIN, B. TOMLINSON." " To the Churchwardens of the Parish Church of Chesterfield. " GENTLEMEN After a careful and minute examination of the timbers and then- respective bearings to each other, I feel justified in drawing the following conclusions : The principal timbers on the south, south-west, and west sides of the spire, I found in a very decayed state, and many of the original rafters out of their perpendicular direction, as much as one foot in six, inclining to one side, and several of those above them incline nearly as much the contrary way, which shews that the connection of those timbers is com- pletely disjointed and broken, and consequently their perpendicular bearing is destroyed ; I likewise found several diagonal pieces of timber counteracting the intention for which they were originally introduced, as instead of supporting the hollow side which is giving way, they are sup- porting the round side, and making it rounder still to the north, north- east, and east, Many of the original timbers are broken, some through rottenness and large knots, and from an over and irregular pressure ; others are quite loose, and consequently of no use, and one large piece I found had dropped from its original position, which lay upon the floor below. When I was in the crow hole near the top, in looking out at the door I was surprised to find myself considerably over the perpendicular of the base towards the south ; I conceive it could not be less than six feet. I therefore should imagine, (but which I had not an opportunity of observing minutely on account of the rain,) that the point of the spire is nearly eight feet out of its perpendicular direction ; the idea of its giving way 'THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD, ?7 much further struck me with terror, at what might be the consequence, should it fall suddenly during the time of divine service, as it would certainly fall on the main body of the Church. The general principle of its construction as a piece of carpenter's work is very bad and injudicious, and such as would disgrace the most inexperienced carpenter of the present age ; but I have observed this to be the case in most pieces of ancient carpenter's work I have examined in different parts of the kingdom. Some of the strong upright timbers in the interior are decayed, and in some places broken, and have been patched by means of planks screwed to the sides, some of which are fastened to the rotten parts, and of course useless. I am well aware that a considerable expense has been from time to time incurred by these means, and to very little purpose : in short it is the most ill-designed and ill-constructed mass of confusion I ever surveyed in my life, for a work of such magnitude, I feel the fullest confidence that the angles originally pointed di- rectly towards the weathercock from the base, but in consequence of the original rafters swerving from their position, the present screw-like appearance has been produced ; and I think it probable that the sun's intense heat having shrunk the timbers on the three sides the most exposed thereto, has in some degree contributed to the state in which I found it; and this cause will continue till the steeple is no more. Indeed I have invariably observed that even stone spires have been con- siderably more out of repair on the south, south-west, and west sides, than the others ; and this I can only attribute to the sun's strong influence thereon. From all these considerations, and from the difficulty I find in introducing new standards in a proper position so as to make it a per- manent repair, (the unsightly and dangerous appearance of which cannot by any means be improved) independent of the great expense that would be necessary; I am of opinion that the most effectual, and ultimately the most safe and economical way would be, to take down the whole of the spire, and substitute something in its stead of a more durable nature, more especially as the timber and lead might probably sell for as much as would be required to furnish a handsome, respectable, and appropriate stone termination above the square part of the tower, which is in itself extremely strong and beautiful. W. WILKINSON." Wood House, Mansfield, Dec. 19, 1817. "To the Churchwardens of the Parish Church of Chesterfield. '* GENTLEMEN Agreeable to the request of Mr. Bainbridge, I at- tended on Monday the 19th of December instant, to inspect the steeple of your Church, and am quite of opinion that it is unsafe and dangerous to remain in its present state ; for on inspection I found the old timber much decayed, and the construction of the whole so imperfect, that it would be impossible to repair it, even at any expense, so as to ensure its standing many years, being extremely weakened by its being so much I 58 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. out of plumb to the south, from the tower to the centre, and to the west from its centre upwards. I should therefore recommend that the steeple be taken down, to prevent the possibility of an accident, the event of which would inevitably do considerable damage to the roof and body of the Church ; and erect on the tower, which is strong and sufficient, a stone steeple. I am, Gen- tlemen, your most obedient servant, E. W. DRURY." Sheffield, Dec. 20th, 1817- A vestry meeting was called in January, 1818, for the pur- pose of considering whether it should be taken down ; but the proposition was strenuously opposed by several individuals of the town, and the neighbouring hamlets. Mr. James Ward, surveyor, of Sheffield, was employed to examine it, and the following is the opinion which he gave. According to the request of the hamlets of the parish of Chesterfield, he stated that he had viewed and professionally examined the condition of the Church steeple, on the 24th of January, 1818, which he found might be made to stand, with a little repair, for a century or upwards, upon its present construction ; and that there was no probability of its falling, so long as the pillars upon which it stood were strong enough to bear, or support its weight. With respect to the dry rot, which was said to have affected the timber, he observed, that there was no reason for apprehension on that score, as the wood was perfectly sound. He further stated, that the foundation, or basis of the carpenters' work, was firm and good ; which rendered it morally impossible that it should ever fall, until the base itself gave way. He observed lastly, concerning the steeple, which is strapped and well fitted together, that it was impossible it should ever fall, if the necessary repairs were occasionally made in the wood work, because the base was firm and good ; adding, that there was not the slightest leaving from the shoulders, tenons, dovetails, or any other joints whatever; which convinced him that the steeple had never given way in the least, since the day it was first erected ; or it would have fallen down instantaneously. This report was corroborated by that of three other carpenters, viz. Joseph Ball, Francis Rodgers, and George Bond ; and it was ultimately agreed that the spire should remain as it then stood. The earliest existing Register begins in the month of THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 50 November, 1558, corresponding with the first year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In the register, in September, 1586, is the following memorandum : " Here began the great plague in Chester- field." From this time, it appears by the register, that the number of deaths gradually increased, till June, 1587. The number of burials in that month was 54, and in July, 52. The number of burials then gradually decreased ; and in the succeeding winter the plague seems to have disappeared. Some idea of the appalling mortality that pervaded the town at this time may be formed, when it is known, that by the register, the number of funerals in the month of June, 1586, (the summer before the plague broke out,) was only three, and in the next month (July) three : and in the June following, the summer after the plague, i. e. in 1588, only four, and in July two. Hence it appears, that three funerals a month was the average number at this period, when no fever or epidemic was prevalent in the parish. At March 18th, 1608-9, the following memorandum is inserted in the margin of the register : ' ' Here began the latter plague in Chesterfield." During the time of this plague, it appears that the greatest number of funerals was in the month of April, when eighteen were buried : in May, eight were buried : the plague then seems to have gradually subsided, for the number of funerals sunk into the average of three a month.* In the Church register, in the month of March, 1637, is the following: "The Assizes held here the 15th and 16th of March ; and there suffered five men, and one woman." The reason of the Assizes being held in Chesterfield at that time is not mentioned ; but it was probably owing to the plague, which, according to historical accounts, was preva- lent in Derby at that time. There is no doubt but that Brampton and Wingerworth were formerly Chapelries in the parish of Chesterfield ; for at the end of the first register book in Chesterfield Church is a memorandum, or an agreement, in Latin, (now scarcely legible), between Matthew Waddington, vicar of Chesterfield, and the inhabitants of Brampton and Wingerworth, wherein * In Button's History of Derby, it is stated that " the Plague never infested the premises of a tobacconist, a tanner, a currier, or a shoemaker." 60 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. this Vicar consented to give up his patronage of these Chapef- ries, and allow them respectively to christen, marry and bury thereat, on condition of their paying him a small acknowledg- ment yearly. This agreement is dated llth November, 1634. The following is a Table of Baptisms, Burials, and Mar- riages, extracted from the Register at Chesterfield Churcl^ for the respective years mentioned : Baptisms. Burials. Marriages. In 1560 ,. 70 .. 56 17 1600 . . .. 88 61 23 1700 .. .. 81 85 ...... 43 1710 .. .. 83 78 19 1720 . .. 91 83 35 1730 ,. .. 104 107 51 1740 . . .. 93 70 31 1750 . . .. 88 91 41 1760 . .. 129 153 37 1770 . . .. 119 117 40 1780 . . .. 165 103 43 1790 .. .. 181 172 46 1800 . . .. 244 145 59 1813 . . .. 299 152 55 1814 .. .. 258 163 86 1815 .. .. 296 174 73 1816 . . .. 305 164 74 1817 .. .. 284 147 75 1818 ... .. 258 150 65 1819 .. 270 171 72 1820 . . .. 273 182 77- 1821 .. .. 291 141 96- 1822 .. .. 294 169 84 1823 .. .. 349 152 105 1824 .. .. 329 148 70 1825 .. .. 319 204 84 1826 .. .. 333 228 106 1827 .. .. 352 163 72. 1828 .. .. 327 163 . 80 1829 .- .. 335 , 165 76 1830 .. .. 322 150 79- 1831 .. .. 357 194 81 1832 . . .. 308 187 78 1833 . . . 301 187 ...... 63 1834 .. .. 240 161 63 1835 . . .. 287 156 72 1836 .. .. 262 169 67 From this table it will be seen that for the last ten years, the average number of baptisms in a year, is 309 burials, 169 marriages, 73. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 7, 62 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Catechism, to which was annexed, A Sermon on reading the Scriptures. Another of the Ejected Ministers, who was born in the town or neighbourhood of Chesterfield, was the Rev. John Oldfield, Rector of Carsington. He was a good general scholar, and excelled both in the classics and the mathematics. "What some might reckon a reflection" (says Palmer) "upon him was, in the judgment of wise men, his great honour, viz. : That he acquired his learning without being beholden to any university. He had the offer of Tamworth, and was pressed to have removed thither where he would have had a much better living, but was stopped by the importunity of his people. All that knew him acknowledged him to have been a judicious divine, a good casuist, an excellent preacher ; pertinent and methodical ; clear in opening his text, and very close to conscience in speaking from it. He was a man of prayer, and well acquainted with the inside of religion. He was of few words : but if any one gave him occasion, by starting useful discourse, or put him upon prayer, writing or preaching, he appeared to want neither words nor sense. He was of a very quiet spirit. His people were very capricious, and hard to be pleased in ministers, yet they centered in him. He had many removes after he was ejected, but God ' told his wanderings, and he had songs in the house of his pilgrimage.' He was one of great moderation : which he thought himself obliged to testify by going sometimes to church ; and would often discourse freely and amicably upon this subject, with such of his acquaintance as were otherwise minded : and yet he was many ways a sufferer for his Noncon- formity. He for some time preached once a fortnight at Rodenuke, where a meeting being discovered by two informers, they swore against him, upon presumption that he was the preacher, though, as it fell out, it was not his day : however he was prosecuted with much eagerness. Whereupon, Spademan, Esq., (a worthy gentleman who was owner of the house where the meeting was) and Mr. Oldfield, made their appeal, and gave so clear proof of his being ten miles distant at the time, that he was cleared ; and the informers, being afterwards prosecuted, were found perjured. Upon which one of them ran away, and the other stood in the pillory at Derby. After the act of uniformity passed, before it took place, he studied his duty with all possible care as to the compliance required. He drew up, on this occasion, a soliloquy, with that text prefixed, Eccl. vii. 14. In the day of adversity consider." He spent the latter part of his life at Alfreton, " from which," says Palmer, " he took many weary steps to serve his master; and was very useful in that neighbourhood, till his infirmities forced him to cease from his labours. He departed to his everlasting rest June 5th, 1682, aged 55." A third of the Ejected Ministers, whose native place was Chesterfield, was the Rev. Samuel Charles, M. A. of Corpus THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 63 Christ! College, Cambridge. He was born September 6, 1633, and ordained in 1655. He first settled at Kniveton, and then resided in Sir John Gell's family at Hopton. He was afterwards presented by Sir John Curzon to the parish of Mickleover, near Derby, of which he was Vicar at the time of his ejectment. He subsequently officiated as an occasional preacher to various dissenting congregations in Derbyshire ; and was settled first at Belper, and afterwards at Hull. At the latter of these places he suffered an impri- sonment of six months, under the Corporation Act, in the year 1682. He died December 23rd, 1693. The Act of Uniformity, by which the above mentioned clergymen were thrown out of the bosom of the Church, came into operation on Bartholomew-day, August 24, 1662 ; and the same rigorous and arbitrary statute was a means of depriving Chesterfield at once both of its Vicar and Curate. The Rev. John Billingsley, M. A., was inducted to the living of Chesterfield in the year 1653. He was first of St. John's College, Cambridge, and afterwards of Corpus Christi, Oxford. He removed from Oxford to Addingham in Cumberland, and thence to Chesterfield, where he is said to have been " highly valued by many," while " the peevish- ness of some, and the apostacy of others, added greatly to the burden of his ministerial labours." On the passing of the Act of Uniformity, he quietly seceded from his public station, thinking that he could no longer hold it without sin. He continued to labour among his former parishioners in private, as opportunities presented themselves, till the passing of the Oxford Act, which prevented him from residing within five miles of a corporate town. He then took up his abode at Mansfield, which, not being a corporate town, "was to him and several others," as Palmer says, " a little Zoar, a place of refuge." He came once a fortnight, however, to Chesterfield, preached twice, and often' expounded and catechized, and visited the sick : but this he was obliged to do by stealth, and in the dead of the night, and the fatigue and exposure to the night-air, at length brought on a com- plaint which terminated fatally. He was born at Chatham, in Kent, September 14th, 1625; ordained September 26th, 1649, in the Church of Saint Andrew Undershaft, London ; 64 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD; and died (probably at Mansfield) May 30th, 1684. Like our present worthy Vicar, he had great temptations from secular advantages, and the importunities of friends, to leave Ches- terfield ; but he was attached to his people, and made up his mind to live and die with them. He published a pam- phlet against the Quakers, together with a sermon, the subject of which is not known. At the time that Mr. Billingsley was the incumbent of Chesterfield, the Rev. James Ford resided there; occasionally assisted him in the duties of his parish, and probably acted in the capacity of Curate to him. He is said to have been of a melancholy temperament, and to have been prevailed upon with difficulty to preach. He too was silenced by the Act of Uniformity, and joined the Dissenters. He was friendly to the Congregational form of Church government, and in this respect differed from Mr. Billingsley. But they always lived upon terms of the greatest intimacy. Mr. Ford died of a consumption, brought on by close application, before he had attained the age of thirty. He committed his sermons to memory; several of which, from Isaiah v. 6., " I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it" he preached when he saw the Bartholomew storm arising. These were taken down in short-hand, transcribed and kept by his friends ; and several passages in them are said to have appeared almost prophetical. Nothing of public interest is recorded of any of the in- cumbents of Chesterfield, except Mr. Billingsley. The following is a List of the Churchwardens for the township of Chesterfield, from the year 1762, together with the amount of expenditure in each year : . S. D. 1762 Mr. Wheldon, Mr. Watkinson 81 9 1 1763 Jonathan Wragg, John Fidler 107 11 4 1764 Samuel Brown, William Harding "1 2Q . *, . 1765 Samuel Brown, William Harding f 1766 Mr. Fidler, Mr. Wragg 100 2 8 1767 Godfrey Webster, James Wheldon . 142 3 3 1768 John Deakin, Thomas Holland 120 13 1 1769 Brailsford Hill, Edward Warsdale 372 5 7 1770 William Barber, John Wright 186 10 5 1771 Thomas Sales, John Harvey 107 6 8 1772 John Fidler, Godfrey Widdowson 143 8 10 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, 65 1 773 John Rogers, Thomas Shirt 1170 1| 1774 Hezekiah Whithers, Robert Marsden 538 19 7 1775 John Smith, Thomas Allwood 260 10 9 1776 George Taylor, Thomas Allwood 162 15 2 1777 Thomas Fletcher, William Hardy 218 13 5i 1778 Joseph Graham, Francis Moore 168 411 1779 William Lee, Daniel Hill 119 12 3 1780 Richard Gillett, John Hoole 148 8 6 1781 John Boucher, Jarvis Radley 148 16 8 1782 Thomas Sykes, Samuel Mettam 130 5 1783 Richard Parker, John Rooth 126 16 3i 1784 William Richardson, Samuel Winchester. .. . 251 3 Oj 1785 John Lee, Charles Kindar ... 181 1 l| 1786 John Richardson, William Wingfield 166 5 1 1787 Mark Hewitt, Joseph Wilcockson 291 14 1788 William Creswick, John Webster 224 2 S 1789 Anthony Johnson, Joseph Bower 224 4 9j 1 790 Thomas Brown, Samuel Biggin 210 2 7 1791 John Inman, Sampson Holland . 172 12 9 1792 Thomas Inman, James Tomlinson 206 16 9 1793 Thomas Hazard, George Street 203 1 lj 1794 John Saxton, George Chapman 261 13 5$ 1795 James Owen, Thomas Hardy 291 13 7 1796 John Bunting, Thomas Nicholls 156 15 1797 Samuel Wilcockson, John Walker 174 Oil 1798 John Clayton, Timothy Mason 163 14 2 1799 Samuel Brown, John Darby 202 12 5 1800 Richard Roberts, Robert Silcock 175 17 2 1801 William Batteson, Robert Bainbridge 18115 1802 Adam Hardy, William Stubbing, senior 216 5 4 1803 Daniel Hodkin, Edward Hopkinson 195 17 7i 1804 Joshua Jebb, Esq., William Waller, Esq. .. . 205 6 1805 Thomas Dutton, John Coller 175 6 2 1806 Joseph Graham, John Mugliston 199 14 2 1807 John Boler, William Chester 217 19 Hi 1808 Richard Roundell Hurwood, Joseph Bee 344 2 5 ) 809 William Parker, Jarvis Prince 462 1810 Thomas Johnson, William Stubbing, jun... 189 9 1811 Jonathan Adlington, George Damms 202 17 8 1812 Samuel Dutton, Henry Frith 220 5 5 1813 George Mugliston, Francis Walker 271 10 9 1814 David Batteson, William Nicholson 380 4 6 1815 William Creswick, John Prince 276 13 1 1816 George Bainbridge, Thomas Wilcockson 273 18 5 1817 George Bainbridge, Thomas Wilcockson 341 9 8| 1818 George Bainbridge, James Lingard 325 1819 John Wright, Richard Dixon 968 14 Oj 1820 Richard Dixon, Joseph Elliott 408 18 2i K 66 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 1821 Joseph Elliott, George Batteson 443 15 lo 1822 Joseph Elliott, George Batteson 420 9 2 1823 George Batteson, William Hewitt 459 12 74 1824 William Hewitt, Daniel Hodkin 728 19 4 1825 Daniel Hodkin, William Towndrow 81918 7 1826 William Towndrow, John B. Coller 216 18 44 1827 John B. Coller, George Beardmore 1003 13 54 1828 George Beardmore, Thomas Holmes , . 206 7 8 1829 Josiah Brown, Samuel Dixon 409 8 64 1830 Josiah Brown, Joseph Bettison 320 1831 JohnWrightQateof Salter-gate) ThomasDyson 352 8 94 1832 John Wright, William Statham, 185 14 4 1833 William Claughton, Richard Alsop 229 14 7 1834 Robert Hides, E. G. Maynard 205 19 10 1835 Edward Heane, Henry Claughton 1 * 1836 Edward Heane, Henry Claughton j The following is a Table of the Easter Offerings, Ancient Moduses, and Tithes in kind, supposed to be claimable by the Vicar of Chesterfield : EASTER OFFERINGS, In the Town. S. D. For every man and wife 5 For every widower or widow 2i In the Country. For every husband and wife 3 For every widower or widow , li In both Town and Country. For every house wit h a yard . . , 3 For every house without a yard 1 For every journeyman, not a housekeeper 6 For every apprentice, (first offering) 1 For every apprentice, (each subsequent offering). ... lj For every man or maid servant 1 J ANCIENT MODUSES. For each milch cow, with her calf (if any) 1 For each barren cow and stirk 1 For each foal 1 For each swarm of bees 1 For each sheepf 1 For each lambf 2 For yearly servants' wages (in the shilling) Oj For yearly servants' wages (hi the pound) 5 * The Churchwardens' accounts for these two years, had not been passed at the time of publishing the present number. f If wintered or summered out of the parish, each sheep a halfpenny, and each lamb one penny. Said to be due from the servants themselves, and not from their employers. 67 TITHES IN KIND, Unless agreed for. Hemp and flax every tenth strike. Eggs two for each cock, and one for each hen. Pigs every tenth in kind ; and for every one above ten, one penny. Ducks and geese every tenth in kind ; and for every one above ten, one penny. The Fees payable at Chesterfield Church, according to the Terrier, are as follow : Vicar. Clerk. S. D. S. D. Churching of women 6 Ditto of an extra-parishioner, (optional) ...... Registering the baptism 4 Banns of marriage when delivered in 1 Marriage by banns 2 4 1 Certificate of banns having been published ... 2 4 Marriage by licence 5 2 6 Burial in church-yard ... 5 1 7 Ditto of an extra-parishoner, (optional) Tolling the bell, to the Sexton . . Is. Digging the grave, to the Sexton, Is. In addition to the above fees, it has been customary for the Vicar to claim a mortuary on the death of every house- keeper. In 1718, the Chancel was enlarged and newly seated. The same year, the pulpit and desk were decorated anew ; the old ornaments having been up thirty-seven years. In the church is a fine-toned organ, built by Schnetzler, of London, a German, for the sum of ^500, which sum was raised by the voluntary contributions of some noblemen and gentlemen in the neighbourhood, assisted by the inhabitants of the town, and hamlets. The organ was opened on the 21st of October, 1756, by Mr. Thomas Layland, who afterwards filled the situation of organist ; the Rev. William Wheeler being Vicar, and Mr. Paul Webster and Mr. William Cow- ley, Churchwardens. At the same time was opened the new gallery at the west end, which was erected by similar contributions, for the support and maintenance of an organist qualified to perform the service of the church. In December 1774, the church bells were hung anew, 68 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, arid the sixth bell was newly cast. The same year the west part of the roof of the church was taken down, newly tim- bered, and fresh leaded. In 1787, the south side of the church-yard was enlarged by taking down some old buildings, and adding some land purchased of Mr. Richard Slater. It was consecrated July 5th, 1791, by Dr. Coruwallis, Lord Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. The charge for consecration amounted to <25. The body of Mrs. Spencer, widow, from Griffin-street, Brampton, was the first interred in the said ground. In 1795, the new altar-piece was completed. In 1820, the church-yard was measured, and was found to contain (the church excluded) 5865 square yards. The causeways 788 square yards. Leaving for burying ground 5077 square yards. Hence, if it be assumed that a grave takes up one square yard and a half, that is, six feet in length and two feet three inches in width, which on an average may be called the truth, it follows that the church-yard is dug through every twenty- one years; there being 160 funerals in a year, which consume at this rate 240 yards yearly. In 1820, a new peal of ten bells was put up in the tower of the church : the cost was between 400 and 500. The bells are considered a very excellent and musical peal, and reflect the highest credit on Mr. Mears, the founder, and Mr. Hanson, the bell-hanger. The weight of the tenor, is 24 cwt. 2 qrs. The opening took place on Monday, the 22nd day of May, in the same year, by the undermentioned societies, who each performed as follows : 1st. The society from Oldham, in Lancashire, rung a complete peal of 5147 grandsire caters. 2nd. The society at the Parish Church, Sheffield, completed a peal of 5003 grandsire caters. 3rd. A miscellaneous band from the societies of Leeds, Wakefield, Sheffield Independents, and others, performed a complete peal of New Treble Bob Royal, consisting of 5180 changes; this finished the first day's ringing. On Tuesday morning, the Ashton-under-Line company ascended the tower, and rung a complete peal of 5000 and upwards grandsire caters. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 69 After them, the Nottingham society of Sherwood Youths, performed a peal of 5364 grandsire caters. And lastly, the society from Mottram, in Cheshire, performed a peal of 5000 and upwards grandsire caters. This concluded the whole ; each party having completed their peal on the first attempt, which is an achievement never before performed in the annals of ringing. The following are the inscriptions which were found on the old bells, when they were taken down : 1st. Multi numerantur amici. (Many friends are numbered.) Geo. Swift, P. Wildebore, Churchwardens, 1718. 2nd. Hsec campana est ex dono Pauli Webster. Geo. Swift, P. W., C. W. Laus domini nostra mobilitate viget. (The praise of the Lord nourishes by our motion. 1700.) 3rd. Sweetly tolling, men to call, To taste on meats that feed the soul. [George Oldfield. 1612.] 4th. Jesus be oure speed. 1612. 5th. God save his Church. 1612. 6th. John Wood, Vicar ; H. Withers, R. Marsden, Churchwardens. Thomas Hilton of Wath, Founder. 1774. 7th. George Shaw, Peter Dowker, friends to this bell. Anthony Legat, Wil. Holland, Wardens. 1661. 8th. I.H. S. Haec campana sacra fiat Trinitati beatse. (Let this bell be made sacred by the blessed Trinity.)* On the 27th of March, 1824, the then Churchwardens purchased for the sum of 350, sundry dwelling-houses and gardens situated on the north-east side of the church, from his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, which were afterwards taken down, and the space was added to the church- yard. A human skeleton was found in March, 1831, in sinking a vault on the south side of the transept, in the Church. This skeleton is supposed to be the remains of the Rev. John Verdon, a Priest, or Chaplain, of the Chantry of St. Michael, in this parish, who was buried in the year 1500. The body appeared to have been wrapped in sackcloth ; and was placed in the earth in an inclosure of stone in the shape of a coffin, covered over with small flags. The hair on the head ap- peared quite fresh and of a bright sandy colour. The sack- cloth is now in the possession of Gilbert Crompton, Esq., in this town. * The oldest bell in the steeple. 70 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. In 1836, the bad state of the Church Clock, (which was an exceedingly old one, and completely worn out,) produced universal complaints ; and the new Town Council, agreeing that it was requisite to have a correct standard of time, passed the following resolution, at a quarterly meeting of the Council, held on the 9th of February, 1836 : " That the Church Clock, being in so decayed a state as to be useless to the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood, a recommendation be made from this meeting to the Churchwardens, to attempt the esta- blishment of a new clock at the church ; and that they convene a meeting of the inhabitants in vestry, to consider the expediency of granting a church-rate to defray the expense of a new clock, also the propriety of lighting the same with gas." A meeting of the rate-payers was called by the Church- wardens, in compliance with the above recommendation, and held in the vestry of the parish church in the following week, the Rev. T. Hill, B. D., Vicar, in the chair. A discussion took place at the meeting, as to the propriety of lighting the new clock with gas ; it being argued by some, that it would endanger the safety of the tower, to make a proper excavation for the reception of the clock and gas. An estimate of the expense of a new clock was given in by Mr. Whitehurst, of Derby; who deemed it advisable to relinquish the idea of an illuminated dial. It was agreed to defray the expenses of the new clock, by an assessment on all property liable to a church-rate, of 4 Jd. in the pound ; the sum to be applied exclusively for the purposes of the clock. The following gentlemen were appointed, as a committee, to carry the re- solution of the meeting into effect: Gilbert Crompton, Esq. Mayor ; Edmund Gilling Maynard, Esq. ; the Rev. Robert Wallace, Unitarian Minister ; Mr. Sayer, draper ; Mr. R. Tennison, watch and clockmaker ; and the Churchwardens, Messrs. Edward Heane and Henry Claughton. Mr. J. Robinson, clockmaker, of Chesterfield, wrote to Mr. Paine, the horologist, of London, on the subject ; who immediately made a proposition to the committee to come and inspect the tower, and give an estimate of a new clock on the first and best principle, if they would pay his coach-fare. The committee accepted the offer ; and after Mr. Paine had examined the tower, he gave his decided opinion that one dial might be illuminated without the slightest danger thereto. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 71 Mr. Paine's estimate of the expense was as follows: " -For the best description of works, with three dials to face north, south and west, (the last to be illuminated), and quarter jacks, to strike upon four bells, 319 ; mason's and joiner's work, 33; total 352: To be completed by August." The committee agreed to Mr. Paine's terms, (the gas and water company liberally offering to supply the requisite quantity of gas) ; and on the night of the 25th of October, the clock was finally completed, and the west dial lighted for the first time with gas. The following is a correct description of this beautiful piece of mechanism : This stupendous machine stands on a most substantial foundation, and the whole work has such a precise uniformity in appearance, as to strike with pleasure every spectator. The frame that contains the work is very massive, with a stout cast-iron Tuscan pillar at each corner, and weighs nearly seven cwt. It is well put together with brass lion's-head nuts, highly finished and lackered. The three trains of wheels for the going, hour-striking, and quarters, are firmly attached to the frame with brass nuts and iron screws ; between each of these is its corresponding detent bar. At the top of the centre bar is a raised tablet with the Royal Arms of England, cast in the metal and picked out in gold, with " Paine, London, fecit," also in raised letters, gilt. Below this there is a handsome brass engraved and silvered dial, with the maker's name in the centre, over which a delicate blue steel hand makes the revolution of the dial in two minutes, and beats once in two seconds. About a foot below this, to the right, is the minute dial, with a blue hand also, which revolves exactly once in the hour. Connected with this dial are the rods of communication attached to bevil wheels and universal joints, to the minute hands on the outside of the tower, so that by alter- ing the hands of this dial, a corresponding effect takes place with the external hands, although at a distance of more than fifty feet from the machine below. On this dial, which is also of brass silvered, is inscribed " This Clock was erected by Rate expressly for the purpose. Gilbert Crompton, Esq., Mayor; Rev. Thomas Hill, B. D. Vicar; Mr. Edward Heane, and Mr. Henry Claughton, Churchwardens, 1836. Committee Edmund Gilling Maynard, Esq.; Rev. Robert Wallace, Mr. John Sayer, Mr. R. Tennison." Exactly uniform, on the left, is an hour dial, over which a hand re- volves once in twelve hours. On this dial is finely engraven " For Improvements in Public Horology, the maker of this Clock was awarded the large Silver Medal of the Society of Arts." The large wheels are three in number, each twenty inches in diameter, and very stout ; they are finely cut into teeth of an epicycloidal form, and revolve four times in the day. The pinions of each train are very powerful, well-finished, hardened and tempered. The metal of all the wheels of the clock is of a very superior description it is made of copper and pure grain tin, and has the appearance of the new standard gold it 72 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. is very hard and tough. Both the hour-striking, and quarter trains, are on the repeating principle, with rack and snail, to correct itself if needed ; there is a very curious piece in the clock that performs eight different motions during the hour, and its life-like operations are highly interesting to witness. The escapement, or time-keeping part, is made on Graham's simple but highly-effective dead principle the wheel is of steel, (which is very unusual) with the grain of the metal radiating from the centre, cut into thirty teeth, and screwed on to the pinion of sixteen teeth ; each pivot is hardened and tempered, and turns in a jewelled hole ; the verge in like manner, on which is fixed the pallet frame, wjjjch is so formed as to combine the greatest firmness with the least gravity ; and its con- struction must certainly have been the result of deep thought. The pallet jewels are let into this frame, and fixed by steel screws ; and from the correctness of their curves, are perfectly dead in beating. This es- capement is precisely the same as the time-keepers at the Royal Obser- vatory, at Greenwich, and all other astronomical regulators. The pendu- lum-rod is of African teak-wood, 13 feet 8-10ths long, from the point of suspension to the centre of oscillation ; and the ball weighs 1 50lbs. The wood of which the pendulum is made, has for many years been exposed to every change in temperature, from 140" Farenheit, down to Zero, dried in a slow oven prepared on Kyan's principle to prevent dry rot, and the pores saturated with a drying oil. The finely-tempered spring that suspends it, has been isochronized, that the extended and diminished arcs of vibration may be performed in nearly equal spaces of time. The pendulum is supported by two levers, separate from the train, though firmly attached. There is also a maintaining power to keep the clock going while winding up, which is so formed that the winder cannot be put on till it is in action. The frame is eight feet long, but the extreme length from one point to the other, is nearly twelve feet, and weighs thirty cwt. It is as firm as possible, and as steady in all its movements as it is firm. The large hammer weighs fifty pounds, the four-quarter hammers in proportion. The hour is struck on the deep-toned tenor bell, and the quarters on the first, second, third and sixth bells, very musically, and in delightful contrast, from the fall of an octave between the quarter and the hour bell. The three dials are large and handsome, being nine feet in diameter the numerals eighteen inches long. The minute pointer is four feet ten inches and the hour hand two feet six inches long. The west dial is transparent tc shew the time by night and is very hand- some. The centre plate of glass is four feet five inches in diameter, and above three eighths of an inch in thickness. By a simple but effective plan, the clock itself lights and extinguishes the gas, which consists of five bat's-wing burners. No pains have been spared in its construction, material, and workmanship, to secure a perfect standard of time. In 1829, the Vicar prohibited the ringing of the church bells, according to usual custom, at the races ; on the ground, that by suffering the practice, a sanction was given to the irregularities which usually attend this amusement. In con- HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELJ). sequence of this refusal, in September, 1830, a requisition from the inhabitants was presented to the Mayor, William Batteson, Esq., to call a public meeting, for the purpose of considering 1 the steps necessary to be taken in order to secure the ringing of the bells at the approaching races. In compliance with the request of the inhabitants, a meeting was convened at the town-hall, and the following letter, received by the Mayor from Mr. Hill (who was then sojourning at Harrogate) was'read : MR. MAYOR, Although I am entirely ignorant what measures maybe in the contem- plation of those gentlemen by whose requisition you have called the meeting to be held on Friday next ; I should think myself wanting in respect to you and to them, if I did not ex- plain my view of the subject, which will then come under your consideration. It appears to me, that the controul which the law ha? given me over the church bells is a trust, for which I am responsible ; and which I should violate by suffering them to be rung in honour of, or in aid of, what I conceive to be one of tlie greatest moral evils that can afflict my parish. In formingthis estimate of the amusements of the race-course, I am but too fully justified by the crimes of which they are the fruitful and undoubted source; the shameful violation of the preceding Sabbath ; the oaths and curses heard on every side $ the abounding of drunkenness and every species of debauchery ; and, above all, by the pernicious tendency and fatal consequences of the practice of gambling ; consequences not confined to those frauds and robberies, which, as yon, Sir, are well aware, the utmost energy of the civil power is insufficient to restrain ; but involving the ruin, the infamy, and not unfrequently the self-destruction of those who indulge in this hateful vice, the inseparable concomitant of races. These are consequences which many of those who attend the races would, I readily admit, most sincerely deplore. But they form so essential a part of the system, and stamp such a character on the amusement, as to force upon me the performance of a duty, which, I will venture to assert, cannot be more displeasing to others, than it is painful to myself. It is painful to me to oppose the wishes, and incur the censure of those, whose welfare is near my heart, and whose utmost enmity will, I trust, never extinguish the regard which I bear towards them. Yet surely by nothing should I so justly forfeit all claim to their respect, as by a deliberate preference of human approbation, to the dictates of my conscience. It is painful to me to deviate from the practice of my excellent predecessor, to whore I willingly confess my inferiority in the amiable virtues which adorned his life. But the reference which is now made to his example, serves only to strengthen the determination I have formed, by shewing that the measures, however apparently unimportant, of every public functionary, have an influence that ends not with his life, but extends to the generation that follows him. It is painful to me to appear wanting in courtesy to the patrons of the amusement, whose exalted rank forms only one of many considerations, on which every mark of honour should be paid to them . But I greatly mistake the character of those distinguished individuals, if they would derive satisfaction from any tribute of respect, procured by the sacrifice of a conscientious though, in their judgment, a misguided feeling. I am unwilling even to believe it possible, that any of my parishioners will so far forget then' character, as either to perpetrate, or encourage any acts of violence. But from a sincere desire to prevent such a painful result of excited feelings, I must explicitly declare (and you will greatly oblige me by making the declaration public) that if any force should be used to obtain possession of the bells, it will be at the peril of those who use it. To yourself, Sir, permit me, in conclusion, to offer the expression of my sincere respect, and of my hearty desire that you may be able to look back upon your year of office, now drawing to its close, with the consciousness of having begun and ended it in the fear of Him, whose delegate and representative you are. And although the state of my health will I fear prevent me from assisting at the approaching solemnity, when you will appear in the house of God, to surrender your commission to Him from whom you received it, I shall not fail to offer for yourself and your successors, the prayer which I should have L 74 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. otherwise presented in the sanctuary, " that in your several stations you may serve truly and indifferently, to the honour of God, and the edif ying and well-governing of his church and people, always remembering the strict and solemn account which you yourselves must one day give at the judgment-seat of Christ." 1 beg to remain, Mr. Mayor, your faithful humble servant,- THOMAS HILL. After the above epistle had been read, the meeting (which Was a very numerous and respectable one) agreed to express their sentiments to the Vicar in the following terms : REV. SIR, Your letter from Harrogate of the 22nd inst., to the Mayor of Chesterfield, on the subject of your having ordered that the bells shall be silent at the approaching races, contrary to the uniform practice of your worthy predecessors in office, and of other neigh- bouring Clergymen, has been laid by the Mayor before a meeting this day convened by him, pursuant to a previous requisition ; and I am deputed by that meeting respectfully to address this letter to you, to request that you will re-consider the subject of your letter, and, in accordance with the general wish of your parishioners, that you will present no obstacle to the continuance of the ancient, and (they submit) the innocent, custom, which has been invariably permitted by your predecessors and others. The meeting beg distinctly to assure you of their unfeigned respect for those scruples of conscience, which have caused you to express so unqualified a disapprobation of your predecessor's practice, but they are at the same time persuaded, that a continuance of that practice would, with your well known antipathy to races, never be considered, either by your parishioners, or by the public, as implying the least sanction Of them by yourself. Further, your parishoners have been so long accustomed to regard the practice of ringing the bells as a necessary accompaniment to every public festivity, and as a sort of public welcome to those visitors of distinction, who, on such occasions, generally honour the town with their presence, that they acknowledge they entertain great anxiety to retain a practice, which will, in their view of the subject, be productive of far less mischief and discord in your parish, than that which you threaten to adopt; and upon this footing they con- fidently rely upon your conceding the point, with that willingness, which they acknow- ledge they have experienced from you in matters of greater moment. If the point be not conceded, it may and probably will lead to the putting the question into a train of legally, but respectfully, trying the right, and thereby of obtaining the so- lemn decision of a court of law upon the subject, which is at present unsupported by any public decision, and stands upon the conflicting opinions of counsel and civilians, all of which would be spared by a timely concession of the point at issue. I beg to add, that the meeting have adjourned to Thursday next, in order to receive the favour of your final determination. Signed, for and on behalf of the meeting convened by the Mayor. W. B. THOMAS, Chairman. To the Rev. Thomas Hill, Vicar of Chesterfield, &c. This communication called forth a reply, which was read, at an adjourned meeting, in the succeeding week : SIR, I beg to acknowledge the letter under date of the 24th inst., bearing your signa- ture on behalf of a public meeting convened by the Mayor to consider the steps necessary to be taken for ensuring the ringing of the church bells at the ensuing races; and to express my deep regret that such a measure should have been resorted to. The courtesy of the letter itself, I feel grateful for, inasmuch as it assures me that those who dictated it have felt restrained by the consciousness of our relative situation from proceeding to that open breach, which from the circumstance of calling a public meeting was to be apprehended ; and I beg to assure them in return, that nothing beyond a feeling of kindness and regard shall dictate my reply. At the same time, they must feel, according to the sentiments of the letter itself, that only one course is open for me. They declare their unfeigned respect for conscientious scruples ; and as in my letter to the Mayor I have stated that my refusal proceeds from a conscientious conviction of the impropriety of allowing the bells to be rung on the occasion adverted to, I can only repeat, and it is scarcely necessary I should even do this, that my conviction remains the same, and that my conduct must continue to be governed by it. With regard to the discord which it is intimated my refusal may introduce into my THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 75 parish, I will put it to your own judgment whether it is most meet that I should leave the path of duty to avoid the danger of discord, or hold on the way of truth in the confidence that it will ultimately he found the way of peace also. As I have hinted in my former letter, I am willing, and even desirous, that honour should be paid where honour is due, and that the bells should be used to mark the arrival of the visitors of distinction, to whom you allude : but if I find that such arrivals are for the purpose of supporting and sanctioning a system, which I hold to be in the highest degree pernicious and demoralising, I am bound to withhold that tribute of respect which on all proper occasions ought to be paid. In the concluding paragraph of your letter, containing the threat of legal proceedings, there appears to be a claim on the part of the meeting to exercise a right, which I am legally advised belongs only to my office. And that I may not be understood to speak without consideration upon the subject, I have requested the gentleman, who has so t.dvised me, to deliver this reply, and inform you what he considers my legal responsibility, as the incumbent, requires of m. At the same time, I trust you will allow me again to appeal to your good common sense, whether propriety requires, that the bells of a church should be under the controul of the incumbent of the church, or under that of any nurnber of the parishioners who may wish to use them. In conclusion, allow me to observe, that I should worthily deserve the condemnation you would urge upon me, if, forsaking my office-as your spiritual pastor, I should surrender my conscience into the hands of any portion (though it were the larger portion) of my parishioners who may differ from my views. I beg to remain, Sir, your faithful humble servant, THOMAS HILL. Mr. Baxter, of Doncaster, who was deputed by Mr. H;!], then addressed the meeting-, and said MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN, I am requested by the Vicar to attend this meet- ing, and explain to you what has passed between us, that you may be fully aware of his feelings and sentiments. The Vicar applied to me, and requested my professional advice whether the bells are by the law placed under the control of the incumbent, or his parish- ioners. He expressed himself exceedingly desirous of avoiding all occasion of difference with his parishioners, and intimated that if, in my opinion, the law laid the controul of the bells with the parishioners, he should consider himself absolved from all responsibility, and would immediately withdraw from all opposition ; but if, on the other hand, the law did, as he had always understood, appoint him as the party to discriminate on what occa- sions the bells should be rung, he should feel bound to exercise that discrimination ; and however he might regret being opposed to his parishioners, his own conscientious judgment must be his guide : he therefore begged me to be explicit. I told the Vicar that I conceived the law to be quite explicit on the subject. It is la;d down in one of the Canons of the Church, that the bells are not to be used, except upon occasions to be allowed of by the Vicar and Churchwardens : that the law therefore con- stituted him the judge of the propriety or impropriety of the occasion, and thus placed the controul of the bells in his hands. The Vicar then added, that he was desirous I should .explain this to the meeting to-day, in order to show, that it was not from any desire to advance any abstract right in opposition to his parish ; but because he was positively re- quired by the Canons of the Church to judge of the propriety of the occasion of bell-ring- ing, that he refused his consent on this occasion : that he could not conceive, that the meeting would hesitate to defer to his judgment, when they understood he was the legally appointed judge, as he would desire to avoid all interference with any subject in which the law had committed the discrimination to them. I have no hesitation in stating to the meeting, in which I observe several of the legal profession, that such is the law, and I do it without fear of conlradiction. As a stranger, and therefore not a constituent part of the meeting, it may be expected that I shall not enter into the merits or demerits of the ques- tion ; but having stated what has passed, I shall now, according to the suggestion of the Chairman, withdraw. After Mr. Baxter had withdrawn, Mr. Thomas said he was glad the course recommended by himself, of giving a patient. hearing to that gentleman, had been adopted. Mr. B. had very fairly stated the only au- thority which was to be found on the subject, and that was one of the Canons of our 76 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Church, but which had never, as far as his (Mr. T.'s) knowledge went, been revised or sanctioned by any decision of a court of law ; the question of right would therefore entirely stand or fall by the construction put upon that Canon by some court of competent authority. Mr. Prince then addressed the meeting He censured in strong terms the conduct of the Vicar, in refusing the use of the church Sells to his parishioners, who had paid for them, and concluded by moving a resolution for calling an early vestry meeting, to take into consideration the propriety of reducing the ringers' salaries and other expenses now illegally paid out of the church assessments. MR. HOPKINSON seconded the motion, and after it had undergone certain aKerations and amendments, at the suggestion of Mr. Waller, and Mr. John Gillett, it was passed upon a show of hands. In consequence of the passing- of this resolution, the Vicar addressed the following letter to the Churchwardens : GENTLEMEN, I have been informed, that at the adjourned meeting relative to the- ringing of the church bells at the ensuing races, held on Thursday last, "It was resolved, that as the Vicar of Chesterfield, and the churchwarden appointed by him, have thought right to avail themselves of the power they are supposed to have, in preventing the parishioners ringing their bells at the approaching races, this meeting hereby requests the churchwardens to convene a vestry meeting as early as possible, to take into consideration the propriety of opposing any payments out of the church rates already granted, or here- after to be granted, which can be legally objected to, and discontinuing the ringers' salaries from and after Christmas next, and also the Vicar's window tax, from and after the pro- posed-vestry meeting." I am anxious to remove every ground of dissension, which considerations of interest might create ; and therefore lose no time in requesting: you to communicate to the proposed vestry meeting, my most willing abandonment of the privilege referred to at the close of the above resolution, while I beg through you to express my gratification to the parish, for having continued to me thus far the favour enjoyed by my predecessors; I trust that the discontinuance of it, being occasioned by an act exclusively my own, will not extend beyond the period of my incumbency. I remain, gentlemen) your faithful servant, THOMAS HILL. To Messrs Brown aid Bettison, Churchwardens, Chesterfield. This last epistle terminated the dispute ; and the Vicar continuing to remain firm to his original resolution, the bells have not since been rung in celebration of the races. TTMI IF (UAM I 1 !L MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS. [** In consequence of the many inaccuracies which have appeared in the works of former compilers, the greatest care has been taken to furnish a correct copy of the Monumental Inscriptions, the whole of which, as far as was practicable, have been carefully transcribed from the originals.] IN the chancel is a grave-stone of alabaster, on which has been engraven the effigy of an ecclesiastic, habited in a cope, with a chalice on one side of the figure, and a book on the other. Around the edge was the following inscription, but the whole is now nearly obliterated : Hie jacet Dominus Joh'es Pypys capellan' gilde s'c'e crucis qui obiit viii die mensis Julii anno D'ni Millo* ii cujus a'i'e Omnipotens Deus propitietur amice. " Here lies Mr. John Pypys, chaplain to the guild of the Holy Cross,, who died the eighth day of the month of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand [four hundred and] two : to whose soul may Almighty God be merciful." At the east end of the south aisle of the chancel, are three altar-tombs of the ancient family of Foljambe, who formerly re- sided at Walton, in this parish. On one of these tombs, which is without an inscription, lies a cushion richly embroidered :. a figure in complete armour kneels on it, in the attitude of prayer; the hands of which are broken off, but which, it is plain, have been joined. The head of the figure has been considerably mutilated from the mouth upwards, which gives it a very odd appearance. There is no memorial as to whom it is intended to represent. A knight's and lady's effigies, in brass, appear to have been formerly let into the slab. On the south side of the tomb, are seven knights and five ladies under double canopies.. The knights have straight hair, helmet be- tween their feet, and oblong shield, notched. At the head are a knight and lady; and on each side of them is the figure of a priest, each holding a large shield. At the foot are a knight and lady; and on their left are the effigies of an ecclesiastic, with a string of beads pendant from his neck, and of an old man, evidently representing Age. The north side is hidden by the wainscot. On the altar-tomb in the centre, lies an alabaster figure of. 78 THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. a knight, in a ruff, piked beard, double chain, plate armour, ruffles, sword, dagger, and gauntlets in concord at side, helmet under head, with a leg for a crest, and a lion at his feet. A lady in a ruff, mantle, standing cope, piked sleeves, her head on a flowered cushion, her surcoat in front buttoned to her chin, a light chain round her neck, and a dog at her feet. On the margin of this tomb are twenty shields : eight on each side, and four at the end ; which, commencing at the south- east angle, read as follows : 1. A bend between six escallops, 2. On a bend, five crosses potent. 3. A chevron between three escallops. 4. Lozengy, a mullet for difference. 5 a chief. 6. Semee of cross crosslets ; on the fesse point, an escutcheon, charged with a cross potent. /. Six martlets, 3, 2, and 1. 8. A bend, and label of three points ; the bend charged with an annulet. 9. Semee of cross crosslets, fitche : three gerbes. 10. A bend lozengy. 11. A saltier and label of three points. 12. Three fusils in fesse. 13. An eagle displayed. 14. On a pale, three lions passant gardant. 15. A saltier engrailed. 16. A lion rampant. 17. A cross engrailed. 18. In a dexter canton, a rose. 19. A fess between three leopards' faces ; on the fesse an annulet. 20. On a fesse dancette, three roundels. At the head, Foljambe quartering the foregoing, and impaling "Tirwhit (three lapwings, or tirwhits), quartering a chief dancette. On the north side, in a tablet, surmounted by a balance with weights, is a winged hour-glass standing on a skull, with the words FUGIT VELVT VMBRA. On another tablet, under an hour-glass with expanded wings VIGILATE. ORATE. NESCITIS QVANDO VENIT HORA. Translation .- [Time] flies as a shadow. Watch : pray. Ye kno\y not when the hour cometh. On the south side, Foljambe with quarterings, and tablet with the following inscription : VIGILATE ET ORATE. NESCITIS QVANDO VENJT HORA. Translation .- Watch and pray. Ye know not when the hour cometh. The third is a cenotaph to the right, on which lies a man in beautiful plate armour, his head lying on a mat, and a Jion at his feet. On his left, a lady in a ruff, stiff toupee, on THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 79 a mat and cushion, a chaplet of pearls round her head, and a skull at her feet. Against the east wall are three mural monuments : the first for Sir James Foljambe, Knight of the Garter, (eldest son of Sir Godfrey Foljambe,) who died in 1558. The in- scription in Latin : Deo Opt : Max : et Posteritati, Sacrum. Jacobo Foljambe equitl aurato, fiiio natu maxiino et heeredi Godefridi Foljambe equitis, pietate, morum integritate, majorum stemmatibus, propriis- que suis virtutibus, ornatissimo viro, suaviter et sancte in terris mortuo, Quinto Calend : Octobris, Anno Verbi Incarnati MDLVIII. Godefridus nepos hoc ei monu- mentum, amoris causa, quern memoria colit, ut deb- et, sempiterna, devotissime consecravit. Bino Jacobus conjugio felix, Alicise, silicet, nepotis et cohseredis Suthamptoniae comitis Guilhelmi Fitzwilliam, herois inclyti, unius filiarum Thomae Fitzwilliam de Aldwarke : et Constantise filiae Edouardi Littletoni, de Staffordiensi comitatu, equestris dignitatis viri. Pulchra, numerosaque prole auctus fuit. Sois ferine. Translation : Sacred To God, the best and greatest, and to Posterity. To James Foljambe, knt. eldest son and heir of Godfrey Foljambe, esq. a man highly adorned by piety, by the integrity of his manners, by the heraldic bearings of his ancestors, and by his own virtues, who ended his life on earth sweetly and sacredly, on the fifth of the calends of October, in the year of the Incarnate Word, 1558. Godfrey, his grand-son, has consecrated most devotedly, on account of his affection, this monument to him, whom he justly holds in everlasting remembrance. James was happy in two-fold wedlock, namely, with Alicia, grand-daughter, and co-heiress of that illustrious hero, William Fitzwilliam, Earl of South- ampton, and one of the daughters of Thomas Fitzwilliam, of Aldwark ; and, with Constantia,* daughter of Edward Littleton, of the county of Stafford, a man of knightly dignity. He was increased by a lovely, and numerous progeny. Be firm. He kneels on armour. Below, are the figures of his two wives, each kneeling- at a desk : behind one are the figures * The second wife of Sir James Foljambe, Constantia, daughter of Sir Edward Littleton was living: at a great age in 1587, when she was apprehended as a recusant by Sir Godfrey Foljambe, her husband's grandson. After having been detained in custody two years, she was set at liberty. Lodge's Illustrations of British History, vol. 2, pp. 372, 375. 80 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. of three sons and three daughters ; behind the other, five daughters and one son. The second of these monuments has Foljambe with quarterings, helmet and leg for crest, and underneath is the following inscription : Deo Opt : Max: et Posteritati, Sacrum. Godefridas Foljambe de Walton, equeslris ordinis atque dignitatis vir, Jacob! filius ex priore ejus conjuge, Alicia Fitzwilhelmorum ha?- rede genitus ; qui innocentia, integritatc, fide, religione, hospitalitatisque laude ornatissimus fuit. Vita; honestissimSe, laudatissimaeq. actse diem supremum clausit in manerio suo de Walton, Decimo Calendas Januarii, et Christi Redemptoris nostri Anno MDLXXXV : superstite turn, ac sublati conjugis mortem deflente, uxore amantissima Trothea, Guilhelmi Terwhitti eqnitis filia ; cujus anima ex corporis vinculis, tanquam ex car cere, felix, lit in coelum fulgeat,* evolavit: reliquiis, vero hoc loco sitis, Godefridus filius unicus, idemque obsequen- tissimus, officii et pietatis in parentem tarn amantissimum non immemor ; post funebria justa mcestissimis, uberibusque cum lachrymis persoluta ; hoc conditorium pro Munere extremo posuit. Sois ferme. Translation : Sacred To God, the best and greatest, and to Posterity. Godfrey Foljambe, of Walton, a man of knightly order and dignity, (son of James, by his first wife Alicia, heiress of the Fitzwilliams,) who was highly adorned by his innocence, integrity, faith, religion, and the praise of his hospitality, terminated the last day of his most * In the repairs which -these monuments have undergone, FULCEAT has probably been substituted for FUOERET. 81 honourable and praiseworthy life, at his manor of Walton,* on the 10th of the calends of January, and in the year of Christ our Redeemer, 1585; his most affectionate wife Trothea, daughter of William Terwhit, esq., moreover surviving him, and lamenting the death of her departed hus- band, whose soul flew away from the bonds of the body as from a prison, happy to escape to heaven; but his remains being deposited in this place, Godfrey, their only and truly obedient son, not unmindful of his duty and piety towards his very affectionate parent, having performed his funeral rites with mournful and abundant tears, has placed this tomb as his latest duty. Be firm. The third of the above-mentioned mural monuments of the Foljambe family, has a winding-sheet on a bier, bones, spades, &c. ; and above, Death between Age and Youth. Death in the centre, a lusty youth in the vigour of life, oil Death's left hand ; on his right, an old man bent down with * c> age. Adjoining these, but on the south side, is another hand- some mural monument, of Grecian architecture, having at the top the date 1592 ; under this, Foljambe with quarterings, helmet and crest, encircled by twenty banners, each bearing the escutcheons described on the centre tomb. On each side are reclining female figures ; at the feet of that on the left is the sun, and a peacock with its tail expanded, an emblem of day : at the feet of that on the right, are the globe, moon and stars, with an owl, an emblem of night. Below is a * The following entries of the burial of this Godfrey Foljambe, and of the marriages, burials and baptisms of others of the same family, occur in the first volume of the Church Register. December Anno 1585. Godfridus Ffoliambe miles de Walton sepult. fuit xxiiij die. November Anno 1558. Godfridus Ffuliamb filius Galfridi Ffuliambe de Waltone bapt. fuit xxv die. November Anno 1561. Jacobus Waltone et Agneta Ffoliambe de Waltone nupt. xxiij die. luly Anno 1563. Edwardus Newbold et Dorothia Ffoliambe nupt. fuere xix<> die. Jane Anno 1595. Godfridus Ffoliambe de Walton armig' sepult. xiiijo die. July [1623.] Uxor Georjpi Foliambe generosi de Walton sepult. xiij"- January 1627 [O. S.] Francisca fllia Foljambe baptizatM* fuit ij" die. Augusti 1631. Mr. Henericus Foliambe de Walton sepultus ixo die, M 82 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. tablet, uninscribed,* between two figures representing Earth and Air. On the floor of the Foljambe chapel lies a stone on which has been cut the figure of a man in armour, with a long sword ; at his feet (the only portion which is in good preservation) are, a helmet on one side, and gauntlets on the other. On one side of the figure is the following inscription, as far as it can be deciphered. FI i ! FVI i MP....CET GEORGIVS FOLJAMBE NOMEN On the other side VIXERAT IMM....VS F f OCC. . . . PLACIDE CO NT On a slab within the altar- rails, underneath the carpet, but in excellent preservation, are two brass figures : that on the left hand of a knight in armour and mail, cropt hair, head on a helmet, without crest ; collar, sword, and dagger : on his gonfannons, a bend between six escallops. Quarterly, 1, 2, on a bend five crosses patonce ; 3, a chevron between three escallops. On his surcoat the same; the upper quarters hid. He stands on a stag bearded and paned. His lady is in profile, in the veil and low pointed head-dress of the fifteenth or sixteenth century, having a chain and cross and cordon, a belt with three roses on her surcoat, faced with ermine. On her mantle, a saltier with five annulets ; over this figure is a shield, (the only remaining one of four on the slab), impaled by his quartered coat. Dr. Pegge referred these brasses to the time of Richard II. because Sir Godfrey Foljambe, who died before the twelfth of Richard II. A. D. 1389, married Isabel, daughter of Sir Simon Leeke. No mention is made of such a person in the pedigree of the Foljambes, in the Harleian MSS. 5809. Two other brass plates have been on the slab, but are now lost : they are supposed to have represented seven sons and seven daughters. Lysons says that these plates " are the figures of Sir Godfrey Foljambe, f who died in 1541, and his wife Katherine, daugh- ter of Sir John Leake, of Sutton, who died in 1529." * The Northern Star for October, 1817, says "The following inscription in black letter, which was here in 1611, is now gone : ' Hie jacet Henricus Foljambe armiger, qui obiit ao. Henrici Septimo Decimo.' " t Sir Godfrey Foljambe is described as one of the King's Council. THE HISTORY OF CHESTEttFIELD. 83 In the Foljambe chapol, lying on one of the tombs, is a large bone, which, time out of mind, has been believed to be the rib of a cow, and that very cow, the Dun Cow of Dunmoor Heath, which, after having been driven mad by the over- milking of a witch, was destroyed by the renowned Guy, Earl of Warwick, and its bones sent as a memento of his victory to various places in the surrounding country ; some being retained and deposited in the archives of Warwick Castle, along with those of the mighty dragon which he also slew. The above has long been the legend of the bone, but on examination, it appears evidently to have belonged to some marine animal ; and from its resemblance in form to those often placed as ornamental entrance-posts, may be safely conjectured to have been the jaw-bone of a young, or small whale. This bone is seven feet four inches in length, but the chord of its arc is only five feet seven inches ; its circumference or girt varying from twelve to thirteen inches. The word JUtcfjer, in good old English letters is cut into it near the lesser end. On the left of the Foljambe chapel, is the following tablet. Underneath are deposited the remains of John Cock, of Chesterfield, Esq. who died 1st of December, 1810, aged 71 years. He was formerly one of the Company of English Merchants, in Hamburgh, and married Frances, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Grove, A. M., Vicar of Bakewell, in this county, by whom he had one daughter, Jane, who married the Rev. Edward Heathcote, and dying 18th December, 1809, in the 39th year of her age, was buried at East Bridgeford, in the county of Nottingham, leaving six sons and three daughters. In grateful and affectionate remembrance of her husband and daughter, this monument is erected by Frances Cock. She died 15th January, is 29, aged 85 years. 84 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. In the east window of the chancel, over the altar, Or, a cross potent, Gules. Gules, three lions passant gardant. Or. Barry, Or and Gules, in chief, three torteauxes. Gules, a cross moline, Argent. The altar-piece is a very handsome specimen of modern architecture, with the inscription, " This do in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death." Over the altar-rails is the following inscription on a handsome tablet. In memory of the Reverend George Bossley, M. A.,, forty years Vicar of this parish, who, in the discharge of his sacred office, was faithful and diligent ; in the several relations of life, exemplary and affectionate ; in his general conduct, " a pattern of good works." He died on the 20th of March, 1822, in the 69th year of his age. In testimony of respect for their deceased Pastor, and in grateful remembrance of his services, his parishioners have caused this monument to be erected. On the floor, within the altar-rails, are the following. Hie situs est Reverendus Gulielmus Wheeler, A. M. per annos XXV et quod excurrit hujus Ecclesiee Vicarius. In pastorali munere fuit indefessus. In vita privata pius, probus amicus. In conjugal! statu, fidus et benignus. Tan to privata (heu ! subito nimis) solatio. Anna uxor, infeliciter superstes, hoc grati animi testimonium posuit. Obijt Januarii die 13 tio. f ^tatis 66, \Saluti8l765. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 85 M. S. Susannae, Revdi. Gulielmi Wheeler, hujus Ecclesiae Vicarii uxoris dilectissimae, quae viva pietatis benevolentise et probitatis, moriens summae patientiae et resignationis, ab omnibus imitatu dignum prsebuit exemplum. obt. Mar. die 2. Anno setatis suse 58, et salutis 1762. Here lyeth buried the body of Frances, late wife of Roger Coates, of Chesterfield, merchant, daughter of M. Percival Linley, late of Skegby, in the county of Nottingham, merchant, who departed this life the 30th, of March, 1662. And when she died yeares, and six dayes. And also Frances, daughter of the said Roger Coates. On the north side of the altar-rails, is the burial-place of the Heathcotes, munificent benefactors to Chesterfield ; and against the wall is the following inscription. At the foot of this here lieth, in hopes of a blessed resurrection, the body of Gilbert Heathcote, late of this town, gentleman, who departed this life the 24th April, 1690, in the 69th year of his age. By his wife Ann, daughter of Mr. George Dickons, of this town, he had eight sons and one daughter, viz. Gilbert, John, Samuel, Elizabeth, Josiah, William, Caleb, George, and Thomas ; of which, Elizabeth and Thomas died in their infancy ; but he had the particular blessing to see all the rest merchants, adventurers, either in England or in foreign parts. This was erected by his sons, as well to testify their gratitude, as to perpetuate the memory of the best of fathers. Here also lieth interred the body of Ann, his said wife, who departed this life the 29th day of November, 1705, in the 76th year of her age. 86 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. In the vault below are deposited the remains of Dorothy, the wife of Anthony Lax Maynard, Esq., of this town, and of Harlsey Hall, in the County of York, and youngest daughter of the Rev. Ralph Heathcote, late Rector of Morton, in this County, and Vicar of Sileby, in the County of Leicester ; who, after a life of unaffected piety and active benevolence, uniformly spent in relieving the distresses of suffering humanity, died, in the full hope of a joyful resurrection, the 10th day of December, 1811, aged 76 years. Also, the remains of the above-mentioned Anthony Lax Maynard, Esq., who died the 3rd day of July, 1825, aged 83 years. At the north end of the chancel, on the right of the vestry door : John Wilkinson, died March 22, 1816, aged 60 years. Elizabeth Wilkinson, sister to the above John Wilkinson, died the 6th of June, 1821, aged 73 years. And likewise Ann Wilkinson, sister to the above John and Elizabeth, who died April the 19th, 1828, aged 82 years. Thomas Smith, of Dunston Hall, Esq., died 13th of April, 1811, aged 46 years. Charlotte, his daughter, died 26th of February, 1804, aged 10 years. Anne Susan, his daughter, died 23rd March, 1820, aged 25 years. Elizabeth Mary, wife of the above-named Thomas Smith, died 12th of August, 1829, aged 57. She was the only surviving child of Robert Mower, Esq., of the Woodseats, in this county, by his first wife, Elizabeth Milnes, who was sister of the late George Milnes, Esq., of Dunston Hall, near Chesterfield. THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. 87 To the memory of Thomas Lucas, Esquire, who died 29th of May, 1818, aged 86 years; and Elizabeth his wife, who died 7th of March, 1803, aged 70 years : she was the youngest daughter of John Burton, gentleman, and heiress of Edward and Ann Burton, her only brother and sister. Also, of Bernard Lucas, gentleman, the only brother of the said Thomas Lucas, who died a bachelor, 22nd June, 1810, aged 76 years. All of whom are interred near this place. In memory of Anne, wife of Isaac Wilkinson, Esq. of Tapton House, who died the 20th of July, 1827, aged 65 years. Also, of the above-named Isaac Wilkinson, Esq., who departed this life the 6th July, 1831, aged 81 years. The following is from the pen of Bishop Hallifax, whose sister Mr. Burton had married. Mr. Burton's father was a Member of the Corporation. Edward Burton, Attorney at Law, in Chesterfield, died April 23, 1782, aged 54 years. A tender husband and a friend sincere, Consign'd to earth, implores the silent tear. Learn' d in the laws, he never warp'd their sense, To shelter vice, or injure innocence : But, firm to truth, by no mean interest mov'd, To all dispens'd that justice which he lov'd : Virtue oppress'd, he taught her rights to know, And guilt detected, fear'd the coming blow. Thus humbly useful, and without offence, He fill'd the circle mark'd by Providence ; His age completing what his youth began, The noblest work of GOD, an honest Man. 88 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. In memory of Henry, son of the Rev. John Bourne, of Spital, who departed this life, December 19, 1777, aged 6 years. Charlotte Bourne, youngest daughter of Henry Bourne, of Spital, M.D., who died 30th September, 1778, aged 45, Also, of Anne, first wife of John Bourne, who died 14th February, 1769, aged 42. John Bourne, who died 13th June, 1806, aged 76. And Anna Catherine, second wife of the said John Bourne, and daughter of Rev. Samuel Pegge, of Whittington, LL.D., who died 3rd January, 1816, .aged 80 years. On a brass plate to the left of the vestry door : Neare this place lyeth ye body of Mr. Frances Moore, late Alderman of this towne, departed this life ye 2nd day of January, 1715, aged 87 yeares. O poore house of clay, how empty here thou lies, When all the furniture is gone to Paradise : Angels has conueyede to Heauean thy Jewell mind, And nothing but the cabinet left behind. On the west side of the chancel : Near this place are deposited the remains of William Milnes, of Aldercar, in the county of Derby, esquire, He was born in the year 1720, and died in the year 1797. In the same tomb lies interred his wife Mary, the daughter of Adam Soresby, in Chesterfield, in the county of Derby, esquire, She was born in the year 1732, and died in 1794 ; they left three daughters : Jane, married to the Rev. John Smith, A.M., Fellow of Emanual College, Cambridge. Mary, married first to Jonathan Lee, of Chesterfield, esquire ; and secondly to Peter Pegge Burnell, of Beauchief Abbey, Derbyshire, esquire. And Dorothy, first married to Philip Gell, of Hopton, in the county of Derby, esquire ; and secondly to Thomas Blore, of the Middle Temple, esquire, F. S. A. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Just within the entrance of the chancel, on the pillars, are the following tablets. In memory of Ann Wilkinson, who died March 22nd, 18 11-, aged 91 years. Near this place was interred the body of Richard Wilkinson, of this town, who died 28th March, 1781, aged 69 years. Also, the body of the Rev. Isaac Wilkinson, his brother, who died October 20, 1794, aged 81 years. And also, the body of Hannah, wife of the above-named Richard Wilkinson, who died February 25, 1808, aged 89 years. On two other pillars are the following In beautiful white marble. In memory of Mary Elizabeth, the beloved wife of the Rev. Thomas Hill, B. D. Vicar of this parish, and fourth daughter of the Rev. George Bossley, M. A. Vicar of Chesterfield, and Rector of Clown, in this county ; who having, through grace, adorned the gospel of God her Saviour, by a cheerful endurance of his will, and humble, yet firm, reliance on his promises, and a tender concern for the sufferings of his children ; and having, with a deportment the most engaging, and a temper the most generous and affectionate, served her generation in the unobtrusive discharge of every relative duty, was suddenly taken to her everlasting rest, on the 6th of June, 1835, in the 41st year of her age, N 90 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. In dutiful and most affectionate remembrance of Daniel Thomas Hill, of Romely, in this county, esquire, who died on the llth of May, 1813, in the 69th year of his age. And of Mary, his wife, who died on the 2nd of April, 1832, in the 82nd year of her age. Taught and enabled by divine grace "To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with their God," they yet, with unfeigned self-abasement, accounted themselves unprofitable servants, and gloried only in that which formed at once the ground of their hope, and the motive of their obedience, the cross of Jesus Christ. On the south side of the chancel are the two following mural monuments. This monument is set up in memory of the late Honourable Mrs. Mary Vane, wife of the Honourable Morgan Vane, of Beilby, in Nottinghamshire, who departed this life on the llth July, 1771, at the age of 44, by her most affectionate and most truly disconsolate husband, who must ever deeply lament her loss, and is desirous to perpetuate to posterity, that the whole conduct of her life was directed by one steady and uniform principle of piety and charity, and that she died sincerely lamented by all who knew her amiable and good qualities In memory of William Harding, who died on the 31st December, 1793, aged 56 years. Also of Mary Harding, his widow, who died 3 1st October, 1816, aged 76 years. On slabs on the floor of the chancel, are the following. Here lieth interred the body of Bernard Lucas, who departed this life, July the 25th, 1771, aged 62 years. Here lieth the body of Ann Lucas, who departed this life the 27th of April, 1771, aged 35 years. Here lieth the body of Ann, the wife of Bernard Lucas, who departed THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 91 this life the 8th day of December, 1765, aged 61 years. She was a vir- tuous wife, a tender mother, and a steady friend. In memory of Edward, the fourth son of Thomas and Elizabeth Lucas, died October 3rd, 1765, aged nine months; and Robert Lucas, their fifth son, formerly of Manchester, drysalter, and late of this parish, died April 1st, 1835, aged 68 years. Josiah Claughton, died April 15, 1836, aged 68. Sophia Fletcher, daughter of G. Fletcher, M. D. died September 4th, 1804, aged 12 weeks. Ralph Fletcher, son of G. Fletcher, M.D. died April 13th, 1837, aged 22 years. Marmaduke Carver, gent., died 19th June, 1756, aged 84 years. Here lieth the body of John Milnes, son of Mr. Richard Mimes, surgeon, who died the 5th of October, 1736, aged 1 year and 7 months. Here lieth the body of William, son of Mr. Richard Wilkinson, of this town, who died March 11, 1743-4, aged one year and five months. Also, the body of Richard, son of the aforesaid Richard Wilkinson, who died June 27, 1752, aged one year. Also, the body of Mary, daughter of the said Richard Wilkinson, who died September 6, 1760. Here lieth interred the body of Francis Stevenson, of Unston, gen- tleman, who had to his wife, Gertrude, the daughter of Edward Pegge, of Beauchief, Esq. Here lieth the body of Letitia, late the wife of Jonathan Lee, of this town, gent., she was the daughter of Christopher Pegge, Esq., late of Beauchief, who died the day of June, 1773. Here lieth also, the body of Jonathan Lee, late of this town, gent, who died the 17th July, 1773, aged 58 years, Here lieth the body of Jonathan Lee, late of this town, Attorney at Law, son of Jonathan and Letitia Lee, who departed this life October the 20th, 1781, in the 39th year of his age. Here lieth the body of Mr. Jonathan Lee, Attorney at Law. He died the 15th May, A. D. 1730, aged 66 years. Also, the body of John Lee, grandson of the above said Mr. Jon- athan Lee, who died March the 24th, 1758, aged 14 years and 2 months. Here lies the body of the Rev. Mr. Christopher Smalley, who departed this life the 8th of February, 1743, aged 61 years. Also, Hannah his wife, who died the 6th of June, ] 765, aged 76 years. Also, Hannah, their daughter, died in her infancy, 1722. And Anne, their daughter, died 2nd March, 1731, aged six months. Also, the body of Thomas Smalley, son of the above said, who died January 22nd, 1769, aged 40 years. Here are interred the remains of the Rev. John Thomas, V. D. M.. who departed this life, December 24th, 1719, in the 49th year of his age. 92 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Here are interred the remains of Mra. Freeman, the relict of Mr. Mark Freeman, late of Leeds, in the county of York, merchant, who departed this life September 27, 1707, in the 71st year of his age. Also, here lieth the body of Freeman Flower, Esq., of Claphanv Surrey, son of John and Lydia Flower. He died at Meersbrook, in this county, 8th June, 1797, aged 83. Here are interred the remains of Mrs. Lydia Flower, late wife of Mr. John Flower, of Gainsborough, in the county of Lincoln, merchant, who departed this life, July 16, 1718, in the 26th year of her age. Here lieth interred the body of Samuel Clarke, gent., who departed this life the 5th of January, 1741, aged 83 years. He was made one of the four Messengers in Ordinary, attending the Great Seal of England, Anno, 1690, in which post he continued to his death. Here is also deposited the body of Anne Maria Clarke, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Clarke, who died the 25th of February, 1723, aged 24 years. Also, the body of Samuel Clarke, gent., son of the aforesaid Samuel Clarke, who died November 10, 1754. Under this stone are deposited the remains of Frances, the wife of Richard Clarke, Esq., of Brampton Free Chapel, who died February 21, 1786, aged 69. Adieu, blest woman, partner of my life, A tender mother, and a virtuous wife. Here also, rest the remains of the abovesaid, Richard Clarke, Esq., who died December 20, 1799, in the 78th year of his age. Here lieth the body of Ann, wife of the Rev. John Bourne, of SpitaV who departed this life February 14, 1769, aged 42 years. She was pos- sessed of many virtues, was a dutiful daughter, and an affectionate wife, a sincere friend, and in her whole life did good without affectation. Her resignation and patience, during her last tedious and painful illness, were such as could only be supplied by a happy immortality. Here lieth the body of George Milnes, gent., of Dunston, in this parish, who departed this life June 23rd, and was here interred the 26th, A. D., 1787, aged 42 years. Here lieth the body of Richard Milnes, Esq.,* of Oularcar, in the parish of Codnor, and county of Derby, who died the 17th of December, 1729, aged 70 years. Charlotte Smith, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Mary Smith, of Dunston, died 26th February, 1804, aged ten years. Here lieth the body of Richard Milnes, of Dunston, gent., in this parish, who departed this life the llth, and was here interred the 13th March, A. D., 1773, aged 59 years. Also, Richard, son of the above, who died December 1st, 1824, in the 78th year of his age. * High Sheriff for the county of Derby in the year 1720. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 93 X Here lieth in hope of a glorious resurrection, the body of Mrs. Mary Clarke, who departed this life December 29, 1/34, in the 56th year of her age. Here lieth the body of Alice, the wife of Mr. William Milnes, of Brimington, who departed this life May 1st, 1681. Here lie also the bodies of the said William her husband, who died I4th September, 1636, eetat. 60 years. And of their son James, who died 16th March, 1690, aetat. 34 years. Also, the body of their daughter, Isabel, and wife of Mr. Jacob Brails- ford, late Alderman of this town ; he departed this life December 25th, 1736, aged 68. Here lieth the body of Lydia, wife of William Milnes, of Brimington, daughter of Mr. Paul Webster, of this town, merchant, who died 1 9th May, 1701, in the 34th year of her age. Also the body of the said William her husband, who died October 26, 1717, aged 56 years. Also, the body of Dorothy, the wife of John Revell, late of this town, Alderman, and sister of the said William Milnes, who died the 10th November, 1740, aged 77. Here lieth the body of John Burton, of Chesterfield, gent., who died 21st January, 1768. Here lieth interred the body of Ann, the wife of John Burton, who- died the 22nd day of January, 1770. Here lieth interred the body of Ann Burton, one of the two daughters of John Burton, late of this town, gent., by Ann, his wife, who died the 9th day of March, 1790. Here lieth the body of George Milnes, the son of George Milnes, of Dunston, in the parish of Chesterfield, who died November 15, 1736, aged 22 years. Also, here lies interred the body of George Milnes, of Dunston in the parish of Chesterfield, Esq., and father of the above, who died July 1st, 1755, aged 66 years. Also, here lies interred the body of Dorothy, the wife of the above George Milnes, Esq., of Dunston, who died September 26, 1776, aged 84 years. Here lieth the body of William Milnes, son of George Milnes, of Dunston, in the parish of Chesterfield, who died August 6, 1723, aged 7 years. Here lie the remains of Sarah, the relict of George Manley, who de- parted this life the 27th day of August, 1769, aged 68 years. Her behaviour was virtuous and exemplary, in every stage and rela- tion of life. After submitting with a proper resignation to a long train of misfortunes, which she at length overcame by a laudable industry and frugality, she supported the pains and infirmities of her latter years, with a cheerfulness and resolution, that nothing but a true Christian faith and conscious integrity could furnish. 94 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Here lieth the body of Anne, the widow of Thomas Audsley, gent., and mother of H. Audsley, Vicar of Chesterfield, who died January 10th, A. D., 1703-4. Anthy. Haslam, ob. Sept. 4, 1746, eet 76. Here lies interred the body of Thomas, son of Paul and Anne Wild- bore, who died the 4th May, 1722. Also, the body of the said Anne Wildbore, who died the 27th Sep- tember, 1722, in the 33rd year of her age. Also, the body of Paul Wildbore, husband of the abovesaid, who departed this life May the 26th, 1757, aged 63 years. Here lieth the body of Mrs. Rebecca Wood, the wife of Edward Wood, gent, of this town, who departed this life December the 24th, 1755, aged 65. Also the body of Edward Wood, gent, who departed this life April 27, 1757, aged 65. Here lies interred the body of John Burgoyne Fernel, esq. who departed this life the 9th day of October, 1789, aged 39 years. Here lies interred the body of Betty, the wife of John Burgoyne Fernel, esq. who departed this life February 4th, 1797, aged 47 years. Also Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of William Burgoyne and Charlotte Fernel, died April 7, 1814, aged one year and five months. Here lyeth the body of Mrs. Anne Webster, daughter of Mr. Paul Webster, deceased, who died the 30th November, 1720. Here lyeth the body of Mr. Godfrey Webster, youngest son of the abovesaid Mr. Paul Webster, who died the 4th of February, 1735. Also, here lieth the body of Mr. Paul Webster, gentleman, elder brother of the abovenamed Mr. Godfrey and Mrs. Anne Webster, who died June 5, 1757, aged 59 years. Here lie the remains of Paul Webster, late of this town, and the son of Paul Webster, mentioned in a brass plate fixed to the adjoined pillar. He married Frances, the daughter of Edward Pegge, of Beauchief, in this county, esq. by whom he had six children, Frances, Susannah and Lydia, dead ; Paul, Anne and Godfrey, now living. He died the 9th of March, 1715, aged 46 years. He was a kind husband, a tender father, a sincere friend, a charitable neighbour, an ornament to the established Church of England, and a truly primitive Christian. Sarah Webster, relict of the late Mr. Paul Webster, of this town, merchant, died November 3, 1785, aged 75 years. Here lieth interred the body of Frances, relict of Paul Webster, merchant, mentioned on the adjacent stone, who departed this life the 1st May, 1732, aged 67 years. Ann Morewood, relict of the late Rev. John Morewood, Vicar of Compton and rector of Upmarden, Sussex, died November 7, 1780, aged 72 years. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 95 The following inscription is on a brass plate, affixed to one of the centre pillars. Paul Webster, born at Ashbourn the 29th November, 1637, carefully educated by honest and religious parents in early piety, and such learn- ing as that and other country schools afforded (whither his removals were occasioned by the plague at Ashbourn and civill warrs) at last fixed at Derby Free School, about the end of the year 1651, continuing there till July, 1654, then brought to Chesterfield (his sight being thought too weak for an academical life) by his uncle, Mr. George Taylor, of Durant Hall, in this town, with whom he lived till October, 1663, married, in June, 1665, Susanna, the daughter of the second Godfrey Watkinson, of Brampton Moor, by whom he had issue Susanna, Robert, Matthew, and Godfrey, infants deceased, Lydia, Paul and Anne, yet living ; buried his wife near this pillar, the last day of March, 1679, three of the infants before, and one a little after her. Having faithfully discharged his trust to his nephew, the fourth Godfrey Watkinson, now living at Brampton Moor,* (to whom he was guardian,) and educated his aforesaid surviving children, so well as he could, worn out not so much with age as care and acute diseases, died a widower, and was buried near this pillar, 1 st March 1694-5. In the south chapel of the chancel, is a rich tabernacle, resting on two busts, and containing the following in- scriptions. Below were interred the remains of Richard Calton, who died 4th May, 1756, aged 79 years. Helena his wife, who died 4th March, 1758, aged 83 years. Richard Calton, their son, who died 3rd April, 1758, aged 53 years. Helen Calton, their daughter, who died 1st September, 1778, aged 75 years. Thomas Calton, their son, who died 17th May, 1784, aged 77 years. Elizabeth, his wife, who died 1st June, 1794, aged 82 years. Richard Calton, son of Thomas and Elizabeth, who caused this tab. let to be erected, in gratitude, and to the memory of his above named ancestors, died 23rd January, 1795, aged 48 years. And Sarah, the wife of the last named Richard Calton, died 12th January, 1823, aged 68 years. Gervase Gardiner, gent, departed this life May 23rd, 1763, aged 57 years. He was descended from a good family of that name in Hertford- shire. His grandfather, the Rev. Dr. Gardiner, was first invited into this county, to accept the Rectory of Eckington, which his father after- wards possessed. To perpetuate the memory of an affectionate husband, a kind master, a sincere humane friend, a worthy and upright man, this stone was here laid by the direction of his disconsolate widow. * Godfrey Watkinson, of Brampton, Esq. served the office of High Sheriff for the County in the year 1736. 96 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, Here, adjoining to her husband, are interred the remains of Elizabeth, relict of Mr. Gervase Gardiner, and second daughter of Richard Calton, of this town, gentleman, deceased : a lady respectable for her benevo- lence to a large circle of friends, and her extensive charity to the poor. She died the 4th of February, 1775, aged 66 years. Under the iron-chest, which is placed in this chapel, lies a slab, appurently of considerable dimensions, on which there have probably been some brass figures, surmounted or en- closed in a pointed canopy ; but all traces appear to be lost, as to the person whose remains are deposited beneath. The inscriptions in the transept are as follow. At the east side of the south door is a brass plate in very good preservation, on which is eng-raven this inscription. Hie subtus humantur ossa Domini Johannis Verdon, quondam Rec- toris de Lyndeby in Comitatu Nottinghamiae, Ebor. Dioec. et Capellani Cantarise Sancti Michaelis Archangeli, in Ecclesia paroch. Omnium Sanctorum de Chesterfield ; qui obiit secundo die mensis Maii, Anno Domini M. D., pro cujus anima, sic quaeso, orate, et ut pro vestris animabus or are volueritis. Translation. Here underneath are interred the mortal remains of Mr. John Verdon,* formerly Rector of Lyndeby, in the County of Nottingham, in the Diocese of York, and Chaplain of the Chantry of St. Michael the Archangel, in the parish Church of All-Saints, in Chesterfield ; who died on the 2nd day of May, in the year of our Lord, 1500 ; for whose soul, I entreat you, pray, even as you would pray for your own souls. On the west side of the south door : Parentibus de se optime meritis Roberto et Hannae Hallifax qui humanis omnibus officiis probe ac fideliter perfuncti hac e vita migraverunt ille A. D. 1759. aetatis suae 63 : ilia A. D. 1787. aetatis 78. Monumentum hoc in aliquod amoris et pietatis suae testimonium poni curavit Charissimus olim filius Robertus Hallifaxf principi Walliae Medicus, 1796. * One of the representatives of the County of Derby, in the fourth parliament of Edward the third, was named John de Verdon, and probably an ancestor of the above Mr. John Verdon. t Robert Hallifax was father of Dr. Samuel Hallifax, Bishop of St. Asaph. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 97 Translation : To his most excellent parents, Robert and Hannah Hallifax, who, having honestly and faithfully discharged all the duties of humanity, departed this life, the former in the year of our Lord 1759, in the 63rd year of his age, the latter in the year of our Lord 1787, in the 78th year of her age ; Robert Hallifax, their once beloved son, and physician to the Prince of Wales, in 1796, caused this monument to be erected, as a slight testimony of his filial love and piety. Near this place lie interred the remains of Mary, daughter of John Boucher, who died 27th June, 1781, aged 17 years. Also Edith, wife of John Boucher, who died 13th April, 1782, aged 52 years. And John Boucher, who died 23rd July, 1791, aged 65 years. To whose memory this monument is gratefully erected, by William and John Crosby, nephews and executors to the above John Boucher. Near this place are interred, Joseph Wilkinson, of Birmingham, who died September 22, 1780, aged 62 years, and Phoebe Wilkinson, his wife, who died December 9, 1798, aged 80 years. Also, two of their grandchildren, Edward Astley, who died 30th October, 1790, aged 3 years. And Ann Astley, who died 18th November, 1790, aged 6 years. Also, Thomas Astley, their brother, who died 26th July, 1 803, aged 22 years. Also, the remains of the Rev. Thomas Astley, their father, who died 15th October, 1817, aged 79 years. In the adjoining vault are interred, Catharine, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Astley,, who died October 4, 1828, aged 48 years. Also, Phoebe, relict of the above Rev. Thomas Astley, who died June 27, 1829, aged 83 years. o 98 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Sacred to the memory of Mr. Richard Milnes, merchant, of this town, who died February 1st, 1/57, aged 52> and to whom a handsome monument has been erected by his daughters, at the west end of this church, where he lies buried amongst liis ancestors. Also of Mrs. Lowndes, late wife of Robert Lowndes, esq. ofPalterton, but formerly of Lea-Hall, in the county palatine of Chester. She was the eldest daughter and co-heiress of the above Richard Milnes, and having died of a consumption, February 1769, here lies entombed, " With her father, mother, and several of her family. Also of Mrs. Day, late wife of Thomas Day, esq.,* Barrister-at-Law, of Annesley, near Chertsey, in Surrey, youngest daughter and co-heiress of the above Richard Milnes, and who, at her own express desire, was buried with her beloved husband, in his family vault, at Wargrave church, in the county of Berks ; having died at the age of 39, in June, 1792, after a lingering illness, occasioned from grief at the untimely death of Mr. Day, who was unfortunately killed, by a fall from his horse, September 28, 1789. Also of Milnes Lowndes, esq., Barrister-at-Law of the Middle-Temple, London, eldest son of R. Lowndes, esq. and maternal grandson of Mr. R. Milnes : he died of a consumption, April 20, 1800, at the age of 36, and was buried in the Temple Church. Reader, if thou art a woman, admire and imitate the conjugal affection, chastity, gentleness, domestic virtues and benevolent disposition of these two excellent wives. If thou art a man, admire and imitate the inflexible integrity, steadiness, industry, and temperance of Mr. Milnes and his Grandson ; but if thou art animated with a holy zeal, for thy country's welfare, admire and imitate the disinterested patriotism of Mr. Day, of Annesley ; who, to the most incorruptible eloquence and transcendent abilities, united every public and private virtue, and who, though inclined with an apparent austerity to hunt out and condemn the smallest abuses of Government, was often heard (in the exuberant gratitude of his soul) to thank God, he was born and lived in Great Britain, because there alone true Liberty was to be found ; the admirable Constitution of its mixed monarchical government, coming as near to perfection as human institutions would admit of. Go then, candid Reader, and like this virtuous philanthropist, endeavour to succour the sick, the poor, the aged, and the orphan. Be like him, an honour to thy country, and a friend of mankind. * Author of Sandford and Merton. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 99 On brass plates affixed to the wall on the west side of the north transept, are : Near this place lyeth the body of Nicholas Youle, son of Mr. Richard Youle, alderman, who died the 6th June, 1702, aged 41 years : also, Alice, his wife, December 12, 1705, aged 46 years. Also, Mary, daughter of Alderman Youle, and wife to John Bright, esq. December 6, 1714, aged 58 years. Richard, Robert and Thomas, their sons, and Mary, a daughter; also, Samuel, son of John Bright, esq., December 14, 1719, aged 33 years. Also, Nicholas, son of John Bright, esq. May 10, 1732, aged 40 years. Also, John Bright, esq. and late Alderman of this town, June 19, 1734, aged 77 years. Also the Rev. Thomas Hincksman, Mary Field, and Richard Hincksman, grandchildren of the said John Bright, esq. and Mary his wife, and sons and daughter of Thomas Hincksman, A. M. vicar of Chesterfield, who successively died May 11, 1781 ; May 24, 1784; March 19, 1795. Mors Janua Vitae. In memory of Master Bright Dalton, only son of Richard Dalton, of Sheffield, merchant, and Mary his wife, one of the daughters of John Bright, gent, and Barbara his wife. He died the 3rd day of August, 1748, in the ]4th year of his age, and lies interred near this place, H. M. In memoriam Reverend! Viri Thomae Hinckesman, Clerici, A.M. hujus Ecclesia nuper Vicarii ; necnon de Matlock Rectoris, qui fuit in laboribus parochianis, semper sedulus et indefessus pastor vigilantissimus et Religionis vere Christianas cultor sanctissimus animam efflavit duodecimo die mensis Martii, Anno Domini 1731, Maria Hinckesman, vidua ejus moestissima pie memor posuit. Maria, vidua ejus obiit, vicessimo, septimo die mensis Septembris 1763. Catherina, filia ejus, obiit quinto die, Januarji 1761, 100 THE HISTORY OF CHEST KB FIELD, Memento Mori. Interred neare this place lyeth the body of Richard Youle, later Alderman of this town, waiteing for the resurrection, and that great day of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who departed this life the 13th day of June, 1700, aged 70 years. Adjacent to this place, lyeth interred the body of Barbara, wife of John Bright, junior, gent., and daughter of Francis Jessop, esq. late of Broomhall, near Sheffield, who dyed the 9th of January, 1/22, aetatia- 8use 44. Also, Barbara, daughter of John Bright, junior, gent., March the 27th, 1726, aged 24 years. Also, the said John Bright, who died April 3, 1748, aged 68 years. Near this place is interred Mary, wife of John Webster, who died 16th April, 1799- Also, the above named John Webster, who died 1 1th Janu- ary, 1807. Also, two of their grandchildren, who died in their infancy. On the north wall, at the east side of the door. In memory of Elizabeth, daughter of Godfrey and Elizabeth Webster, who died 1st July, 1760, aged one year ; also Mary, the daughter of the above, died 10th March, 1778, aged 8 years; Elizabeth Webster, mother of the above, died 21st September, 1779, aged 48 ; and Godfrey Webster, father, who died 18th April, 1782, aged 56 years. Sacred to the memory of John Bower, Esq. of Chesterfield and Spital, who died October 30, 1815, aged 64 years. Also, Isabella, his wife, who died August 11, 1812, aged 61 years. In the same vault are interred, the mortal remains of Lucy, their daughter, wife of Thomas George Hough, Esq., who died October 7, 1819, aged 35 years. Also, her infant son, John Bower Hough, who died 30th December, 1819, aged 13 weeks. Also, Stephen Wilson Hough, who died 6th of May, 1821, aged 4 years and 4 months. Sacred to the memory of William Owtram, Esq., who died the 12th June, 1813, aged 28 years. Also, to Anne his wife, who died the 20th of November, 1813, aged 34 years. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 101 Near this place lieth interred, the body of Susan, daughter of James Fitz-Gerald, Esq., of the parish of St. Andrews, London, who departed this life July the 21st, 1759, aged 6 years, 4 months. Adjoining each other, on pillars near the chancel door, are the two following. Near this place was buried the body of Elizabeth Wilkinson, wife of John Wilkinson, of Chesterfield, who died December 17, 1755, aged 37 years. As likewise, the body of the aforesaid John Wilkinson, who died July 26, 1766, aged 48 years. And also, the body of Mary Wilkinson, second wife of the aforesaid John Wilkinson, who died November 6th, 1770, aged 42 years. And likewise, the body of Allwood Wilkinson, son of the above-mentioned, John and Elizabeth Wilkinson, who died June 15, 1780, aged 36 years. Also, the body of Joseph Wilkinson, brother to the aforesaid John Wilkinson, who died September 22nd, 1780, aged 63 years. Near this place was interred the body of Mary Wilkinson, daughter of John and Mary Wilkinson, of this town, who died October 21st, 1784, aged 19 years. On the screen to the chancel, over the door, are an eagle, a lion with a branch, angel with a crown of thorns, angel with cross, angel with vestments, angel with spear, angel with hammer and scourge. 102 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Oil a pillar, at the entrance of the chancel : Underneath rests, in the hope of a joyful resurrection, the mortal part of Godfrey Heathcote, of this town, gentleman, second son of the Rev. Ralph Heathcote, Rector of Morton. He spent fifty years in a diligent practice of the law, as attorney, solicitor, and conveyancer. Twenty years chief steward and auditor, to three successive Dukes of Devonshire, he enjoyed a kind distinction from them respectively, in reward of his labours and fidelity ; and wished his grateful sense of their favours might be lastingly recorded. Having served the county of Derby fourteen years, with great reputation as clerk of the peace, he died the 2nd day of December, 1773, aged 72 years. Near him lie the remains of Dorothy, his wife, (youngest daughter of James Cooke, Rector of Barlbro',) who departed this life November 17th, 1766, aged 63 years ; also, of Ralph and Dorothy, his only son and daughter. She died September 14, 1736, aged one year and ten months ; he died July 19th, 1749, aged 13 years. On the other side of the above-named pillar : Near this place are interred the remains of Betty, the wife of Samuel . Bower, who departed this life the 16th September, 1779, aged 25 years. Also four of their children. Likewise the remains of the above named Samuel Bower, organist of this church 35 years, who departed this life 19th of March, 1808, aged 50. The following are on the floor of the transept. On a brass plate, near the south door: Wayting for a ioyful resvrrection, here lyeth interred the body of Richard Marchant, junior, who dyed the 17th day of May, anno domini, 1673, at the age of 21 yeares, 10 months, and five dayes. S. T. 1831. W. B. T. 1835. J. Graham, 1823. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 103 Beneath this stone lies Ellen Clayton, died March 28, 1819. Also, John Clayton, died December 15, 1829- John Saxton was here interred Nov. 12, 1785, aged 40 years. Also, Sarah, his wife, died April 8, 1 794, aged 55 years. There's rest in heaven. Here lieth the body of Mary Calton, the wife of Thomas Calton, who died May 29, 1766, aged 38 years. Also, the body of Thomas Calton, husband of the abovesaid Mary Calton, who died February 19, 1784, aged 66 years. Also, the body of Thomas their son, who died March 8, 1757, aged two years. Also, the body of Sarah their daughter, who died March 24, 1760, aged two years. Also, the body of Juliana their daughter, who died October 29, 1762, aged two weeks. Also, the body of Sarah their daughter, who died January 16, 1767, aged three years. Dorothy Heathcote, born 14th November, 1765, died28th April, 1775. Ann Heathcote, born 19th October, 1771, died 5th May, 1774. Here lieth the body of Roger Herberr, Esq., late secretary to John, first Duke of Rutland, who departed this life the 23rd day of September, 1723, aged 71 years. Underneath are deposited the remains of Elizabeth, daughter of Richard George Hutchinson, and Hannah his wife, who died on the 27th day of April, 1833, aged 2 years. This lovely bud, so young and fair, Called hence by early doom, Just came to shew how sweet a flower, In Paradise should bloom. John Inman, died May 29, 1812, in the 51st year of his age; and Hannah, his wife, died February 4, 1837, in the 85th year of her age. R. Nail, died April 30, 1793, aged 68. Also Richard Nail, his son, died 30th April, 1795, aged 37. Elizabeth Nail, wife of the first named Richard Nail, died 20th November, 1813, aged 83 years. Also Joseph Nail, their son, died October 29, 1826, aged 65 years. Beneath this stone is interred the remains of Jane, the wife of John Creswick, of this town, butcher: she departed this life May 6, 1803, aged 80 years. Unshaken as the sacred hills, and firm as mountains be, Firm as a rock the soul shall rest, that leans, O Lord, on thee. John Creswick, January 29, 1808. 104 THE HISTORY OF CHESTRRFIELD. The wife of Wll. Hy. Wood, citizen of London, and daughter of John and Alice Woodward, of this towne, who died January the 1st, 1666. John Woodward, alderman of Chesterfield, died 26th June, 1599. John Deakin died July 17, 1812, aged 82 years. At his left hand lie the remains of his wife, Elizabeth Deakin, who died March 29, 1815, aged 79. She lived respected and died regretted. Charles Hudson died September 3, 1836, aged 52 years. Ann Tomlinson, sister of Elizabeth Deakin, died October 26, 1829, aged 92 years. On mural monuments down the north aisle, are the following. Near this place lie the remains of Samuel Towndrow, who departed this life September 13, 1779, aged 49 years. Near this monument lie the remains of John Brown, who died 6th February, 1760, aged 11 months. Katherine Brown, who died 5th June, 1760, aged 51 years. Elizabeth Brown, who died 23rd May, 1775, aged 51 years. Samuel Brown, who died 26th February, 1780, aged 47 years. Sarah Crosby Brown, died January 25th, 1797, aged six months. Mary Ann Brown, died 24th February, 1818, aged 19 years. Samuel Brown, died 22nd March, 1820, aged 59 years. Ann Brown, died 21st January, 1825, aged 58 years. To the memory of Adam Slater, who was born September 22, O. S. 1734, and died September 28, 1806, And of Eleanor his wife, daughter of The Very Reverend William Barker, M. A., Dean of Raphoe, in Ireland, She was born August 21, 1754, died August 1, 1793. They had issue, Born. Died. Eleanor, Thomas, August 12, 1782, April 19, 1826. Hannah, July 22, 1785, December 27, 1788. Mark Anthony, April 19, 1789, March 5, 1805. Richard, October 29, 1791, February 23, 1809. Elizabeth, August 1, 1793, August 1, 1795. The father of Adam Slater and his family, are mentioned on a tablet in Durant Quire. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 105 Near this place are interred the remains of Mary Illingworth, who departed this life July 17, 1770, aged 21 years. Flebilis Occidit. In memory of Thomas Slater, Esq., of Chesterfield, who was born February 22, 1736, and died at Liverpool, Nov. 12, 1817- And of Mary his wife, eldest daughter of William Todd, Esq., of Newstead, near Wakefield. She was born August 4, 1742, and died at Chesterfield, August 8, 1784. Their issue, Born. Died. Adam, April 5, 1765, August 13, 1822, at Liverpool. William, April 7, 1767, October 25, 1805, at Bolton. Thomas, June 14, 1768, October 13, 1813, at St. Vincent. John, July 9, 1769, September 27, 1801, at St. Vincent. Pemberton, September 18, 1771, June , 1808, near Baltimore. Henry, August 2, 1775, July 21, 1790, at Chesterfield. Here lieth the body of Mr. John Walton, of Hamsterly, in the county Palatine of Durham, and Supervisor of Excise in this district, who died March 14, 1737-8, aged 52 years. In a vault near this place are deposited the remains of Mary, the widow of John Hardwick, esq. late of Newbold, in this parish: she died 17th January, 1809. Also of Sarah Wingfield, who died 20th November, 1813. And of William Wingfield, who died llth July, 1814. They were the daughters, and youngest son of Thomas and Elizabeth Wingfield, formerly of this town, who, with their son, John Wingfield, and Elizabeth, an infant daughter, of the above-mentioned John and Mary Hardwick, are interred near this place. Under the west gallery. Near this place lieth the remains of Mary Butler, relict of William Butler, Esq. of New York, in America, died July 26, 1796, aged 53 years. Near this place are interred the remains of James Milnes, late of this town, merchant, who died the 24th January, 1737-8, aged 63. And of Mary, his wife, daughter of Michael Waterhouse, of Pontefract, gent, who died the 8th of April, 1728, aged 63. They had issue two sons and one daughter, viz. James, Elizabeth, and Richard. Near also, lie the remains of their son James, merchant, alderman, of Hull, and late of Chesterfield, who died 29th November, 1736, aged 38. He married to his first wife Dinah, the daughter of William Mewld, P 106 THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. Esq. alderman of Hull, by whom he had one son, James ; by his second wife, Mary, the daughter of George Groves, of Raseby, gent, he had one daughter, Mary. Also, the bodies of Richard Milnes, son of the said James, the elder, who died February the 1st, 1757; and of Elizabeth, wife of the said Richard, who died June 25, 1757 : and of their children, Richard, James , Richard, Margaret, Sarah, Mary, Ann. Near this place is interred the body of Richard Milnes, late of this town, tanner, who departed this life the 7th day of June, 1706, in the 69th year of his age. He married Elizabeth, the daughter of Robert Willson, late of Barton, in the county of Norfolk, clerk; she departed this life the 17th day of January, 1691. He had by her eight children, two of which died in their infancy, and at his disease were living, Mary, Richard, Robert, James, John, and William. Memoria Justi benedicta est. Beneath are the remains of Elizabeth, the wife of William Waller, Esq., who died 14th February, 1797; and of the said William Waller, Esq., who died 9th April, 1814, aged 65 years; and of Robert Waller, Esq., who died 12th June, 1818, aged 55. A few years and we meet again. In memory of the Rev. James Heywood, who died August 18th, 1787, aged 69 years. W. Waller, 1814. The following inscriptions are on slabs in the middle aisle. John Brocksopp, of Grass Hill, died October 11, 1812, aged 59. John Cartledge, surgeon, died October 2, 1814, aged 56. John Brocksopp, son of the above, died October 3rd, 1831, aged 19 years. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 107 Mary Brocksopp, the only surviving child of the late John Brock- sopp, of Grass Hill, who died on the 26th January, 1835, in the 24th year of her age. Near this place lieth the body of John Brocksopp, late of Grass Hill, who departed this life October 16, 1770, aged 44 years. Also, in a vault beneath this stone, lieth the body of Mary, wife of the aforesaid John Brocksopp, who departed this life January 30, 1796, aged 66 years. S. B. died 17th December, 1823, aged 59 years. At the foot of the pulpit stairs : - Here lieth the body of Mr. Thomas Dowker, who wag alderman and twice ma[j]or of this town. He died December the 2. ... 1701, setatis suae 72 years and six months. E. A. 1800. Thomas Adlington junior, died March the 5th, 1803, aged 63 years. Here lieth the remains of Thomas Adlington, of Calow, late coroner for the Hundred of Scarsdale, who departed this life November 15th 1778, aged 73. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Edward Adlington, died December 8, 1810, aged 58 years. Here lies interred the body of Gervas Boseville, who departed this life June 12, 1767, aged 55. Also the body of Gervas Boseville, son of theabovesaid Gervas Boseville, who died March the 20th, 1780, aged 24. Here also lieth the body of Ann, wife of the said Gervas Boseville, who departed this life, October 5, 1772, aged 45. Also, the bodies of three of their children, who died in their infancy. Hie subtus Gervasij Fowler, Clerici Ecclesiae de Langwith Bectoris, Scholse Chesterfieldiensis Hipodi- dascali cineres reponuntur. Ad plures abijt pridie calendas February Anno Mrss Xtianae MDCCXIX. jEtatis suae 40mo. In a vault underneath lie interred the remains of Mary Ann, wife of Godfrey Meynell, of Meynell Langley, in this county, Esq., and only daughter of Avery Jebb, Esq., of Tapton, near this place; as a daughter and wife, she was most dutiful and affectionate ; as a friend most affable and obliging. She departed this Jife beloved and regretted by all her I os THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. acquaintance, the 28th day of June, in the year of our Lord 1807, aged 23 years. Also to the memory of Godfrey, eldest son of the above Godfrey and Mary Ann, who departed this life the day and year above written, aged 2 years and 8 months. On a tablet in Durant quire, (the pew of Gilbert Cromp- ton, Esq.): To the memory of Adam Slater, M. D., and Elizabeth his wife, He died June 27, 1758, aged 62 years, She died September 18, 1780, aged 76 years. They had issue, Died. Aged. Jane Milnes, September 20, 1812, 80 years. Joyce Milnes, January 7, 1764, 30 years. Adam, September 28 1806, 71 years. Thomas, November 12, 1817, 81 years. Gill, September 24, 1802, 64 years. Richard, February 6, 1807, 67 years. Elizabeth Whyte, September 25, 1771, 30 years. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. In the south aisle of the nave, between the first and second window from the east, is a pointed canopy, underneath which, in a recess, (now hidden by the wainscoating of a pew) is supposed to be the figure of a Priest, and, according to Glover, has the following inscription. No bowbrdys Godfray ffols B. At the west end of the south aisle is a slab with a triple cross, on three steps ; on the right of the cross is a hammer, and on the left a pair of pincers. No inscription or record is in existence, as to whom it belonged. I- 1 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 10f> Here lieth the body of Samuel Holland, apothecary, who departed this life December 12, 1785, in the 68th year of his age. Near this place lieth the body of Elizabeth Bagshaw, widow, who died 22nd January 1767, aged 87 years. Prudence Bagshaw, her daughter, who died 15th January, 1792, aged 74 years. On a brass plate, let into the south wall, is engraven : Near this place lyes the body of William Champernoone, gent. wh was buried the 14th day of July, 1688. He was one of the Masters of the Courts of Chancery, Exchequer, King's Bench, and Common Pleas, and Clerke to the Corporation, and left issue one son called William, and four daughters. Also, the body of Sarah, the wife of the said Wil- liam Champernoone, the. . . . son, eldest daughter of John Bromley, of this towne, gent, who was buried the 1st of July, 1701 . Also, the above named William the son, was interred the 8th day of June, 1714. At the foot of the gallery stairs. Near this place lyeth interred the remains of Job Bradley, late Alder- man of this town, who departed this life February 8, 1746, aged 23 years. Also, Job his son, who dyed August the 21st, 1747, aged 35 years, In the great porch. Near this place are deposited the remains of Henry Bradley, who died 20th June, 1807, aged 48 years. Rebecca, wife of the above named Henry Bradley, who died 3rd April, 1815, aged 54 years. Isabella, daughter of Henry and Rebecca Bradley, who died 28th December, 1804, aged two years and seven months. Ann, daughter of Henry and Rebecca Bradley, who died 9th August, 1818, aged 22 years. And Mary, daughter of Job and Elizabeth Bradley, who died 2nd July, 1816, aged 88 years. Near this place lie deposited the remains of John White, Esq. late of Hounsditch, coppersmith, citizen, armourer and brazier of London, who departed thi^'lffe 1775, aged 76 years, greatly regretted by all who had the happiness of his acquaintance ; as a sincere friend, and a kind and beneficent relation, his equal is not easily to be found, 110 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. In the church yard will be found the following inscriptions: commencing at the north-west end is a plain stone slab to perpetuate the memory of Cecil Clay, Councillor of Ches- terfield, having the subjoined cypher of four C's. Quod fui Sum. 1731. H. J. R. Samu. Lee, Parochialis Clerici hujus Ecclesiae, obiit 16 Decemb. A. D. 1750, ./Eta. 60. Cavete nescitus enim quando illud sit futurum. Et Elizabeths ejus viduae. Ob. die. 6 Febj. 1772. Mt. 81. Translation : Here lie the remains of Samuel Lee, Parish-clerk of this church. He died on the 16th of December, A. D. 1750, aged sixty. Beware ; for ye know not when it may be. And of Elizabeth his widow. She died on the 6th of February, 1772, aged 81. Here lieth the body of Rupert Browne, of this town, gent, second son of Rupert Browne, Esq. of Bentley Hall, in the county of Derby, who departed this life May 13th, 1785, in the 85th year of his age. Also, near this place are interred the bodies of four of the children of the said Rupert Browne, viz. Elizabeth Browne, who died February 15, 1761, aged three years and three months ; Corbet Browne, and Joseph Clay Browne, who both died in their infancy. Mary Browne died November 13, 1765, aged two years and two months. Sacred to the memory of Mary Browne, relict of the late Rupert Browne, of this town, gent., who departed this life July 7, 1787, in the 57th year of her age. Could merit exempt us from misfortune, the deceased had not been so severely tried in the school of adversity : brought up with the most flattering prospects, yet she discharged the several duties of humble life, with credit to her friends ; she was a good wife, a tender, affectionate mother, a truly sincere friend, and pious woman. This stone is erected as a tribute due to her worth, by her only two surviving sons ; a lasting proof of their affectionate regard to the memory of the best of parents. On the south side of the church-yard. Here lieth the body of George Atton, Doctor of Physic, who depar- ted this life, the 25th of July, in the year of our Lord 1707, in the 28th year of his age. THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. Ill Here lieth the body of Martha, the wife of William Hodkin, who departed this life September the 5th, 1762, aged 25 years; also, William the son of the abovesaid, who died September 2, 1762, aged 2 days. We boast no vertues, and we beg no tears; O Reader; if thou hast but Eyes and Ears, It is anough : But tell me ; Why Thou com'st to gaze ? Is it to pry Into our Cost, or borrow A Copy of our Sorrow ? Or dost thou come To learn to dye, Not knowing whom to practise by? If this be thy desire, Then draw thee one step nigher; Here lies a precedent ; a rarer, Earth never shewed, nor Heaven a fairer. She was, But room forbids to tell thee what ; Summ all perfection up and she was that. William Manley,* late attorney, died December, 1 804, aged 73. Also, Ann, relict of the above-named William Manley, who died October 27, 1813, aged 61 years. To the memory of the Rev. Joseph Shipston, clerk, a true Christian, dutiful and zealous friend, and to the poor charitable and humane. Twenty-one years he was Head Master of Chesterfield School. Through many of the last he contended with illness extremely severe and painful, to which he submitted with patience and resignation uncommon, and died July 18, 1794, aged 61 years. At the south-east corner of the church. In the vault beneath, lie the remains of Mary Manby, relict of William Manby, of London, who died March 31st, 1806, aged 74. Of Ann Rogers, relict of John Rogers, M. D., of Bolton, in Lanca- shire, who died April 6, 1810, aged 79. In memory of Jonathan Stokes, M. D., who was born in the city of Worcester, 4th November, 1754, died in this parish the 20th April, 1831. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Matthew v. 8. * The following will show in a striking and forcible manner the vicissitudes inhu- man life. " Died in the workhouse of the parish of Chesterfield, county of Derby, December 5, 1804, aged 73, Mr. William Manley, who formerly practised there as an eminent Attorney and Solicitor, and was esteemed, employed, and visited by the first families in the neighbourhood. He was handsomely interred by the subscription of some liberal gentlemen, who had known him in the days of his prosperity." Glover's History of Derbyshire. 112 THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. In memory of Jonathan Rogers Stokes, M. D., son of Jonathan and Anne Stokes, born the 27th February, 1785, died the 21st December, 1819, At the east end. Sacred to the memory of Sibella Ann, wife of Thomas Browne, an alderman of this borough, eldest daughter and co-heiress of the late George Turner, Esq., of Wigwell Hall, in this county. In prosperity she was humble and benevolent ; in adversity patient and resigned, pious, candid, and humane; with a heart ever open to the distresses of others ; and in pitying them she almost forgot her own. An ever mourning husband erects this frail monument of his affection for the best of wives, of mothers and of women; whose loss to him is irreparable. She exchanged this life of trials and affliction for a blessed immortality, on the 19th March, 1811, in the 46th year of her age. Sacred to the memory of Thomas Browne, Esq., late alderman of the borough of Chesterfield, who died on the 31st day of March, 1829, aged 70 years. In memory of Mr. Richard Flintham, who died in 1705. A loyal, faithful servant of King Charles II. and to his loving brother, King James II, was to them both, gentleman of the wine cellar for many years, and continued to the abdication (as it was called) of King James, who, when he was Duke of York, did attend him at sea, being with him in his flag- ship, in that sea-fight when he gave that total defeat to the Dutch ; so also did attend him into Scotland, both times that King Charles consti- tuted his brother Lord High Commissioner into Scotland, for settling episcopal church government, with ease and much satisfaction and content to that kingdom. He also was one of his Royal Highness' attendants that time, when the phanatic humour made the King so uneasy, that he was constrained to send him for some time thither. He was a faithful man to his friend, and departed this life (in carcere) the 25th October, 1705, which confinement he had undergone from near the beginning of King William's reign ; his wines and plate being all seized on (which was considerable) for the King and utterly ruined by the Revolution. DISSENTING PLACES OF WORSHIP. ELDER- YARD (UNITARIAN) CHAPEL. BY the operation of the Act of Uniformity, which was passed in the year 1662, the churches in the county of Derby were deprived of the services of many clergymen, eminent for their learning and talents. Chesterfield, as we have already seen, was at that time enjoying the labours of the Rev. John Billingsley, and the Rev. James Ford, both of whom were driven into nonconformity by its operation. Mr. Billingsley, who was obliged to leave Chesterfield, in the manner and for the cause already described, (p. 63,) settled at Mansfield, and was in the habit of coming over to Chesterfield by night, for the purpose of visiting those of his former flock, who still adhered to him. But he probably discontinued these nocturnal visits some time before his death. Mr. Ford was a Congregationalist, but Mr. Billingsley was attached to the Presbyterian form of church government ;* and it was under the ministry of the latter that nonconformity * Mr. Billingsley left behind him a son, whom he brought up for the ministry, and who was called John, after his father. This son was born at Chesterfield ; and his first ministerial services were performed there in an evening. He afterwards preached seven years at Selston, and ten years at Hull. From Hull he removed to London, where he became assistant to Dr. William Harris, who preached and published a Funeral Sermon on the occasion of his death. He was an excellent scholar, and a man of great integrity. His preaching was solid and judicious, and his manner grave, but occasionally very ani- mated. He lived to see five children grow up, and settle in the world, all of whom bore excellent characters. He laboured under a weakly habit of body, which he brought into the world with him, and which harassed him greatly. His wife, Mrs. Dorcas Billingsley, died December 29th, 1717, and a Funeral Sermon was preached upon the occasion by Dr. Harris, from Job v. 26. " Thou -halt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season." His own death took place in the year 1722. One of his sons, whom he educated for the ministry, was settled for many years at Dover, among the Dissenters ; but, marrying a sister of Sir Philip York, afterwards Lord Chancellor, he conformed, obtained a good living in the Church, and held a prebcndal stall in Bristol Cathedral; though he continued to keep up a friendly intercourse with the Dissenters to the end of his life. He died about the year 1770, leaving behind him two sons, the elder of whom was Clerk of the Patents, and the younger a Clergyman. lt(> THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. in Chesterfield took its rise. But there \vas no dissenting- place of worship erected till about ten years after Mr. Bil- lingsley's death. The first which was built was the one in Elder- Yard. The foundation of this chapel was laid in 1692, and the building was completed in 1694, at the sole expense of Cornelius Clarke, of Norton, Esq., who vested it in six trustees, with confidence that they would suffer it to be used as a place of worship for Dissenting Protestants, for Religious Wprship ; and with a provision, that, should Dissenting Ministers be at any time admitted to parochial, or other public maintenance, or preferment by law, as Con- formist Ministers are, the trustees should stand possessed of it for the use of Mr. Clarke, and his heirs.* The whole charge of buying the land, and constructing the fabric was .229. 10s. ; and a large pew, at the east end of the southern range of seats, was allotted to Mr. Clarke's representa- tives, and no doubt was appropriated to him in his life- time. He died in 1696, and bequeathed .80 towards the purchase of a manse or dwelling-house for the minister, on condition that the auditors, or others, would advance so much, by way of addition to that sum, as would buy a convenient habitation for him. A house was accordingly bought, in St. Mary's Gate, from Robert Mower, Esq., which was afterwards set * apart as the residence of the Rev. Robert Ferae. The following is a list of the Ministers, who have officiated at this chapel, from the time of its erection to the present. The Rev. Thomas Ogle, -i r The Rev. Robert Feme. / Jomt ***** The Rev. Joseph Foolow. The Rev. Thomas Elston. The Rev. John Thomas. The Rev. Christopher Smalley. The Rev. James Heywood. The Rev. Thomas Astley. The Rev. George Kenrick. The Rev. Robert Wallace, (the present Minister.) The Rev. Thomas Ogle was preaching as a dissenting * A moiety of the family estates of Mr.Clarke, arenowinthe possession of Offley Shore, of Norton Hall, Esq., to whom they have descended through a female branch of the Offley family. The Office of High Sheriff for the County of Derby was held by Cornelius Clarke, of Norton Hall, Esq., in the year 1670. The same office has since been held by his suc- ressors > Stephen Offley, Esq., in 1/16; Samuel Shore, Esq., in 1761 ; and Samuel Shore, the younger, Esq., in 1832. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, 117 minister, at Chesterfield, as early as the year 1681, and died in or before the year 1703. He probably succeeded the Rev. John Billingsley, who was under the necessity of discontinu- ing his weekly visits to Chesterfield, some time before his death, which happened May the 30th, 1684. Mr. Ogle seems to have been far advanced in years when the chapel was erected ; the burden of the duty therefore devolved upon the Rev. Robert Feme, who was appointed co-pastor with him. Mr. Feme was born in the year .1652. He is mentioned in Dr. Pegge's List, next to the Rev. John Billingsley ; and seems to have taken the lead among the dissenters in the north of Derbyshire, after the first race of nonconformist ministers had gone to their reward. In the year 1703, he left Chesterfield,* when, as we are informed by the Rev. George Hall, " an agreement was made between the congregations of Presbyterians and Independents, by which they were to have the joint use of this meeting-house, each minister having his alternate turn in the service. This divided plan of worship," it is added, " was not of long continuance." The Independents withdrew, and " the Presbyterians were left in possession of, the meeting- house," among the descendants of whom it has ever since continued. . x Mr. Foolow was ordained in 1696, with the Rev. John Ashe, and three other young ministers; Mr. William Bagshaw, Mr. Hargreaves, and Mr. George Lowe. "His time and labours," says Dr. Clegg, "were divided between the congregations of Chesterfield and Stoney-Middleton, and in both places he was highly valued, and greatly beloved, on account of his piety, his exemplary conversation, and his zealous desires and endeavours to do good. He had but a weak and tender constitution, but was willing to spend what strength he had in his Lord's service; and it was soon spent." He was carried off' by a consumption December the 8th, 1707, at the early age of thirty-one, and lies buried in the ground * In 1715, the Rev. Robert Ferae had the charge of a congregation of Protestant Dissenters at Wirksworth ; and he died there, June the 6th, 1 "2", in the seventy-fifth year of his age. A short account of him may be seen in the Rev. John Ashe's Two Discourses on a Public Spirit. He preached, and printed a Funeral Sermon for the Rev. Edward Prime, formerly a clergyman at Sheffield, and one of the last of the Ejected Ministers. The Preface to this Sermon is dated "Crutched- Friars, March 13, 1710 ;" and signed "John Billingsley." The text is from Heb. xii. 23. 118 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. adjoining the chapel, where a tomb is erected over his remains, bearing the following inscription. Here : Lyes : Interred the Body of Mr. Joseph Foolow, Late Minister in this place, who dyed Dec. y e 8th. 1707, Being about 31 years of Age. His wife survived him but a short time, as appears from the following addition to the above inscription. Allso Mes. Anne Foolow his wife dyed Jan : ye 30th. 1707-8. The Rev. Thomas Elston received his education under the Rev. Richard Frankland, at Rathmell in Yorkshire.* He married one of the daughters of John Pickering, of Yorkshire, gentleman, and Deborah, his wife, sister and co- heiress of Ralph Lord Eure. Before his settlement at Chesterfield, he had officiated to a congregation of Protes- tant Dissenters, of the Independent denomination, at Topcliff, near Wakefield, for thirty-four years. f From Topcliff he removed to Chesterfield, July the 8th, 1709; but his ministry at the latter place was of short duration. He died March the 31st, 1710 ; and his remains were deposited in the chapel- yard, in a tomb adjoining that of his predecessor, the Rev. Joseph Foolow, and bearing the following inscription. Depositura Viri ver Reverend! D. Thomae Elstoni, Ministri revera Evangelic!, primaevae Pietatis, Eximii Exemplaris, Confratribus pacifici, Consanguineis, Affinibus et Amicis charissimi, hoc memoriale apposuit mcerens Relicta. Ob. ult. Die Mart. 1710. Mt. 59. * The Rev. Richard Frankland, who was born at Rathmell, A. D. 1(530, had his educa- tion at Christ's College, Cambridge, and was first settled at Bishop Auckland, in the county of Durham. When Oliver Cromwell erected a College in that city, he fixed on Mr. Frank - land to be the tutor in it, for which office he was well qualified by his eminent learning and abilities. But that college being demolished at the Restoration, he missed the situation designed for him, and soon afterwards was ejected, with a number of his brethren from his living in the church, on account of his Nonconformity. Upon this he retired to his native place, where he had an estate ; and there he was persuaded by many of his friends to set up a private Academy, in which he met with so much encouragement, that in the course of a few years he educated nearly 300 pupils. Notwithstanding his eminence both for character and literature, he met with much disturbance in those troublesome times, so that he was obliged frequently to change his situation. In the year 1674 he removed his Academy to Natland, near Kendal. After two or three removals by the Five- mile Act, he fixed at Attercliffe, near Sheffield, from which place he returned to Rathmell, where he died in the year 1698, aged 68. The Academy was afterwards removed back to Attercliffe, where the Rev. Timothy Jollie was the tutor. (Monthly Repository for 1811. vol. vii. p. 90 Mr. Frankland was a Presbyterian. Mr.Jollie, who was one of his pupils, was ordained by presbyters, but seems at a later period of his life to have become a Congregationalist. Mr. Wads worth, the successor of Mr. Jollie, was also a Presbyterian. t The society at Topcliff was but small in Mr. Elston's time. In i;i5, when the Rev. John Riley was the minister, it consisted only of sixty persons. We are not told whether Mr. Elston left the Independent body, when he resigned his charge at Topcliff, and removed to Chesterfield. THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. 119 His Funeral Sermon was preached by the elder Thomas Whitaker of Leeds, and published in a Miscellaneous Volume by Mr. Bradbury of London. The Rev. John Thomas succeeded the Rev. Thomas Elston, and continued minister of the chapel in Elder-Yard till the period of his death, December 24th, 1719. He was buried at the north end of the chancel of Chesterfield Church ; and a stone bearing the following inscription marks the place of his interment. Here are interr'd the Remains of the Reverend Mr. John Thomas, V. D. M. who departed this life, December 24th, 1719, in the [49th] year of his age. It appears, from Mr. Neal's account of the state of the Dissenting Interest in the year 1715, that there were at this time in Chesterfield two societies of Dissenters, the one Presbyterian, and the other Congregational. Of the former of these, the Rev. John Thomas was the minister ; and of the latter, the Rev. Thomas Ibbertson, (written, by mistake, Ebbisham, in Dr. Toulmin's manuscript copy of Neal.) Of this Mr. Ibbertson we shall have occasion to speak further hereafter. In Dr. Pegge's List of dissenting ministers, Mr. Thomas is mentioned as the successor of Mr. Elston. It may be interesting to the reader to be informed, that, during a part of the time that Mr. Thomas was minister of this chapel, Mr. Seeker, who afterwards conformed, and was ultimately raised to the dignity of Archbishop of Canterbury, was a student for the ministry among the dissenters ; and oc- casionally supplied at Bolsover during the vacations. While he was in his infancy, an elder sister became the wife of Mr. Richard Milnes, a respectable tradesman of Chesterfield, father by a second marriage of Dr. Milnes, a highly respected physician of this town . Upon this sister devolved much of the care of Seeker's earliest years ; and hence it is that we find him a pupil in the grammar-school of Chesterfield. When he had finished his school education, he removed to the dissenting College or Academy, at Attercliffe, which was then under the superintendance of the Rev. Timothy Jollie. This was in 1708 or 1709. In 1711 he had left Attercliffe, and was in London ; where he was induced to enter himself, at the suggestion of Dr. Watts, as a student for the dis- 120 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. seating ministry, in an Academy conducted by the Rev. Jeremiah Jones, at Gloucester. Here he spent four years, the full term of a divinity student's residence. When he had finished his course of preparatory study, he is said to have oft'ered himself as a candidate to a small society of dissenters at Bolsover. This was in the year 1715, when the dissenting congregation of that place was destitute of a minister, and under the temporary care of Mr. Thomas, the minister at Chesterfield, who was Seeker's intimate friend.* He left Chesterfield in the winter of 1715-16, and ever afterwards retained a grateful sense of the kindness of his friends during his residence there. In one of his letters written from Lon- don, (March, 1716,) he says, " all the variety and novelty of this great city would not equal the pleasure of an enter- tainment with an honest, learned, good-natured friend or two at such a place as Chesterfield." At the beginning of the year 1719, he undertook a tour to the Continent ; and in a letter, written on his landing at Calais, he says, "The town seems not much preferable to Chesterfield either for beauty or largeness, but fortified to the sea, and carefully guarded." At this time it was his intention to enter the medical profession ; and we find him on December 20th, 1720, at the University of Leyden, to which he went with the intention of procuring the degree of M. D. He obtained this degree, and returned to London in April, 1721. In the course of this year, we find him at Exeter College, Oxford ; and in a letter addressed to his brother at that time, he cautions him against addressing him under his new title. Early in 1722 he was admitted to deacon's orders by the bishop of Durham ; and from that time he advanced, by a rapid progression, through the intermediate stages of the clerical and episcopal offices, till, in the year 1758, he was made archbishop of Canterbury. It is not improbable, that Seeker was driven into con- * The Chapel at Bolsover was originally erected for a congregation of Presbyterians, by whom, as appears from the deed of conveyance, it was surrendered into the hands of the Lord of the Manor, March the 2nd, 1721. From this time it seems to have been regarded as an Independent Chapel ; for the Rev. Thomas Ibbertson, who was preaching to a society of Independents at Chesterfield, in 1715, afterwards settled at Bolsover, and died there. His remains were interred in the Chapel at Bolsover, beneath the following inscription, which still remains there. " Here lieth the body of the Rev. Thomas Ibbertson, who deceased August 7, 1723, aged 37 years." THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. 121 formity, by the unfortunate differences which existed between the Presbyterian and Independent parties, during 1 his resi- dence at Chesterfield, The Rev. John Thomas, Seeker's intimate friend and minister, was succeeded by the Rev. Christopher Smalley, who was ordained September 16th, 1708, and had been some time minister of the Presbyterian Chapel at Atherstone, in Warwickshire, before his settlement at Chesterfield, in the year 1722. On a stone adjoining the one inscribed to the memory of his predecessor, in the chancel of Chesterfield Church, is another bearing the following inscription. Here lies the body of y" Rev. Mr. Christopher Smalley, who departed this life the 8th of February, 1743, aged 61 years. The Rev. Christopher Smalley was succeeded by the Rev. James Heywood, from Lancashire, who married Eliza- beth, daughter of Richard Milnes, of Chesterfield, Esq., January 2nd, 1745. Elizabeth, his only daughter and heir, who was devisee for life of the estates of her uncle, (Dr. Milnes), at Eyam and Tapton, was married, on the 8th of June, 1772, to William Waller, of Chesterfield, Esq. In the course of the same year, Mr. Heywood retired from the ministry. On the 25th of April, 1756, he preached a sermon on the recovery of George II., from Dan. vi. 21: " Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever /" This sermon, which is distinguished for the loyalty of its sentiments, was afterwards published, and entitled The Happiness and Duty of Britons under the present Government. From a note at the bottom of the fourth page, it appears that, on the threat of a formidable invasion from the French, Mr. H. had been actively employed in assisting the recruiting officers of Colonel Montagu's regiment, in which service he was re- markably successful, and thought both his time and his money well expended. His death took place in the year 1787 ; and a flat stone, a little to the south of the western door of Chesterfield Church, marks the spot where he was interred. This stone bears the following inscription. In memory of the Rev. James Heywood, who died August 18th, 1787, aged 69 years. R 122 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. In the month of December, 1772, the Rev. Thomas Astley, of Preston, was invited to preach to the congregation, then without a minister, in consequence of the resignation of the Rev. James Heywood. This invitation he accepted, and it being succeeded by a unanimous request, on the part of the congregation, to become their pastor, he finally settled at Chesterfield, in April 1773.* His father, the Rev. Ralph Astley, of Whitehaven, was a native of Chowbent, in Lan- cashire, in which county his family had resided during several generations. His mother, whose maiden name was Whalley, was a descendant of Richard Chorley, of Walton, near Preston, great grandfather of Josiah Chorley, the author of A Metrical Index to the Bible, a neat edition of which was printed in 1818, embellished with several beautiful wood-cuts, of exquisite workmanship. Mr. Astley was born at White- haven, September 5th, 1738, and received the early part of his education in the grammar-school of his native town, then under the direction of the Rev. Hugglestone, a respectable clergyman of the established church. He was afterwards placed under the care of the Rev. James Daye, a dissenting minister at Lancaster; and in 1756, he was entered as a divinity student in the Academy at Daventry, from which he removed, by the advice of Dr. Benson, in 1758, to the dissenting Academy at Warrington. He was ordained to the Christian ministry, together with Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Joseph Priestley, and two others, on the 18th of May, 1762. In December, 1775, he married Phoebe, the only daughter of Joseph Wilkinson, Esq. of Birmingham. As a scholar, Mr. Astley's attainments were held in such high estimation, that, in the year 1779, he was strongly solicited to accept the classical professorship in the Academy at Warrington ; but though this invitation was given in the most gratifying man- ner, his great diffidence, together with some domestic con- siderations, induced him more than once to decline it. Soon after his settlement at Chesterfield he engaged in the business of tuition, and kept a school till the year 1800. His services in this capacity were highly valued, and anxiously sought after; and by many of his surviving pupils they are still * The earliest registry of births and deaths, commences with the ministry of Mr.Astley. The earliest registry of baptisms connected with the Elder- Yard Chapel, commences with the ministry of Mr, Smalley. THE HISTORY Off CHESTERFIELD. 123 affectionately remembered. " This good man," says a writer in the Congregational Magazine, for April, 1823, "exercised his ministry at Chesterfield during forty years^ He was highly respected, and much attached to his work, which he would not relinquish till compelled by the infirmities of old age to do so, in the summer of 1813." He departed this life on the morning of the 15th of October, 1817, having completed his seventy-ninth year; and was interred October the 20th, in the vault belonging to his family, in the north transept of the parish Church of Chesterfield. The following inscription upon a mural tablet of white marble, in the interior of the chapel, contains a faithful outline of the character of this excellent man. Sacred to the memory of the Reverend Thomas Astley, the affectionate pastor of this congregation above forty years. His excellent endowments, improved by education and study, joined to a peculiar amiableness of temper, and suavity of manners, endeared him to the remembrance of all who knew him. He was a sincere disciple of his Divine Master, whose revered example he uniformly endeavoured to imitate. In his public instructions he ever recommended and enforced the truest piety, humility, benevolence and Christian charity ; qualities by which his own character was in an eminent degree distinguished, both in public and in private life. He died October XV, MDCCCXVII, aged LXXIX years; and his remains are deposited in the north transept of Chesterfield Church. This Tablet is inscribed by his widow, as a grateful memorial of departed worth, to a kind husband, a tender father, an affectionate brother, and a faithful friend. The next minister was the Rev. George Kenrick, third son of the late Rev. Timothy Kenrick, of Exeter; and brother of the Rev. John Kenrick, M. A., Classical Tutor in the Manchester College, York. He left Chesterfield at the beginning of the year 1815, and removed to Kingston-upon- Hull. From that time till September of the same year, the congregation were supplied by ministers from a distance, when, at their unanimous request, their present minister, the Rev. Robert Wallace, from Manchester College, York, undertook the office of pastor. The interior of the chapel in Elder- Yard is spacious, and 124 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIEL0. well seated with black oak. In 1823, it was enlarged, and underwent various improvements ; and a beautiful organ was erected, the gift of Isaac Wilkinson, of Tapton House, Esq., whose family have been munificent benefactors to this chapel .. In the same year the sum of four hundred pounds was raised, by voluntary subscription, among the members of the congre- gation, the interest of which is devoted to the payment of the organist's salary. In the spring of 1831 two new school- rooms were erected, at the entrance of the chapel grounds, for the accommodation of the Sunday-scholars. The burial-ground attached to the chapel, which is re- markable for its beauty and neatness, has been considerably enlarged within the last few years. Besides the tombs already mentioned, are the following. Robert Malkin, died 18th August, 1790, aged 4 years. Benjamin Malkin, died 19th February, 1804, aged 5 years. On the 17th November, 1805, Mary Malkin, widow of the late Rev. Jonah Malkin, departed this life, aged 90 years. Her serene and cheerful temper, the piety and resignation she dis- played under many afflictive dispensations, contributed not a little to the longevity she attained. The comfort and admiration of her friends. In a vault beneath are deposited the earthly remains of Sophia, wife of the Rev. Robert Wallace. She was called from this fleeting world suddenly, but not unprepared, May the 31st, A. D., 1835. Her bereaved husband, who hopes to meet her again, at the resurrection of the just, has caused this stone to be erected, as a testimony of her worth, and a tribute to her cherished memory. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 125 Jane, the daughter of Mr. Adam Gill, and wife to Thomas Slater, apothecary, deceased 31st March, 1705, JEtat 30-1. Here lieth the body of Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson, wife of William Robinson, of this town, gent., who departed this life, February 27, 1792, aged 81 years. On the south side of this stone are deposited the mortal remains of the above William Robinson, gent., who departed this life on the 13th October, 1812, aged 79. My flesh shall rest beneath the ground, Till the last trumpet's joyful sound ; Then burst the chains with sweet surprise, And in my Saviour's image rise. Timothy Foolow, March 5th, 1705-6. In memoryof John Gill, born 4th May, 1792, died 27th August, 1821. Also of Martha, daughter of the above, born 6th September, 1815, died 27th August, 1832. Vixerunt, vivunt. In a vault near the foot of this stone, is interred Elizabeth, the wife of Richard Woodhead. She died October 1st, 1828, aged 77 years. Also, in the same vault repose the remains of the above-named Richard Woodhead, who for a period of fifty-three years, discharged the arduous duties of Schoolmaster in Chesterfield, with untiring zeal and distinguished success. He died on the 4th of February, 1837, aged 77 years, 126 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Here lieth the remains of Martha Ashe, relict of the Rev. John Ashe, late of Ashford. Obt. May 30, 1749. In memory of John Bamford, who departed this life June 1st, 1797, aged 72 years. Also, of Ann, relict of the above-named John Bamford, who died January 19th, 1824, aged 91 years. In memory of Samuel, the son of Samuel and Mary Thacker, who departed this life May 27th, 1795, aged 16 years. Also, Lydia Carter, daughter of Thomas Thacker, died April 21st, 1797, aged 74 years. Joseph Thacker, brother of Lydia Carter, died November 17th, 1803, aged 72 years. Underneath this stone are deposited the remains of Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Richard and Anne Hutchinson, she died at Hemsworth, in York- shire, after a few days illness, on the 5th day of January, 1827, aged 19 years. Here lieth the body of Jonathan Tomlinson, of Newbold, in the Parish of Chesterfield, Yeoman, who died the 2nd day of February, Anno Domini 1726, aged 78 years. Here lieth the body of Elizabeth, the wife of Jonathan Tomlinson, of Newbold, Yeoman, and daughter of Lawrence Oxley, who died the 8th day of October, Anno Domini 1743, aged 85 years. In Memory of James Croft, who departed this life August 24th, 1789, aged 66 years. Also, Hannah, his wife, who departed this life August 27th, 1797, aged 75 years. Also, John, son of John and Mary Croft, who died August 7th, 1783, aged 7 days. In memory of James Croft, who departed this life 24th April, 1826, aged 72 years. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 127 In memory of Hannah, the wife of Bathiany Walker, who departed this life 21st January, 1816, aged 38 years. Also, John Croft, father of the above Hannah Walker, who departed this life 3rd May, 1823, aged 73 years. Also, Mary, relict of the above-named John Croft, who departed this life 3rd November, 1825, aged 78 years. Here lye the remains of Richard Slater, mercer, late of Chesterfield, obt. December 19th, 1768, ^Et. 69. Ann Astley, died April 23rd, 1807, aged 66 years. Also, Catherine Astley, sister of the above, who died November 13th, 1814, aged 79 years. Also, Sarah Atkinson, sister of the above, and relict of the Rev. John Atkinson, Vicar of Ribchester, who died January 24th, 1820, aged 77 years. Sacred to the memory of Reuben Kenworthy, who departed this life the 18th of April, 1837, in the 48th year of his age. To pass encomiums on the dead is folly's greatest pride, A eulogy on lifeless dust, which reason has decried. In God the Father, Christ his Son, and sacred Spirit given, My faith was fixed, in holy hope of ever blissful heaven. The last great day, the colouring off, the veil withdrawn, I stand, O ! may the sentence be proclaimed, Enter the promised land. 128 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. In memory of Helen, wife of George Dilks, who died January 7th, 1814, aged 62 years. Also, the above George Dilks, who died November 18th, 1823, aged 59 years. To the memory of Sarah, the wife of John Tatton Cartledge, M. R. C. S. who died January 4th, 1821, aged 33 years. Also, John William Cartledge, M. R. C. S. son of the above-named J. T. and S. Cartledge, who died on the 22nd of February, 1835, in the 25th year of his age. Also, of Sarah Bissel, daughter of the above-named J. T. and S. Cartledge, and wife of Richard Collis Botham, surgeon, who died January 14th, 1837, aged 25 years. Ann Langton, died January 17th, 1800, aged 38 years, Thomas Langton, died April 22nd, 1786, aged 61 years. Also, Dorothy his wife, died November 19th, 1798, aged 66 years. Also, John their son, died September 27th, 1768, aged 6 years. Also, Robert their son, died October 6th, 1763, aged 18 months. Also, Dorothy their daughter, died January 2nd, 1770, aged 3 years. Also, Joseph their son, died July 29th, 1780, aged 18 years. In memory of Esther, the wife of William Frost, who died May 2nd 1803, aged 58 years. Also, the above-named William Frost, who died April 26th, 1808, aged 67 years. Also, five of their children. Also, Mary their daughter, and wife of Samuel Croft, who died September 19th, 1816, aged 29 years. Joseph Nail, junior, died February 10th, 1788, aged 19 years. Joseph Nail, father of the above, died 28th February, 1791, aged 58 years. Mary Nail, his wife, died 2nd December, 1800, aged 71 years. Richard Nail, their son, died 21st July, 1800, aged 28 years. Elizabeth Wild, their daughter, died December 26, 1831, aged 68 years. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 129 Here are interred the remains of Margaret Noble, who died October 16th, 1810. In memory of Samuel, son of Samuel and Mary Croft, who departed this life April 19th, 1817, aged 11 months. Also, of the above-named Samuel Croft, who departed this life May 14th, 1828, aged 46 years. Also of Maria, daughter of the above-named Samuel and Mary Croft, who departed this life October 2nd, 1828, aged 19 years. Here lieth the body of Margaret White, daughter of John and Eliza- beth White, who departed this life July 18, 1772, aged 2 years and 10 months. Charlotte White, died July 6th, 1773, aged 5 years and 11 months. Also, the body of the above-named John White, who died March 27th, 1809, aged 73 years. Also, the body of Elizabeth White, wife of the above John White, who died April 14th, 1812, aged 75 years. Sacred to the memory of Esther, wife of Thomas Lucas, (of Bramp- ton), who died September 25th, 1821, aged 52 years. The connexion of the families of Clarke, Offley and Shore, with the chapel in Elder-yard, has been such, that it may seem not out of place to add a short account of the dissenting interest at Norton, of which those families have now been the friends and promoters for nearly a century and a half. The Rev. John Wood, M. A. fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, who, according to Calamy, was born at Ches- terfield, and was ejected by the Act of Uniformity, preached at his own house at Norton, together with several other ejected ministers. In this house, which was built by Geoffry Blyth, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, in the reign of Henry VII, as a habitation for his father and mother, the dissenting interest was first formed in that village. Mr. Wood died in the month of May, 1690 ; and during the next ten years, dissenting worship was conducted at the Oaks, then the seat of Henry Gill, Esq. by the Rev. Thomas Rose, who had been ejected from the Vicarage of Blod worth, in Nottinghamshire ; the Rev. Mr. Denton, son of the Rev. Nathan Denton, the ejected minister of Bolton-upon-Dearn; and the Rev. Mr. Lowe. 130 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. About the year 1700, public worship was removed from the Oaks to Norton Hall, theu the residence of Stephen Offley, Esq. ; to whose father, in 1696, Cornelius Clarke, Esq. had devised the manor of Norton. The Hall was one of those picturesque old mansions of our country gentry of the higher order, of which so few now remain. Some portions of it were of very high antiquity. Others were probably built about the first of the Stuart reigns ; and some of the best apartments were added by the Offley s. There was a fine old entrance-hall, and in this the nonconformists of Norton, and the neighbourhood, were accustomed to assemble for public worship, during greater part of the last century. In the family of Stephen Offley, Esq. Mr. Lowe resided, and officiated as chaplain for some years. He was succeeded about the year 1708, by the Rev. John Wood, son of the Rev. John Wood above mentioned. Mr. Wood was chap- lain at Norton Hall fifteen years ; and died in London about the year 1723. After his death, the office of chaplain was vacant for about a year, during which time the duty was performed by the neighbouring ministers. The next preacher was the Rev. Mr. Warren, whose coming was probably in the year 1724, or the beginning of 1725. From Norton Hall he removed to Tenterden in Kent. There was but a short interval between his leaving Norton, and the settlement of the Rev. John Holland, who was ordained in the chapel at Chesterfield, where the Norton family had reserved a pew, and were in the habit of occasionally attending. This ordination took place August llth, 1731, during the ministry of the Rev. Christopher Smalley. The service was published and is thus inscribed. To Joseph Offley, Esq., of Norton, in Derbyshire. SIR, The relation which the person, whose ordination occasioned the following papers, stands in to you,* gives you the best claim to them ; and when it was determined, for the reasons hinted in the preface, f to * The relation here meant is that of Domestic Chaplain. t "To give well-meaning persons in these parts (who may have been prejudiced against us by false suggestions) a right notion of our proceedings in the important business of ordination." The preface, from which the preceding is an extract, was written by the Rev. James Clegg, M. D. who was born at Shawfield, in the parish of Rochdale, Octoberaoth, 1679, and educated by the Rev. Richard Frankland, at Rathmell, in Yorkshire. In 1702, having received a pressing and unanimous invitation from the congregation at Malcalf, he accepted the office. In 171 1, he removed to Chinley, where a chapel had been erected, partly with the old materials of the meeting-house at Malcalf, by the farmers, THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 131 have them published, we could not, without ingratitude, neglect the opportunity of paying you our thanks, in this public manner, for the favour you shew, and the encouragement you give to Dissenting Pro- testants, and to the Ministers, who officiate among them. That you may long live to enjoy the plentiful estate the Divine Providence hath put into your hands, and make the best use of it, for the honour of God, the good of your country, and for serving the interests of true Christianity ; and after you have served your generation, by the will of God, may attain an inheritance that is incorruptible, and that fadeth not away, is the prayer of, Sir, your most humble, and most obedient servants, J. ASHE, J. CLEGG, J. HOLLAND. The sermon, which was entitled The Continuance of the Christian Church secured by its Constitution, was preached by Dr. Clegg, and was from Matt. xvi. 18 ; and the usual questions were asked by Mr. John Platts. From Mr. Holland's answer, it appears, that his doctrinal views were Sabellian. Mr. Holland died at Norton Hall, July 1st, 1743, and was interred in the village church ; but his tomb- stone disappeared with many others, which had been partially defaced by the hand of time, when the church was newly pewed, about eighteen or twenty years ago. The following is a copy of the register of his burial, recently obtained from the Rev. W. Pearson, Curate of Norton. Buried July 4th, 1743, John Holland Norton Hall Dissenting Teacher of Consumption. Mr. Holland's successor was the Rev. Daniel Lowe, who removed from Loscoe near Alfreton. He settled as minister and others in the neighbourhood. Here he remained during the rest of his life, which terminated August 5th, 1755. His time was divided between his ministerial duties, and his practice as a physician, which has been represented as extensive. He was a man of distinguished abilities, and of doctrinal sentiments closely allied to those of the celebrated Richard Baxter. This appears from a discourse on the Covenant of Grace, which he published, in reply to Mr. De-la- Rose, of Sheffield, who had industriously propagated in the neighbourhood antinomian views upon that important subject. Dr. Clegg was a minister of the Presbyterian denomination, as was his predecessor, the Rev. William Bagshaw ; and his friend, the Rev. John Ashe. Mr. Bagshaw was called "the Apostle of the Peak." He published a work, with the title De Splritualibus Peed; being " Notes, or Notices, concerning the work of God, and some of those who have been workers together with God, in the Hundred of the High- Peak, in Derbyshire," 1702. The Rev. John Ashc, his nephew, attained to considerable eminence as a dissenting divine. He published an account of his uncle, with his funeral sermon, in 1/04 ; and in 1/07, A Discourse on Col. iii. 15, entitled A Peaceable and Thankful Temper recommended. This Discourse was occasioned by the Union of the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland, which com- menced May 1st, 1707. Prefixed to it is an Advertisement, by Dr. CJcg-g. A life and character of John Ashe was also published by Dr. Clcgg, in 1 736. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD- at Norton Hall, April 27th, 1744 ; and died at Norton, January 2nd, 1776. He was educated at Glasgow, and was at college at the same time with Joseph Offley, Esq., who was proprietor of Norton Hall, when Mr. Lowe settled as minister there. On the 19th of May,. 1776, the Rev. Thomas Halliday preached his first sermon, as minister at Norton Hall. He lived in a house at a short distance from the family mansion ; but was in the regular habit of attending there morning and evening, for the purpose of conducting the family worship. Mr. Halliday was the last minister who sustained the office of chaplain at Norton Hall. In 1794, a neat stone building was erected on the family estate, at a little distance from the Hall. In this building, public worship has since been regularly conducted, first by the Rev. John Williams, who officiated as minister of the chapel, and tutor to the family of Samuel Shore, Esq., till 1804 ; then by the Rev. Robert Aspland, who was minister at Norton only a few weeks, having been invited by the congregation assembling at the Gravel-Pit Meeting-house, Hackney, and kindly released from his engagement at Norton, by the late Samuel Shore, Esq. ; and lastly, by the Rev. Henry Hunt Piper, the present minister, who suc- ceeded Mr. Aspland in the year 1805. For some time past the family of the Shores have dis- continued their attendance at the chapel at Chesterfield ; but the representative of Cornelius Clarke, Esq., has still a contingent interest in the property, as the trustees stand possessed of it for the use of his heirs, if Dissenting ministers shall, at any time, like Conformist ministers, be admitted to parochial, or other public maintenance, or preferment by law. For about forty years after the passing or the Act of Uniformity, in 1662, the Dissenters of Chesterfield, though not inattentive to the subject of Church Government, " agreed to differ" respecting it; and did not allow their diversities of opinion on this, or any other point, to prevent them from acting as one body. The Rev. James Ford, Curate of Chesterfield, who was silenced by that Act, " was congrega- tional in his judgment," says Mr. Palmer ; " but ever behaved himself with meekness, and the highest respect to Mr. Billingsley, who was of a different judgment " THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. If the Rev. Thomas Ogle,* of St. John's College, Cambridge, who was ejected from the Vicarage of Roulston, in Nottinghamshire, be the individual of that name, who afterwards settled at Chesterfield, "he" also, according to Mr. Palmer, "was congregational in his judgment." But of their identity we have no proof, though the names were the same. The writer has heard it asserted, that they were different persons ; and that Mr. Ogle was a Presbyterian, and related to Cornelius Clarke, Esq. Be this as it may, however, the first proof of the existence of a distinct body of Congregationalists at Chesterfield, occurs in the year 1703. In 1715 and 16, a list was formed of dissenting congre- gations, by Dr. John Evans, an eminent minister in London, whose manuscript containing it is still in existence. The congregations are distributed in counties, and in most of the counties the Presbyterian, the Independent, and the Baptist are discriminated. All the Derbyshire congregations are put down as Presbyterian, except that at Glapwell, and one of two congregations at Chesterfield. The names of the ministers are also given. Chesterfield stands thus : Chesterfield John Thomas. P. Ditto Thomas Ebbisham.f I. But though there were two congregations, there was but one meeting-house. This appears, not from Dr. Evans's list, but. from a note of Dr. Pegge's, who was a native of Ches- terfield, (born in 1704,) and a diligent and curious inquirer into every thing connected with its history. He states, that in 1703, on November 3, there was a formal agreement between the two congregations for the joint use of the meet- ing-house. Each was to have its own minister, and the services were to be alternate. The origin of this divided plan of worship will be best understood from the following statement of facts. When the chapel in Elder- Yard was about to be erected,, an attempt had just been made to effect a union between the * Ogle was formerly a familiar name in the North of England, Among the ejected ministers there was a Rev. Luke Ogle, M. A., of Berwick-upon-Tweed, who was a Pres- byterian, and was invited, after his ejectment, by " the magistrates, ministers, and people of Edinburgh, to be one of the fixed ministers of that city." t Ibbertson was the name. 134 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Presbyterian and Independent bodies in London. This was in the year 1691. " A coalition of these two parties," says Dr.Toulmin, " on some general principles, was justly deemed desirable, to put an end to uncharitable jealousies and censorious reproaches, and in future to bury their differences in oblivion. * * The first step in this plan of a coalition was to assume a common demonstration, [Qu. denomination?] that of United Brethren. Heads of agreement were also adopted, and assented to by fourscore ministers in London ; not with a view to any national constitution, but to preserve order in their own congregations, and to maintain harmony between the two parties. They consisted of nine articles, which were adopted to express a concurrence of sentiment, and to propose an union of conduct, on the several subjects to which they related. These subjects were churches and church members, the ministry, censures, communion of churches, deacons and ruling elders, synods, the demeanour to be observed towards the civil magistrate, confessions of faith, and the duty owing, and the deportment which should be observed, towards those who were of a different com- munion. * * The coalition, the principles of which we have stated, after the preliminaries of it were settled, was commenced with a religious service at Stepney, on the Gth of April, 1691 : at which, by the appointment of the united ministers, a sermon was preached by Mr. Matthew Mead ; which was published under the quaint title, but suitable to the occasion, and agreeable to the taste of the age, of Two sticks made one, from EzeJc. xxxvii. 19."* Although the "heads of agreement" above alluded to were drawn up, and sanctioned by fourscore ministers of London, with a view to " preserve order in their own congregations," and were not considered as binding upon the two bodies throughout the kingdom, the effects of this union soon became visible at a distance from the metropolis. It was during this temporary calm, this interval of repose from sectarian strife, that Cornelius Clarke, Esq., a wealthy Presbyterian, but of a thoroughly Catholic spirit, at his sole expense, erected the chapel in Elder- Yard as a place of worship for Dissenting * An Historical View of the State of the Protestant Dissenters in England, and of the Progress of Free Enquiry and Religious Liberty, from the Revolution to the Accession of Queen Anne: by Joshua Toulmin, D. D. Chap. I. pp. 99. 104. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 135 Protestants. The building was begun in 1692 ; but before it was completed, symptoms of discord appeared, so that, in 1694, the nominal date of its erection, the union of Presby- terian and Independent ministers in London was dissolved.* " It had been presumed," says Dr. Toulmin, "that a foun- dation for a permanent union had been laid, and that a cement of their mutual interests had been formed, by the heads of agreement, to which the body of the ministers, both Presbyterian and Congregational, in London and its vicinity, and in several parts of the country, had assented in 1691. But strange as it may appear, the rise of their differences may be dated, it is said, from that agreement. Some few of the congregational denomination never either approved of those heads of agreement, or concurred in the union. They were not satisfied, moreover, with refusing their consent to the union, and preserving their own independency; but were assiduous in using their influence with their brethren, who entertained the same sentiments with themselves, on certain doctrinal points, and had joined the union, to detach them from it ; and they gave them no rest till this end was effected. "-f- Under these circumstances, a formal separation * "From the time of forming a new and separate lecture at Salters' Hall," A. D. 1694, " the two denominations of Presbyterians and Independents became distinct communities, and acted separately with respect to their denominations. And the ground of this separation being in doctrinal sentiments, the terms came afterwards to signify not a difference in Church Government, according to their original meaning, but in doctrinal opinions : the latter being applied to denote the reception of Calvinistic, the former to signify the belief of Arminian sentiments ; or respectively of creeds similar to either system," Toulmin's Historical View. Chap. ii. pp. 213, 214. " In 1695 an attempt was made for reunion among them, but it did not succeed. A little after, a few particular ministers, of both sorts, drew up a paper, with a design to use their interest to get both sides to sign it ; but this created new heats, instead of extinguishing the old ones. " Calamy's Abridgement of Baxter's Life. p. 549. "In 1696 the Dissenters continued divided, and a second and third paper were drawn up, in order to the accommodating matters, but in vain." Ibid. p. 550. t Toulmin's Historical View. Chap. ii. Sect. iii. pp. 187, 188. In the Advertisement to the Rev. John Ashe's Discourse on the Union of England and Scotland, (A. D. I/O",) this unhappy state of things is pointedly alluded to by Dr. Clegg. " Our continued Di- visions and Animosities," says he, "render such endeavours to make Peace extreamly seasonable" ; and he adds that it " is the prayer of the Author," as well as his own, that it "may be of use for that end." The application, which occupies upwards of twenty closely printed pages, abounds in exhortations to unanimity and peace. The preacher dwells upon the conduct of those, who, " instead of making Peace are busily employed in fomenting Differences, and widening Breaches ;" and who " take Pleasure in inflaming the Passions of Men, and setting them at variance, who in & spiritual as well as political sense are Brethren." (p. 26.) " If there be those," he observes, " that by whisperings and slanders, by forging evil Reports, or hastily spreading such as are rais'd by others, endea- vour to disturb the Quiet of the Neighbourhood, and to sow the Tares of Enmity and Strife, where the sincerest Love ought to reign, turn away from 'em. Admit 'em not into 13G THE HISTORY OF CHESTER FIELD, took place at Chesterfield, at the beginning of the last century, and each body chose its own minister ; the two congregations alternately using the same building. This divided plan of worship continued from 1703 to 1721; but great difficulty has been experienced in the attempt to ascertain the succession of ministers in the two congregations, during that period. In a manuscript history of the chapel in Elder-Yard, which was written about thirty years ago, and from which the account of that chapel contained in the preceding part of this work was principally taken, it is said of the Rev. Thomas Ibbertson, that "he is omitted in Dr. Pegge's list, which places John Thomas as successor to Mr. Elston." Of this list, which was drawn up by the late Dr. Pegge, of Whit- tiiigton, for the Rev. Thomas Astley, of Chesterfield, the compiler is now enabled, by the kindness of the Rev. Richard Astley, of Shrewsbury, to supply the following copy, from the Doctor's autograph. " Presb. Ministers, at Chesterfd. John Billingsley. became Vicar. Robert Ferae, resigned. Tho. Elston. died 31 Mar. 1710. John Thomas, bur. 26 Dec. 1719 Christ. Smalley. died Jas. Haywood. resigned 1772 Tho. Astley. appointed 1773." In this list, which purports to be one of Presbyterian ministers only, the Reverend Doctor seems to have meant, that "John Billingsley became Vicar," after the Restoration, when Episcopalianism was re-established ; otherwise, the statement would seem to imply, that he returned to the church, after his ejectment, which is contrary to the known fact. It appears probable also, from inquiries made since the account of the chapel in Elder- Yard was printed, that " Thomas Elston" was not a Presbyterian, but an In- dependent minister; and that his name, by an oversight of Dr. Pegge, has found its way into the above list, instead of the number of your Friends. Let not their Suggestions make any Impressions on you. Look upon 'em as the common Enemies of Humane Society, and discountenance their wicked Practices as much as possible. Be continually upon your Guard against 'em, and reject with Disdain all the Persuasives they may use to engage you in the Feuds and Contest! they have sinfully raised." (p. 31-35.) THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 137 that of Joseph Foolow. Mr. Elston, though a pupil, of the Rev. Richard Frankland, who kept the Presbyterian Academy at Rathmell,* had been connected with a Congre- gational or Independent church, for thirty-four years before his settlement at Chesterfield : whereas, Mr. Foolow had received ordination among the Presbyterians, and presided over the Presbyterian congregations at Chesterfield, and Stoney-Middleton. The latter gentleman appears, from Dr. Clegg's account of him, to have been carried off by con- sumption ; and was probably unable to perform the duty some time before his death, which took place December 8th, 1707. Mr. Thomas certainly became minister of the Presbyterian congregation at Chesterfield before January, 1705-6, in which month, being then minister, he married Mrs. Ledyard of Leeds, a widow, (originally Freeman,) whose daughter, Lydia Ledyard, married John Flower, Esq. of Gainsborough, August 6th, 1712, and was mother of Freeman Flower, Esq., and grandmother of the present Mrs. Shore, of Meersbrook.f It is not known, though great pains have been taken to discover, who was Mr. Elston's immediate predecessor, as minister of the Independent congregation ; but that gen- tleman appears to have been succeeded by Mr. Ibbertson., the last Congregationalist minister, according to Dr. Pegge, who officiated in the Elder- Yard Chapel. After Mr. Ifrbertson's removal to Bolsover, we discover no traces of an Independent congregation at Chesterfield, for upwards of fifty* years. The agreement of November 3rd, 1703, was cancelled in 1721, on Mr. Ibbertson's removal to Bolsover, when the chapel of that place, which was originally erected for a congregation of Presbyterians, was assigned over to the Independent party, in whose possession it has ever since continued. When Mr. Ibbertson removed from Chesterfield, some of his former hearers probably continued to attend upon his ministry at Bolsover, the distance between the two places not being considerable ; but the great body of Dis- senters at Chesterfield agreed to unite under one pastor, till * Monthly Repository for 1811, p. 9. t Mrs. Lydia Flower, and Freeman Flower, Esq., her son, were interred in the family vault of the Rev. John Thomas, in the chancel of Chesterfield Church ; and copies of theii monumental Inscriptions may be seen in p. 92 of this History. T 138 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. the resignation of the Rev. James Heywood, in 1772, when a part of the congregation, dissatisfied with the choice of the Rev. Thomas Astley, as his successor, took the oppor- tunity of withdrawing, and forming themselves into a separate religious community. SORESBY-STREET (INDEPENDENT) CHAPEL.* IT is believed and affirmed by those advanced in the vale of years, and whose memories vividly recal the sunny days of youth, that the separation occurred about 1772. The seceders regularly met for divine worship, and were supplied by the ministers of the neighbourhood, among whom were the late venerable Abraham Booth, author of the Reign of Grace, Pastoral Cautions, &c., who was just commencing his labours among the Particular Baptists at Sutton-in-Ashfield. In 1776, the Rev. J. Calvert, the Independent Minister at Bolsover, came frequently to Chesterfield to administer the ordinances of religious worship to the then destitute body. In 1778, the body having much increased by the addition of many respectable families, determined on erecting a House of Prayer, which they did at the lower part of Froggatt's Yard, New Square. Mr. Calvert, whose ministry was found increasingly acceptable and useful, was invited to take the oversight of them in the Lord. He accepted the call, and was shortly afterwards ordained to the pastoral office, which he continued to sustain till the latter end of 1795, when he removed to Kipping in Yorkshire. The next pastor was the Rev. William Burgess, formerly minister of Howard Street Chapel, Sheffield, whose memory is still fragrant among his late charge. His pastorate was of long continuance, extending from the year 1795, to 1822. For a considerable time the health of this venerable servant of the Most High had been declining, and assistance in the performance of his ministerial duties was found necessary. After a lengthened struggle with the ' insidious foe,' he entered into rest, and was interred at the foot of the pulpit, in the new chapel. The * This account of the Independent Chapel has been kindly supplied by a friend, in compliance with the wishes of the proprietor of this work. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 139 character of Mr. B. stood high as a Christian man and minister, both in the town and neighbourhood. Benevolent and kind, he was the friend of all, but to us particularly devoted by the best interests of his flock. In the pulpit he was grave, earnest, and affectionate : " And, as a bird each fond endearment tries, To tempt her new-fledg'd offspring to the skies, He tried each art, reprov'd each dull delay, Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way." His sermons were pithy and instructive ; his prayers pos- sessed much richness, variety and devotional ardour. He read the scriptures in the tongues in which they were originally written, and although no pedant, often threw great light upon controverted passages of scripture. He had also a sound knowledge of Botany and Chemistry. To his memory a tablet, thus inscribed, will shortly be erected. Near this place are deposited the remains of the Rev. William Burgess, Independent Minister : Who for twenty-eight years was the beloved Pastor of the Congregational Church in this town. His piety was fervent and uniform ; his research and attainments as a scholar and theologian, were great and extensive ; and in faithfully proclaiming the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, he had few equals, and no superior. He deceased November 15, 1823, aged 66 years. " The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." Psalm cxii. 6. During the last three or four years of the ministry of this excellent man, assisted by the students from the Independent College, Rotherham, the congregation considerably increased, and it was at length found necessary to erect a larger place of worship. A piece of land, eligibly situated in Soresby Street, was purchased of Joshua Jebb, Esq., and the first stone of the new chapel was laid September 6, 1822. It is a commodious and handsome stone building, 60 feet in length and 42 in breadth. It is surrounded by a burying-ground, and two school-rooms and a vestry adjoin. The whole is vested in sixteen trustees: the deeds particularly specify that " no other doctrines but those contained in the lesser Catechism of the Assembly of Divines which met at 140 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD 1 . Westminster in the year 1648, shall be taught therein." The new chapel was opened for Divine worship, 29th May, 1823. The Rev. Dr. Bennett, author of the Life and Ministry of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preached in the morning- from Exodus xxxiii. 13, 14. " Now therefore I pray thee," &c. The Rev. S. Bradley, of Manchester, preached in the evening from Ephesians iii. 10. " To the intent that now," &c. The Rev. J. Boden, Sheffield, the Rev. D. Jones, Chesterfield, the Rev. J. Gawthorn, Derby, and the Rev. J. Clarke, Dronfield, assisted in conducting the service. The pulpit has been occupied by the Rev. W. Foster, the Rev. J. Lamb, the Rev. W. Jeula, the Rev. G. D. Mudie, and others. During the ministry of Mr. Mudie, who filled the important position for nearly seven years, viz. from September, 1825, till February, 1832, and is now stationed at Fareham, in Hampshire, a little chapel for the accommodation of numerous hearers, was erected on Brampton Moor, and opened for Divine Worship in the latter part of 1825. The Rev. John Horsey, of Budleigh, Devonshire, was Mr. Mudie's successor ; he entered on his labours, 13th July, 1832, and removed to Launceston, Cornwall, June, 1836. The ministry of this gentleman was both acceptable and useful. The increase of the congre- gation soon rendered more accommodation necessary. New galleries at an expense of ^310., and paid for by private subscription, were added in 1834, which, together with the chapel, properly so called, will comfortably seat seven hundred persons. In July, 1836, the Rev. William Blandy, of Crediton, Devonshire, supplied the pulpit for six weeks, and having received an affectionate and unanimous call to take the oversight of the flock in the Lord, entered on his pastoral duties in the following October. At Calow, two miles distant from Chesterfield, where many hearers reside, and a most interesting field of ministerial exertion presents itself, a rhapel, in connection with that in Soresby Street, is now in progress of erection. " This is the Lord's doing, and is marvellous in our eyes. Save now, we beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, we beseech thee, send now prosperity." Psalm 118. 141 SALTER-GATE (METHODIST) CHAPEL. TILL the autumn of the year 1776, no Methodist preacher had visited Chesterfield ; but on Wednesday, August 17th, in that year, the Rev. John Wesley, having been invited, by one of the inhabitants, to preach there, called on his way from Sheffield to London. The person who had invited him, however, did not keep his appointment ; and Mr. Wesley, after resting for some time at another person's house, stationed himself, (as we read in his Journal), at a small distance from the main street, and proclaimed sal- vation by faith to a serious congregation. On Tuesday, June 17th, in the year following, he paid another visit to Chesterfield, and preached in the Market Place, on the words, " It is appointed unto men once to die." (Heb. ix. 27.) The congregation, on this occasion, was numerous, and nothing trifling or inattentive displayed itself in the conduct of the hearers. With the exception of the founder of Methodism himself, Mr. Benjamin Wilkinson, of Meadow Street, Sheffield, was the first individual in the Wesleyan connexion, who at- tempted to preach within the borough of Chesterfield. His first address was delivered from the steps of the old gaol, to an audience assembled in the Market Place ; but such was the indisposition of some of the inhabitants to give him a patient hearing, that he was repeatedly interrupted in his discourse. As there was then no chapel, and he was unable to procure either an outbuilding, or a room in the town, his zeal led him to Spital Green, where he made a second effort. But he was soon driven from that place by the turbulence of the multitude. The people were so excited, that his life was in danger, from the missiles thrown at him. He was taken before the Mayor, Marsden, Esq., who appears to have treated him with more liberality than the infuriated mob either wished, or expected. Before any society of Methodists was formed at Chester- field, there was regular preaching at Brimington. Ralph Statan, of Eckington Bolehill, joined the society at Ridge- way, and became a steady and zealous member; and Brimington, which had often been the scene of his wild 142 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. exploits, exciting his interest, Thomas Hutton, of Ridgeway, (then a local preacher of the Sheffield Circuit,) went, by his invitation, to preach there. At the request of Samuel Cressons, a cordwainer, who had formerly resided in Sheffield, but had left that place for the purpose of living with his aged parents at Brimington, Mr. Ingliss, who was then stationed at Sheffield, came over to Chesterfield, and preached from the steps of Mr. Frith's shop, at the bottom of the Market Place. A constable came to request his attendance on the Mayor ; but not producing a written authority, Mr. Ingliss refused to go. The constable upon this went and reported his refusal to the Mayor; and on his return, Mr. Ingliss was at prayer. When the prayer was concluded, he accompanied the constable; and, during his absence, John Revell, a local preacher from Sheffield, gave out a hymn beginning with these words. " Why should the children of a king Go mourning all their days ?" He continued singing till the return of Mr. Ingliss, who told the people, he was glad to find that Chesterfield was governed by a Mayor, who feared God, and regarded the laws ; adding, that he had been treated by the chief magis- trate of the town in the most courteous manner, and had been offered the use of the Town-Hall, an offer which he would gladly have accepted, if that building had not been at the time in possession of some show-people, who were staying in the town. The Mayor, however, in treating him not to preach in the public streets, he obtained the use of the Blue- Meeting-House* that same evening, where he preached to an overflowing congregation. Shortly after this, an upper room was procured in Moore's- Yard, or the yard adjoining the premises now occupied by Mr. Dawson, the saddler, in Packer's Row. The first preacher who officiated in this room, was the Rev. Thomas Hutton, now a supernumerary minister, residing at Buxton. The father of the present Mr. Longden of Sheffield, held the first love feast there ; and two excise officers, of the names of Cobb and Hudson, % * The Blue-Meeting-House is the one formerly used by the Independents, and sit- uated in Froggatt's Yard; (p. 138,) so that the occurrences recorded above, could not have taken place before 1778, the year in which that building -was erectedj A few years ago this Meeting. House was used, for a short time, by a small body of the New Connexion of Methodists. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 143 who were stationed in the town, being both Methodists, aided in the formation of a small society. From this time Methodism seems to have obtained a permanent footing in Chesterfield. The Chapel, which is situated in Salter Gate, was erected in, or about the year 1795; but Chesterfield was not made the centre of a circuit for preachers till the year 1806. It now forms the third circuit of the Sheffield District, which is the twenty-second out of thirty-three, into which Great Britain is divided. In the year 1822 or 1823, owing to the great increase of Methodism in the town and neighbourhood of Chesterfield, the chapel was enlarged. It is a spacious and commodious building. The interior is neat and well fitted up with galleries. In the year 1835-6, the number of members in con- nexion at Chesterfield was 791. The following is a list of preachers stationed at Chester- field during the last thirty years, as appears from the Minutes of Conference. William Williams, Valentine Ward 1806 William Williams, Hugh Ransom, John Wright 1807 Henry S. Hopwood, Benjamin Wood, Missionaries. . . Hugh Ransom, Thomas Edwards 1808 Martin Vaugham, Thomas Skelton 1809 Martin Vaugham, Thomas Skelton 1810 Robert Crowther, Joseph Worrell 1811 Robert Crowther, Joseph Worrell 1812 Thomas Rogerson, Christopher Newton 1813 Thomas Rogerson, Christopher Newton 1814 Thomas Ingham, Samuel Kellett 1815 Thomas Ingham, Samuel Kellett 1816 Richard Pattison, William Waterhouse 1817 Richard Pattison, Thomas Slugg 1818 Thomas Slugg, Thomas Hayes 1819 John Bustard, Thomas Hayes 1820 John Bustard, James Hyde 1821 John Bustard, William Sharpe 1822 William Dalby, William Sharpe 1823 William Dalby, William Coultas 1824 Mark Dawes, Benjamin Hudson 1825 Mark Dawes, Benjamin Hudson 1826 Christopher Newton, George Poole 1827 144 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Christopher Newton, Benjamin Milman 1828 Richard Ellidge, Benjamin Milman 1829 Richard Ellidge, John Hague 1830 Richard Ellidge, John Hague 1831 Thomas Skelton, John Smithson 1832 William Ash, Harry Pedley 1833 William Ash, Harry Pedley 1834 George Wilson, James Loutit 1835 George Wilson, James Loutit 1836 Thomas Rogerson, sen., Supernumerary from 1824, till his death in May, 1836. The preachers for the current year (1837), are the Rev. George Wilson, and the Rev. John Callaway. QUAKERS' MEETING-HOUSE. IN the same street with the Methodist Chapel, and nearly opposite to it, but a little backwards, is the Quakers' Meeting- House, erected about the year 1770. It is a neat, plain building, with spacious burial ground, for the use of the members. There were meetings of the Society of Friends held in Chesterfield as early as the year 1661, for which the members were persecuted with great severity, from the seizure of their property, as well as from imprisonment. The first meeting-house on record, was at Tupton, on the line of the Rykneld Street-way, where it still remains, and is occupied as a dwelling-house. In the year 1800, the Meeting-House in Salter-Gate was considerably enlarged, by adding to the south and east sides. BAPTIST CHAPEL. A FEW years ago, there was a Congregation of Baptists in Chesterfield, which originated in the labours of Mr. Morton, formerly of Sheffield, who was engaged by the Baptist brethren of that place to preach at Chesterfield in a building, which had been occupied by a society of the New Connexion of Methodists. On the 3rd of August, 1817, the church was formed. An address, on the nature and order of a gospel church, was delivered by Mr. John Jones, of Sheffield ; afterwards THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. 145 the brethren signified their willingness to unite for the worship of God, and keeping His ordinances, by holding up the right hand of fellowship. In the evening, two persons were baptized by Mr. Morton, in a river adjoining the town, and were added to the church, Mr. Jones preached on tire subject of believers' baptism, from Matt, xxviii. 19, to a very large and attentive audience. The charge of this ohurch and congregation was transferred from Mr. Morton, to the Rev. David Jones, formerly of Brentford. Under his ministration they increased ; and the meeting-house, after being considerably enlarged, was re-opened for public worship November 7, 1821. Soon after this, Mr. Jones left Chesterfield, and was succeeded in the office of pastor by the Rev. William Stokes. There was great difficulty, however, in making a suitable pro- vision for a minister; and in a short time afterwards the chapel was closed. It then passed into the hands of the Arminian Methodists.. ARMINIAN METHODIST CHAPEL. THE chapel near the Bowling-Green, which was formerly in the occupation of the Baptists, is now in that of the Arminian Methodists. It was enlarged by the Baptists in 1821, but the funds were not sufficient to maintain a minister ; in consequence of which it was closed for a few years. In 1833 it was taken by the Arminian Methodists, who have used it ever since. SANDEMANIAN CHAPEL,. THE Sandemanians have a chapel in a yard, or court, near the top of Soresby Street. There is no resident minister, some of the members of the society officiating in turn. To many of the chapels in the town, as well as to the church, Sunday-schools are attached, which are supported by annual collections. BEFORE we leave this part of our history, some allusion should be made to the power, recently granted by the legis- V 140 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. lature, of celebrating marriages in dissenting places of worship. While this sheet is passing through the press, the Unitarian and Independent Chapels in Chesterfield, have been registered as places of religious worship, in which marriages may in future be solemnized according to law. The object of the new Marriage Act, under which this re- gistration has been effected, has not been to abridge the just rights of the Church of England ; but simply to revive the ancient law of the land, and to restore to the people a privilege, which they enjoyed, till the middle of the last century, and which was taken from them, by the passing of Lord Hardwicke's celebrated Marriage Act. By the old law of this country, before the time of the Reformation, a marriage was good, if celebrated in the presence of two witnesses, though without the intervention of a priest. After the Reformation also, a marriage by civil contract was valid : but there was this extraordinary anomaly in the law, that the practice of some of the civil courts required, in certain instances, and for certain purposes, that a marriage should be celebrated in a particular form. A marriage by civil contract, therefore, was valid for some purposes, while for others, such as the descent of real property to the heirs of the marriage, it was invalid. Thus, if a man, in the presence of witnesses, accepted a woman for his wife, per verba de prcesenti, the marriage was valid for some purposes; but for others, in order to make it valid, it was necessary that it should be celebrated in facie ecclesiae. This was the state of the law, till the passing of the Marriage Act of 1754. It was to repress the scandals and indecencies of the Fleet and other marriages, that this Act, usually called Lord Hardwicke's Act, was passed. But in curing one evil, the legislature created another, by laying a restraint upon the consciences of those who dissented from the Established Church, which it has been the primary intention of the law recently passed, to remedy. By this law, the members of the Established Church may, if they choose, be married, as heretofore, either by license or by banns; and dissenters may be married, with or without religious rites, according to their own discretion : but marriages, in both these cases, are equally valid in the eye of the law. POPULATION, EXTENT AND RELATIVE SITUATION. POPULATION, EXTENT AND RELATIVE SITUATION. POPULATION. IT appears by the Chantry Roll, that there were in the parish of Chesterfield, in 1547, aboiit 2000 persons of sixteen years of age.* In 1783, there were in the borough 777 nouses, and 3335 inhabitants. In the month of December, 1788, it was found, by an actual enumeration, to contain 801 houses, and 3626 inhabitants ; and in 1791, the number of houses was 866, and of inhabitants 3987. In 1801, there were 895 houses, and 4267 inhabitants; in 1811, 951 houses, and 4591 inhabitants ; in 1821, 1048 houses, and 5077 in- habitants; and in 1831, 1208 houses, and 5775 inhabitants : according to the decennial returns made to parliament in those years. The reader, on running his eye over these numbers, will find that the population of Chesterfield has undergone some fluctuations. The jive years, beginning in 1783 and ending in 1788, exhibit an increase of 291 inhabitants; and the three years, beginning in 1788 and ending in 1791, the far greater proportionate increase of 361 ; whereas, in the ten years, which elapsed between 1801 and 1811, ac- cording to the parliamentary census, the increase was only 324. In the succeeding ten years, according to the same authority, it was as much as 486. Very little reliance, however, is to be placed upon any enumeration, made before the first parliamentary census, in 1801 ; and even that has been found to be, in some instances, defective. The following table will shew the comparative number of houses and inhabitants of the town, chapelries, and hamlets of Chesterfield, in 1801, 1811, 1821, and 1831. * Howselyng people; of an age to receive the communion, to which they were admitted at sixteen years of age. Lywnt'i DerbyMre, 150 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Houses. Inhabitants. 1801 1811 1821 1831 1801 1811 1821 ~ i 1831 Borough of Chesterfield... . 895 .. 951 .. 1048 . . 1208 .. 4267 .. 4591 .. 5077 . . 5775 Cliapelry of Brampton .... 409 444 .. 465 . , 700 .. 2047 .. 2348 .. 2632 . . 3594 Brimington 107 .. 117 .. 127 . , 142 .. 503 .. 526 . . 629 . . 759 Temple-Normanton . . 26 .. 29 30 . . 29 .. 141 .. 151 .. 141 . . 145 Wingerworth 92 .. 93 .. 92 . 88 .. 500 .. 479 .. 459 . . 471 Township of Calow 49 .. 62 .. 79 . . 105 .. 269 .. 327 .. 395 . . 569 Hasland 129 .. 150 .. 158 . . 181 .. 560 .. 697 . . 770 . . 889 Newbold and Dunston 163 .. 174 .. 196. , 240 .. 781 .. 841 .. 962 . . 1140 Tapton 31 .. 24 30 . 33 .. 148 .. 127 .. 149 . . 171 Walton 134 .. 133 .. 168 . . 181 .. 661 .. 720 . . 783 . . 935 Total 2035 2177 2393 2907 9877 10807 H997 14448 In the year 1801, the number of females, in the borough of Chesterfield, exceeded the number of males, by 409 ; in 1811, by 311; in 1821, by 387; and in 1831, by 445; the numbers being respectively as below. Males. Females. Males. Females. 1801 1929 2338 1821 2345 2732 1811 2140 2451 1831 2665 3110 A list of baptisms, burials, and marriages, has already been given at page 60 of this work ; from which it appears, that, during the ten years, ending 1836, the average number of baptisms in a year has been 309, of burials 169, and of marriages 73. EXTENT. THE parish of Chesterfield is extensive, containing five Chapelries and six Townships. The acreage and estimated annual rental of the buildings and land in the borough, and in each township, are stated by Mr. Glover, in his History of Derbyshire, published in 1833, as follow : Acreage. Estimated annual rental. Chesterfield 328 8470 4 6 Brampton* 7920 6164 10 Brimington 1148f 2373 11 Calow 1280 2141 10 Cutthorpe* 1066 6 6 Hasland 1986J .... 4164 2 Newbold and Dunston .... 3002 .... 4618 14 Tapton 652J 1188 18 Temple Normanton 500 862 1 Walton 2351 4733 9 Wingerworth* 2907i 3240 4 2 Total 39023 10 2 * Brampton (including Cutthorpe) and Wingerworth, are considered distinct parishes, t Commons unenclosed, not included. * Waste not included. Roads not included. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 151 The land in the immediate neighbourhood of Chesterfield is in a high state of cultivation. In 1827, a new valuation of the Borough was made by Mr. Gratton, of Wingerworth. Land was valued at full rack rent, averaging ,4. 10s. per acre ; houses were considered half rent. Since that time, property has considerably decreased in value, and stands now at little more than one half of what it did a few years ago. The Overseers of the Poor always collect tenpence in the pound ; and the amount of one book, on the supposition that there are no empty houses, or arrears, is about 334. The Poor's-rate in Chesterfield, since 1831, has decreased considerably, as the following statement will show. In the year ending March 25th, 1832, there were eight books collected, amounting to the sum of 2,645 1833, seven books 2,309 1834, seven books 2,317 1835, six books 2,005 1836, five books 1,690 1837, ending 25th March, four books would have been sufficient, if the Corporation had not imposed the Borough Rate upon the Overseers, which took about one book and a quarter 1,685 On a comparison of 1832 with 1836, it appears, that the rates were reduced nearly 1000; and consequently that there was a saving of that sum to the inhabitants of the town in 1836, as compared with 1832. That the ultimate effect of the New Poor-Law will be to occasion a permanent re- duction, and at the same time to increase the comforts of those who are driven to the necessity of subsisting upon parish relief, and to produce a higher tone of moral feeling than now generally exists among the poor, is with reason and confidence anticipated : but this law has not yet come into full operation in this part of the kingdom. It is decided, however, that Chesterfield shall form the centre of a large Union, which will probably include the following districts. Chesterfield District, comprising Chesterfield, Hasland, Newbold, and Dunston; Temple Normanton, Tapton, and Calow. Staveley District, comprising Staveley, Brimington, Whittington, Sutton-cum-Duckmanton, Bolsover, and Heath. Dronfield District, comprising Dronfield, Eckington, 152 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, Killamarsh, Little Barlow, Great Barlow, Coal Aston, Holmesfield, and Unstone. Brampton District, comprising Brampton, Walton, and Wingerworth. As/tover District, comprising Ashover, Brackenfield, Shirland and Higham ; Stretton, North Wingfield, Clay Lane, Tupton, Woodthorpe, Pilsley, and Morton. The highways in the Borough cost from 500 to 550 annually. Fivepence in the pound upon rack rent is collected for street gas, by a person whom the Commissioners appoint. Land and houses under 5 are not subject to this payment. One book annually is collected, which amounts to about 260. In 1826, a new survey of the Borough was made by Mr. Glossop, of Whittington. The map hangs in the office at the Poor House, for the inspection of rate-payers, who have free access to it. When the survey of the parliamentary boroughs was made, with a view to the Reform Act, an inquiry was also instituted into the boundaries of corporate towns generally, and among others into those of Chesterfield ; and a bill was brought into parliament last session, but not passed, for enlarging the boundaries of this and other boroughs. The following were to have been the limits of the borough of Chesterfield, according to the above bill. From the southernmost point at which the boundary of the old borough meets Boythorpe Lane, southward, along Boythorpe Lane to a point which is distant six hundred and sixty yards (measuring along Boy- thorpe Lane) from the point first described ; thence in a straight line to the point (near Griffin Foundry) at which the goit or stream separates into two branches, forming reservoirs ; thence, westward, along the said goit or stream, to the bridge over the same, on the Matlock Road j thence in a straight line to the south-eastern angle of the reservoir at Walton Mill ; thence, westward, along the south bank of the said re- servoir to the point at which the feeding stream joins the said reservoir ; thence along the said feeding stream to the point at which the same leaves the river Hipper ; thence in a straight line to the point at which the entrance road to the grounds of Mr. Johnson, at Somersall, meets * Wessington will probably be included in the Chesterfield Union, but it is not yet known to what District it will belong. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 153 the Manchester Road ; thence in a straight line to the point at which Slack Lane meets the lower turnpike road from Chesterfield to Ashgate ; thence along Slack Lane to the point at which the same meets the upper turnpike road from Chesterfield to Ashgate ; thence, eastward, along the upper turnpike road to Ashgate, to the point at which the same meets Brockwell Lane ; thence in a straight line to the northernmost point at which the boundary of the old borough leaves Newbold Lane ; thence, eastward, along the boundary of the old borough, to a point which is distant seventy yards (measured, westward, along such boundary) from the point at which the same crosses the Sheffield Road ; thence, north- ward, along a line drawn parallel to the Sheffield Road, for the distance of two hundred and eighty- three yards ; thence, eastward, in a straight line to the dam across the river Rother ; thence, southward, along the river Rother to the point at which the same meets the boundary of the old borough ; thence, southward, along the boundary of the old borough, to the point first described. RELATIVE SITUATION. CHESTERFIELD lies on the road from London to Leeds, and from Birmingham to Leeds, through Sheffield. These two roads join at the southern entrance of the town, which is 24 miles north of Derby; 12 miles south of Sheffield; 12 miles east of Bakewell ; 13 miles north-east of Wirksworth ; 16 miles north of Belper; 10 miles north of Alfreton ; 16 miles north-west of Worksop ; 12 miles north-west of Mansfield ; 10 miles "north-east of Matlock - Bath ; 24 miles east of Buxton; 48 miles south-east of Manchester; and 150 miles north-north-west of London. Mail Communication. One London Mail passes through Chesterfield every morn- ing at two o'clock, and through Nottingham, Melton, and Bedford, to the Bull and Mouth, London, where it arrives at seven in the evening. The Leeds Mail passes through every morning at a quarter before twelve, and forward through Sheffield, Barnsley, and Wakefield, to the Hotel, Leeds, where it arrives at half-past five the same evening. Another London Mail passes through Chesterfield every afternoon, at a quarter after three, and forward through Nottingham, Leicester, Northampton, &c., to the Bull and Mouth, and Swan with Two Necks, London, where it ar- rives at seven the next morning. The Halifax Mail passes through every morning, at eleven, and forward through w 154 TriE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, Sheffield, and Huddersfield, to Halifax, where it arrives at four the same evening. The Birmingham Mail passes through Chesterfield every morning at nine, and forward through Alfreton, Derby, and Lichfield, to Birmingham, where it arrives at four in the afternoon. The Sheffield Mail passes through every day at twelve, to the Commercial Hotel, Sheffield. Letter bags for Derby, Birmingham, and the west of England, are made up at a quarter before nine in the morning ; and the bags from those places are opened at twelve o'clock at noon. Letter bags for London and the south, are made up at a quarter before three in the afternoon; and the bags from those places are opened at a quarter past eleven in the forenoon. The bags for Derby, Manchester, Mansfield, Nottingham, and the south generally, are made up at ten at night ; and the ba^s from those places are opened at twelve at noon. Those for Sheffield, Halifax, and Huddersfield, are made up at a quarter before eleven in the forenoon. Those for Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, and the North, are made up at half-past eleven in the forenoon ; and those from the above places are opened at eight in the morning. In addition to the mails, there are coaches which pass through Chesterfield daily, on their way to London, Leeds, Halifax, Sheffield, Birmingham, Nottingham and Manchester, There are also two coaches which run only between Chesterfield and Sheffield. One of these starts from Ches- terfield, and the other from Sheffield, on the morning of every day except Sunday ; and both return in the evening. Turnpike Roads. The turnpike road from Chesterfield to Sheffield passes over Whittington Common, and through Unstone, Dronfield, and Little-Norton, leaving Norton on the right: it quits the county of Derby, and enters Yorkshire, at Meersbrook, ten miles from Chesterfield. Two turnpike roads from Chesterfield pass, the one through Brampton, and the other through Little Bramp(on, over the moors to Baslow, which meet at Robin Hood's THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 155 toll-bar. At Baslow toll-bar a road branches off to the right, through Calver, Stoney Middleton, and Chapel-en-le-Frith, and another to the left, through Bakewell, Buxton, and Taddington, to Manchester. An intermediate road, through Hassop, and Great and Little Longstone, joins the Matlock and Manchester road at Wardlow Mires. The mail road from Chesterfield to Derby passes through Birdholm and Tupton, leaving Wingerworth to the right ; through Clay-Cross and Stretton to Higham, leaving Morton to the left; through Shirland, Alfreton, Swanwick, Butterley, Ripley, Denby, Horsley, Little-Eaton, Breadsall and Little-Chester, to Derby. The old road continues from Higham, leaving Shirland on the left, to the Peacock Inn, leaving South- Wingfield on the right; through Oakerthorpe and Heage, leaving Pentrich to the left; and thence, through Belper, Millford, Duffield and Allestree, to Derby. The distance by each of these roads is about twenty-four miles. The road from Chesterfield to Mansfield passes through Hasland, Normauton, Heath, and Glapwell, to Pleasley, near which village it enters Nottinghamshire, nine miles from Chesterfield. The road from Chesterfield to Worksop passes through Brimington, Staveley, Barlborough and "VVhitwell, a little to the right of the canal, to which it runs nearly parallel for the first five or six miles. The road from Chesterfield to Matlock-Bath and Ash- torne, passes through Walton and Kelstedge, leaving Ash- over about a mile to the left ; over the most southerly part of the east moor, to Matlock-bank and Matlock-bridge, leaving Matlock-town on the left, to Matlock-Bath; thence, through Cromford to Middleton, leaving Wirksworth on the left; through Hopton,* Carsington, and Kniveton, leaving Hognaston on the left, to Ashborne, the distance from Chesterfield being about twenty-four miles. A turnpike road from Chesterfield, branching off on the moors, passes through Darley-bridge town, Wensley, and Winster, continuing thence to Newhaven. * A private road, which has acquired the name of Via Gel/id, was made through a ,-wooded valley from Hopton to Cromford and Matlock-Bath, by the late Philip (Jell, Estj . 156 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Canal. In 1769, Mr. James Brindley surveyed the course of an intended canal, from the town of Chesterfield to the River Trent; and in 1770, an act was obtained for putting his plan into execution. By this act the Committee were authorised to raise 100,000 in 100 shares, and to borrow 50,000 at 5 per cent, interest, on mortgage of the tolls, or to raise it by new shares at the discretion of the Committee. The canal was completed in 1777, and on the 4th of June in that year, the first vessel was brought to the town of Chesterfield. By the early Reports, it appears that 2482. 3s. 6d. was annually paid as interest, at 5 per cent, on 49,643. 11s. 6d. mort- gage of the tolls : at Midsummer, 1834, the interest paid was 4i per cent. There are 986 shares, originally of 100 each, and among the holders of these shares are divided (after the mortgage interest is paid) the profits arising from the tolls, tonnage, &c. of the canal, which have generally yielded from 6 to 8 per cent. The annual dividend paid in 1831, was 7| per cent; in 1832, 8 per cent; in 1833, 1\ per cent ; and in 1834-5-6, 7 per cent. The general direction of this canal, (says Farey)* is nearly south- west, by a crooked course of near 45 miles in length, in the counties of York, Nottingham, and Derby. The western part is rather considerably elevated above the sea, crossing a branch from the South Idle Ridge by a short tunnel, and the East Rother Ridge by a considerable tunnel. Its principal objects are the export of coals, lead, cast-iron, limestone, freestone, pottery wares, &c. ; and the import of limestone, grain, deals, bar-iron, &c. Chesterfield, Worksop, and East Retford, are situated on this line ; and Dronfield, Gainsborough, Blyth and Bawtry, are also not far distant from the canal. It commences at the Trent river, near its junction with the Idle river, at West Stockwith, three miles and a half from Gainsbo- rough, and terminates at Chesterfield town. Notwithstanding the want of powers to make public branches from this canal, to mines and works near it, several private ones have been made on the proprietors' own lands, or by the consent of their neighbours, viz. from near High-house, a cut west, to Lady Lee lime freestone quarry and wharf; and another from Branchcliffe Grange south to Shire Oaks lime quarries : from Renishaw Furnace, a railway north- east to their ironstone and coal pits at Spinkhill : a cut south to Norbriggs * General View of the Agriculture of Derbyshire ; ivilh Observations on the Means of its Improvement, drawn up for the Consideration of the Board of Agriculture, and Internal Improvement: by John Farcy, Sen. Mineral Surveyor. Lond. 1817. vol. iii. p. 317. The above extract is given as an account of the Chesterfield Canal, at the date of Mr. Farey's work. The description however is general ; and, with the exception of a few unimportant particulars, will apply as well to the present time, as to thirty years ago. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 157 wharf, and a railway thence east, to Norbriggs colliery; on the south-east side of Staveley two railways south to Inkersall collieries ; at Hollingwood Common, a tunnel for small boats south-south-west into that colliery : near Brimington a railway branch north, to Glasshouse Common colliery, and the glass-works. The fine light yellow freestone, from the upper magnesian rock at Roch Abbey, which used to be brought in considerable quantities to the south-eastern counties, is carted about nine miles south I believe, to Worksop wharf : the very fine white, and almost crystalline freestone of Steetley quarry, from the same rock, is carted about a quarter of a mile south-east to Lady Lee wharf: near Shire Oaks there are two consider- able brick-works by the canal : Peck's Mill, or Dog-kennel limestone quarry, in South Anston, is situated close on the north side of the canal, and Burley gritstone quarry, north-east of Renishaw, is close on the east side of the canal, so that the blocks of stone are hoisted therefrom into the boats : the gib or derrick of this crane was steadied by three long tarred ropes, to as many strong posts in the ground, by which any framing of wood-work was avoided. From the tide-way in the Trent to Drake-hole wharf, about six miles and three eighths has a rise of twenty-seven feet three inches ; thence to East Retford wharf, eight miles and one quarter, a rise of seven feet : thence to Babworth, two miles and five-eighths, a rise of thirty-one feet nine inches : thence to Worksop, seven miles and a quarter, a rise of twenty-eight feet ; thence to Peck's Mill, five miles and a quarter, a rise of 156 to the summit level, 250 feet above the Trent. From Peck's Mill to the east end of the tunnel, half a mile, is level with the tunnel, which extends two miles to Norwood : thence to Gander-lane, half a mile, is a fall of 100 feet: thence to the Norbriggs branch six miles and one quarter, is level : thence to Hollingwood Common, two miles, is also on the same level : thence to Wilden's Mill two miles, is a rise of twenty- nine feet, and thence to the basin at the north-east end of Chesterfield, one mile and five-eighths, is a rise of eleven feet by one lock ; the canal in this distance having crossed and connected with the Rother river. The Lady Lee branch is about half a mile long, and level : the Shire Oaks branch is about three-eighths of a mile, and level : the Spinkhill railway is about one mile in length, and rises considerably above the canal : the Norbriggs cut is near three-eighths of a mile, and level ; the railway therefrom, near one mile, rises considerably at its eastern end ; the eastern Inkersall railway is more than half a mile, with a considerable rise ; and the western one, near one mile, passing the " Common-spot" coke yard, is also much elevated above the canal. The Hollingwood Common tunnel is one mile and three quarters long, not connecting with the canal, but kept one foot lower by means of a culvert under the canal : the whole of this length, except the first three hundred yards, is driven in the " Deep-end or Squires" coal-seam. It is used for draining, and also for working the same, and two other seams near it, all of good caking coals, that go into Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire ; its southern end is about eighty yards below the surface. The height of this tunnel is six feet, its width five feet nine 158 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. inches, and the depth of water therein, two feet : on which boats are used, twenty-one feet long and three feet six inches wide, that hold seven corves, weighing together twenty to twenty-two cwt. When these tunnel boats arrive at the side of the canal, a crane is used to hoist up these boxes, and empty their contents into a canal -boat ; this curious colliery belongs to his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, and is wrought on his own account, under the direction of Mr. George Dickens, of Staveley, his colliery agent. The Glass-house Common railway is near two miles long, and con- siderably elevated at its northern end. The first part of this canal, from the Trent to East Retford, is con- structed for large boats of fifty or sixty tons burthen : above this, the width is twenty-six to twenty-eight feet, and depth of water four to five feet. ' The fchain of eighteen locks, between Shire Oak Sand-hill Close, are numbered from 38 to 21 ; these were at first deemed a great curiosity, and obtained the name of the "Giant's Staircase," with many of the country people. Close to the west end of the tunnel there are four locks, numbered 19 to 15, formed by only five gates : lower down at the Nor- wood Tonnage-house, three other gates make two locks, and below these seven other gates make six locks, the tail-gate of one lock, answering also as the head-gate of the next adjoining lock. The boats used in the upper part, are seventy feet long and seven feet wide, carrying twenty to twenty-two tons each : in 1794, when my friend Mr. William Smith visited this canal, in a considerable tour he made for such purposes, such boats were reported to cost when new, from 90 to 100 each : the boat-owners then usually paying their bargemen by the ton of goods, conveyed certain distances, instead of weekly wages. The great tunnel in Wales, and other townships in Yorkshire, perfo- rates coal-measures in its whole length, and near to its western end the Wales coal-seam three quarters of a yard thick, was discovered and worked therefrom on its north side, at about seventeen yards beneath the surface : a provision having been made in the act, that in case of any such discovery, or in cutting the canal in other parts, that sufficient gates and soughs might be driven from the tunnel or canal, for working and draining such coal-seams, provided proper settling places or sumps were made on such soughs, and kept often cleansed, for preventing mud and silt from being driven into the canal : but the company were authorised to demand to purchase the coals from the land-owners, under their canal, in any part, to preserve the same from being dug, to endanger the canal. Near the middle of the tunnel sixty-eight yards in length of it, is driven in a gritstone rock, which supports the same without being bricked, as it is in the other parts twelve feet high, and nine feet three inches wide inside. The great zig-zag fault appears to cross this tunnel, and considerably to elevate the measures on its western side. At the eastern end there is a considerable deep cutting in gritstone, shale, &c. which was wheeled up on to the end of the tunnel, and on its northern side, so as effectually to turn the brook to the north side of the spoil-banks. This tunnel was begun in November, 1771, and finished THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 159 on the 9th of May, 1775. Through a low part of the branch from the Red Marl Ridge, between Gringeley-hill and Scawthorp, near Bawtry, there is a wide tunnel of one hundred and fifty-three yards long, at a place called the Drakes-hole. On the north of Staveley, the canal is deep cut, through the Dolee Ridge. Aqueduct bridges, and considerable embankments, occur on this line; over the Dolee north-east of Staveley ; over the brook at Renishaw Fur- nace ; in Killamarsh town, with a road arch under the canal ; on the east of Worksop, and at Shire Oaks, there are also aqueducts over the White- water, or northern branch of the Idle river. On the west side of Woodhall, there are three reservoirs, containing 13j acres of water, which by means of a feeder on the east side of Nor- wood, is conveyed into the summit level at the west end of the tunnel ; and on the south-east side of Woodhall, there are three other reservoirs below Pebley Mill, containing together 44 acres, the water from which, is let in at the east end of the tunnel : above this is a very large reservoir, which, though made at the expense of the company, as I have heard, owing to their neglecting, or being unable to stipulate for the purchase of Pebley Mill, it has been usual, on the approach of summer or dry seasons, for the miller to draw it down to the level of his ancient dam., by which it is rendered nearly useless to the company, and the trade of the country. The above is not the only instance in which the mill owners of this district, sought, not merely security or indemnity, but great and unfair advantages, at the expense of this concern, for in the act it is stipulated that a stop (lock) should be made at the Norwood end of the tunnel, for returning all the water into the Rother river, collected from its sources, meaning, I suppose, that the water from the reservoirs, to be made by the company north-west of Harthill, should all (with whatever overplus could be had through the tunnel from the other reservoirs above mentioned) be returned into the Rother, not merely at its former point, but that the same should be conveyed backwards through eight miles and a quarter of the new canal (locking westward against the course of the river), in order there to be discharged for the benefit of a mill, with whatever ad- ditions the company might obtain from springs in the way, or the more direct supplies from brooks, and from the Dolee river (where now they have a cut or feeder one mile and a half long, for bringing part of its water into the Norbriggs branch) : it being stipulated in the act, that the weir out of the canal into Staveley Forge Dam (just above Hollingwood Common) should be made four inches lower than any other weir between Chesterfield and Norwood ; and although there is not any provision made for compensation to the company for this new advantage of all their lockage water, to a particular mill property, there is added to the above, that if this forge and corn-mill is injured, satisfaction for the loss of water, is to be made to the company; and also, that no new mills are to be erected or supplied from this canal. The very mischievous effects of these restrictions, are apparent on the execution of this canal, which on this account has a level pound of eight miles, between Hollingwood Common and Belk-lane in Killainarsh, in all 100 THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. the northern part of this course, skirting the high rocky points of land, with high intervening emhankraents, loosing its water, and soaking and injuring the lands below : at the same time, precluding railway branches from it, to the extensive coalfields and ironstone rakes on the opposite side of the Rother, and rendering a junction between this canal and the Don navigation, so much more difficult than it would have been, if the natural course of things had been pursued, and this canal had locked down regularly, as the valley falls from Norbriggs, almost to the Gannow Valley (there have discharged its water, instead of into the Staveley Forge Dam) and have regularly locked- up the same to Norwood. And after all, it seems that the business was so managed by Mr. Brindley, that the company have not escaped a claim of compensation for water to this mill which is yet annually paid, as I was told. Mr. James Brindley projected this canal, and directed its execution, until his death in September, 1772, when his brother-in-law, Mr. Hugh Henshall, succeeded to its management, and completed the whole in 1777. Mr. Joseph Gratton, of Chesterfield, is the present agent of the company. The tonnage to be taken, is not to exceed, for lime one penny per ton per mile, and threehalfpence per ton per mile on coals, lead, timber, stone, and all other goods except manures (but not lime) for the lands of any person whose estate has been cut by the canal, in the parishes through which it passes, which are to pay only one halfpenny per ton per mile. The tonnage rates must be the same throughout every part of the line, except that coals delivered into vessels on the Trent may be charged lower, than for the supply of places on the line. Hay and corn in the straw, not 'sold, but going to be stacked, and materials for the repair of roads (not turnpike) in parishes through which the canal passes, may be navigated toll-free for five miles ; or manures for the lands of those persons whose estates have been cut within such parishes, provided no lock is passed, except when the water flows waste thereat, and having given six hours' previous notice to the nearest toll collector, of such intention to pass locks without toll. The ton to be 20 X 112lb., and one-sixth of a mile ; and one-fourth of a ton to be taken into calculations of tonnage. Goods not to remain more than twenty-four hours on the company's wharfs without paying wharfage ; for the next six days, threepence per ton may be charged. Tolls are not to be liable to assessments for taxes, but only the land occupied by the canal. The company were authorized to raise 100,000 in 100 shares, and an additional 50,000 on interest or mortgage of the tolls, or in new shares if necessary ; but the works were not to commence until all the shares were subscribed for, and 5 per cent, interest to be paid while the works were in hand. The works are said to have cost in all 60,000, including the expenses of a survey, and application for an act, in the year before this passed, which expenses this act directed to be paid by the company. At first, the shares of this concern were much depreciated, and sold below par for a long time ; from 1805 to 1810 the dividends were 6 per share annually. At East Retford and Chesterfield, there are extensive wharfs and THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 161 large warehouses ; and others at West Stockwith, Worksop, Drakes-hole, Killamarsh, Norbriggs, &c. At Killamarsh, and at Peck's Mill in South Anston wharfs, there are limekilns, &c. Rail-Road. In addition to the advantages already possessed by the inhabitants of Chesterfield from its canal, and the various turnpike roads branching- off in different directions from the town, there is a prospect of obtaining, in the course of two or three years, a railway communication to the northern and southern extremities of the island ; with branches to all the principal towns of the kingdom. On the 4th of July, 1836, an act was passed for making a Railway from Leeds to Derby, to be called The North Midland Railway. The line of this railway passes from Derby, through the parishes of Duffield, Wirksworth, Crich, South- Wingfield, Shirlaud, Morton, North- Wingfield, and Wingerworth to Chesterfield. At Chesterfield it crosses the Hasland road, near the Horns' Public-House; and after running some distance, along the eastern side of the town, it continues northward, through parts of the townships of New- bold, Tapton and Brimington, and the parishes of Staveley, Eckington, Killamarsh and Beighton, into Yorkshire, and forward to Leeds. The capital of the North Midland Railway Company is 1,500,000, divided into 15,000 shares ; and the amount of loans to be raised under the provisions of the act is half a million sterling. It is stated in the report of the committee on the bill, that the existing means of conveyance and com- munication between the proposed termini, are insufficient for agricultural, commercial, manufacturing and other purposes. The present amount of traffic by land, the average charges made for passengers and goods, and the time occupied, are as follow. Description of Traffic. . Charges. Time occupied. Passengers by coaches, chaises, and sundry conveyances, 149,112 per annum, carried various distances. Merchandize by general carriers, vans, and stage-waggons, tons an- nually 20,298 By other conveyances . . 104,032 Total 124,390 X The average charge The time occupied by coach is 4d. per mile, between Leeds and Derby exclusive of coachmen by coach, is about nine and guards. hours. From is. to is. 6d. About four days, per ton per mile. W2 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, The average charges made for goods, and the time' occupied by the present circuitous water communication, are as follow. s. d. s. d. Between Derby and Leeds or Sheffield, in six or eight days .... 19 $ ton. Between Derby and Wakefield or Barnsley, in six or eight days 17 6 ^ton. Between Leeds and Wakefield, in one or two days ... 4 6 to 5 03^ ton. Between Leeds and Barnsley, in four or five days 9 to 15 ^ ton , Between Leeds and Sheffield, in seven or eight days 20' to 26 8 qp> ton. Between Wakefield and Barnsley, in one or two days 4 to 6 8^ ton. By the proposed railway it is expected, that these charges will be considerably reduced ; and that the time occupied in the transit of heavy goods will in some cases, be only one fortieth or fiftieth part of that, which is consumed by the present tedious mode of conveyance by water. The number of passengers annually expected upon the North Midland Railway is about 630,000. Of the weight of goods, exclusive of coach parcels, and consisting chiefly of manufactured and bale goods, valuable raw materials, coals, lime, agricultural produce, and general merchandize, it is impossible to form a correct estimate ; but it will be immense, and in the advantages secured to the public by this rapid, and comparatively cheap mode of conveyance, Ches- terfield will of course have its proportionate share;- At the second half-yearly general meeting of the court of proprietors, held at Leeds in the month of August, a report was read and agreed to, which expressed great satisfaction in the progress hitherto made in this important undertaking* From a statement of the accounts it appears, that the receipts to the 30th of June were 203,324. 15s. 2d., and the expendi- ture 98,289. 19s. 6d., leaving a balance at the disposal of the company of 105,034. 15s. 8d. Five contracts had been let, comprising fourteen miles and three quarters; and ten more, of which five are in Derbyshire, and five in Yorkshire, were advertised for letting. Of these several have since been taken ; and the progress of the work tends every day to confirm the expectation of the important benefits to be derived from its completion, which will probably take place in the year 1840. TRADE AND MANUFACTURES, BANKS, MARKETS AND FAIRS, TRADE AND MANUFACTURES, BANKS, MARKETS AND FAIRS. TRADE AND MANUFACTURES. THAT Chesterfield was anciently of some trading importance, is evident from the Charter given by King Edward I., who granted a Guild of Merchants to this town about the year 1294, with all the customary privileges. We have proofs also, that cutlery and the manufacture of glue, were once carried on to some extent, in the names given to two of the principal streets, Knifesmith Gate, and Glueman Gate. Pottery too, it may be presumed, from Potters' Lane, (now corrupted into Pothouse Lane,) has long formed a staple manufactory of Chesterfield ; and similar inferences may be drawn, respecting other branches of trade and manufacture, from the names Salter Gate, and Beetwell Street. It has likewise been inferred, from the name Packers' Row, that the articles manufactured in different parts of the town, were conveyed thither, for the purpose of being made up into packages, and sent off to distant markets. But as this kind of speculation often leads to erroneous conclusions, we shall pass on for the present to something more tangible, leaving the few additional observations which we have to make on this subject, to a future part of our history. Whatever may have been the extent to which manu- factures were formerly carried in Chesterfield, there can be no doubt as to its existing capabilities. Nothing but a want of energy on the part of the inhabitants has prevented it from becoming a town of first-rate trading importance, even in these days of manufacturing and commercial enterprise. The neighbourhood produces excellent coals and iron- stone. The strata of ironstone and coal at Hady, east of Chesterfield, are formed within a sancum, which appears to surround the town, and to follow the course of the rivers. They basset both towards and from the town. There is at Ashgate a similar sancum to the one at Hady, 160 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. containing corresponding strata of ironstone, and coal, with an inclination to the east of about eight degrees. The same peculiarity of position in the measures is found at Heanor, They dip for a considerable space towards one common centre, and by this means form a sort of basin of deep cir- cular figure. The measures are thinner at the basset-edge, than in any other part ; but at a certain depth they acquire a regular thickness, which they preserve till faults occur, when they gradually become thinner again. From these circumstances it seems probable, that the measures have had a horizontal position, and by some means have been broken, so as to lie in an oblique direction. In addition to the ironstone and coal found in the neigh- bourhood of Chesterfield, there are extensive beds of potters' clay, and clay for the making of bricks. The procuring of these, and the manufactories connected with them, afford employment to a considerable number of persons, residing in and near the town, though not nearly to the extent that might be wished. Next to Derby, Chesterfield is the most considerable trading town in the county. The manufactures are silk, cotton-wick, hats, ginghams and checks, ropes and sacks, snuff, tobacco, and tobacco pipes, cotton and worsted hosiery, cotton and woollen gloves, bobbin-net lace, leather, &c. The gloves formerly netted here with one needle (termed pegging by the operative) were expeditiously made, neat in appear- ance, and durable in wear. The art of making this description of gloves was first introduced by the French prisoners, of whom there were about two hundred at a time stationed here, between the years 1804 and 1814, on their parole of honour, during the late war with France. The excellence and neat- ness of these gloves soon found a market ; the great demand which there once was for them, gave employment to nu^- merous hands; and the town was benefited by it. But from some cause unknown to us the manufacture of them has been discontinued. M^ny young females are employed in figuring the bobbin-net lace manufactured here, at Notting- ham, and at Derby. There are also extensive bleach yards, and the malting business is also carried on. Some years ago carpets were manufactured at Chesterfield, but no fabric of this kind is now made there. THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. 167 The manufacturing advantages which Chesterfield enjoys are, as we have stated in the earlier part of this work, very great ; but that the town has not prospered in proportion to its means, is a fact which has occasioned no slight regret to many of the inhabitants. This subject, however, has been well treated in two excellently written letters which appeared some time ago in the North Derbyshire Chronicle, under the signature of " Mercator," and which we shall take the liberty of inserting in our pages. After a few introductory remarks, the writer proceeds : Chesterfield presents the singular anomaly of a town situated in a locality favoured above most others by nature and art, and yet remarkable only for its comparative want of importance, atid its crooked spire ! As neither historians nor geographers have in this instance condescended to favour us with an explanation of so striking a failure in the ordinary influences of natural position and inherent resources, we are left to con- jecture for ourselves. Hence the question that forces itself upon us is Why does Chesterfield with all its natural advantages remain poor and unimportant, while other towns in all parts of the kingdom, without such advantages, have grown, and continue to grow, in wealth and importance ? Interesting as an adequate solution of this question might be, it is not my intention to attempt to give it a complete answer, for in order to do so, it would be requisite to undertake an extensive inquiry into the political and commercial history of the county, (and probably of the country,) for the last 150 years or more. I shall confine myself to an inquiry into those natural advantages, which all, who know anything of the place, are ready to admit that it does possess. If those advantages are such as appear capable of being turned to good account, it will be comparatively unimportant to the present generation to know why our forefathers failed to make the best use of them, provided we ourselves, escaping from the mist which blinded them to their interest, have suffi- cient genius and enterprise to avail ourselves of our favoured position. Chesterfield, the gazetteers tell us, is situated in the beautiful Vale of Scarsdale. We that have lived for many years in the town, need no oracle to inform us that it is beautifully situated. We likewise know that the district for many miles round is not more remarkable for its fertility, than the town and neighbourhood are noted for their salubrity. The richness and beauty of the surrounding country, as well as the genial purity of the air, are so well known so evident, that I should not have tempted a sneer from your readers by such a gratuitous piece of in- formation, were it not to remind them that these things are real advantages, which ought not to be passed over in an enumeration. Besides, the whole district is to an extraordinary degree rich in the most valuable minerals. The town of Chesterfield stands upon an exten- sive, and, I might say, almost inexhaustible COAL FIELD. It is needless to advert to the value of such a position, and the immense manufacturing V 168 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. resources it affords, especially as the coal can in general be got at a trifling expense. Among the strata that compose what are called the coal formations, are found numerous and valuable beds of ironstone, which have never been turned to proper account as regards the town. For since coal and iron ore exist in such abundance, what more seems requisite for making Chesterfield celebrated at least for its manufactures in iron ? Yet as we shall see by and by, even this is a branch which has not prospered, and which has at present totally ceased to be carried on. But coal and iron are not the only valuable productions that the earth affords. Clay for bricks, tiles, and pottery of various kinds is found in the neighbourhood in exhaustless quantities as also stone of a most valuable and durable kind for architectural purposes, as well as a laminar sandstone which is used with advantage as roofing slate. Limestone also of the best quality, and in the greatest abundance is found at a moderate distance from the town. Thus the want of stone, bricks and lime cannot have operated in keeping Chesterfield the small place that it still remains. In fact, all things requisite for the maintenance, the accommodation, and the employment of a numerous population are found combined in Chesterfield in a manner that few other places can boast. What can be more favourable for the encouragement of building than the abundance and the excellence of the materials by which the town is surrounded ? And every one must acknowledge that a locality which possesses considerable facilities for the construction of habitations, has, in the encouragement of population, a decided advantage over places which are in this respect less favourably circumstanced. Again, the fertility of the circumjacent district, which has already been alluded to, affords a sufficient guarantee that an abundant supply of provisions would be raised for the support of a large population. Then, as to the employ- ment of the numerous people which we find we could maintain and accommodate, we should feel no difficulty ; as the mineral treasures that in a great measure lie dormant around us, would afford ample scope for industry and ingenuity, as well as supply the means of pursuing other branches of manufacture, for which the raw material is procured at a distance. The town is nearly encircled by running water, and coals of a superior quality everywhere abound : can any thing be more favourable for the application of the mighty powers of the steam engine to the various manufactures that distinguish modern times ? At the commence- ment of our career as a manufacturing nation, a locality possessing a rapid and powerful stream of water was considered indispensable for manufacturing purposes, since water was almost the only, if not indeed the only prime mover that could with advantage be used in applying machinery to the arts of life. From this cause many places have become the centres of large manufacturing districts, whose natural capabilities, in many respects, are far from being equal to those of other places which remain in a state of neglect, merely because an impulse has never been given to their native energies. At the present day however, the case is very different as regards the advantages of locality ; steam has supplied an agent of unlimited power and untiring assiduity, equally independent of drought or flood, so that where coals exist, they answer, and often in THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 169 a superior manner, all the purposes which were formerly derived from the headlong torrent. To say nothing of the wide field for enterprise which our iron ores present, the circumstance of possessing an abundant supply of coals, renders the position of Chesterfield highly advantageous for the manufacture of cotton, lace, silk, or in short, of anything in which machinery is employed. But to what a trifling extent are any of these branches cultivated ! The subject for regret, however, is not that Chesterfield is quite destitute of all kinds of manufacturing enterprise ; for this is not the case. What excites surprise is, that so little in this way should be done, and that so small progress in the career of improve- ment should be made in a town so pre-eminently calculated to foster the growth of large and multifarious branches of productive industry. Many places, which were but villages when Chesterfield had long been an ancient and respectable market town, are now swelled to the size of large cities, and number their fifty or hundred thousand inhabitants. This would not be a thing to be wondered at, if Chesterfield was destitute of the natural capabilities of improvement. But these we have seen are of the first order. Indeed, from the rapid and imperfect sketch here given of the natural resources of the immediate neighbourhood of Chesterfield, these resources appear to be of a character to warrant a rational belief that a proper application of them is all that is wanting to cause the town to become the centre of an extensive and flourishing trade. But it will perhaps be retorted what signify all these natural advan- tages if the place where they exist be cut off from the rest of the com- mercial world? Very true. I am prepared to admit that facility of communication is essential to the prosperity of a commercial and manufacturing town, and consequently, by this test, I am willing and anxious that Chesterfield should be tried. *##**### In the first place, we find that Chesterfield is situated upon the line of road between Birmingham and Derby on the one side, and Sheffield and Leeds on the other ; that is, upon one of the great lines of road that traverse the country from London to Scotland. It consequently enjoys a direct daily communication by mail with the metropolis on the one hand, and with Glasgow on the other, as well as with all the commercial towns that intervene. The mail road from the north, which passes through Nottingham, likewise includes Chesterfield in its course, and offers another channel of regular communication. Besides, recent and prospective changes in the mail regulations have effected, and promise to effect, a still further improvement in our already easy and rapid means of intercourse with many of the chief towns of the kingdom. Again, from the number of stage coaches which run on these roads, the facilities for travelling, and the conveyance of the lighter descriptions of goods, are equal to those for the transmission of intelligence by mail ; whilst for the transport of heavy and bulky goods, numerous carriers with their more tardy and capacious waggons, are constantly employed. Since, then, the means of communication with the north and south are so good, let us proceed to consider whether Chesterfield is not to the full as well situated for communicating with places that lie to the east 170 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, and west. Two different lines of excellent road lead from tins town to Manchester, the one through Baslow, Chapel-en-le -Frith, and Stockport ; the other through Sheffield. Either of these roads affords a direct medium of intercourse between Nottingham and Manchester ; and a journey from one of these towns to the other almost necessarily includes Chesterfield. As usual, these roads are not deficient in stage coaches for the convenience of travellers. Besides the waggons, that ply on the common roads, there is a still more advantageous means for the transport of the heavier kinds of merchandise to or from Manchester and Liverpool. For between these towns and Chesterfield, with the exception of a short interval, there is a continued line of railroad and canal. The failure in the entire continuity of this mode of communication occurs at the end of the line next to Chesterfield, where, however, the interval is well filled up by the ordinary means of waggons travelling on the common road. About twelve or fourteen miles from Chesterfield, in proceeding along the Derby road, we meet the Cromford and High Peak Canal at Buck- land Hollow, thence to Manchester and Liverpool, there is an uninter- rupted canal and railway communication. With the exception of about fourteen miles, therefore, the means of carrying on a trade in ponderous goods between this town and Liverpool already exist in perfection. And even if none of the projected lines of railway were likely to render this mode of communication complete, the nature of the country where the interruption occurs is such, that a canal or railway might easily be constructed. From all these considerations it is evident that our means of communication with the great emporia of the west of England, are such as to afford a flattering prospect of the future commercial prosperity of Chesterfield. Let us now turn our inquiries in the opposite direction. Here we find a canal proceeding from Chesterfield to the Trent, near Gainsborough, and thus opening a communication with the German ocean. Hence goods may be conveyed by water, not only to Nottingham and Lincoln, but by way of Hull, to London and Edinburgh, or in fact to any part of the globe. The privilege of a communication with the ocean is one of such importance, that it ought not by any means to be lost sight of. For both the export and import trade, an uninterrupted medium of water-carriage to two of the greatest cities in the empire, is a consideration so favourable, that it is astonishing it has not been made available to a greater extent. By this medium the heaviest species of merchandise can, with ease, and at a moderate cost, be transported to unfailing markets ; and by the same medium may be brought the raw materials for a variety of profitable manufactures ; our coal mines, as we have seen, supplying us with ample means for propelling the requisite machinery for conducting such manufactures with spirit and success. Thus it appears that Chesterfield possesses the advantage of easy communication, by good roads, canals, or railways, with most of the chief trading towns in the kingdom. These means for facilitating com- mercial intercourse, it must be borne in mind actually exist they are not projected advantages, which may or may not be carried into execution they have a real existence, and are available at any moment, and seem THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 171 even to invite commercial enterprise. However, in making any calcula- tion respecting the business of common life, it would be as absurd to overlook the probabilities of what may happen, as it would be to neglect the capabilities of any particular region. It will not therefore be improper to glance at the prospective advantages which Chesterfield holds out to the manufacturer. I allude to the North Midland Railway, a work which may possibly be retarded for a time, but one which, there is a moral certainty, will ere long be carried into effect, and lend its powerful aid to increase the intercourse of Chesterfield with many important towns, to an extent that we cannot at present pretend to calculate. This work, when accomplished, will complete the communication with Manchester and Liverpool that has been referred to above. I trust that enough has been said, to show that Chesterfield is not de- ficient in that all-important requisite for a trading town -facility of communication with the rest of the commercial world. It has likewise been shown, that the neighbourhood contains abundance of the most valuable minerals, some of a nature calculated to foster the growth of manufacturing industry in general ; others of a kind that would seem to render the prosecution of some few branches particularly easy and lucrative. Yet these are not all the advantages that the district affords. The whole tract of country from Wirksworth to Castleton consists of the metalliferous limestone formation, which is very rich in lead ore. Here is another field for industry and enterprise, from which it would be fair to infer that Chesterfield might derive no small advantage, were it not indeed that it derives little or no benefit from more valuable sources which exist close at hand. The enquiry we have been engaged in proves that the natural and artificial resources which Chesterfield possesses, eminently fit it for trade and manufactures of almost every kind. Hence, our astonishment returns in full force and prompts us to ask are these things really so ? and is it possible that such a combination of favourable circumstances can have existed so long, and talent and enterprise not to be found to turn them to account ? * ****** * From the iron ores which abound in the neighbourhood it might reasonably be expected that the manufacture of iron would form a leading feature of the place. And we find that the smelting of iron, and the making of castings in the same material was formerly carried on to a consider- able extent, in the immediate vicinity of the town. But it may be affirmed, without fear of rational contradiction, that this obvious and fruitful source of wealth has never been pursued, to the extent that the natural capabilities of the place would warrant. The iron foundry at Brampton is extinct, the company which conducted it having a short time since failed. I cannot pretend to say why the concern did not continue to prosper as it had done in the earlier stages of its existence. An im- pression very generally prevails, that this want of success was owing solely to the business not being skilfully managed. I merely state the prevailing opinion, without being able to vouch for its correctness, and it must be recollected that want of success and mismanagement are used 172 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELET. by many persons as synonymous terms. Whatever was the cause of the failure of the Brampton Iron Works, it seems but reasonable to think, that by proper management, the ironstone which is obtained in the immediate neighbourhood might be manufactured on the spot, with equal if not superior advantage to that with which it is manufactured at the distance of several miles, whither it is transported with an additional expense entailed on it for carriage. Coke, used in the manufacture of cast-steel, is carried to Sheffield from within a short distance of Chesterfield; but such a thing as making cast-steel in the latter town is never once thought of. Not a sickle, scythe, or knife, or any other edge-tool, perhaps, ever owed its existence to Chesterfield certainly not of late years. Yet there is every facility for establishing the manufacture of these and similar articles in this town. Many of the villages, a few miles distant, have greatly improved in population and wealth by engaging in operations of this nature, so that Sheffield is not the only place in the world capable of benefiting by such pursuits. It is a fine thing to obtain a great name r Sheffield has achieved this in regard to cutlery ; but except the want of capital directed by intelligence and enterprise, there is nothing to hinder Chesterfield becoming equally renowned in this respect. It possesses all the natural resources and means of easy intercourse suitable for entering upon a successful competition in this branch of trade. At present, however, the ingenuity of the Chesterfield worker in iron does not, perhaps, extend beyond the point that would enable him to repair a broken lock ! ! ! As I observed before, I do not wish to convey the impression, that Chesterfield is totally destitute of trade and manufactures. What I am anxious should be distinctly understood is that, with a few exceptions, every department of our manufactures seems to be characterized by a want of energy, and skilful application of capital. In consequence, hardly any branch is carried on upon even a moderately large scale ; and the contemplation of our productive industry as a whole, leaves on the mind a strong impression of its very limited extent I had almost said of its insignificance. Chesterfield may boast of having possessed a silk mill, carried by water, for a great number of years ; yet nothing worth naming is done in this trade, though it would, perhaps, puzzle any one to advance a plausible reason why the manufacture of silk could not prosper as well here as in Derby. We have likewise a variety of other manufactures that it would be irksome to particularize all struggling in angustis rebus, the narrow and difficult channel that leads to the great ocean of prosperity " Where blow the gales that waft to fortune." I have already hinted that there are exceptions to the common characteristics of the state of our manufactures. Among these may be particularly mentioned the candle-wick manufactory at Walton, and several manufactories of pottery, in the neighbourhood, of the description called brown-ware, both of which are carried on to a very respectable THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 173 extent. The lace trade likewise must by no means be omitted. It has not been long introduced into the town, yet it is already becoming considerable, and promises, by a persevering display of the same spirit and intelligence that has hitherto marked its conductors, to prove of the greatest importance ; as it both brings a positive benefit in its own prosperity, and clearly establishes the fact of the adaptation of the place for general manufacturing purposes. Tanning, malting, and the manu- facture of hats and checked goods, and perhaps one or two other trades, may be included in the honourable exceptions to the general want of energy exhibited in our manufacturing efforts. Though not carried on upon a very extensive scale, the branches here classed as exceptions are conducted with spirit, and a sufficient degree of success, to show that still greater exertions would be attended by corresponding results ; and not only so, but likewise to make it evident that were they but once set on foot, and properly managed, a multitude of other highly important branches of manufacture might be pursued with the greatest advantage. A volume might be filled by a description of the multifarious species of manufactures that might be adopted in Chesterfield, with the most flattering prospects of success. Its natural resources and convenient position, leave no room for doubt that this town is destined at some time to form the centre of an extensive commercial and manufacturing district. If this period can be accelerated so as to be made to fall in the present age to the men of this age will accrue the attendant advantages of importance and wealth. It behoves them, therefore, to see that the vast resources of the place no longer remain dormant. If these remarks, by drawing attention to a subject worthy of the most serious considera- tion, cause one single individual of an enterprising disposition to make Chesterfield the scene of his commercial and manufacturing operations, I shall not have written in vain. Before quitting the subject, there is another point of view in which Chesterfield may be exhibited to advantage. Few towns present more beautiful and attractive environs for the residence of genteel families. The neighbourhood in many parts is highly picturesque, and mineral springs of a medicinal character are known to exist, though they have not yet received the attention they seem to merit.* Besides affording a most excellent market, the town is in itself delightful. This may be the reason that it has never been without its due share of families of wealth and respectability. At any rate its locality and construction are such, that a little well-directed liberality in those who stand in the relation of its patrons, would make it a perfect model of a town for beauty and convenience." * There is a chalybeate spring in Spa- Lane, which is known by the name of the Spa- well. It is weaker than some other springs of the same kind in different parts of the country. This may be inferred from the faintness of the colour, which it strikes with galls. Upon adding a few drops of Prussian lixivium to a glass of this water, one half of this quantity was changed to a fine blue, and the other to a deep green colour. It is said to be a purgative, when drunk in large quantities ; and has sometimes been found useful in disorders arising from weakness and relaxation : but it is now altogether neglected by the inhabitants. 174 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Three new factories have been built during the last two years for the manufacture of lace; one by Messrs. Beardmore and Waterhouse, in Wheldon Lane; another by Mr.Gothard, near the Gas Works; and the third, which is a very exten- sive one, at Spital, by Messrs. Smith, Holmes and Co. BANKS. BANKS might have been introduced under the general head of " Trade and Manufactures," for banking is only another name for trading in money : but it has been thought more desirable, on some accounts, to state what there is to be said on this subject under a separate division. The word Bank, in its present acceptation, is a name given to certain establishments, or companies, which take upon themselves the charge of money belonging to private persons, for the purpose of improving it, or rendering it secure. It comes from the Italian Banca, a Bench, on which the ancient money-changers sat in the public markets. It was probably introduced into this country by the Lombards, who were merchants from the Italian republics of Genoa, Lucca, Florence, and Venice ; and who, with the exception perhaps of the Jews, were our earliest money- brokers. They were accustomed to meet twice a day in that part of the city of London, called Lombard Street; which is still one of our principal money marts. The borrowing and lending of money is probably as ancient as money itself; but taking interest for the use of money was not allowed, by the law of England, till the year 1546. Even as late as the year 1640 the London merchants were in the habit of lodging their money at the mint, in the Tower of London as a place of security. The mint was, in fact, their bank: but Charles I., having in that year taken possession of -1200,000, which was lying at the mint, destroyed its character as a place of security, and compelled the merchants to keep their money at home. Hence the origin of private banks, which, having been first established in London, gradually extended themselves over the kingdom ; so that there is now scarcely a town, consisting of two or three thousand inhabitants, which has not its bank, or branch bank. 4 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 175 The banking business was formerly carried on to a considerable extent in Chesterfield, by the family of Wil- kinson. But theirs was not a bank of issue : nor was that of Messrs. Jebb, Slater and Malkin, the firm which succeeded to a principal share of their business. A plate was prepared, but it was thought desirable not to use it ; and no notes were ever issued by that firm, or the firm of Graham and Coller, which succeeded it. The first bank of issue in Chesterfield was that of Messrs. Crompton and Newton: the establishment of this was soon followed by a second, viz. that of Messrs. Maltby and Robinson : and recently a third has sprung into existence. The last of these was instituted about four years ago. The experience obtained of the public advantages arising from Joint-Stock Banking Companies, seemed to render it necessary that something of the kind should be at- tempted in Chesterfield ; and if the formation of such an establishment by the inhabitants had been delayed, a strong temptation would have been held out for some other company to establish a branch there. Such a project was, indeed, under serious consideration ; and the inhabitants of the town, it was urged, would subject themselves to a needless hu- miliation, by allowing the introduction of a branch from some neighbouring Joint-Stock Bank, which would probably be dependent upon the management and controul of persons living at a distance, and having but a slight participation in any of the local interests or feelings of the town. A Pros- pectus, therefore, was issued, for establishing a Joint-Stock Banking Company in Chesterfield ; and at a meeting held at the Angel Inn, on the 10th of September, 1833, it was unanimously resolved, " that a public company be esta- blished, to be denominated The Chesterfield Joint- Stock Banking Company, under the authority of the Act of the 7th Geo. IV., c. 46, subject to such regulations as may be deemed necessary by the shareholders." Other resolutions were passed at the same meeting, defining the amount of capital, the number of shares, the mode of conducting the business, and the qualification necessary to constitute a director; and specifying such other particulars as were deemed necessary, for the purpose of making the public acquainted with the nature of the proposed scheme, and 176 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. securing the co-operation of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood generally. A committee was appointed on the 4th of October, 1833, for the purpose of carrying into effect the resolutions of the above meeting ; and business commenced on the New-year's day following. The deed of settlement bears date May 1st, 1834; and the following is an abstract of its contents. 1. The style or title of the company is to be The Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Banking Company ; and the company is considered as having been established January 1st, 1834, the day on which it com- menced business. 2. The capital is 250,000, which is divided into 2,500 shares, of 100 each. The allotment of shares is vested in the directors. 3. The business is to be exclusively confined to banking. 4. It is to be under the coutroul of the directors, who are to have the entire management of the business of the company. 5. The profits and losses are to be rateably divided and borne amongst the shareholders, in proportion to their shares. 6. No individual or firm is to hold less than three, or more than one hundred shares ; and in case any person shall by bequest or otherwise, become possessed of more than one hundred shares, the directors are to have the power of purchasing an extra number of shares. 7- Each shareholder is to transact his banking business at the bank of the company. 8. The property, estate and effects of the com- pany, as between the shareholders and their representatives, is to be considered personal estate ; and the shareholders are to have a distinct and separate right in shares, and to dispose of them by deed or will. 9- The persons in whose names any shares are held, are to be considered the beneficial holders or owners of them ; and the company is to ac- knowledge no trust, until the legatee is admitted a proprietor. 10. A certificate is to be delivered to every shareholder, specifying the number of shares held by him, which is to be considered as evidence of his title. 1 1 . A list of the shareholders, with the number of each person's shares is to be kept in a book, to be called The Share Ledgers another list is to be kept at the banking house for the inspection of the shareholders ; and notice is to be given at the banking house of the change of residence, circumstances, &c. of the shareholders. Husbands of female proprietors executors and legatees, are not to be qualified proprietors, as such as- signees must sell shares ; but they may become proprietors with the consent of the directors. 12. Directors are empowered to make further calls on shares, but not to exceed 5 ^ share in any one year, and a notice of three calendar months is to be given of each call. If the di- rectors cannot profitably employ the whole paid up capital, they may return it to shareholders in proportion to their shares, with power to recall it on notice. 13. Shares are to be forfeited or sold by the directors on the non-payment of calls ; or directors may waive such forfeiture or sale, by imposing a fine for the benefit of the company ; or they may at their option sue the parties for such calls. 14. Shares may be sold or transferred after the 1st of March, 1835. 15. No sale or transfer is to THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 177 be valid without the consent of the directors, for which purpose fourteen days' notice in writing is to be left at the banking house : if no notice of disapproval is given in fourteen days, their consent is to be implied ; but if the proposed purchaser be not approved, the person desirous of selling must find another purchaser, satisfactory to the directors, and give the like notice. 16. Directors are to decide upon the form of transfer. 17. Directors may purchase shares on behalf of the company, and either retain or re-sell them when purchased. 18. The chairman for the time being is to preside at every general meeting ; or in his absence such other director then present as shall be elected by a majority of directors also present ; or if no director be present, such shareholder as shall be elected by a majority of the shareholders present. The chairman may take part in the debates, and is to have the casting vote. All motions are to be decided on a show of hands by a majority of the shareholders present ; but if five or more shareholders, holding in the aggregate fifty shares, shall be dissatisfied with such show of hands, they may demand a ballot, and the number of votes given in such case by each shareholder is to be determined, by a fixed rule, according to the number of shares which he holds. 19. No proxies are to be allowed. 20. In case of joint owners, only one is to vote or act. 21. Shareholders are not to be permitted to vote till calls are paid up. 22. No question is to be gone into at meetings, unless twenty shareholders are present, holding among them two hundred and fifty shares. 23. If twenty shareholders be not present at the expiration of one hour from the time appointed for the meeting, the meeting is to be adjourned to that day three weeks, and notice is to be given of such adjourned meeting. 24. General meetings are to have power to adjourn. 25. Directors are to have a lien on the shares of shareholders for the debts and engagements of such share- holders. 26. After a dividend is declared, notice must be given to the shareholders by a circular letter. 27. Every such notice is to be con- clusive on the parties, if put into the Chesterfield Post-office, directed to the shareholders, according to the existing entry in the books of the company. 28. Shareholders omitting to execute the deed are to forfeit their shares ; but the directors may waive such forfeiture by imposing a fine, or in any way that they may think proper. 29. In-coming share- holders are to stand in the place of out-going ones. 30. The appoint- ment of Messrs. William Robinson, Francis Wright Everet, John Gorell Barnes, Edward Wright, John Sayer, Thomas Holmes, and William Claughton, as the first directors of the company, is confirmed. 31. The directors are to meet at stated intervals for dispatch of business, and to elect two of their own body as special directors. 32. The chair- man appointed at the first meeting of the directors, and in each successive year, is to have the casting vote. 33. Minutes of the proceedings of each board of directors, are to be entered in a book, and signed by the chair- man. 34. The business of the company is to be carried on in Chester- field, and in such other places, as the directors for the time being shall determine. 35. They are to appoint, or displace bankers, brokers, agents, managers, cashiers, &c., at their discretion. 36. All promissory 178 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. notes issued by the company are to be signed by one or more of the directors, or by the manager, or other officer of the company, as the directors shall appoint ; and all receipts, bills of exchange, drafts, and other negotiable securities, are to be signed by such persons only as the directors shall appoint. 37. The directors are to appoint public officers to sue and be sued, and trustees in whose names deeds and securities are to be taken. 38. They are to cause all books of account, &c., to be kept at the banking-house. 39. They may compound for bill and note stamps. 40. They are to have full authority to commence and defend legal proceedings, in the name of one of the public officers ; to submit disputes to arbitration ; to compound bad or doubtful debts ; to grant powers of attorney; to sign bankrupts' certificates, &c. 41. They may invest surplus funds on security, and change and alter them as often as they think expedient. 42. Five directors are to manage the business of the company after February, 1835. The mode and order of the election and retirement, or re-election of directors is pointed out. 43. The di- rectors are to signify their acceptance or refusal of office in writing, in seven days after notice of the election has been given. The directors in office are to supply any vacancies produced by refusals. 44. The quali- fications, and disqualifications of directors are defined. 45. Before entering on their offices, directors, managers, accountants, cashiers and clerks, are to sign a declaration of secrecy on the subject of the transac- tions of the company, and of the state of accounts with individuals. 46. The directors are to vacate their offices on non-attendance for three months without sufficient cause ; or they may resign ; or they may re- move any one of their body, in case the others be unanimous. 47. They may appoint interim directors in case of the death, resignation, or dis- qualification of any of the directors. 48. They may make bye-laws, regu- lations, &c., not inconsistent with the deed of settlement, or any supple- mentary deed, but so as that three directors at least concur in such altera- tion. 49. The General Annual Meeting is to be held on the second Mon- day in February in each year, when the directors are to exhibit a statement of the affairs of the company, and declare the dividend for the preceding year. 50. No dividend is to be declared for the first twelve months from the commencement of the establishment, but the profits are to form part of a surplus fund: in each succeeding year the profits, after setting apart not more than one fourth towards maintaining the surplus fund, are to be divided amongst all the shareholders rateably in proportion to their shares. 51. In case of dissatisfaction with the statement of the affairs of the company by the directors, a general meeting may appoint three persons to investigate the accounts, who, previously to entering upon such inves- tigation, are to sign a declaration of secrecy. 52. Power may be given at annual general meetings to increase the capital, and Ihe number of directors ; and to make new orders and regulations : but no such new orders and regulations are to release the proprietors from their liability to pay up the whole of their subscribed capital, or to alter the provisions of Articles 50 and 55. It is provided that no question affecting the dis- solution of the company shall be brought before such meeting, unless THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 179 three-fourths in value of the shareholders qualified to vote be present at such meeting. 53. A power is given to directors to call special, or extra- ordinary general meetings. 54. A power is also given to fifteen share- holders, whose shares shall not be less than four hundred, by writing under their hands, to be left at the bank one month before the intended meeting, to request the directors to call special or extraordinary general meetings; and in case the directors neglect to call such meetings, at least within fourteen days, the requisitionists are themselves empowered to call them ; and all acts at such meetings are to be deemed valid. 55. A provision is made for dissolving the company, if the losses shall have exhausted the surplus fund, and one-fourth of the capital. 56. Other provisions are made for winding up the affairs of the company. 57. Re- ceipts given by the trustees of shareholders are to be deemed sufficient discharges to the company. 58. Securities, investments and purchases, taken in the names of the trustees, are to be subject to the control of the directors; and the trustees are to execute a declaration of trust. 59- The receipts of any one or more of the trustees, for money paid by order of the directors of the company, for trust or mortgage money, are to be deemed sufficient discharges. 60. A power is reserved to appoint new trustees, in case of death, resignation, &c. 61. A power is also reserved of indemnifying directors, officers, &c., from personal liability, except in case of wilful or illegal default. 62. Disputes between shareholders, as to the articles contained in this, or any supplementary deed are to be referred to arbitration, and the award is to be made a rule of court. 63. The directors are to have power to establish a branch bank, or branch banks. 64. Days are to be computed, one inclusive, and the other exclusive. 65. In the construction of the language of this deed, the singular number is to be regarded as including several persons as well as one person ; and words importing males only are to be construed as including females as well as males ; and bodies corporate, as well as individuals. 66. The directors may cause this and future deeds to be enrolled in Chancery, and deposited as they may appoint. 67. The deed concludes with a penal clause, for the observance and performance of the covenants contained in it. The following is a list of the Directors, Public Officers, &c., of the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Banking Company, at the period of its first establishment. Directors. Mr. William Robinson, Mr. Francis Wright Everet, John Gorell Barnes, Esquire, Mr. Edward Wright, Mr. John Sayer, Mr. Thomas Holmes, and Mr. William Claughton. Public Officers, registered at the Stamp Office, London, pursuant to an Act of Parliament, to sue and be sued on behalf of the Company. Mr. Francis Frith, and Mr. Francis Hurst. Manager. Mr. George Walker. Solicitors. Messrs. Lucas and Cutts. London Bankers. Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smiths. 180 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Savings' Bank. A Savings' Bank was established at Chesterfield in the month of April, 1816. It is under the management of nine trustees, viz. The Rev. Thomas Hill, John Charge, Esq., E. G. Maynard, Esq., W. Waller, Esq., G. Crompton, Esq., B. Lucas, Esq., B. M. Lucas, Esq., John Mugliston, Esq., and "W. Robinson, Esq. The treasurer, G. Crompton, Esq., gives security by bond, with surety in 1000; and Mr. P. Redfern, the clerk, gives a similar security in 500. The first day on which deposits were received was the 15th of April, 1816. The number of depositors was five, and the amount of deposits 9s. 6d. The amount of weekly deposits is upwards of 100. In the month of November, 1836, there were 547 depositors, whose collective deposits amounted to 16,692. 10s. 3d. The money is invested with the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt. The bank is now in a very flourishing state. Ancient Coinage. The coining of money is a totally distinct thing from trading in money; but as we are now upon the subject of money, and no better opportunity may present itself, for making a few remarks on the ancient coinage of Chesterfield, we shall take the liberty of calling the attention of the reader to it here. " From the reign of Queen Elizabeth to that of Charles II., the tradesmen and victuallers in general," says Dr. Pegge, " that is, all that pleased, coined small money or tokens, for the benefit and convenience of 4rade. And for this there was a perfect necessity, since, at that time, there were but few brass halfpennies coined by authority, and no great quantity of farthings. In this manner they proceeded till 1672, when King Charles II. having struck a sufficient quantity of halfpence and farthings, these Nummorum Famuli w T ere superseded, as being no longer necessary/' In this borough, Mr. Edward Wood, and afterwards his son, Mr. Richard Wood, who were both apothecaries, coined money; and on the death of the late Mr. Edward Wood, son of the said Richard, the dies and press were found in the house. These Woods coined only halfpennies. There were two sets of dies, one for the father's, and one THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 181 for the son's money. Being apothecaries, they had for their device Apollo Opifer. The late Dr. Pegge purchased one set of these dies, viz. an obverse and reverse ; these, he says, were cut on two small pieces of steel, which were afterwards welded upon a large block of iron. The press consisted of four pieces of oak, about four inches thick, and strongly dovetailed together. In an upper cross-piece was fastened an iron box with a female screw, through which passed a stout iron screw of an inch or more in diameter, to the bot- tom of which was fixed one of the dies ; whilst the other was received into a square hole made in the bottom cross-piece, where it lay very steady, as in a proper bed. The screw was wrought by the hand, in the manner of a capstan, by means of four handles affixed to the top of it, about nine inches long each ; and thus, after the copper was reduced to a proper thickness, shorn to a particular size, and rounded, many hundreds of halfpence might be coined by two persons in a very short time ; viz. by a man to ply the screw, and a woman or boy to put on and take off the piece : yet simple as was the process, these Chesterfield halfpennies were remarkably well struck. The following is a list of Tokens coined in Chesterfield, in 1666-7. No. 1, Obverse, Richard Clarke, at the Reverse, Angel, in Chesterfield. ( B A ) No. 2, Obverse, James Button; [device, a lion.] Reverse, In Chesterfield, 1666. No. 3, Obverse, William Milnes, Reverse, In Chesterfield, 1667. No. 4, Obverse, Thomas Radford in [arms] Reverse, Chesterfield, 1666. No. 5, Obverse, Edward Wood, Apothecary Reverse, In Chesterfield. No. 6, Obverse, Richard Wood, Reverse, of Chesterfield. (R. w.) MARKETS AND FAIRS. KING John, by his Charter of 1204, granted two weekly markets to Chesterfield, to be held every Tuesday and Saturday; and a fair for eight days, at the festival of the Holy-Rood. The Tuesday market has long been discon- tinued, but a market is still held on the Saturday; besides which there is one on the eve of Christmas Day. The weekly market is always well supplied with corn, and pro- visions of every kind. It is attended by the country people for many miles round, and is the largest in the county, next to that of Derby. The market was formerly farmed for an annual consideration paid to the Duke of Devonshire, as 182 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Lord of the Manor; but the stalls are now under the manage- ment of an agent of the Duke, who lets them out, and receives an acknowledgement for the accommodation af- forded to those who have standings. Formerly an ancient market-house, upon six pillars, stood in the centre. The spirit of improvement in this, as in many other towns, was roused ; and the old market house, a time-worn building, which had for many years previous been occupied as dwel- lings and shops, was removed. A quarry was dug in the place, which it had occupied; and from this quarry was procured stone to pave and improve the streets. Before that period, and within the recollection of some of the oldest inhabitants, there were no paved causeways, deep dykes being formed as barriers on each side the road, and stepping- stones laid across for people to pass. The increasing market induced the Lord of the Manor, a few years ago, to take down a range of buildings, which separated the Market Place from the New Square, and circumscribed its means of accommodation. The two openings being thrown together, render the Market Place one of the most commodious in the kingdom, for the size and population of the town. It extends over a space of two acres and a half. The mate- rials of the old buildings were sold by the Lord of the Manor, and taken away on the 19th of April, 1828. In the ruins were found a farthing of Charles I., a halfpenny of George II., and a brass Dutch coin. The Quo Warranto Roll of 1330, mentions the Holy- Rood fair, granted by King John, and another on the eve of Palm Sunday. The Charter of 1631 grants four fairs ; February 28th, May 4th, for two days, July 4th, and Sep- tember 14th, for eight days. The fairs in January, April, and November, were first established in the year 1750. The present annual fairs are held on the 27th of Janu- ary, toll free ; the 28th of February ; the first Saturday in April, for horses, horned cattle, &c. ; the 4th of May, for cattle, &c., pleasure fair; the 5th of July, for cattle and pedlary ; the 25th of September, called old fair, for cattle, cheese, onions, &c., also a pleasure fair; and the 25th of November, statute fair, toll free, for horses and horned cattle. Most of these fairs are frequented by Yorkshire clothiers. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. CHESTERFIELD is not distinguished for its public buildings ; but in a history of the town it seems necessary to devote a separate head to them, In addition to the Church, and the different Dissenting Places of Worship, of which accounts have already been given, the only public buildings which call for a distinct notice are, the Town Hall, the House of Correction, the Poor- House, the Gas Works, the Corporation Baths, and the Free Grammar School. TOWN HALL. THE present Town Hall is situated at the north-west corner of the Market Place. It was built by the late Duke of Devonshire, about the year 1790, under the direction of Mr. Carr, of York, and is a neat stone edifice. On the ground floor is a room allotted for the reception of debtors, and a residence for a gaoler ; and a person who has the care of the market stalls inhabits the gaoler's apartments. The second floor consists of a large room for holding the sessions, and a small anti-room, called the magistrates' room. The administration of Justice is generally carried on by three magistrates residing in the town, viz: the Mayor for the time being, and Gilbert Crompton and E. G. Maynard, Esqrs. The two latter are county magistrates, and attend the Town Hall regularly every alternate Saturday, for the purpose of transacting business. The petty Sessions, till a very recent period, were held every alternate Monday; but it was thought that by altering the day to Saturday, it would be a considerable convenience to the country people, many of whom attend the market. Special Sessions are held once in every three months, for regulating the business of the Overseers of the Highways. On these occasions, several magistrates from the immediate neighbourhood attend. 186 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD* The business of the borough was formerly transacted at Messrs. Drabble and Waller's office, but lately a very com- modious building has been neatly fitted up by Mr. Waller, the town-clerk, in Wheldon Lane, at which the Mayor and G. Crompton, Esq., attend every Monday morning; and, if occasion require it, on other days-i As early as the year 1618, the Michaelmas Sessions were held at Chesterfield, and the Midsummer Sessions at Bake- well ; but owing to a riot at Bakewell about the year 1797, the former were removed to Derby, and the latter to Ches- terfield. At the Michaelmas Sessions of the year 1827, the ma- gistrates discussed the expediency of removing the Mid- summer Sessions from Chesterfield to Derby. This was objected to by the inhabitants of Chesterfield, as an infringe- ment upon their ancient rights, and some of the magistrates themselves were opposed to the change. A meeting of the freeholders and inhabitants of the Hundred of Scarsdale was accordingly convened at the Town Hall, in Chesterfield, on Friday, the 21st of December, 1827, for the purpose of taking into consideration the proposed change ; of publicly expressing their sentiments respecting it ; and of memorial- izing the chairman and magistrates at the then approaching Epiphany Sessions. The memorial states, " That the ori- ginal constitution of the county used to be, that the four county sessions should be fairly and equally divided between, and distributed over, the north, as well as the south, sides of the county, as near as may be, (and as is the present practice of the less populous adjoining county of Nottingham, and also of the more populous neighbouring counties of York and Lincoln, by means of adjournments,). viz. two on the south side of the county, (at Derby) for the convenience of the four (comparatively) small southern Hundreds and two on the north side of it, (at Chesterfield and Bakewell al- ternately,) for the convenience of the said two large north- ern Hundreds, and that at a time when the population of those two Hundreds was not at all equal to what it is at present ; and so jealous has the legislature always been that no obstacle whatever should stand in the way of the county magistrates holding their sessions, and doing every other judicial act, within the town of Chesterfield, that it was THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 187 actually made a stipulation by King- Charles II., when he granted the Charter of incorporation to that town, that nothing in that Charter should prevent his Majesty's county magistrates from exercising their several functions within the said town, in as ample a manner, to all intents and purposes, as in other places of the county of Derby." It further states, " that the two large northern Hundreds, alone, provide and send for the five county services at Derby, and one county service at Chesterfield, as many jurymen (within 108) and contain as large a population (within 6641) as one half of the total number of jurymen and population of the whole county put together, (excepting Derby,) and that such very large proportions of both jurymen and population, in the said two northern Hundreds, residing, as many of them do, from 30 to 50 miles from the town of Derby, are, and ought to be, very much more entitled to the justice and consideration of the county magistrates, in saving their time, their trouble, and their expenses, in journeying to and from Derby, (and staying there always three, and sometimes four days from home) than the county at large is entitled to such consideration, merely to save the comparatively trifling and insignificant expense of once in each year, conveying a few prisoners from Derby Gaol to Chesterfield (24 miles) for trial, of which expense (whatever trifling sum it may amount to) the inhabitants of the said two largest Hundreds themselves do, and will contribute nearly one half, viz. precisely in the same proportion as they now pay to the county rate ; but that this expense, however trifling and in- significant it may be, (even if all prisoners are brought from Derby, for trial) may be much reduced, by magistrates in- variably committing prisoners from the said Scarsdale and High-peak Hundreds for trial at the Chesterfield Sessions, to the House of Correction at Chesterfield, instead of to the Gaol at Derby, to be afterwards conveyed from thence to Chesterfield." The presentation of this memorial oc- casioned some delay in the settlement of the question ; but in the year 1831, the Midsummer Sessions were transferred to Derby, and the Easter Sessions have since been held at Chesterfield. The business at these Sessions is generally trifling, in consequence of the Assizes being held a very short time previous. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. All meetings of the inhabitants of Chesterfield, having a reference to the interests of the borough and neighbour- hood, are held in the Town Hall, the use of which is freely granted by the Duke of Devonshire for public purposes. HOUSE OF CORRECTION. THIS building was erected, in 1614, hi a low damp situation, on the bank of the river Hipper, the worst place that could be found for such a purpose. It is under the superintend- ence of the magistrates of the hundred of Scarsdale, but is too small to admit of the classification of prisoners. When the question concerning the removal of the Midsummer Sessions to Derby was discussed, it was proposed to discon- tinue the House of Correction at Chesterfield; but that project was abandoned. Mr. Hollingworth is the present gaoler. POOR HOUSE. THE Poor House is a very extensive building, capable of containing a greater number of poor people than are ever placed there. The average number of inmates is about 21. At the present time (1837) there are seven men, eight women, three boys, and one girl. The building is the property of the corporation, and two guineas are paid annually by the Overseers of the Poor, as an acknowledgement for the use of it. In the year 1791, a sharp dispute arose between the town and corporation respecting the rental of this building. The corporation demanded an additional rent of two shillings per annum, which the town refused to pay. Several vestry meetings were held upon the occasion, and the corporation at length instituted legal proceedings against the overseers. It was finally left to a committee, selected by both parties, to decide what should be done ; when it was agreed, that the town should pay two shillings a year's additional rent, and have a ninety-nine years' lease of the building. Few poor-houses in the kingdom are under better man- agement than that of Chesterfield. The comfort of its unfortunate inmates is consulted in all the arrangements. Every room is kept remarkably clean ; and good discipline is maintained. But the present building will be of no THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 189 service, under the new Poor-law ; as the formation of Ches- terfield and the adjoining parishes into a Union will require a much larger building, to accommodate the probable number of paupers. GAS WORKS. AT the bottom of West-Bars are the Gas-works, for lighting the town. These were constructed after the design of Mr. Joseph Gratton, formerly of Chesterfield, but now of Thorn- field, in the hamlet of Newbold. The front consists of a dwelling house, and offices, on either side the entrance. On a slab in the centre is the following inscription : EX FUMO DARE LUCEM. 1826. These buildings were erected in the year 1826. The streets had not for some time before been lighted, and were consequently inconvenient and dangerous for passengers, as well inhabitants as strangers. The town also was ill supplied with water for domestic and other purposes; the inhabitants being scantily furnished, by means of water carts, from springs strongly impregnated with the properties of minerals, which abound in the neighbourhood, and are con- sequently prejudicial to health. Application, therefore, was made to parliament for an act, to light the town with gas, and to supply it with water; and on the 25th of May, 1825, after many unforeseen delays, an act for these purposes obtained the royal assent. The water is brought from Holme Brook, about two miles to the west of the town, by means of metal and earthenware pipes, and is perfectly free from the deleterious properties above mentioned. These pipes empty themselves into a large reservoir, situated at the (op of Potters'-Lane, on a plot of ground given by his Grace the Duke of Devonshire. In the centre of the reservoir is fixed a stone basin, which is said to overflow 51,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. The reservoir is twelve feet deep, and seventy-two feet in diameter. The introduction of water and gas light into the ancient borough of Chesterfield, formed an important era in its his- tory ; and the signal and lasting benefits which the inhabit- 190 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. ants have derived from the exertions of those who were instrumental in bringing about so important a change, can be fully appreciated by those only who knew the borough in its previous state. The whole was completed in the short space of nine months, under the superintendence of Mr. Gratton, who received the thanks of his fellow-townsmen at a public dinner, for the combination of talent and perse- verance which he had displayed, in the completion of so important an undertaking. CORPORATION BATHS. CHESTERFIELD, though not celebrated as a place of resort for valetudinarians, nevertheless possesses baths, in which the inhabitants may perform their ablutions. These baths were erected by the Corporation in 1825-6, about a quarter of a mile south of the town, and have a very neat cottage- like appearance. They contain apartments for the residence of a small family. The warm baths may be heated to any required temperature; and the visitor may also be accom- modated with cold and shower baths. FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL. THE Free Grammar School of Chesterfield, called also St. Helen's School, and the Chapel School, is situated at the northern extremity of the town, opposite the Hilly-field, and has a western aspect, looking towards the site of Trinity Church, which is now in progress of erection. It is built of brick, and ornamented with stone string-courses and quoins; and consists of a centre and two wings, in the shape of gable-ends, the wings projecting, and the centre lying a little backward. The right wing forms the School-room, and the rest of the building has usually been set apart as a dwelling-house for the master. A small court or area in front occupies the space between the school and the road; and contiguous to the former are an orchard, an excellent garden, two closes containing between four and five acres, and convenient outbuildings. Although no peculiar taste, or architectural skill has been displayed, by the person or persons, under whose superintendence the Free Grammar School of Chesterfield was erected, it is a building which THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 191 seldom fails to attract the attention of those, who enter the town from the Sheffield side. We have often been asked, by persons visiting Chesterfield for the first time, what is that curious, old-fashioned, chapel-like building on the Sheffield road ? and when the question has been put under some more vague and indefinite form, we have seldom had much difficulty in recognizing a description, more or less exact, of the Free Grammar School. Nor is the interest, which the first appearance of this venerable building excites, diminished, when the inquirer learns something of its history ; for some of our most eminent men received the rudiments of their education within its walls. It appears from an inscription over the entrance, to have been rebuilt in the year 1710 ; but it was founded in the reign of Elizabeth, and placed under the management of the mayor and corporation of the town. In the year 1594, Godfrey Foljambe, Esq., endowed it, by leaving the an- nual sum of .13. 6s. 8d., to be appropriated towards the maintenance of a schoolmaster; and this endowment has been subsequently augmented by benefactions from John Bright the elder, and John Bright the younger; James Lingard, Thomas Large, Leonard Gill, and Cornelius Clarke. The appointment of the head master was vested, by Queen Elizabeth's Charter, in the mayor and aldermen of Chesterfield, subject to the approval of the Archbishop of York ; and the appointment of the usher, or under master, is vested solely in Offley Shore, Esq., as Lord of the Manor of Norton, and representative of Cornelius Clarke. It is also necessary that the head schoolmaster, before he can be entitled to the benefit of Clarke's augmentation, should be approved by the Lord of the Manor of Norton, or at least that such Lord of the Manor should have no just cause of exception against him. For many years the masters of this school were men of the first literary eminence, and the school maintained a high reputation as a classical seminary during the latter half of the seventeenth, and nearly the whole of the eighteenth century. The Rev. William Burrow, M.A., one of its masters, kept up a literary correspondence with the celebrated author of 192 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. The Sacred Classics defended and illustrated ;* and in A Tour through the whole Island of Great Britain, (4 vols. 12mo.) published in 1762, the author says, " the Free-School of this town is reckoned the most considerable of any in the North of England, and sends great Numbers of Students to the Universities, particularly to Cambridge."f The Rev. Ellis Farneworth, of Jesus College, Cam- bridge, M. A., Rector of Rosthern in Cheshire, and trans- lator of the works of Machiavel, is described by Nichols, as having been " bred first at Chesterfield school, under the celebrated Mr. William Burrow." We are told also by the learned Rev. Dr. Ralph Heathcote, Prebendary of South- well, in an interesting account of himself, inserted in Nichols's Literary Anecdotes,^, that in " April, 1736" he was " removed to the public school of Chesterfield, where" he " continued five years under the Rev. William Burrow, a very ingenious, as well as humane person, and who was more than ordinarily skilled in the Greek. He had too (let me observe it,)" says Dr. Heathcote, " by his manner of commenting and expatiating upon our lessons, the art of opening the understanding, and teaching the use and exercise of it, while he seemed to be only teaching the lan- guages, beyond any man I ever knew." The Free Grammar School at Chesterfield, in common with those of Ashbourn and Wirksworth, has the preference, next after the founder's relatives, to two fellowships, and two scholarships, founded by the Rev. James Beresford, in St. John's. College, Cambridge. We have already seen that Archbishop Seeker was educated in this school. The Rev. John Ashe, another individual whom we have had occasion to mention in this volume, and who for some time sustained the office of chaplain to Lady Sarah Hoghton, of Hoghton-Tower, and Pressbury in Cheshire, and daugh- ter of the Earl of Chesterfield, received the greater part of his education under the mastership of the Rev. Foxlow who was afterwards Vicar of Pressbury. || * Nichols's Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century. Vol. i. p. 130. t Vol. Ui. p. 100. $ Vol. ii. p. 392. t Vol. Ui. p. 531544. II Clegg's Life and Character of the Rev, John Ashe, p. 51. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 193 The ingenious, but eccentric Dr. Darwin, author of The Botanic Garden, Zoonomia, Pkytologia, and other works, re- ceived his school education under the Rev. William Burrow, at Chesterfield. Dr. Samuel Hallifax, Bishop of Glou- cester, and afterwards of St. Asaph, who was the son of Mr. Samuel Hallifax, apothecary of Chesterfield, and Dr.Pegge, the celebrated antiquarian, were under great obligations to the Free Grammar School of their native town. Dr. John Jebb also, an eminent physician of the last century, concluded his education, preparatory to going to college, under the tuition of the Rev. William Burrow, and the Rev. Saunders, who were joint masters of the Free Grammar School of Chesterfield. His biographer states, that, " as he was kept longer at Chesterfield, and had received more advantage from the attention of the masters, than at any former place, he was wont to express his obligations to them, in terms of gratitude, to which their abilities and care entitled them."* Other eminent men of the same name contracted similar obligations ; and there was scarcely an individual of any noble or genteel family in the midland or northern counties, during the last century, who was not educated in this school. But, owing probably to the protracted illness of the Rev. Joseph Shipston, who was head master for twenty-one years, its reputation gradually declined ; and from the year 1794, in which he died, and was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Field, who had held the office of usher from the year 1788, it con- tinued to dwindle away, and at last ceased to be of the slightest public benefit. The whole of the endowment was enjoyed by Mr. Field, from the time of his appointment to the period of his death, in 1832, without any deduction for the ex- penses of repairing the buildings, which were defrayed, from time to time, out of the corporation funds. At some periods after the appointment of Mr. Field, there was not a single scholar upon the foundation, and in 1827, there were only five. From the evidence of Mr. F. before the Charity Commissioners, it appears, that his at- tendance at the school never exceeded an hour and a half, or at most two hours in the day ; that, on two days in every * The Works of John Jebb, M.D., F.R.S., with Memoirs of the Life of the Author, in 3 vols. by John Disney, D.D., F.S. A., Vol. i. p. 2. 26 194 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. week, it did not exceed one hour; and that even such attend- ance was subject to interruptions by his parochial duties, as curate of Great Barlow and Brimington, and other occa- sional engagements. Nor does it appear, that he ever gave a greater degree of attendance, at any period since his appointment in 1794. Since the death of Mr. Field, no master has been ap- pointed; and the building is now in a deplorable state, owing to its having remained untenanted for some years. No steps, however, can be taken towards its renovation, till the debt incurred by the late corporation is cancelled. When this is done, let us hope, that, if it does not regain all its former celebrity, it will at least realize the object with which it was founded, and again become a means of extending the benefits of a liberal education to the children of the poor and middle classes, in the town and neighbourhood of Chester- field. Let that time come when it may, we trust that the public spirit of the present age will emulate that of a former one, as expressed in the following classical inscription, to which a passing allusion has already been made. Has JEdes Humanitatis et literarum studiis sacras, Prioribus edaci temporis vetustate ruituris, Viri Benevoli d.eque literate orbe ben& meriti, Quorum nomina intus appensa tabula exhibet, Sumptibus suis de novo extruendas curanmt. Puerorum ut fallere solers, Apposita intortos extendat regula mores ; Artificesque bono sumant sub pollice vultus.* A. JE. Xtianse. M. D. C. C. X. The purport of that part of the above inscription which relates to the erection of the present building, is, that in the year of the Christian Era, 1710, some persons benevolently disposed, and deserving well of the learned world, whose names were exhibited on a tablet within, had caused to be erected at their own expense that building, consecrated to classical and literary pursuits, the former one having gone to decay through the devouring antiquity of time. * This passage has been adopted -with slight alterations from Persius, Sat. V. v. 37-40. Tune fallere solers Apposita intortos extendit regula mores ; Et premitur ratione animus ; vincique laborat, Artificemque tuo ducit sub pollice vultum. LOCAL INSTITUTIONS. LOCAL INSTITUTIONS. LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. A PHILOSOPHICAL Society was established at the beginning of the present century, which held its annual meetings suc- cessively at Chesterfield, Bakewell and Sheffield. Among the members were the late Dr. Stokes, of Chesterfield ; the late Mr. White Watson, of Bakewell ; Dr. Davis, of Shef- field ; and other gentlemen, who were desirous of promoting a taste for literary and philosophical pursuits in their re- spective neighbourhoods. The plan, however, was not found to answer ; and more than twenty years ago the meetings at Bakewell and Sheffield were given up, and the society continued to assemble at Chesterfield only. The plan then was, for the members to meet once a month at each others' houses, when they were called upon, in turn, to communicate in a familiar way, any fact or observation which they had to impart ; or to propose for discussion any question, on which they felt desirous of obtaining information. The proceedings of each meeting were recorded by the Secretary, and read over at the ensuing meeting. This plan continued till the year 1831, when it was thought desirable to make some change in the constitution of the Society, and to substitute lectures for conversation. For the first five years, the society, under this new form, was carried on with a consider- able degree of spirit, under the presidency first of the Right Hon. J. Abercromby, M. P., and afterwards of Lord Bur- lington, the talented Chancellor of the London University ; and many interesting lectures on literary and philosophical subjects were delivered by the members of the Committee;* iu addition to which, one was delivered by J. S. Buckingham, Esq., M. P., on the Geography of the East; three by the Rev. Joseph Marriott, of Warrington, on Social Econ- omy; three on Elocution, two on Social Reading, one on the Character of Macbeth, and one on that of Hamlet, * One of these, entitled A Dissertation on the Verb of the English Language, by the Rev. R. Wallace, was published, in the year 1832, at the unanimous request of the Mem- bers of the Society. 198 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. by Mr. Pemberton ; and a course by Dr. Warwick on Ex- perimental Philosophy. The assistance of other literary and scientific gentlemen in the neighbourhood was also occa- sionally procured. But notwithstanding the aid and en- couragement derived from these sources, the labour of preparation was found to bear too heavily upon a few in- dividuals ; and towards the close of the year 1836, the Society reverted to its original form. The meetings are now held on the evening of every Wednesday nearest the full moon. Mr. Farey suggests, that Chesterfield would be an eli- gible situation, between the Lead-Mining and the Coal and Iron districts, for a Geological and Mineralogical Society, the object of which should be to collect and methodize accounts of the different mineral productions of the neigh- bourhood, and to arrange and preserve specimens of the several measures proved in sinking shafts, quarries, wells, &c., and of the organic remains which they contain. This suggestion has not yet been acted upon: but if a few individuals, anxious to contribute their share towards car- rying out such a plan, could be brought together, their efforts would in all probability be followed by the most beneficial results, as regards the interests of trade, as well as the advancement of Geological Science. SUBSCRIPTION LIBRARY AND NEWS ROOM. IN November, 1791, a meeting was held at Mr. OstlifiVs, with a view to the establishment of a Subscription Library. Certain rules and regulations were adopted, and the following officers appointed : President : the Rev. Thomas Astley. Committee: R. Milnes, Esq., M.D.; Rev. George Bossley ; Rev. John Barker; Rev. W. Heathcote; Adam Barker Slater, Esq. ; Isaac Wilkinson, Esq., and Mr. T. Brown. Treasurer: Mr. Radley. Librarian: Mr. Job Bradley. The President, Treasurer, and Librarian were to be elected annually, and three quarterly meetings were to be held during the year, for the ordering of books. At first, owing to the deficiency of funds, books were ordered very slowly ; but in the course of time the number of subscribers increased, and a proportionate degree of spirit was infused into the THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 199 Society. The Library, which is held at Mr. Roberts's, is now on a very extensive scale, and includes many works of great value. The annual subscription is one guinea ; and the entrance money, two guineas and a half. A News Room was established by Mr. Roberts, in 1831, and is well supported by the reading public. The annual subscription is seventeen shillings and sixpence, which is paid in advance. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. IN the year 1819, by the exertions of the late W. B. Thomas, Esq., a highly respectable Agricultural Society was esta- blished at Chesterfield. Its leading objects are, the promoting by prizes, on appointed annual show days, the most useful breeds of cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses. The Society also holds out considerable encouragement for the good conduct of male and female farming servants. The shows, which are held at Chesterfield and Bakewell alternately, have hitherto been well supported by respectable, and, indeed, scientific competitors; and so progressive is its influence, that many additional subscribers are added to the list an- nually. Of the great utility of institutions like this, there cannot exist a doubt. Independently of the good which arises from an association of the rich landed proprietor, and man of science, with the practical farmer, Agricultural Societies are productive of other and far more important results. An improved method of cultivating the land, various useful rural alterations, an improvement in the breed of domestic animals, and in the habits and condition of the labouring population, are results inseparable from these Societies ; and the one of which we are now more par- ticularly speaking, has been instrumental, in no small degree, in producing some of these important effects. The mode of conducting the Society is by a secretary and treasurer, Mr. Paul Bright, of Sheffield, holding these offices conjointly. A President and Vice-President are annually chosen ; and the noblemen and gentlemen of the county offer yearly premiums of one, two, three, and five guineas each to the successful competitors in various depart- ments of agriculture. These premiums are assisted by the 200 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. regular subscriptions, and the Society is thus enabled to offer thirty or forty premiums of various amounts annually. It is due to the late Mr. Thomas to say, that he was not only the founder of this Society, but that he continued one of its best friends till the time of his death. SCHOOLS SUPPORTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION. National School. The National School of Chesterfield is under the patron- age of His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, and the Dowager Lady Sitwell. The School buildings are situated in Soresby Street, and were erected by subscription, in 1814, on a plot of ground given by Joshua Jebb, Esq., containing 275 square yards. The School was opened May 29th, 1815. It is 49 feet long, by 29 feet wide ; and cost, according to the first report, 811. 5s. 6d. The Indenture conveying the premises from Joshua Jebb, Esq., to eleven trustees, is dated September 24th, 1814, and was enrolled in the Court of Chancery, October 31st, 1814. By this Indenture, it appears that a new deed of conveyance of the property is never to be delayed when the Trustees nominated in the last Indenture, are reduced to three. The following is a copy of that part of the Indenture which relates to the appointment of Trustees : " Provided always, and it is hereby declared and agreed, by and between the said parties to these presents, that when and so soon as eight of the said Trustees shall die or remove from their place of residence, and actually reside twenty computed miles from Chesterfield aforesaid, then, and in either of the said cases, the surviving or remaining Trustees, for the time being, or the major part of them, shall within forty days next after the death or removal of the last of such eight Trustees, if no un- avoidable accident prevent them ; and in such case, then and so soon as they conveniently can elect, appoint, and nominate, eight other Trustees, of which the Vicar of Chesterfield for the time being shall always be one, and of which the Mayor of the said Borough of Chesterfield for the time being shall also be one, who shall be Protestants, and professing the religion of the Church of England, as by Law established, to act in the trust herein declared, in the place and stead of such eight Trustees who shall die or remove as aforesaid. And the surviving or remaining Trus- tees shall within one month next after such nomination, as aforesaid, convey, and assure all and every the said premises, hereby granted, bar- THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 201 gained, and sold as aforesaid, to such eight new Trustees, upon the like trusts, and to and for the same uses, intents, and purposes, and under, and subject to the same provisoes, limitations, and agreements as are herein declared of and concerning the same." At a meeting of the Trustees, on January 27th, 1815, it was resolved, " That the deed of conveyance, with all papers relating to the property of the Chesterfield National School, should be given to the care and custody of the Vicar of Chesterfield, and his successors, and that they should not be entrusted with any other person, without the consent and approbation of the other Trustees, or at least a majority of them : but any of the Trustees or of the Committee shall at all times have a right to read, to copy, or to make extracts from them at the Vicarage." The following is a copy from the Sixth Report, in 1820, of the money raised and expended during the first six years of its existence, viz. from 1814, to June 1st, 1820 : . s. d. 1815 Donations towards building and fitting up 566 4 6 Annual Subscriptions 90 11 6 Quarterage and Scholars' Pennies, from September 4th 1815, to June 1st, 1816 25 9 7 1816 Donations to pay off debt 269 9 6 Annual Subscriptions 98 12 6 Quarterage and Pennies, from June 1st, 1816, to June 1st, 1817 35 1 1 1817 Donations towards boarded floor, &c 41 14 6 Annual Subscriptions 100 6 6 Quarterage and Pennies, from June 1st, 1817, to June 1st, 1818 28 3 6 1818 Annual Subscriptions 97 1 1 6 Quarterage and Pennies, from June 1st, 1818, to Julie 1st, 1819 3111 1819 Annual Subscriptions 105 2 Quarterage and Pennies, from June 1st, 1819, to June 1st, 1820 35 6 4 1525 4 Both boys and girls are educated at this school ; but the number of each fluctuates. The average from the com- mencement to the year 1821, was about 300, of whom 180 were boys, and 120 girls. In the Twenty-first Report, published in the autumn of the present year, (1837,) the Committee express their regret, that it is not in their power to give a more cheering representation of the state of the schools, as regards the number of children in actual at- tendance. That number indeed is stated to be very small, 17 202 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. compared with the expectation to which the population of the town and neighbourhood might justly lead ; and the Committee lament the existence of so much indifference, on the part of many parents, to the religious education of their children. At the same time, it appears, that the number of pupils is gradually, though slowly increasing. During the year ending July 5th, 1837, there were 143, of whom 100 were boys, and the remaining 43 girls. The average attend- ance was 60 boys, and 40 girls; and the numbers discharged were 30 boys and 2 girls. The average amount of the chil- dren's contributions from 1815 to 1819, both inclusive, was 31. 2s. 3id, ; but it appears from the treasurer's account, that from July 1836, to July 1837, these contributions amounted only to 17. 5s. 8d. By the rules of the school, parents who can afford to pay for the education of their children, and wishing to avail themselves of the benefit of the mode of education adopted in this institution, may have them admitted at the rate of 7s. 6d per quarter. In the school is the following inscription on a tablet. " Mrs. Mary Harding, of Chesterfield, who died October 31st, 1816, by will, dated March llth, 1816, left the sum of 100, to he applied, by her executors, for the benefit of the Chesterfield National School ; which sum is invested in a mortgage on the Tolls of the Chesterfield Canal, No. 142." School of Industry. THE Lancasterian School for Girls, or, as it is commonly called, the School of Industry, is situated near Holywell- Cross ; and was built by voluntary subscription in 1819. The institution had been in existence some years before the present building was erected. In 1813 the plan of instruc- tion, called the British and Foreign System, was adopted by the Committee ; and the School still continues to be con- ducted on this system, with undiminished success. It is under the patronage of the Dowager Lady Sitwell. The number of girls attending it is between sixty and seventy. The scholars pay a penny weekly ; and the average amount of these contributions varies, according to the number of children in the School. Reports of this institution have been published from time to time, but not annually, on account of the expense of printing. The last was published in the THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. 203 year 1835, from which it appears, that the progress of the children is now equal to that at any former period : hut it is to be regretted that they are removed from school at a very early age, for the purpose, generally, of being employed in needle-work, or other sedentary occupations, in consequence of which, premiums have not been awarded, as formerly, for good behaviour in service. This is the more to be lamented, as the employments for which the children are thus prema- turely taken from school, are not in themselves healthful, and have no tendency to lead ultimately to a life of respect- ability and comfort. The avowed object with which this school was established, was to instruct the female children of the poor in the duties of servants; and in the principles and duties of Christianity. In addition to the daily routine of teaching, the mistress instructs those children, whose parents belong to the Established Church, in the Church Catechism ; and with them she attends morning and afternoon service at Church on Sundays. But the children of Dissenters are neither required nor influenced to attend at church ; being left, on Sundays, entirely at the disposal of their parents, who are expected to enforce attendance at their own re- spective Sunday Schools and Chapels. On a tablet over the fire-place, at the east end of the school-room, is an inscription to the following effect. " The five trustees in whom this School, House and Premises are by deed vested, for the purposes of a School, upon the principles of the British and Foreign School Society, are Henry Malkin, William Munnings Thomas, William Cater Smith, John Belsey Coller, and John Woodhead. And by a proviso in the said deed, whenever the number of trustees is by death reduced to three, such three survivors, shall appoint two new Trustees." The late Joseph Wilkinson, Esq., of Gloucester Place, Portman Square, London, by his will, bearing date August 15th, 1825, bequeathed, after the decease of his wife, to the School of Industry, 100, the interest of which he directed to be applied annually towards its support. He also be- queathed 200 to the same institution, if both his sons should die without leaving any lawful issue, to inherit according to the intentions and conditions specified in his will. Connected with the School of Industry, and supported from the same funds, is an institution for supplying a loan of linen to poor women in their confinement. 204 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Infant School. THERE is a School for Infants, or Young Children, situ- ated in Holywell-Street. It is a neat, small building of brick, and was opened in the early part of the year 1830. Children are admitted from the age of two to six years. The following inscription is in front of the school : " Infant School, Erected by Public Subscription, 1829." The number of children on the books at this School is 120, but the average number which attend is about 100; and every succeeding year demonstrates the advantages arising from the knowledge imparted to the children under this system of tuition. The Right Honourable J. Abercromby, (Speaker of the House of Commons) is President of the Institution ; and takes the greatest interest in its success, seldom omitting to attend the annual meetings of its friends, on which occasions he presides. In 1835 and 1836, its pecuniary resources were rapidly failing, and it was in- volved in a considerable debt ; so that many of its warmest supporters began to despair of its ultimate success. The Committee, however, as a last resource, determined upon trying the effects of a Bazaar ; and the result surpassed the most sanguine expectations of the friends of the Institution. The sum collected cleared off the debt that was owing, and the Institution is now in a prosperous state. The following return of Schools and scholars in Chester- field, was made to Parliament in 1819 : Nineteen Schools, principally dame schools, for small children of both sexes, that pay from 2d. to Is. ^ week, containing 513 Lancasterian School for girls 112 National School, (boys, 184 ; girls, 121) 305 Free Grammar School 8 Total number of children under education in Chesterfield in 1819 "I g-g (boarding schools not included,) / There are now about twenty day schools in the borough of every description ; and the number of Sunday scholars, we are informed, is about seven hundred, viz. Established Church 170 Unitarian Chapel 120 Independent Chapel 150 Wesleyan-Methodist Chapel 260 205 BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS. Dispensary. IN 1800, a Dispensary was established, for the benefit of such poor people within the borough of Chesterfield, as had not received relief from the parish, and were unable to pay for medicines, and medical assistance. Two physicians have been in the habit of attending, and prescribing gratuitously. This was formerly done, on a certificate being presented to them, signed by two of the Committee, and recommending the applicant as a proper object for the charity. Three or four years ago, the plan of this institution underwent some change. A balance of unprecedented amount had involved the institution in much difficulty. For the removal of this embarrassment an appeal was made to the public ; and by the aid of congregational collections and donations, the balance against the institution was considerably reduced. As a means of preventing the recurrence of such a state of things, it was resolved, that the benefits of the charity should in future be confined to those who received no paro- chial relief from any quarter whatever; that the time during which relief was afforded to the patients should be limited ; and that the number of tickets confided to each member of the Committee should be abridged. Still, however, the funds of the institution continued in a depressed state : and further resolutions were passed, that the power of granting tickets of relief should be taken out of the hands of the Committee ; that every subscriber to the amount of five shillings should have the privilege of recommending one pa- tient; and that for every additional sum of five shillings subscribed, the further privilege should be granted of re- commending an additional patient. This change took place in the year 1834. By confiding the distribution of tickets to the members, according to the amount of their subscrip- tions, and by no longer requiring residence within the borough as the qualification of a patient, it was hoped that the popularity of the institution would be promoted, and the sphere of its usefulness enlarged. The committee of man- agement consists of those who subscribe one pound per annum, or upwards ; and five have power to act. 206 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. The following list will shew the number of patients relieved during the ten years specified. In 1821 .... 253 In 1826 .... 406 In 1822 323 In 1827 323 In 1823 ... 290 In 1828 300 In 1824 .... 267 In 1829 .... 339 In 1825 285 In 1830 316 A Vaccine Institution was established in 1814, which was open every Wednesday morning, from 8 to 9 o'clock, throughout the year, for all poor persons, whether of the parish of Chesterfield or not. The funds of the Institution were incorporated with those of the Dispensary ; and the vaccinating surgeon acted gratuitously. Mrs. Mary Harding, of Chesterfield, left by will, the sum of 100 to be applied by her executors, to the benefit of the Dispensary and Vaccine Institution, which sum is vested in a mortgage on the tolls of the Chesterfield Canal, No. 339. The Vaccine Institution has now been discontinued for some years. Benevolent Society. A BENEVOLENT SOCIETY was established on the 30th of October, 1826. The object of this institution is to afford pecuniary relief, and religious instruction, to the sick and distressed poor, within the town and vicinity of Chesterfield. The number of cases in which relief has been afforded has generally been between one and two thousand in the course of the year ; and the exertions of the Society have been in many instances the means of materially alleviating the sufferings of the poor in the town and neighbourhood. This institution is now in a very flourishing state. Its funds have been recently augmented by a legacy of 75 from Miss Brocksopp; and by another of 50, from the late Mr. Bathania Walker. There is a similar institution supported wholly by members of the Established Church, and called the District Visiting Society; but this, and the Wesley an Dorcas Society, as well as others of a highly useful character, which are confined to the members of particular religious bodies, do not properly come within the plan of the present history. CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS AND TRUSTS. CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS AND TRUSTS. I. MUNICIPAL CHARITIES. THE Charities of Chesterfield are very numerous. They occupy no fewer than 53 folio pages of the 18th Volume of the Parliamentary Commissioners' Reports, published in 1828 ; in which it is shewn, that many of them have been misapplied, and improperly mixed up with the funds of the Old Corporation, which was found to have appropriated to its own use very considerable sums from the year 1799 to 1815. It appears from the chamberlain's accounts, that all the receipts and disbursements, made on account of the cor- poration, whether they related to the charities or not, were entered in the same book. Whenever the payments in respect of any charity fell short of its income, the surplus was carried to the general funds of the corporation ; and those funds, on the other hand, supplied any deficiency, which might have arisen from the over-payment of any charity. This mode of keeping the accounts was adopted in the year 1799. Before that time the chamberlain's book contained a separate account only of the receipts and dis- bursements of the Ashover rents, and one general account of all the other receipts and disbursements. From the year 1816, to the time when the Parliamentary Commissioners visited Chesterfield, a charge of <5. per cent, upon the income of each charity, with the exception of Foljambe's, and a few others of small amount, was made by the cor- poration, for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in providing dinners for the tenants on the rent days, and for paying a small salary to the chamberlain for receiving the rents, making the disbursements, and keeping the accounts. This system was censured by the commissioners, as an incor- rect mode of providing even for necessary expenses ; and with regard to some of the charities they gave it as their opinion, that no charge whatever ought to be made. The following is a list of property, claimed by the old 210 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. corporation as its own, which is supposed by the Rev. G, Hall to have been purchased with various sums given and bequeathed for other purposes : A rent-charge of .12 per annum r from the manor of Brackenfield, in the parish of Morton, formerly the property of the Earl of Shrewsbury : three cottages and two fields in Boythorpe or Derby Lane, purchased by the corporation, of Mr. Gilbert Heathcote: a plot of ground, with the premises thereon, extending from the south side of the Market Place down to the river, including a house which fronts towards the Market Place ; a house adjoining,, which likewise fronts towards the Market Place ; a building rented as a theatre by Mr. Manley ; a house in the theatre yard ; a road to the Falcon yard, on the upper side of the bowling-green ; the bowling-green itself j the poor-house, let on a lease of 99 years at 2. 2s, per annum, and bearing date 1792 ; gardens, dog-kennel, &c. : these premises, or rather the plot of ground on which they stand, were purchased of Sir Thomas Foljambe, by the corporation. How far Mr. Hall is correct or otherwise in his suspicions as to the manner in which the above property came into the hands of the corporation, we presume not to offer an opinion ; and we willingly acquit those members of the late corporation, who were in office at the time of the passing of the Muni- cipal Reform Bill, of all participation in transactions, in- volving a breach of trust. But that there had been gross mismanagement before their time, is admitted on all hands, It was proposed by the government, in the year 1836, to invest the controul of the different Municipal Charities throughout the kingdom in the new town councils, as they were not, like the old corporations, irresponsible bodies ; and a bill for this purpose was introduced into parliament, and passed the House of Commons, but was rejected by the Lords. In consequence of the rejection of this bill, the appointment of trustees devolved upon the Lord Chancellor; and on the 6th of March, 1837, the following appointment was made for Chesterfield, by N. "W. Senior, Esq., Master in Chancery. "6th March, 1837. IN THE MATTER of the Charity of Godfrey Foljambe, The Free Grammar School, &c. &c. &c. in the Borough of Chesterfield, in the County of Derby; and IN THE MATTER of an Act THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, 211 Fifty-second George the Third, Cap. 101 ; and IN THE MATTER of an Act Fifth and Sixth William the Fourth, Cap. 76 : In pursuance of an order made in these matters, upon the petition of Gilbert Crompton, Mayor; John Charge and Thomas Clarke, Aldermen; and Godfrey Heathcote, John Bunting, William Hewitt and Edward Heane, inha- bitants of the borough of Chesterfield ; and bearing date the fifteenth of November, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six ; whereby it was referred to me as the Master in rotation to appoint proper persons to be trustees of and for the charity estates and property late vested in or under the administration of the Corporation of Chesterfield, or any of the members thereof in that character, which are affected by the Seventy- first Section of an Act of Parliament made and passed in the Fifth and Sixth years of the reign of His present Majesty, &c. I have been at- tended by the counsel and solicitors for the said petitioners, and for His Majesty's Attorney General ; and a state of facts and proposals has been laid before me on behalf of the said petitioners, and in support thereof, an affidavit of William Waller, of Chesterfield aforesaid, gent., town clerk of the said borough, sworn the sixth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, together with a paper, writing, or exhibit therein mentioned, or referred to; and by the said state of facts, and proposal of the said petitioners, after setting forth the nature of the said charities, and what estates and property belong thereto, they propose, Gilbert Crompton of Chesterfield aforesaid, Esq., a councillor of the same borough; John Charge of the same place, Esq., a councillor of the said borough; William Robinson of the same place, gentleman, a councillor of the said borough ; Thomas Clarke of the same place, solicitor, a councillor of the said borough ; Robert Daniel of the same place, currier, a councillor of the said borough ; William Towndrow of the same place, grocer, a councillor of the said borough; James Davenport of the same place, hatter, a councillor of the said borough ; John Sayer of the same place, mercer and draper, a councillor of the said borough ; the Rev. Thomas Hill of the same place, clerk ; the Rev. Robert Wallace of the same place, dissenting minister ; Edmund Gilling Maynard of the same place, Esq. ; Godfrey Heathcote of the same place, gentleman; William Drabble of the same place, solicitor; Henry Malkin of the same place, gentleman ; and John Walker of the same place, sur- geon ; as fit and proper persons to be trustees of the Municipal Charities of the borough of Chesterfield : and by the said affidavit so laid before me, in support of the said state of facts, and proposal, it is deposed that the said several persons are substantial inhabitants of the said borough, and their appointment as trustees of the said charities would give satisfaction to the majority of the inhabitants of the said borough: and I have considered of the several matters so referred to me as aforesaid, and of the evidence so laid before me, and what has been alleged before me by the said counsel and solicitors, and I approve of the Rev. Thomas Hill, Gilbert Crompton, Edmund Gilling Maynard, John Charge, Godfrey Heathcote, Thomas Clarke, and William Towndrow, as proper persons to be trustees of and for the parts of the charity estates and property, late vested in or under the administration of the Corporation of Chester- 212 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. field, or any of the members thereof, in that character (for church re- cipients) which are affected by the said Seventy-first Section of the said Act, (that is to say ;) Thomas Large's Charities ; John Allwood's Charity ; George Taylor's Charity ; Jacob Brailsford's Charity ; and The Charity of John Williamson and others, called the Church Lands : and I approve of Godfrey Heathcote, the Rev. Thomas Hill, William Drabble, Henry Malkin, the Rev. Robert Wallace, Edmund Grilling Maynard, John Walker, Gilbert Crompton, John Charge, Thomas Clarke, Robert Daniel, William Robinson, and James Davenport, as proper persons to be trustees of and for the other parts of the charity estates and property, late vested in or under the administration of the said Corporation of Chesterfield, or any of the members thereof in that character, which are affected by the said Seventy-first Section of the said Act, following, (that is to say;) Cornelius Clarke's Charity ; The Free Grammar School ; The Several Gifts of the said Godfrey Foljambe ; James Lingard's Charity ; Thomas Large's Charity ; Cornelius Clarke and Richard Taylor's Charity ; The Charity of John Bright, the Elder, and John Bright, the Younger ; The Earl of Shrewsbury's Charity ; The Earl of Devonshire and others' Charity ; Sarah Rose's Charity; George Taylor's Charity ; Francis Moore's Charity ; Godfrey Wolstenholme's Charity ; Richard and George Youle's Charity ; Nicholas Youle's Charity ; The Charities of Anne Heathcote and others ; George Milward's Charity ; Jacob Brailsford's Charity; Sleigh's Charity; and Sir Godfrey Webster's Charity : and it appearing to me, by the said affidavit, that all the said persons so approved of by me consent to act in the said trusts, I do hereby appoint them to be such trustees accordingly ; all which I humbly certify and submit to this Honourable Court. N. W. SENIOR." This appointment was confirmed by the Lord Chancellor on Thursday, the 16th of March, 1837. The new trustees of both classes entered upon the performance of their duties THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 213 on the 24th of April following ; when William Waller, Esq. was appointed Solicitor ; Mr. Peter Redfern, Clerk ; and Gilbert Crompton, Esq. Treasurer. A resolution was passed, at the same time, requiring the old corporation to deliver up all the papers and documents in their possession, connected with the above charities. With this requisition they promptly and courteously complied ; and, as far as we can learn, the new trustees were satisfied with the state in which these papers and documents were found, but particularly with the clear and intelligible manner in which the accounts had been kept, since the visitation of the Charity Commissioners. We shall now proceed to give an account of the several charities above enumerated, distributing them under the two heads of General Charities, and Church Charities, and taking the General Charities first, for the sake of simplifying our account, and rendering it more intelligible. GENERAL CHARITIES. 1. Cornelius Clarke's Charity. The source from which the income of this charity is derived, was originally a farm at Staveley Hague, which was exchanged, September 8, 1797, for property at Eckington belonging to Sitwell Sitwell, Esq. ; and March 27, 1804, for other additional property at Boythorpe and Hasland, called the White Banks, and for lands at Cuttholme in Brampton, called the Broad Bage Closes, belonging to the said Sitwell Sitwell, Esq. This property now yields an income to the charity of 86. 15s. 6d., and is let to different tenants in the following proportions. . s. d. George White pays per annum 4 Henry Bestwick 9 Mark Staniforth 4 The Chesterfield Canal Proprietors 3 2 Sir George Sitwell 9 Edward Hopkinson 17 Jesse Rutherford 37 Hewitt, Longson and Co. (Moor Land) . . 3 13 6 86 15 6 The above premises were granted and conveyed by Cornelius Clarke, Esq. of Norton, as appears by indentures of lease and release, bearing date May 20, 1690, to the 214 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of Chesterfield, upon trust, that they should, from and after his death, yearly out of the rents and profits of the said premises, pay to the head or chief schoolmaster of the Free Grammar School, erected within the borough of Chesterfield, the yearly sum of 15. for his better maintenance and encouragement in teaching, instructing, and educating of the children there in piety, virtue, and good literature ; and to an under master of the said Free Grammar School, the yearly sum of 15. to assist the head master in the teaching, instructing and educating children there in piety, virtue and good learning : to the poor of the borough 20s. yearly, and the residue of all the yearly rents and profits of the said lands, tenements and heredita- ments, yearly for ever, for the teaching and instructing of petty scholars in the borough and township of Chesterfield, to read and to learn the accidence, and to prepare them for the Free Grammar School aforesaid, on or upon the feast days of Pentecost and Saint Martin the Bishop, by equal portions. In 1826, the sum of 257.19s.lOd. was taken from Clarke's charity, and advanced in aid of Wolstenholme's charity, towards the expenses of building on the property belonging to that charity. No interest had been paid for this sum, when the commissioners were at Chesterfield in 1827 ; but they were told that it was intended to pay the interest at the rate of 2. per cent., that being the amount allowed by the bank of Messrs. Crompton and Co. To March, 1827, the amount due to Clarke's charity, exclusive of any balance which accrued previously to 1816, was as follows. . s. d. From Wolstenholme's Charity 257 19 10 Cash in the Bank of Messrs. Crompton and Co 33 9 5 Balance due from the Corporation, at Michaelmas, 1827 97 17 9 389 7 The balance of principal due to Clarke's charity, at Michaelmas, 1835, was 83. Os. Id. 2. Free Grammar School. The benefit derived by the inhabitants of Chesterfield from the Free Grammar School, and the Petty or Preparatory School, has been for many years greatly disproportionate to THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 215 the amount of the income applicable to the maintenance of those schools ; and it appears to be the anxious wish of the Corporation, as well as of the inhabitants of Chesterfield g-enerally, that some means should be adopted for rendering these schools more generally useful. Upon referring to the deed of the 20th of May, 1690, it will be found, that the object of Cornelius Clarke, in pro- viding for the maintenance of a Petty School, was to prepare scholars for the Grammar School, he having first given an increase to the stipends of the master and usher of the Grammar School. The object of John Bright, the elder, and John Bright, the younger, as appears from the deed of 1738, was to teach ten children, boys and girls, to read English. The former charity, therefore, being designed to extend the advantages afforded by the Grammar School, it seems that a scheme for the application of the income of this charity, the effect of which would be, not only to supply such deficiencies as are found to exist in the system of education adopted in the Grammar School (without altering the character of that school, as a foundation for the instruction of boys in classical knowledge), but also to establish a convenient and useful Petty School, would not be considered as a departure from the intent of that donor. Until 1816, the balances in favour of these charities were never carried forward, and consequently, as has been explained in our preliminary observations, became blended with the funds of the corporation. The amount of these from 1799 to 1815 inclusive, after deducting the balance against the charities, in the years 1803 and 1804, appears to have been 719. 15s. 7d. With respect to this sum, it was submitted by the corpo- ration, that they ought not to be called upon for the amount at that distance of time ; that the appropriation of the balances to the use of the corporation was probably under an erroneous impression, that they were entitled to the surplus rents, after making the specific payments mentioned in the deed of 20th May, 1690, and providing for the support of a Petty School; and that the practice was voluntarily discontinued in 1816, when it ought to be presumed, that an inquiry having taking place, the nature of the trusts upon which the estates were held, and which had been before misconceived, were first 216 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. made known to them. These observations it was admitted, might be worthy of the consideration of a court of equity ; but it seemed questionable, what weight was to be attached to them, considering that the balances which accrued from year to year appeared upon the face of the accounts ; so that no person could have inspected them without perceiving that credit was not given to the charity for the amount, a circum- stance which ought to have led to an earlier inquiry into the nature of the trusts. To decide this question a suit was instituted in Chancery, in the year 1829, against the corporation, as trustees of the Free Grammar School ; and in July, 1830, a decree of the court was obtained, by which the sum of ,719. 15s. 7d. was ordered to be paid on the School Estate by the corporation into the Court of Chancery, with interest at 4. per cent., per annum, from 1815 to the time when the principal money should be paid into Court. The Court, on application, as already stated, (p. 37,) allowed the principal sum of 719. 15s. 7d., to be paid by instalments, the last of which was paid in June, 1834. The interest at present due from the corporation fund is nearly 700 ; but till this is paid, with the costs of the suit, which will be considerable, no master, it is understood, can be appointed. The principal defects in these establishments, before the commencement of the above suit, were, that in the Grammar School there was no provision for teaching the scholars writing and arithmetic, and that there was no school-room for the scholars under the petty master; and it was sug- gested, that these deficiencies might be supplied, if a petty master were allowed to teach his scholars in the room ap- propriated to the use of the Grammar School, which was stated to be sufficiently large for the purpose of both schools, and if he were required to teach the grammar scholars writing and accounts. But it appeared to the commissioners, that however beneficial the result of such a union of the Grammar School and Clarke's charity was likely to be, it could not be ef- fected without the sanction of a court of equity; and a union of this kind will probably be one of the results of the suit instituted in 1829. The endowments of the Free Grammar School arise from THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. various sources, some of which are under the management of the trustees of general charites, while others are in the hands of private trustees. The sum of 15. is directed by Cornelius Clarke to be paid yearly, at Whitsuntide and Martinmas, by equal por- tions, to the head master, for his better maintenance and encouragement, in the teaching and educating the children in piety, virtue, and good literature ; and the same annual sum is required to be paid, out of the same charity, to the usher or under master, to assist the head master, and for his own yearly maintenance. James Lingard, of Brazen Nose College, Oxford, by a writing under his hand and seal, bearing date October 19, 1612, assigned several bonds and notes, of the value alto- gether of 730Z., to the mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Chesterfield, the residue of which, was to be employed in the purchase of some land, which should continue for ever towards the maintenance of a Free School in the town of Chesterfield, for the better education of poor men's children. The sum of 160Z., being all that was lawfully recovered, was invested in the purchase of lands at Ballowden, which were demised to Nicholas Hunt, May 5, 1623, for a thousand years, at the yearly rent of 8/., payable at Michaelmas and Lady-day. Thomas Large, by his will, bearing date June 18, 1664, devised a close, called Porter s Pingle, in Chesterfield, to the mayor, aldermen and burgesses of Chesterfield, and their successors ; upon condition that they should yearly pay the rents and profits of the said close, to the schoolmaster of the Free Grammar School of Chesterfield, at Michaelmas and Lady-day, by equal portions. This close is now let for 51. per annum, to Mr. John Coller, exclusively of a small part, taken by the proprietors of the Chesterfield Canal, for which they pay an annual acknowledgement of I/. 7s. \d. The same Thomas Large also devised a close, called Brigrj Close, lying in Hasland and Boythorpe, or one of them, to the same parties, upon condition that they should pay yearly to the said schoolmaster the sum of twenty shillings, out of the rents and profits arising from it, and the residue to the Vicar of Chesterfield, for preaching two sermons, one 29 218 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. on St. Peter's day, and the other on the day of St. Thomas the Apostle. The income arising from the Charity of the two Brights, amounting- to 12/. 10s. per annum, seems to be properly applicable to a school of an inferior description, into which girls as well as boys are admissible ; and such a school may be carried on, without much inconvenience arising from the want of a regular school room for the purpose. In respect of the income derived from the gifts of Cor- nelius Clarke, and the Brights, after the payment of 307. to the master of the Grammar School and the usher, and 11. in respect of Alwood's charity, the yearly sum of 307. is now paid to a schoolmistress for instructing in reading, writing, and accounts, twenty poor children of the town of Chesterfield, who are nominated by the trustees of general charities, she providing them with books. From 1799 to 1817, the amount of the salary paid to the teacher was 10/. ; and a sum varying from 1?. 7s. to 21., which, in 1812, was increased to 21. 2s. per annum, was allowed for books. In 1818, the salary was increased to 251. , and in 1823, to 307. , the master or mistress, as the case may be, providing out of this sum books for the children, and no extra allow- ance being made for that purpose. Upon the death of Mr, Button, who had been schoolmaster, the same salary was continued to his widow, who now teaches the Petty School in her own house, no building being appropriated for the use of this school. Godfrey Foljambe, Esq., by his will, bearing date, Fe- bruary 24, 1594, directed that Isabell his wife, her heirs and assigns, should, after a certain time therein specified, pay an annual salary of 13/. 6s. Sd., for and towards the main- tenance of a schoolmaster, for the education and instruction of boys in Chesterfield. This sum is paid out of the rents of the estate at Attenborough, in the county of Nottingham. Leonard Gill, Esq., by his will, bearing date August 20, 1742, left 30Z. to the Free School at Chesterfield. This sum is in the hands of Adam Barker Slater, Esq., a descendant of the donor's family ; and he pays the yearly sum of I/. 7s. as interest upon it. The Free Grammar School, and the premises connected THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 219 with it, are of the estimated value of 45/. per annum, sub- ject to a deduction of 27. 10s., payable to the Duke of Devonshire ; and to these premises are attached five pews in Chesterfield Church, which let at an annual rental of eight or ten pounds. 3. Godfrey Foljambe's Charity. The income of this charity arises from an estate in Ash- over, consisting of several farms, which are let as follows. . s. d. To Adam Barker, ^ annum 9 o John Bown 34 The two Barkers 47 Joseph Cantrell 20 Edward Edge 30 John Holmes 49 George Mather 19 William Ward 11 Jane Goodlad . . 11 10 Total 230 10 Foljambe's Ashover estate consists of eight houses with outbuildings, and about 300 acres of land. It is stated by the Rev. G. Hall, (p. 59.) that the Corporation of Chester- field were appointed trustees of this property, by a decree of the Court of Chancery, in 1610;* but it is not cer- tainly known how, or at what period, the property became vested in the corporation. They have not been able to find any deeds or documents concerning it of late years ; and the proceedings in chancery, during the time of Charles II., seem to have had no reference, except to the estate at Attenborough. The prior suit, however, in the reign of James I., may have related both to the Ashover, and the Attenborough property. The rents and profits of the Ashover estate are applied to the relief of poor, impotent, and needy people, for the time being, inhabiting within the several towns and villages of Chesterfield, Brampton, and Wingerworth, or elsewhere within the parish of Chesterfield. There had been no fixed scale of distribution before the Charity Commissioners visited Chesterfield ; and they recommended that it should in future * See Account of Attenborough Chanty, under the head, .MISCELLANEOUS cuAnmg. 220 be made according to the population of each place. By this mode of division, taking the clear income at about 220/.,. the following- sums would be payable to each place, according to the census of 1821; and as the whole amount of the population was then 11,682, the addition of 24/. 6s. 9d. to the income, would allow of one additional halfpenny in respect of each inhabitant. Place. Population. Apportionment. . s. d. Chesterfield . . . . . . . 5077. . . ... 95 3 10i Brampton 2317.. . ... 43 8 10J Newbold 962. . . . .. 18 9 Walton 783... . .. 14 13 74 Hasland . . . . 770 .. ..14 8 9 , Brimington .... . . . 629. . . ...11 15 10| Wingerworth . . 459... 8 12 1 Calow 395. . . ...7 8 1% Tapton 149. . . . .. 2 15 10J Normantoir .... 141... . .. 2 12 10f 11682 219 9 The Chesterfield portion has usually been distributed at the Council House, at Michaelmas and Lady-day, among poor persons, in sums varying from two to five shillings, with some exceptions of sums to a larger amount. The Com- missioners suggested that it would be better if persons re- ceiving weekly parish relief were excluded, unless they should appear to be particular objects of charity ; and if the sums given to each person were of larger amount. They recommended also, that the corporation should superintend the distribution in the hamlets as well as the borough. These suggestions, and this recommendation, should not be overlooked by the new trustees. 4. James Lingard's Charity. By articles of agreement, bearing date October 19, 1612, James Linyard assigned to the mayor, aldermen, and bur- gesses of Chesterfield, securities for money to the amount of 730/. to certain charitable uses. Such uses were as follows, viz. ; two shillings weekly, for ever, to be given in bread to twenty-four poor people of the town of Chesterfield, on Sundays, after divine service in the church, to be set upon the brode stone in the choir, the said mayor, aldermen, and THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 221 burgesses, to settle so much money upon land as should pay the said two shillings weekly, as soon as they conveniently might ; 100Z. to be freely lent two years together, to ten men of trade and occupation inhabiting within the town of Ches- terfield, upon good security for the payment thereof at the end of two years ; and 401. to be employed and bestowed to such good and charitable uses and employments within the said town of Chesterfield, as the said said mayor, &c., and their successors, should think fit; and also, 200/., to be paid to the principal and fellows of Brazen Nose College, Oxford, for certain purposes therein mentioned ; and the residue of the said money to be bestowed on the purchase of some land, which should continue for ever towards the maintenance of a Free School in the town of Chesterfield, for the better education of poor men's children. The sum of 160/. is said to have been all that was law- fully recovered ; and with this, some land was purchased at Ballowden, which yields an annual rent of 8/. This has generally been paid to the master of the Free Grammar School : but the commissioners were unable, in 1827, to discover any trace of the existence of the other charities. 5. Thomas Large s Charities. Thomas Large, by his last will, bearing date June 16, 1664, left certain lands and tenements to the mayor, alder- men, and burgesses of the town of Chesterfield, upon con- dition that, with the rents, issues, and profits, yearly arising out of the said premises, they should purchase, or newly erect within the said town of Chesterfield, one good, suffi- cient and convenient house, for the habitation of three poor men, or women, of the said town of Chesterfield, to be chosen by the said mayor and burgesses for the time being, and their successors ; and should pay yearly at Christmas, and the feast of John the Baptist, by equal portions, to every of the said poor persons, the sum of 57. , and deliver to every of them yearly at Christmas, one good new gown of cloth of blue colour ; and that after the death of the said poor persons they should elect others in their room, who should receive the like yearly sum of 51. a piece, and every of them a gown in such manner as aforesaid, the said char- itable work to continue for ever: and upon this further 222 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. condition, that the said mayor, aldermen, and burgesses, out of the rents, issues, and profits yearly arising from the same premises, should take annually the sum of 5/. for the raising of a stock, to be employed in such charitable use or uses as the said mayor, aldermen, and burgesses should think fit. When the new trustees were appointed, the property subject to the charitable uses above specified, was as follows. . s. d- 1. The Three Tuns Inn, with a brewhouse, cooper's shop, stables, outbuildings, yard and garden, yielding ty annum 50 Two small cottages built by Mr. Alsop, which, till Mr. A. has been remunerated for the expense incurred in erecting them, are let for the annual sum of 10 2. A pingle in the township of Newbold, let to J. Bower, at the yearly rent of. 1 5 3. Two fields called the Gouldwells, let to Mr. David Batteson, at the yearly rent of. 20 4. A field in the township of Chesterfield, let also to Mr. David Batteson, at the yearly rent of 2 5. Part of a farm at Stone Hay, which is let to Samuel Lindley at the yearly rent of 26Z. 10s., but of which, at the sug- gestion of the Charity Commissioners, something less than one-third is reserved in respect of the lands belonging to Large's Charity, viz 8 5 6. Two fields in Calow, let to William Brailsford, at the annual rent of 6 88 This estate was considered by the late corporation as being held by them, subject only to the conditions mentioned in the testator's will, viz. ; the payment of 157. per annum to the inmates of the three almshouses ; the price of a good new gown of blue cfoth to each of the almspeople ; and the appropriation of the yearly sum of 57. to such charitable uses as the corporation might think fit. In 1825, a case was laid before counsel, who stated, that as there was no evidence of the actual value of the premises when devised, and as part of the property was houses, and consequently liable to expense in repairs, the corporation were nevertheless bound to pay the sums specified in the will, under penalty of forfeiture, in which case the premises were not to go to other trustees for charitable uses, but absolutely to the testator's sisters ; he conceived that the corporation were beneficially entitled to the estate, subject THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. 223 only to the payments above mentioned. This the com- missioners apprehended was the case, though they considered that the question was not free from doubt. On the strength of this opinion of counsel, backed by that of the com- missioners, it was decided, after a protracted discussion, at a late meeting of the trustees for general charities, that the residue, amounting to between sixty and seventy pounds per annum, should be paid over to the town council. For a description of the property left by Thomas Large to the master of the Free Grammar School, the reader is referred to the account of that charity, (p. 217). 6. Cornelius Clarke and Richard Taylor's Charity. Cornelius Clarke, by his will, bearing date June 1, 1694, and proved at Lichfield, directed his executor, out of his personal estate, to employ the sum of 200/. in the purchase of lands and tenements of freehold inheritance, the rents and profits whereof should be paid and distributed, yearly, to and for the use of the poor of the town of Chesterfield, for ever. In the title-book of the corporation, it is stated, that by indentures, bearing date 15th and 16th April, 1703, Sir Charles Skrymsher, and his daughter, in consideration of 2607. , conveyed to the corporation certain lands in Tap ton, containing 16 acres, which were formerly in one close, called the Pease Close, the purchase money whereof was left to the corporation by Cornelius Clarke and Richard Taylor. The deeds referred to in this memorandum, appear to have been lost or mislaid for several years. The premises are now let to John Mugliston, Esq., one of the members of the late corporation, as yearly tenant, at a good rent of 247. 13s. In one of the fields, called the Wood Close, there is a dole of land belonging to the Duke of Devonshire, which is marked out by stones, and for which 15s. a year are paid by the corporation, out of the above-mentioned rent. 7. The Charity of John Bright, the Elder, and John Bright, the Younger. John Bright, the Elder, and John Bright, the Younger, by indenture, bearing date January 24, 1738, gave to the 224 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Corporation of Chesterfield 100Z., which were laid out in lands at Ashover; and the said corporation gave 100/. to advance the said charity ; one moiety of the interest or clear rents and profits of such lands to be given to a sober master, who should be able to teach English well in a Petty School, for which the said master should well teach and instruct in the English tongue, ten children, boys or girls, or both, to be ap- pointed and named by the mayor and aldermen, and their suc- cessors ; the other moiety of the said rents and profits, to be paid to such master teaching in such Petty School, as should in like manner instruct ten such other children as the said mayor and aldermen should nominate: provided, neverthe- less, that the said mayor and aldermen, and their successors, might at any time thereafter, withdraw the yearly payment of the said last mentioned moiety, and apply the same to any other uses. The land at Ashover consists of three closes, containing together 7a. Ir. 15 p., and an allotment of 10a. Ir. 2p. now let for 12Z. 10s. per annum ; in part to Robert and George Barker, at a rental of 91., and in part to John Holmes, at a rental of 37. 10s. The three closes are called the Great Dole, the Middle Dole, and the Barley Dole. A moiety of the annual rental of this property will in future be paid over, by the trustees of the general charities, to the town council ; the corporation having withdrawn the yearly pay- ment above mentioned. 8. The Earl of Shrewsbury's Charity. By indenture, bearing date. July 7, 1591, between Hugh Wheelden, Thomas Heathcote, and forty-one others, therein named, and all the burgesses of the town of Chesterfield, of the one part ; and Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury, of the other part ; reciting, that King Philip and Queen Mary, by letters patent, bearing date May 28, 4th and 5th years of their reign, had demised to Ralph Clark, alderman of the said town, and all other burgesses thereof, and their suc- cessors, their lands, tenements, mills, rents, &c., in the county of Derby, late parcel of the possessions of the guilds of the Blessed Mary and the Holy Cross, in Chesterfield, for the term of ninety-nine years from the Lady-day pre- THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 225 ceding ; the said parties of the first part, for the considera- tions thereinafter mentioned, granted and assigned to the said Earl of Shrewsbury all the said premises, and their term in the same; in consideration whereof, and for the help and relief of the inhabitants of the said town, the said Earl of Shrewsbury granted to the said Thomas Heathcote, and eleven others of the persons named as parties of the first part, and their heirs, a yearly rent of I2L issuing out of the manor, town, hamlet, village, territory and precinct of Brackenfield, with the appurtenances, in the county of Derby ; to hold to them and their heirs for ever, upon trust, that the same should be, for ever, bestowed for such ne- cessary, good and godly purposes, within the said town of Chesterfield, for the relief of the inhabitants of the said town, as should be thought meet, from time to time, by the said Thomas Heathcote and others, their heirs and assigns ; or should be agreed upon by the most number of them in- habiting within the said town, being above the number of six at the least, and set down in writing under their seals ; the said annuity to be payable on the feast of St. Michael, with a power of distress in case of the annuity being in arrear thirty days after the said feast, on the lands before- mentioned, and every, or any part or parcel thereof. By indenture, bearing date October 15, 1615, between Godfrey Heathcote, and four others, the surviving grantees of the said rent, of the one part, and William Boote, mayor of the borough of Chesterfield, and the aldermen and bur- gesses of the said borough, of the other part ; reciting the above-mentioned grant; the said Godfrey Heathcote and others granted to the said mayor, aldermen and burgesses, and their successors, the said rent of 12/., to be employed and bestowed upon the good uses above expressed. Such portions of this rent-charge as have been received, appear to have been collected, for a great length of time, from many different landholders in Brackenfield. Sir Robert "Wilmot, Bart., pays 41. 12 s. per annum, and Dr. Bright 3/. 16s. 6d. The remainder is contributed by sundry other proprietors, in small sums of very different amounts, varying from threepence to 3s.8d., with the exception of Mrs.Holland, whose share in this payment is 12s. 4d. It is much to be regretted, that the above rent-charge 226 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. has been apportioned amongst so many different pro- prietors, as the collection of it is necessarily attended with much inconvenience and expense, and without constant at- tention many portions of it may in time be lost. These diffi- culties fell under the consideration of the late corporation, and they endeavoured to make some new arrangement for the regular payment of it in future, but with little success. The usual mode in which this annuity has been disposed of, is in yearly subscriptions to different institutions, viz. ; to the Derby Infirmary, the Chesterfield Dispensary, the Chesterfield National School, a Society for the Support of Clergymen's Widows and Orphans, and the Bible Society. The two last mentioned subscriptions, say the commissioners, appear hardly to meet the intent of the parties to the deed of 1751.* 9. Charity of the Earl of Devonshire and others. By indenture, bearing date December 4, 1655, between Robert Barker, of the one part, and the mayor, aldermen and burgesses of Chesterfield, of the other part; reciting, that William, late Earl of Devonshire had, in his life-time, given to the use of the poor people inhabiting in the borough of Chesterfield, the sum of 2QL ; that Anthony Glossop had bequeathed 201. , Mr. Walton, 20/., Sir Peter Fretchville, 20L, and Sir Roger Manners, 61. ; and that several other well-disposed persons had given the sum of 25Z., all for the same purpose; which several sums, amounting to 100Z., were then in the hands of the said mayor, aldermen and burgesses of Chesterfield, to the intent that the said monies might be employed for the best advantage of the said poor people; the said Robert Barker, in consideration of 150/., granted and enfeoffed to the said mayor, aldermen and burgesses, and their successors, a close called Pitty Close, containing by estimation six acres and a half, lying in Brampton, and a close called Brampton Brigy Close, containing by estimation three acres and a half, to the intent that the said mayor, * It appears from a Tablet in the Church, that " George, Earl of Shrewsbury, by his last will, dated June 24, Anno Domini, 1 590, left to the poor of Chesterfield, the sum of two hundred pounds." THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 227 aldermen and burgesses, and their successors, should yearly, at Michaelmas, out of the rents and profits arising from the said closes, pay to the poor people which should inhabit within the town of Chesterfield, the sum of 51. , and that they should retain the residue of the said rents and profits for their own proper use. This property, with certain allotments made in respect of the same, now yields 231. 13s. 6d., and is let as follows : . s. d. To William and Joseph Mason, who pay an annual rent of 6 Messrs. Oldfield and Co 4 Messrs. Elliott, Rawlinson and Co 11 Messrs. Hewitt, Longson & Co. (Allotment) 236 Henry Bestwick, (Allotment) 10 23 13 6 Of this sum 61. go to the use of poor people residing in the town of Chesterfield ; and the remainder is claimed by the town council. The conduct of the late corporation with respect to the disposal of this residue was different at different times. At a meeting of that body held in October, 1796, it was ordered that it should be applied to the use of the poor of Chesterfield, pursuant to the intent of the deed of purchase, dated December 4, 1655. According to this resolution, the whole rents of such part of the Pitty Field and Brampton Brigg Close as remained unsold, which varied from 51. 10s. to 17/. per annum, were for many years applied by the corporation principally in bread for the poor ; but in 1824, the amount of the rent was carried to the account of the corporation, and 5/. a year was paid out of it, and disposed of by the chamberlain, in bread at Michaelmas, amongst poor persons of Chesterfield, appointed by him under the direction of the corporation. 10. Sarah Rose's Charity. By indenture, bearing date May 29, 1745, between Sarah Rose, of the first part, and the mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Chesterfield, of the other part ; reciting, that a building was about to be erected in the said borough, by the said Sarah Rose, to be used as ail alms- 228 THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD, house, at the north end of the almshouses formerly built in pursuance of the will of Thomas Large, for the providing a comfortable support and maintenance for two poor women of the said borough ; the said Sarah Rose transferred to the said mayor, aldermen and burgesses, and their successors, two securities given to her for the sum of 1007. each, and bearing interest at 41. per cent., upon trust, to pay the in- terest of the several principal sums at the rate aforesaid, to the said Sarah Rose for her life, and after her decease, half-yearly, at Christmas and Midsummer, equally to two poor women of the borough of Chesterfield, who should from time to time be chosen by them to dwell and reside, and who should actually inhabit within the said intended building; excepting that they should thereout, yearly, at Christmas- day, provide for each of the said women one new gown of blue cloth, to be marked on the right sleeve with the letters S. R. : and she empowered the said corporation to retain and keep the monies payable upon such securities, and to pay and apply the interest thereof, at 41. per c^nt. to the purposes aforesaid. The sum of 2007. remained in the hands of the corpora- tion from 1745 to 1824, without being specifically laid out, or charged upon any property belonging to the corporation, It is now secured upon the Snitterton estate, and yields SI. per annum. 11. George Taylor's Charity. George Taylor, by his will, bearing date May 2, 1668, directed that in case his daughter Esther should live to enjoy his estate, she should within thirty months afterwards, with the advice of his executors, and the assistance of the mayor and aldermen, see to buy some fit spot of land for alms- houses, and gardens unto them, near to the Moot Hall Orchard, in some open sweet street, as near the church as might be, where the poor might receive some com- fortable addition of charity from strangers and neigh- bours that should pass by ; and that she should bestow about 120/. in building six small houses together with stone, and covered with slate, and to lay to each of them a garden spot, about ten yards square ; and 16/. per annum, for ever, THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 229 for the maintenance of six poor people to live in them, namely, 21. a year, to be paid quarterly, to each of them, and 31. a year to buy every one of them a strong warm blue cloth gown, every second year, with the two first letters of his name to be set upon one of the sleeves of every gown ; and 11. more per annum, to maintain the repair of the six houses, and to buy them coals with, when there needed no repair. And he directed, that the poor people that should live in the houses, should each have a loaf of the twelve, given every week to the poor of the town, for ever, (an ac- count of which the reader will find under the head of Church Charities, No. 3 ;) and that they should be appointed by his heirs and executors, so long as any of them should live in the county of Derby, and afterwards by the mayor and aldermen, and the vicar of the town, by the approbation and consent of two of the most able, and nearest related to him by blood, within the said county, or within the city of London. By indentures of lease and release, bearing date Sep- tember 26 and 27, 1684, between Sir Charles Skrymsher and Dame Esther his wife, the daughter of the said testator of the one part, and Thomas Dowker, mayor of the bo- rough of Chesterfield, and ten other persons therein named, of the other part ; (reciting so much of the will of the said George Taylor, as related to the purchase of land for the almshouse, and the endowment thereof; and that the said Sir Charles Skrymsher and Dame Esther his wife, had, as directed by the said ^?ill, laid out the sum of 120/., and had erected six small houses in Salter Gate, in Chesterfield ;) the said Sir Charles Skrymsher and Dame Esther, granted to the said Thomas Dowker and others, parties of the second part, and their heirs, the said six almshouses, with the gardens thereunto belonging, and a close situate in Newbold, in the parish of Chesterfield, called the Porters Pingle, contain- ing four acres ; another close in Newbold, called the Freeby Sick Close, containing one acre ; and a close in Chesterfield, called the Cross Close, containing two acres ; another close situate in Chesterfield, called the Mill Meadow, containing la. Ir. ; a barn and a close adjoining thereto, in the parish of Chesterfield, called Tupman Barn Close, con- taining two acres; and a close in Tapton, called the Little 230 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Twelve Acres, containing three acres ; upon trust, that the said almshouses and premises, with the rents and profits thereof, might be, for ever, employed according to the will of the said George Taylor: and the said Sir Charles Skrym- sher covenanted, that, if it should happen at any time, that the rents of the above-mentioned closes did not amount to the full sum of 16/. per annum, the said Sir Charles Skrymsher and Dame Esther, their heirs and executors, should pay so much yearly as should make up the rent of 16/. per annum: and the parties of the second part cov- enanted, that in case any surplusage should remain out of the rents of the said closes, over and above the clear sum of 16/. per annum, the said overplus should be paid to the said Sir Charles Skrymsher and Dame Esther, their heirs and assigns. By indenture, bearing date March 10, 1703, Sir Charles Skrymsher demised the premises, charged with the payment of 16/. by the preceding deeds, with others, to Richard Dakeyne, for one thousand years. By indenture, bearing date November 9, 1824, Joseph Towndrow conveyed to George Bainbridge, a capital mes- suage, situate at or near a close, called Freeby Sick Close, in Newbold, and four messuages and an iron foundry ad- joining, with the appurtenances; and a close, situate at Newbold, called Porter's Pingle, and other premises, for the residue of the term of two thousand years, subject to the payment of the yearly sum of 161., part of the yearly rent appointed to be paid by the indenture of March 10, 1703. The yearly sum of 16/. is now received from Mr. Joseph Gratton, of Thornfield. The almshouse in Salter Gate contains six dwellings, of one room each, with a small garden adjoining. The almswomen have been appointed by the mayor, al- dermen and vicar, who have generally selected such of the poorest widows of the town or borough of Chesterfield, as appeared the most respectable. There has been paid to each widow, one shilling a week, amounting to 15/. 12s. per annum ; '31.1.2s. being added to the income of this branch of the charity from the charity of Francis Moore. Six gowns have been given to the almswomen, about THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 231 Christmas, every alternate year, the cost of which has varied from about 3/. 10s. to 41. 10s. There has also been paid one shilling a year to each of the almswomen for coals. 12. Francis Moore s Charity. Francis Moore, who appears to have died about 1715, by his will, (as we learn from an entry in one of the books of the corporation, in 1745), devised to the mayor and aldermen of Chesterfield, and their successors, two little closes with their appurtenances, in the manor of New- bold, containing- by estimation four acres, then let on lease, at the yearly rent of 51. 14s., subject to taxes, to the fol- lowing uses, viz. : he gave 52s. of the rent to be paid as an additional maintenance to two poor persons inhabiting in the hospital in Salter Gate, erected according to the will of George Taylor, to be paid them weekly ; one of the said poor persons to be appointed by the said mayor and alder- men, and the other by his heirs. The remainder of the said two closes, " being about 48s. per annum, taxes thereout being deducted," he directed should for ever be for the buying of twelve pair of shoes, and as many stockings, to be given, every year, a little before Christmas, to twelve poor men or women of Chesterfield as had received no pay from the overseers ; six of them to be named by the said mayor and aldermen, and the other six by his grand- daughters Hannah and Mary Moore, and their heirs for ever. The two closes above mentioned are contiguous to the Newbold road, and are called the Upper and Nether Fields. The former is let to Mrs. Prince, at an annual rent of 6/. 10s. ; and the latter to Joseph Bower, at an annual rent of 3?. 15s. After the appropriation of the sums of 52s. and 48s. to the purposes directed by the testator, and the pay- ment of a chief-rent of one shilling and eightpence to the Duke of Devonshire, there is a surplus, amounting to 51. 3s. 4d., owing to the increased value of the land. 13. Godfrey Wolstenholme's Charity. Godfrey Wolstenholme, by his will, bearing date June 26, 1G82, and proved at Lichfield, gave a house, with the 232 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. appurtenances in Chesterfield, wherein Elias Coates then lived, to the corporation, to the use of four such persons of Chesterfield, as his executors and their heirs, and the over- seers of the poor ; and, upon their neglect, to such four poor as the corporation should choose, the yearly rent thereof being about 60s., to buy them gowns or coats with, as it would best do. This property, which has been greatly improved, now yields annually the sum of 417. 9*. It consists of certain houses, called Poor-Folks' Fold, in St. Mary's Gate, which are let at the following annual rents. . s. d. To Richard Calton, at 8 John Marsden 3 8 Joseph Coates 3 8 John Wragg 3 8 William Standall 5 10 William Hartley 6 10 Thomas Gascoyne 510 Elizabeth Robinson . . 5 15 41 9 When the premises were repaired, a house was pulled down, and four new ones were erected in its place; for which purpose the sum of 2371. 19s. Wd. was borrowed from Clarke's Charity, and the sum of 29/. 10s. Sd. from Fol- jambe's Charity. For the sums so borrowed, interest has been paid for about ten years past ; and the clear income arising from the four houses has been set apart, for the liquidation of a balance of 67. 17s. Sd., due to the corpora- tion; and afterwards for the repayment of the sums borrowed from Clarke's and Foljambe's Charities, and interest thereon. On the settlement of the corporation accounts, at Michael- mas, 1835, Foljambe's balance of principal was paid, to- gether with eight months' interest, to May 29, 1835 ; and the balance of principal then due to Clarke's Charity, was 83/. Os. \d. When this balance, with the interest, is paid, Wolstenholme's will be a very useful charity. 14. Richard and George Youle's Charity. Richard Youle, by his will, bearing date June 30, 1699, gave to the Corporation of Chesterfield, the sum of 17s. 4d. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 233 yearly, to buy every market day, in the market, four penny loaves, to be given weekly, at their discretion, to four poor widows of Chesterfield, pursuant to the will of his late uncle, George Youle. He directed also, that certain other sums should be ap- propriated to the following purposes, viz. 1. per annum, To be devoted to the purchase of EIGHT pair of good, strong shoes, at the discretion of the corporation, and the overseers of the poor in Chesterfield, with the approbation of the testators' nearest of kin, for EIGHT poor widows, dwelling in Chesterfield : the shoes to be given in the week before Christmas-day, and the poor widows to be frequenters of the divine service of the Church of England. 2. per annum, To be spent in the purchase of one hundred and twenty fourpenny loaves, to be given every November 5, on the same con- ditions as above, to one hundred and twenty poor people dwelling in Chesterfield. 1. per annum, To be paid to the Vicar of Chesterfield, for preaching yearly a sermon on November 5. The several sums above-mentioned, which amount to 41. 17s. 4 corporation's portion of the Snitterton Estate, as the share of timber-money, 18. Jacob Brailsford's Charity. In the title book of the late corporation, it is stated, that Jacob Brailsford, by his will, (no date mentioned), directed that a yearly rent-charge of 21. should be paid, out of a house at the top of the Market Place, (there described as lately occupied by Samuel Wilson, and then the property of Mr. Brailsford Hill), to the corporation ; upon trust, to pay I/., part thereof to the vicar, for a sermon, on Easter Tuesday; and Til. the residue thereof, in buying one hundred and twenty twopenny loaves, to be distributed to the poor, on the same day. The yearly sum of 21. is now received from the trustees,, under the will of the late John Bower,, who was the owner of the house above described, and now in the occupation of James Clarkson, perfumer. Half this sum will in future be distributed in bread to the poor on Easter Tuesday, by the trustees of General Charities ; and the other half will be paid over by them to the trustees of Church Charities, for the benefit of the vicar. 19. Samuel Sleigh's Charity- Samuel Sleigh, by his will, bearing date May 20, 1684, and proved at Lichfield, directed that the persons to whom his lands in Chesterfield should come to be inherited, should give, for ever, out of the rents and profits of the dwelling- house where he then lived, in Chesterfield, called the Chan- try House, six pennyworth of bread every Sunday, in the morning, at the church, to three several poor people, they repairing to the church, according to the discretion of the minister or vicar, and overseers of the poor there. The Chantry House is situated in Church Alley, and Mrs. But- ton pays a rent-charge upon it of 1Z. 6s. This sum has to be received by the trustees of General Charities, and paid over by them to the minister or vicar, and overseers of the poor of Chesterfield. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 243 20. Sir Godfrey Webster s Charity. Sir Godfrey Webster, by his will, as appears by an ex- tract therefrom, sent to the corporation in 1720, by Sir Thomas Webster, his son, left 1,1007. to his said son, in trust, for the mayor and aldermen of Chesterfield; and directed that the same should be laid out as soon as con- veniently might be after his decease, in the purchase of lands or tenements, which should be conveyed to the said mayor and aldermen ; the rents and profits thereof to be paid yearly, on November 4, or the day following, if the 4th should be a Sunday, to forty poor inhabitants of that town, not receiving alms, the sum of twenty shillings a-piece. This legacy appears to have been invested in the pur- chase of 9551. 12s. South Sea stock. The yearly dividends, amounting to 287. 13s. 4c7., are received through the bank of Messrs. Crompton and Co. This amount was distributed annually, at Christmas, by the late corporation, in sums of one pound each, as far as it would go. But it will be given in future, according to a late resolution of the trustees of General Charities, in equal sums, to forty poor persons, who are not in the receipt of parish relief. On November 5, in the year 1837, the sum in the bankers' hands was 437. , being the amount of a year and a half's dividends. Of this sum, forty pounds were distributed, according to the will of the testator, to forty poor persons; leaving a balance of 37., which is carried forward to the account of the year 1838. In future, the number of poor persons benefitted by this charity will always be forty ; but the sums given to each will be determined by the amount in hand . CHURCH CHARITIES. 1. Thomas Large' s Charity. By indenture, bearing date June 11, 1783, reciting, that the messuages, dwelling-houses or tenements in Chesterfield, by the side of the lane, called Vicar Lane, abutting towards the Market Place, on the west, and towards the vicarage house on the east, with the stables and other buildings 244 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, thereto belonging, were, until Elias Needham entered upon the same, as tenant to the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of Chesterfield, in a very ruinous state ; and that the said Elias Needham had, with the approbation of the said mayor, &c., taken down and rebuilt the said dwelling-houses, and the stables and out-buildings belonging thereto, and had expended thereon more than 800/., the said mayor, aldermen and burgesses, in consideration of the great charge the said Elias Needham had been at, devised to him the said newly erected dwelling-houses, stables and out-buildings, with the appurtenances, for the term of ninety-nine years from the Lady-dav preceding, at the yearly rent of 7/. 10s. , payable half-yearly, at Michaelmas and Lady-day, clear of all taxes and assessments, with a covenant by the lessee, to keep the buildings in repair. The lessee above-named held the office of town clerk ; but there does not appear to be any reason for thinking that this was an improvident lease, or otherwise than beneficial to the charity. These premises consist of a public-house, known by the sign of the Red Lion, with stables adjoining-, and two dwelling-houses. The present value of these premises is estimated at from 90/. to 1007. a year; and the yearly rent of 71. 10s., for which they were let on lease to Elias Needham, is paid by Bartholomew Oldfield, George Wright, and Francis Frith, in whom the interest of the lease is now vested. One moiety of this was directed by the testator, Thomas Large, to be paid yearly towards the repair of the parish church steeple ; and the other to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of Chesterfield, to be bestowed in bread among the poorest people in the said town monthly on the Sunday. Thomas Large also devised to the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of Chesterfield, a close, called Brigg Close, in Hasland and Boythorpe, or one of them, upon condition, that they should yearly pay to the master of the Free Gram- mar School, the sum of twenty shillings, out of the rents and profits thereof; and the residue to the vicar of the parish church of Chesterfield, so that the vicar should yearly preach two sermons in the parish church, one on the feast of St. Peter, and the other on the feast of St. Thomas the THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 245 Apostle. This property is now divided into two fields, called the Brigg Closes, which are worth about 15/. per annum, and are occupied by the Rev. T. Hill, the present vicar. 2. John AllwoocCs Charity. John Allwood, by his will, bearing date July 15, 1665, directed, that out of Dunstan land there should be paid every Christmas-day, to the poor of Chesterfield, twenty shillings in bread, for ever, in the church, by his sister, Mary Wane, or her heirs. The property conveyed to the corporation by Cornelius Clarke, as mentioned under the head of Clarke's Charity, (p. 213,) appears to have been charged with this yearly sum of twenty shillings; and though the property so charged was given in exchange for other lands, the yearly payment of twenty shillings was continued out of the income of Clarke's charity ; and one hundred and twenty twopenny loaves have been provided with this sum, and distributed amongst poor persons of the town of Chesterfield annually, on the feast of Circumcision, or New-Year's day. 3. George Taylor's Charity. George Taylor, by his will, bearing date May 2, 1668, gave to the corporation and town of Chesterfield, the sum of 120?., to be lent from time to time, for ever, to twelve young tradesmen, on sufficient security, at 51. per cent. ; and of the 6/., the yearly profit thereof, he gave 21. 12s. a year, to be disposed of every Sunday to twelve poor housekeepers, in bread, at the church, by a dozen of bread each day; eight shillings a year towards the keeping in repair all the way from his dwelling-house, called Durant Hall, to the church, and from the said house to the Market Place ; twenty shillings to be distributed by the overseers of the poor among forty poor housekeepers of Chesterfield and Tapton, every December 23 and 24, by sixpence a-piece, to buy something for their dinner on Christmas-day ; other twenty shillings thereof, towards the repair of the church and steeple in Chesterfield, yearly; and the remaining twenty shillings to the vicar of Chesterfield, for the time being, for him to preach a sermon on Good Friday, or Tuesday in Easter week, desiring the vicar to inquire and see that the said 1207. , and 246 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. the profits thereof, should be employed and disposed of as they ought to be, and not misapplied. He directed also, that those persons who were to receive the bread and the money for their Christmas dinner, should be appointed by his heirs, executors and nearest relations ; and if there should be any neglect in the said mayor and aldermen, and inhabitants of Chesterfield, in lending the said 120Z. to young tradesmen, and that they could not give security for it, to keep it from being misemployed, he gave the said 120/. to his executors, and empowered them to buy so much land as the same would purchase, and to distribute the profits thereof, yearly, to the poor, and to other purposes, as was in his will before directed ; or to keep the money in their hands until his heir should come of age, and then to settle the said annual rent out of his own lands, paying to his said heir the sum of 120/. By indentures of lease and release, bearing date April 29 and 30, 1689, between Sir Charles Skrymsher and Dame Esther his wife, of the one part, and Francis Houldsworth, mayor of Chesterfield, and ten other persons therein-named, of the other part ; reciting the said gift of 120/. and that the same could not be set forth to twelve poor tradesmen, upon good security, so as to disburse the said 6/. per annum, for such uses as were by the said will appointed ; the said Sir Charles Skrymsher and Dame Esther, granted to the said Francis Houldsworth and others, parties of the second part, and their heirs, a close lying in Newbold, called Bayley Smith's Meadow, containing six acres, which was of the clear yearly value of 6Z. 10s. ; upon trust, that the said close, with the rents and profits thereof, might be employed according to the intent of the said George Taylor, in the said in part recited will expressed, with a proviso that if the said Sir Charles Skrymsher, or Dame Esther his wife, their heirs, executors, &c., should yearly pay to the said parties of the second part, and their heirs, for the uses aforesaid, the yearly rent of 6/. at Michaelmas and Lady-day, or within thirty days after, the said conveyance should be void. By indenture bearing date March 10, 1703, Sir Charles Skrymsher demised the premises, charged with the payment of 6/., by the preceding deeds, with others, to Richard Dakeyne, for 1000 years, subject to the payment of this yearly sum. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 247 By indenture of March 28, 1804, Mary Harding con- veyed to Joseph Gratton a newly erected messuage in Holy- well Street, with a coach-house, two gardens, an orchard, stable, brewhouse, &c., and such part of a close, called the Croft, lying behind the said premises, as did not belong to the governors of Fanshaw's Grammar School, and a new erected messuage adjoining, and two closes in the parish of Chesterfield, formerly called the Cross Close and Tupman Close, then laid together, with a piece of freehold land generally called the Barn Close, subject to the payment of 10/. a year, (whereof 6/. was payable in respect of this charity,) for the residue of the term of 2000 years. The yearly sum of 61. is now received from the above- mentioned Joseph Gratton, who resides in Holywell Street. Another rent-charge of 4/. is payable upon the same premises, in respect of Francis Heathcote's charity, and will in future be received from Joseph Gratton, by the trustees of Church Charities, who will have to transfer forty shillings to the vicar, for preaching two sermons in remembrance of Francis Heathcote on Michaelmas and Lady-day ; and forty shillings to the churchwardens, for the repair of the church, and especially the steeple. But if the vicar shall be no preacher, it is ordered by the will of Francis Heathcote, which bears date April 13, 1619, that the lec- turer shall receive the forty shillings, which would otherwise have been given to the vicar. 4. Jacob Brailsford's Charity. An account of this charity has already been given, under the head of General Charities, (No. 18,) to which the reader is referred for particulars. It consists of a moiety of a rent- charge of 21. upon the house occupied by James Clarkson, perfumer, at the top of the Market Place; and is paid annually to the vicar, for preaching a sermon on Easter Tuesday. 5. Charities of John Williamson and others, called the Church Lands. 1. John Williamson, by his will, bearing date the feast of Saint Firmin, 1479, directed that his wife Elen 248 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. should have his house in Betewell Street, for her life, with remainder to Elen Atkynson ; and after their deaths, that the said house should remain to the fabric of the parish church of Chesterfield, for ever. By deed of feoffment, bearing date Wednesday next before Pentecost, 1501, RicJiard Ashe granted to James Beresford, vicar of Chesterfield, and others, and to their heirs, his messuage lying in Chesterfield, in a street called Betewell Lane, which he lately had of the gift of John Wil- liamson ; and the intent of this feoffment is declared to be, that the feoffees should suffer the churchwardens of the church of Chesterfield to take the rents and profits of the said mes- suage, and that when all of the said feoffees but two should die, the survivors should make estate to other persons to the intent aforesaid. The premises in Betewell Street, above-mentioned, con- sisting of a messuage or dwelling-house, and building for- merly used as a stable, but since converted into a candle- house, with a yard, croft and garden, containing about half an acre, were demised by the corporation, by lease, bearing date December 25, 1816, to George Hepworth, and Richard Alsop, the younger, for fifteen years from the day of the the date thereof, at the yearly rent of 14/., with a covenant to repair on the part of the lesses. 2. By deed of feoffment, bearing date January 12, (5th of Henry VIII.,) Benedicta Cams, and John Caweson, her son, granted to Richard Heathcote and others, and their heirs, a messuage with its appurtenances, in Chesterfield, above the Cornell of Tapton-lane. The intent of this deed is stated to be, that the alderman of the town of Chesterfield, and his brothers, and their successors, should yearly, for ever, take and pay all the rents and profits of the said mes- suage, to the upholding and maintaining of the body of the church of All Hallows, of Chesterfield. 3. By deed of feoffment, bearing date March 20, (8th of HenryVIII.) reciting, that JofmSwerde, by his deed, bearing date MarchlT, (2nd of HenryVII.,) had enfeoffed to Richaid Heathcote, together with John Tomson, deceased, two ten- ements lying in Chesterfield, in the street called Halliwell Gate ; for the fulfilment of the will of the said John Swerde, the said Richard Heathcote granted to Thomas Ashe, alder- THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 249 man of Chesterfield, and his successors, the said tenements with their appurtenances; and a schedule annexed declares, that the intent of the said deed was, that, according to the will of the said John Swerde, the alderman of Chesterfield, and his successors should, for ever, yearly, make an obit of sixpence, to pray for the soul of the said John Swerde, and should receive and pay all the residue of the yearly rent and profits of the said two tenements, to the repair of the body of the church of Chesterfield. The premises above-mentioned formerly consisted of four cottages. These were taken down a few years ago, and the site which they had occupied was added to the church-yard. 4, There are also certain premises in Lordsmill Street, which appear to have been vested in the corporation, in trust, to pay the rents and profits thereof to the church- wardens, for the repairs of the church. By indenture of lease, bearing date March 10, 1794, reciting, that. William Hardy having lately taken down two messuages, and a bake-house thereto adjoining, situate in Lordsmill Street, in Chesterfield, and having erected on the site thereof, three new and substantial dwelling-houses, and a bake-house, and expended thereon, 415?. 15s. ; the mayor, aldermen and burgesses of Chesterfield, in consider- ation thereof, demised the said premises to the said William Hardy, together with a piece of land adjoining thereto, containing by estimation, three roods, for seventy-nine years from Lady-day then last, at the yearly rent of 41. , with a covenant on the part of the lessee, to keep the premises in repair. N. B. The churchwardens till within the last few years received annually thirty shillings as the rent of certain pre- mises, forming part of the kitchen of a house in the occupa- tion of Miss Sarah Hardwick, in the Market Place, in Chesterfield ; and thirty shillings as the rent of a butcher's shop in the shambles, adjoining the above-mentioned kitchen, which was let to Thomas Harvey. Both are now in a ruinous state, and have been unoccupied for some years. It was once in the contemplation of the churchwardens to rebuild all these premises ; but difficulties occurred in making ar- rangements with Miss Hardwick. 250 II. MISCELLANEOUS CHARITIES. 1. Foljambe' s Atteriborough Charity. Godfrey Foljambe, of Walton, in the County of Derby, Esq., by his last will, left the lands belonging to the Rectory of Attenborough, in the county of Nottingham, and divers lands and tenements in Ashover, in the County of Derby, to the uses following: that is to say, to a lecturer to preach in Chesterfield church, the yearly sum of forty pounds for ever ; towards finding of a school-master in Chesterfield, the yearly sum of 13/. 6s. Sd. for ever; and after some other yearly charitable dispositions are discharged, the remainder of the profits of all the said lands are left for ever to the poor of the villages or hamlets of Chesterfield, Brampton, and Wingerworth, or elsewhere within the parish of Chesterfield. This will bears date February 24, Anno Domini 1594. The following is an extract from Godfrey Foljambe's will : " From the Rectory or Parsonage of Attenburrough, or Lands and Tenements in Ashover, which are here recited, [he makes chargeable with,] ' To George Tuke, now preacher of Chesterfield, and his succes- sors, the sum of Forty Pounds a year, at, or in the Church of Chester- field aforesaid, for preaching and declaring the "Word of God openly in the Church of Chesterfield, four times at least every month of the year, upon the Sabbath or other festival. And the Preacher, from and after the death or removal, or relinquishment of the said George Tuke, to be nominated and appointed by the Archbishop of York and his successors for the time being, and by his successors removed and displaced if cause of his deserts shall require.' " " And that she the said Isabell, my wife, her heirs or assigns, shall and will yearly, and from time to time for ever, from and after the full end and expiration of the said estate and term of years, (viz. such interest and term of years as my Uncle George Foljambe, Esq. deceased, in his life time had of, and in the said Rectory of Attenburrough, with the appurtenances, as the bequest or grant of my Grandfather, Sir James Foljambe, Knt., deceased,) dispose, give, and pay the sum of 13/. 6s. 8d. from the revenues of the said Rectory of Attenburrough, and of other the said lands, tenements, and hereditaments in Ashover aforesaid, for and towards the finding of a School Master being sufficiently learned for the teaching and instructing of children within the town of Chesterfield aforesaid. And the same School Master to be from time to time allowed by the said Archbishop of York or his successors for the time being, and THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 251 by the same Archbishop and successors removed, and displaced, if cause of his deserts shall require." " And further that the said Isabell, her heirs and assigns, do pay from the said Rectory at Attenburrough, and the said lands and tenements at Ashover, Twenty Pounds a year to the Master and Fellows of Jesus College, Cambridge ; and Thirteen Pounds Six Shillings and Eightpence to the Master and Fellows of Magdalen College, Cambridge, and to and their successors for ever." '* And furthermore, that the said Isabell, her heirs and as- signs, shall and will yearly, and from time to time for ever, from and after the end and expiration of the said estate and term of years, dispose, give, and employ, ALL THE OVERPLUS AND RESIDUE of the revenues, effects and commodities of the said Rectory or Parsonage, and of the eaid lands, tenements, and hereditaments in Ashover aforesaid, over and above the said several sums of money, lymitted, or appointed to be paid by her as aforesaid, for and towards the relief of the Poor, Impotent, and Needy, for the time being inhabitinge within the several towns, villages, or hamlets, of Chesterfield, Brampton, and Wingerworth, or elsewhere within the parish of Chesterfield, at and by the view and over- sight of the Executors of this my last will and testament, and of the survivor or survivors of them. And after the death of all my said Ex- ecutors, then at and by the view and oversight of such person or persons, as for the time being, shall be owner or owners of my chief Mansion House called Walton, wherein I now dwell." " And I do hereby institute, name, and appoint, my said good Uncle Marmaduke Tyrwhitt, Esq., and my very good friends, Robert Hyde, of Northburie, in the County of Chester, Esq., and my said good servants Francis Gower, and Anthony Wagstaffe, to be my Ex- ecutors of this my last will and testament, desiring them on God's behalf to see the same truly executed, as my trust is in them. And for their pains therein to be taken, I give to every of them the sum of Ten Pounds, over and above such legacies as I have before by this my last will given to them or any of them. And I desire and require my said right wor- shipful good Cousin, John Manners, Esq., and my right worshipful friends Francis Beaumont, and Thomas P , two of the Justices of the Common Pleas at Westminster, to be surveyors of this my last will and testament, desiring them, and every of them, that they will of their goodness be assistants to my said Executors, and for their trouble therein, I give to every of them the sum of Ten Pounds." Isabell, the widow of the above Godfrey Foljambe, on August 27, in the 37th year of Queen Elizabeth, (i.e. 1595) conveyed to Mr. William Ireton, the Attenburrough and Ashover estates, paying no overplus as her husband had directed by his will. In consequence of this abuse and per- version of the will, the two Colleges at Cambridge, the churchwardens and overseers of the Poor, and corporation 252 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. of Chesterfield, joined in bringing an action against the Iretons, for the recovery of the estates : and on May 7, in the 9th of King James, (i.e. 1610), a decree was issued by the Lord Chancellor, directing the Iretons to relinquish the lands and tythes at Attenburrough and Chilcotes, to certain trustees therein named, which have been regularly supplied and continued to this time. The rectory of Attenborough, with the advowson of the vicarage, and all messuages, lands, &c., in Attenborough, Toton, Bramcote, and Chilwell, or elsewhere (to the uses and intent of the will of the said Godfrey Foljambe,) were conveyed to new trustees, by indentures of lease and re- lease, bearing date December 5 and 6, 1823, by Isaac Wil- kinson, Anthony Lax Maynard, James Hunloke, Joshua Jebb, Charles D. Gladwin, Adam Barker Slater, Esqrs., the Rev. Edward Heathcote, Bernard Lucas, and John Gorell Barnes, Esqrs., the then surviving feoffees; to the use of themselves and the Rev. Richard Burrow Turbutt, the owner of Walton Hall, the Rev. Thomas Hill, John. Charge, Robert Malkin, Henry Malkin, Esqrs., the Rev. Thomas Burton Lucas, Bernard Maynard Lucas, Edmund Gilling Maynard, and Godfrey Heathcote, Esqrs., and their heirs, upon the trusts declared in the will of the said God- frey Foljambe, and a decree in Chancery, November 28, 8th Jac. I. The following is the clear income derived from Foljambe's Attenborough charity. . s. d. The Rectorial tithes in Chilwell 116 14 The property belonging to the Rectory of Attenborough, consisting of a house and homestead, with three small cot- tages, and several closes of land, containing in the whole 12? 'a. Or. 8p. These premises, with the tithes arising thereon 186 39 a. 2r. 3&p. in lieu of tithes on new enclosures, at Bramcote. This allotment is included in the farm above- mentioned. Tithes of the residue of the old enclosures, including the payment of 71 and a quarter of oats are let to Mrs. Charlotte Longdon, of Bramcote, at 72 2 Tithes of Toton 60 434 16 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 253 Out of the clear income there is paid, . s. d. . s. d. To Jesus College, Cambridge 20 To Magdalen College, Cambridge 13 6 8 To the Master of the Grammar School, in Chesterfield 13 6 8 And to the Vicar, who is the present Lecturer, 40 86 13 4 Leaving a residue of. 348 2 8 After some deductions for land tax, chief rents, &c., the residue of the clear income is disposed of amongst the poor of the different townships comprised in the parish of Ches- terfield, and of the parishes of Wingerworth and Brampton. In an old book of accounts, the following scale for the division of the rents appropriated to the poor of the places above-mentioned, is entered as having been settled by Sir Peter Fretchville and John Bullock, in 1613 : To the poor of the Town of Chesterfield, one-half. To the poor of the parish of Brampton, one-sixth. To the poor of the parish of Wingerworth, one-twelfth. To the poor of other townships in the parish of Chesterfield, one quarter. The last-mentioned quarter amounted at that time to 15?. 2s. 3d., and was thus divided : . s. d. To Newbold 5 4 10 Brimington 1 15 11 Hasland and Tapton 3 10 3 Calow 1 4 Normanton 1 7 Walton 2 6 8 15 2 3 The trustees still adhere, as nearly as possible, to the same scale of division. In 1827, the sums appropriated to each place were as follow. . s. d. Township of Chesterfield 156 1 9 2 Parish of Brampton 53 19 8 Parish of Wingerworth 26 19 10 Township of Newbold 27 7 8 Township of Brimington 10 5 2 Township of Hasland 1313 3 Township of Tapton 5 5 8 Township of Calow 6 1 3 Township of Normanton ...., 511 Township of Walton 1215 8 318 18 4 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. For the application of the sum appropriated to the town- ship of Chesterfield, a list of poor persons who have not received weekly relief from the township within the pre- ceding twelve months, and who appear proper objects of charity, has usually been made out by the trustees, at a meeting held for the purpose at the workhouse. The number of the poor selected to receive this charity, is altered annually, according to circumstances ; but the same persons are generally continued from year to year, unless they become chargeable to the township, or for some other particular reason. ' The amount to be given to each poor person is affixed by the trustees opposite their respective names in the list above-mentioned. The sums vary from 5s. to 30s. The inmates of Taylor's and Rose's almshouses always receive 30s. each, and those of Large's 20s. each. The list is given to a person appointed by the trustees, who distributes the money accordingly amongst the poor at their own houses ; and for his trouble he receives an allow- ance of 21. 2s. The same mode of application appears to have prevailed for a great length of time, excepting that in former years larger sums, but never exceeding 21. 10s. were given to poor persons ; and that in one or two instances, a sum has been given without due consideration, to the public dispensary for the poor of Chesterfield, 2. Winchester's Charity. Theodosia Winchester, by deed-poll, bearing date Feb- ruary 1, 1737, granted to the Rev. William Burrough, and his executors, the sum of 20/. upon trust ; that he should, as soon as an opportunity offered, purchase therewith, hous- ing land or hereditaments, to be vested in trustees and their heirs, to be appointed by him, for securing and applying the yearly rents and profits thereof to the uses following, viz. ; to buy therewith bread, of the size of twopenny loaves, to be distributed on every September 21, amongst such poor widows and other persons, as should frequent the parish church of Chesterfield ; the said bread to be baked by her nephew, Humphrey Winchester, and his descendants, so THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 255 long as any of them should exercise the trade of a baker, and should be careful in the baking thereof: and she di- rected, that in the mean time, until such purchase should be made, the said sum of 20/. should be put out, and the interest applied for the uses before mentioned. By a memorandum endorsed on the above abstracted deed, bearing date October 29, 1757, the said William Burrough assigned the said sum of 20/. to the Rev. Samuel Pegge, and his heirs, in trust, for the uses above mentioned. By indenture, bearing date October 29, 1796, reciting the deed-poll of Theodosia Winchester, and the endorsement thereon, Samuel Pegge, Esquire, and Mary Pegge, widow, the executor and executrix of the Rev. Samuel Pegge, de- ceased, transferred to the Rev. George Bossley, John Bunting, and Thomas Nicholls, and their respective suc- cessors, vicars, and churchwardens of Chesterfield, the sum of 20/., with lawful interest thereon, secured upon the tolls of the turnpike road between Chesterfield and Matlock Bridge, with its branches, by deed-poll, bearing date Feb- ruary 2, 1761, and numbered 94, upon the trusts above declared. In the churchwardens' accounts, under the date of 1774, there is an entry, stating that the original sum of 201., de- scribed as Winchester's dole, was increased to 24/., by the addition of four years' interest to the principal, the tolls having- been inadequate to the payment of 51. per cent. And from another entry, under the date of 1783, the principal appears to have been increased in the same manner, to 31Z. 15s. Upon this sum interest is now paid at the rate of two and a half per cent., amounting to 15s. lie?., on account of the trustees of the turnpike road above-mentioned, at the bank of Messrs. Crompton and Co. 3. Hooper s Charity. Hannah Hooper, by her will, bearing date June 3, 1755, bequeathed 2,OOOJ. three per cent, consols, to her brother, Adam Slater, and his two eldest sons, in trust, that they and the trustees thereof for the time being, should apply the dividends thereof for or towards the maintenance of such six 256 THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. poor women, widows or maidens, of the age of fifty years or upwards, without any regard to their being either of the established church or protestant dissenters, who should have lived in, or have been parishioners of the parish of Chester- field seven years or upwards, successively, and who should not at any time have received alms of the said parish, as the said trustees should judge to be the most proper and de- serving objects, each of them to have an equal share of the said dividends j and she directed, that as often as a trustee should die, the survivors should, within three months after- wards, appoint another trustee in his room, and expressed her will that such nomination should be from among her own relations. As vacancies occur by death, other persons are nominated by the trustees. A regular account of the charity has been kept from the time of the death of the testatrix ; and the names of the pensioners are duly entered in this account. 4. Bagshaw's Charity. Elizabeth Bagshaw, by her will, proved March 30, 1802, bequeathed to John Holland, Isaac Wilkinson, and William Waller, and their successors, to be appointed in manner thereinafter mentioned, and to the rector or vicar of the parish church of Chesterfield, for the time being, and his successors, the sum of 2,OOOZ. three per cent, consolidated annuities, on trust, that they should yearly, on November 4, pay the dividends thereof to such poor decayed housekeepers, resident in the parish of Chesterfield, at the rate of twenty shillings a piece, as they in their discretion should think proper ; and to the intent that the said trust might be kept up to the number of four proper persons, she directed that the survivors of the said John Holland, Isaac Wilkinson, William Waller, and the vicar of Chesterfield, or the ex- ecutors or administrator of such survivor, should as often as one or more of the said trustees should die, appoint a fit person or persons to be named as trustee or trustees in the stead of the person or persons so dying, the rector or vicar of Chesterfield, for the time being, to be always one of the trustees; and she further directed, that upon every such new THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 257 appointment, the stock should be transferred, so as to be in- vested in the names of such survivors, and such new trustees, and so from time to time for ever. The sum of 1,880/., three per cent, consols, (the residue having been probably sold for the payment of the legacy duty,) now stands in the names of the Rev. Thomas Hill, the Rev. Robert Wallace, Henry Malkin, Esq., and Gilbert Crompton, Esq. Of the trustees appointed by the testatrix, two appear to have been dissenters from the established church, and in conformity with her selection, it is considered, that upon the death of any trustee who is a dissenter, another is to be ap- pointed in his place. The dividends are transmitted to the bank of Messrs. Crompton and Co,, and after deducting any sum which may be required for incidental expenses, the amount is divided into four parts, one of which is distributed personally by each trustee. These respective shares have been usually distributed in sums of I/, each, to poor decayed housekeepers, residing in the town of Chesterfield; though according- to the donor's will, the benefit of the charity may be extended to any part of the parish. A list of the persons receiving the charity, is entered in the book of accounts, now kept at Messrs. Crompton and Go's bank. 5. Gisborne's Charity. The Rev, Francis Gisborne, rector of Staveley, in his life time, (1818) transferred 16,167/. 13s, 4d. in three per cent, consols, to trustees, the dividends upon which were to be appropriated to the purchasing of coarse Yorkshire cloth and flannel, for the use and benefit of the poor in one hundred parishes or chapelries, in Derbyshire, as nominated in a trust deed. The Rev, Francis Gisborne died July 29, 1821, aged 89 ; and after certain bequests in his will, the residue is directed to be divided into three equal parts : one part for the use and benefit of the Derby Infirmary; another part for the Sheffield Infirmary; and the third part to be incorporated 258 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. with the 16,167/. 13s. 4d. invested in the three per cent, consols, for purchasing coarse Yorkshire cloth and flannel, for the use and benefit of the poor within the several parishes in which he had already made provision for such charity. Of this dividend, the trustees, who have the power of apportioning it at their option, have directed 71. 5s. to be annually paid to the parish of Chesterfield, and to each of fifty-nine other parishes ; 6/. 10s to twenty other parishes ; and 51. 10s. to twenty parishes or chapelries. The trust deed directs the cloth or flannel " to be dis- tributed at the discretion of the minister; or should he be prevented, by the churchwardens, who are requested to take upon themselves the trouble thereof." The original trustees were, The Honourable Philip Bouverie, Banker in London. The Archdeacon of Derby. The Vicar of Chesterfield. The Rev. Thomas Field, Master of the Free Grammar School, at Chesterfield. 6. Francis Heathcote's Charity for the Poor. Francis Heathcote, by his will, bearing date April 13, 1619, gave out of his lands, and mainly out of that house wherein Francis Webster dwelt, in the street called Knife- smith Gate, 3/. yearly, to the poor, to be distributed by the overseers, one half at Michaelmas, and the other half at Lady-day, immediately after the sermons which he had before directed should be preached on those days.* 7. Wood's Charity. Richard Wood, by his will, bearing date January 19, 1658, assigned a bond for 50/. and 10Z. in money, to be paid by his executrix ; and directed, that, for the better ensuring of it, it might be bestowed in land to the uses following : forty shillings per annum, to be paid to the vicar and his successors, for preaching two sermons yearly, on June 24, * See CHUHCH CHARITIES, No. 3, p. 24?, THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. 259 and January 1 ; but if they should fall on the sabbath, then upon the Monday following ; and the other twenty shillings to be given to poor housekeepers, not to common beggars, on every November 5. By indenture, bearing date April 18, 1782, reciting, that the close thereafter mentioned stood charged with the payment of the annual sum of forty shillings to the vicar of Chesterfield, and his successors, agreeably to the directions of the said Richard Wood ; Herbert Greensmith, in con- sideration of 201., conveyed to Bernard Lucas, Esq., and his heirs, a close in New bold, called the Privy Sick Close, containing la. Ir. free from all incumbrances, except the said annuity of forty shillings. Bernard Lucas, Esq. is still the owner of the Privy Sick Close in Newbold, containing la. lr., and pays an- nually the sum of forty shillings to the vicar of Chesterfield, for preaching the two sermons on the days prescribed by the donor ; but the Charity Commissioners could not obtain any information with respect to the yearly sum of twenty shil- lings, directed to be paid to the poor. It does not appear that the above-mentioned close was charged with the pay- ment ; and there seems to be no evidence, tending to show that any thing was ever received, on account of this branch of the charity. 8. Milnes's Charity. James Milnes, by his will, bearing date June 11, 1678, and proved at Lichfield, gave to the mayor, aldermen and burgesses of Chesterfield, and their successors, the sum of 201., the interest thereof to be paid yearly to the poorest people inhabiting within the borough of Chesterfield, such interest to be paid by the said mayor, aldermen and burgesses, to the overseers of the poor, to be distributed as aforesaid ; provided that if the said mayor, aldermen and burgesses, should thereafter raise a stock of money, and employ the same to set the poor people there on work, the said 20/. should be employed in that stock. Nothing is now known of this sum of 20/. It was probably absorbed in the funds of the corporation, when the Chamberlain's book contained one 260 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. general account of all the receipts and disbursements, except those of the Ashover rents. James Milnes also bequeathed to the poorest widows that should be inhabiting in a street called Mary Gate, in Chesterfield, from time to time for ever, the yearly sum of fifteen shillings, to be paid to them yearly, by sixpence apiece, on the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle, to be issuing and payable out of his house, situate in Chesterfield, by his executors, to whom he gave the said house during their lives, and that of the survivor, to receive the said an- nual rent, and to dispose thereof in manner aforesaid ; and after the deaths of all his executors, he gave the said house to John Milnes and Hugh Wheldon, and their heirs, and the heirs of the survivor, on trust, that they should pay the said yearly rent, and distribute it as aforesaid ; provided, that if there should not be so many poor widows dwelling in the said street to receive the said fifteen shillings yearly, by sixpence apiece, the surplusage should be paid to others of the poorest people dwelling in the said street : and the testator directed, that Elizabeth Elliott, her executors, ad- ministrators and assigns, should for ever thereafter hold and enjoy the said house at the aforesaid yearly rent of fifteen shillings, and that the same should not be raised at any time. The house alluded to, adjoins the house of Mrs. Graham ; and is stated to be vested in the devisees in trust under the will of the late Joseph Graham, Esq. The yearly sum of fifteen shillings is distributed at Christ- mas, in sixpences, amongst poor widows residing in Saint Mary's Gate. 9. GilVs Charity. Leonard Gill, by his will, bearing date August 20, 1742, gave 30/. to the town of Chesterfield. This sum of 30Z., as well as the like sum given by the same donor to the Free Grammar School, is in the hands of Adam Barker Slater, Esquire, a descendant of the donor ; and, as the interest thereof, he distributes thirty shillings annually amongst poor persons of the town of Chester- field. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 261 10. Charities of Ralph Naylor the Elder, and Ralph Naylor the Younger. It is stated on a tablet in the church, that Ralph Naylor gave 207., and his son, Ralph Naylor the younger, gave 40/., the yearly produce thereof to be given to poor house- keepers of the town of Chesterfield, on Good Friday, for ever. The sum of 607. appears to have been secured on the tolls of the road between Chesterfield and Matlock Bridge, with its branches, by bond, dated December 27, 1760, No. 90, and bearing lawful interest; which security was given to the Rev. William Wheeler, vicar, and to Godfrey Web- ster and Thomas Clarke, churchwardens : and endorsed thereon is a memorandum, that this money was left to the vicar and churchwardens of Chesterfield by the wills of Ralph and *' John" Naylor, in trust for the poor of Chester- field. There is an entry in the churchwardens' book, under the date of 1774, which states, that the principal sum was then increased to 72/. by the addition of four years' interest, the lolls having been inadequate to the payment of five per cent ; and in 1783 there is another entry, from which it appears that the principal was in a similar manner increased to 957. 85. Upon this sum, interest at the rate of 2| per cent, amounting to 21. 7s. Sd. per annum, is paid to the church- wardens, at the bank of Messrs. Crompton and Co., on account of the trustees of the turnpike road ; and the amount is disposed of in bread, on Good Friday, with the produce of Winchester's charities before mentioned. 11. Godfrey Heathcotes Charity. It is stated, on a tablet in the church, that Godfrey Heath- cote, who, it appears, died in 1773, gave into the hands of the then mayor, and the vicar, the sum of 60/. in trust, to be by them, and their successors, with the advice and assist- ance of the churchwardens and overseers, placed and con- tinued in the hands of three or more (not exceeding six) inferior tradesmen of the town of Chesterfield, that should 262 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. be thought most fit, and who should, with two sufficient sureties, give security for the same by bond or bill, payable at the end of twelve months, with interest at the rate of 2| per cent. ; but no such tradesmen to have the money longer than three years, if any other person equally fit should be desirous of having the same ; the security to be renewed at the end of every year, and the interest of the said money to be applied, twenty shillings thereof to the vicar and his successors yearly, for a lecture in the parish church in the evening of Christmas-day, and the residue thereof to the organist for the time being, and for providing candles for the chandeliers and sconces, and for singing an anthem proper for the day. "Of the sum of 60/., above-mentioned," say the Com- missioners, " two sums of 20/. are now lent out to different tradesmen within the town of Chesterfield, with interest at two and a half per cent. These loans are made under the directions of the mayor and vicar for the time being. The third sum of 207. is in the hands of Messrs. Crompton and Co., bankers, who pay interest for it at the rate of two and a half per cent., no application having been made for that sum since it was last paid in. The parties are generally permitted to keep the money for three years, and of the interest, twenty shillings is retained by the vicar, for preach- ing a sermon on the evening of Christmas-day, and ten shillings is paid to the organist." 12. Uleyate's Charity. Ann Dean Uleyate, by her will, bearing date June 19, 1802, and proved at Lichfield in the same year, in execution of certain powers given to her by the will of her mother, Juliana Champion, appointed to Charles Kinder and Ber- nard Lucas, their heirs, executors, &c., all her real and personal estate and effects, on trust, to sell the same, and pay her debts and certain legacies therein mentioned, and to place out the residue of the produce of the sale on go- vernment or other good securities : and she further appointed, that the said trustees and their successors, executors, ad- ministrators and assigns, should, after the decease of several annuitants named in her will, and as they should happen to THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 263 die, pay the whole of the yearly interest and dividends of the residue of the monies to be raised from the said estates, for ever thereafter, in payment of annuities of 51. to the subscription for the Sunday schools in Chesterfield, and of 10/., 157. or 201. apiece to such widows or unmarried women, living in or near to Chesterfield, of good character, of the church of England, being reduced in their circum- stances, but not receiving any pay or assistance from the parish to which they should belong, for such terms, at such times, and in such proportions, manner and form, as her trustees, &c. should, in their discretion direct or appoint : and in case any person, except the said Charles Kinder and Bernard Lucas, their heirs, executors, &c. should dispute the validity of any devise, bequest or appointment in her will contained, and obtain any verdict, judgment or decree for making void the same, she devised, bequeathed and appointed to the said Charles Kinder and Bernard Lucas, their heirs, executors, &c. all such parts of her real and personal estate, and of the monies to arise by sale thereof, as should be adjudged and decreed to be not legally and effectually devised, bequeathed and appointed, and such parts of her real and personal estates which she had not well and effectually devised, bequeathed and appointed, to the only use and benefit of the said Charles Kinder and Bernard Lucas, their heirs, executors, &c. for ever. It was stated to the Commissioners by Bernard Lucas, Esquire, the surviving executor, that the testatrix left no personal property, but that her real estates have been sold, and the produce thereof invested in the funds, and that there is now upwards of 6,000/. three per cent, consols aris- ing therefrom. It appears that no claim can be substantiated on behalf of the charity, the devise having been void under the statute of 9th of George II., cap. 36. 13. Strelley's Charity. Philip Strelley, Esq. citizen and goldsmith, of London, by his last will and testament, dated 1603, left the sum of twenty pounds per annum, issuing out of his lands in Ogarthorpe, in the parish of South Wingfield, in the county THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. of Derby, " for putting forth two apprentices in Derbyshire yearly, and towards making- a stock to begin their trades withal, when their apprenticeships should be expired." Apprentices in Chesterfield have frequently had this 107. voted to them. Application should be made in May, to the trustees of Strelley's charity, Goldsmiths' Hall, London. 14. Harding's Charity. Mary Harding, of Chesterfield, who died October 31, 1816, by will, datedMarch 11, 1816, left the sum of 100Z., to be applied by her executors for the benefit of the National school, at Chesterfield, which sum of 100Z. is invested in a mortgage on the tolls of the Chesterfield canal, No. 142. 15. Wilkinsons Charity. Joseph Wilkinson, Esq., of Gloucester Place, Portman Square, London, by his will, dated August 15, 1825, gave, after the decease of his wife, to the several treasurers for the time being of the following Institutions, and for the be- nevolent uses thereof, viz. to the dissenting chapel at Ches- terfield, of which Mr. Astley was formerly minister, two hundred pounds, the interest to be given annually to the poor of the congregation ; and to the school of industry in Chesterfield, one hundred pounds, the interest to be given annually towards its support. These bequests he desired might be paid out of certain monies in the funds ; or other of his personal property, within six months after his wife's decease. But if both his sons should die, without leaving any lawful issue to inherit, according to the intentions and conditions of his will, he directed that his trustees should pay into the hands of the treasurers for the time being of the following Institutions, and for the benevolent uses and intentions thereof, viz., [after mentioning various others,] to the dissenting chapel at Chesterfield, whereof Mr. Astley was formerly minister, three hundred pounds, the interest to be given annually to the poor of the congregation ; and to the school of industry at Chesterfield, two hundred pounds, the interest to be given annually to the benefit thereof. Mrs. "Wilkinson died, at an advanced age, January 6, in the present, year, (1838.) MISCELLANEOUS, MISCELLANEOUS. TRINITY CHURCH. WHILE this work has been passing through the press, a new church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, has been erected. There had long been a difficulty in procuring accommodation in the parish church, capacious as it is, owing to a want of economy in the distribution of the pews and sittings. Every one lamented this, and it was often made the subject of complaint ; but no step was taken, for the purpose of remedying so obvious an evil, till the erection of a new church within the borough was suggested by the pre- sent vicar. At first the suggestion was coldly received. As soon, however, as the necessary means were adopted for carrying it into effect, and the vicar announced his intention of contributing handsomely towards the endowment, sub- scriptions began to pour in on all sides, and the requisite sum was raised without difficulty. A grant of 500/. was obtained from the Diocesan Society: the remainder, leaving a considerable surplus for endowment, was raised wholly by voluntary subscriptions. Trinity Church is erected on a piece of ground, given by his Grace the Duke of Devonshire. It lies between the Sheffield and Newbold roads, and the east end almost faces the Grammar School. The first stone was laid by the Duke of Devonshire, May 17, 1837, on which occasion he was invited to a public breakfast with the committee. - After the repast, his Grace, with the magistrates, clergy, and gentry of the town and county, retired from the breakfast room ; and joining the processien, the whole line moved forward to the site, in Newbold road, along High Street, New Street, Cavendish Street, and Holy we! I Street, every window in which was filled with spectators. The order and regularity observed in marshalling the pro- cession were most admirable ; and the credit of the entire ar- rangement was due to the active and indefatigable exertions of E. T. Coke, Esq., of Brimington Hall. After a psalm had been sung, the Manchester Independent Order of Odd 268 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. Fellows placed the silver trowel,* which they had borne in the procession, in the hands of the Rev. A. Poole, secretary to the committee ; and that gentleman presented it to *the Duke, with an appropriate address, to which the Duke made a suitable reply, expressive of his feelings of gratitude for such a mark of respect. The Duke then proceeded to lay the foundation stone, with the usual ceremonies, the band playing "God save the King." The inscription plate, and a glass vessel, hermetically sealed, containing copies of the Derbyshire Courier and Chronicle newspapers, in which had been inserted the programme of the procession, together with a few coins of the reign of William IV., were safely imbedded in an excavation made for the purpose ; and the mortar being- placed under the stone, it was lowered and adjusted in its destined position. The Duke then struck it with a mallet, afterwards testing its accuracy by the application of appro- priate instruments, handed to him for that purpose, by Mr. Johnson, the architect. Deafening and protracted cheers proclaimed the completion of this part of the interesting- ceremony. The following are a copy and translation of the inscription engraved on the plate : INSCRIPTIO. Hujusce Fani, Quod in honorem Sanctissimae Trinitatis Parochiae Chesterfieldiensis incolae, Multis aliis subsidia ferentibus, Sua sponte impensaque sedificari curaverunt, Illustrissimus Princeps Gulielmus Spencer Dux Devoniensis, Marchio de Hartington, Nobilissimi ordinis Periscelidis Eques, Comitatus Derbiensis Prsefectus, Etc. Etc. Etc. Fundamina feliciter posuit, Decimo sexto Kal. Jun. A. D. MDCCCXXXVII. Et Regni Gulielmi Quarti septimo. Thomas Johnson, Architectus. * The trowel (of silver) was manufactured by Messrs. J. and W. Machon and Co., of Sheffield, and bore the following inscription, in beautifully engraved characters. " Presented to The Most Noble WILLIAM SPENCER, Duke of Devonshire, K. G., Lord Lieutenant of the County of Derby, &c. &c. &c., on occasion of the ceremony of laying flic First Stone of the Church of the Holy Trinity, in the Parish of Chesterfield, May I/, IS37. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 269 INSCRIPTION. The first stone of this Church, Dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Which the inhabitants of Chesterfield, Aided by the contributions of many others, Have caused to be erected by voluntary subscription, Was happily laid by The Most Noble William Spencer, Duke of Devonshire, Marquis of Hartington, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Derby, Etc. Etc. Etc. The 17th day of May, in the year of our Lord, 1837. And in the seventh year of the reign of King William IV, Thomas Johnson, Architect. The Vcn. Archdeacon Hodgson then, in a distinct and im- pressive manner, offered up a prayer ; after which the Duke of Devonshire delivered an address to the assembled mul- titude, which was heard with the most marked attention. The Rev. T. Hill next spoke; and the reverend gentleman's address, which was impressively and emphatically delivered, was listened to with the deepest interest, and was repeatedly interrupted by enthusiastic cheers. The following hymn, composed for the occasion by C. J.Vaughan, Esq., of Trinity College, Cambridge, was then sung by the choir. LORD, whose temple once did glisten, With a monarch's rich supplies, To our humbler praises listen, Bless our willing sacrifice ! Be our votive offering, given To the Father and the Son, Sweeter in the sight of heaven, Than the scents of Lebanon ! Clouds and darkness veil'd thy dwelling, In thine earthly house of old, Though the hymn of praise was swelling, 'Mid the pomp of Ophir's gold : Here thy love our hearts shall brighten, Hence, ye earth-born clouds, away ! Here thy Spirit shall enlighten, Shining to the perfect day ! Hither, on the Sabbath morning, Guide us on our " church-way path;" Here, O Lord, in life's first dawning, Sprinkle every child of wrath ; Here, around thine altar bending, Feed us with the living bread ! Here, to wait their Lord's descending, Hallow'd earth, receive the dead ! 270 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. When our Israel's sore transgression, Stops the windows of the sky, When we sink beneath oppression, When we see our thousands die ; Father, when we here adore Thee, In thy house our prayer receive ; When we spread our hands before Thee, Here behold us, and forgive ! On the conclusion of the hymn, the Archdeacon of Derby pronounced the accustomed benediction, when three times three long- and hearty cheers were severally given, in honour of the noble Duke, and the worthy Vicar of Chesterfield ; and the procession returned from the site, in reverse order, to the town. It is intended to consolidate the parts of Chesterfield, Newbold, and Tapton, surrounding the church, for the pur- pose of forming a new ecclesiastical district, under the 6th section of 59th George III. The trustees, in whom the right of presentation to Trinity Church is vested, are, the Rev. Thomas Hill, B.D., Vicar of Chesterfield; the Rev. Philip Gell, M.A., minister of St. John's, Derby; and the Rev. Anthony Auriol Barker, M. A., minister of Baslow, Derbyshire. RIVERS. THE river Ibber, or Hipper, is said to be so called from the old British language, in which ibber meant to ebb and flow. It is chiefly composed of the Somersall brook, which rises in the mountainous district of Holymoor-side, and is increased by various rivulets, which flow from the moorlands that en- close its spring, through a part of Walton, to Brampton ; and after receiving the Holme, or Linacre water, at the Forge, it assumes the name of Hipper, runs close by the south side of the town, and joins the Rother on the south east. The river Rother is said by Baxter to have derived its name from the British Yr Odor, The Boundary, for the reason already assigned at page 5. Others, however, suppose the word Rother to have come from Ritd-whr, Red Water ; pro- THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 269 bably from its being impregnated with iron, in some parts of its channel or bed. ' Bowery Scarsdale loves and boasts The purple distance of her Alpine views, While Rother, loveliest vagrant, roves below." This river, which runs by the east end of the town of Chesterfield, takes its rise from a spring, or well, (called Rother-spring,) in the village of Pilsley; it then runs to Padley-wood, by Northwingfield church, joins the Hipper at Chesterfield, and falls into the canal, which it passes on its course ; then taking a north-easterly direction it enters Yorkshire, between Killamarsh and Beighton, and passing by Rotherham, falls at length into the Don. STREETS. FROM an ancient deed, it appears that Lord's-mill Street was called St. Mary's Gate as late as 1711. It is said to have derived its present name from a milling machine, erected near the bridge, by a person of the name of Lord, for the purpose of milling coarse cloths, so much in use during the late wars. St. Mary's Gate,* which is a continuation of Lord's- * At the north end of St. Mary's Gate, and opposite the east window of the church, stands an old family mansion of the Heathcotes, now in the occupation of Mr. Atkinson. The ancient and respectable family of Heathcote have held property in Chesterfield since the reign of Edward IV. when they were engaged in mercantile concerns. In 1584, we find Godfrey Heathcote, constable, and in 1594, alderman of Chesterfield. In 1594, William Heathcote was chamberlain, and Ralph and George were burgesses. In 1598, Godfrey and Thomas Heathcote were elected aldermen. In 1599, George, Francis and Thomas Heathcote (tanner) were elected burgesses. In 1600, Godfrey accounts for the expenses of his mayoralty. In 1602-3, Thomas accounts for the same, when Francis Heathcote was chamberlain. In 1606, John Heathcote (tanner) was elected a burgess, and the fol- lowing year chamberlain. In 1607, Godfrey was mayor, and Francis constable. In 1609, Francis was elected a burgess. In this year Thomas Heathcote presented the Corporation with a gilt cup for his disfranchisement, on account of imperfection of body, and impedi- ment of sight. In 1610-11, William was chamberlain, and Godfrey Heathcote (ironmonger) was elected a burgess. In 161 1, Godfrey Heathcote was mayor for part of that year. In 1612, Francis was elected one of the six brethren. In 1616, Godfrey was mayor and Gil- bert constable. In 1617, George was sworn a burgess. In 1619, Gilbert was common councilman; in 1621, capital burgess; and in 1623, chamberlain. In 1620, Godfrey was alderman, George and Gilbert were capital burgesses, and Thomas, (tanner), common burgess. In 1622, Ralph was elected a burgess, and he paid no fine, being the eldest son. In 1624, Godfrey was mayor and Gilbert chamberlain." In 1625, William and 272 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. mill Street, is probably so called from being- the gate, or way, which led to the ancient church, dedicated to that Saint ; and built upon the same spot on which the church of All Saints now stands. James Heathcote were sworn burgesses, being both eldest sons. In 1630, William was chamberlain. Inl632, Godfrey was mayor, and Ralph chamberlain. In 1635, William was elected a capital burgess. Gilbert Heathcote, alderman and thrice mayor of Chesterfield, (who died April 24, 1690, aged 65,) married Anne, daughter of Thomas Dickens, Esq., and had issue eight sons and one daughter. Thomas and Elizabeth died infants. Gilbert, the eldest son, was one of the projectors and founders of the Bank of England, and sometime alderman and Lord- mayor of the city of London; in 1711, knighted by Queen Anne; created a baronet 5th of George II., January 17, 1732-3; died January 25, 1732-3, aged 82 ; and was buried at Nor- manton, in Rutlandshire. He was a benefactor to Chesterfield, and had issue, by Hester, his wife, the daughter of Christopher Rayner, of London, merchant, Sir John, his suc- cessor, ancestor of the present Sir Gilbert Heathcote, of Normanton, in Rutlandshire, bait, and two daughters. John, the second, Josiah, the fourth, William the fifth, and George, the seventh, sons of Gilbert, the alderman, were merchants, and benefactors to their native town of Chesterfield. Samuel, the third son, realized a fortune at Dantzic, and died November 13, 1708. He married, and had issue four sons and two daughters. His eldest son, William, was member of parliament for Buckinghamshire ; created a baronet in 1733; and married, in 1720, Elizabeth, only daughter of Thomas Parker, Earl of Mac- clesfield, Lord High Chancellor of England, by whom he had issue six sons and three daughters. His eldest son, Sir Thomas Heathcote, bart., was ancestor of the present Sir William Heathcote, of Hursley Park, bart., M. P. for North Hampshire. Rauffe Heathcote, married Helen Tompson, and had issue William, Thomas, Row- land, George, Ralph, Christian, Joan, Ann, and Margaret. George Heathcote, the fourth son, by Margaret, his wife, had Ralph, two others not named, George, John, Alice, Mary, Thomas and William. Ralph Heathcote, the eldest, had Godfrey, George, Thomas (who had a son Francis,) and Francis, (who had a daughter Dorothy). Godfrey Heathcote, of Chesterfield, was thrice married : viz. to Frances Crashaw, Anne Allen, and Anne , by the last named Anne he had issue : viz. Francis, Anne, and Ralph Heathcote, rector of Staveley, who married istKatherine, bywhom he had Dorothy and Godfrey, who by Mary, his wife, had Frances, Maria, Godfrey and another. The Rector of Staveley, by his second wife, Mary Brailsford, had an only son, Ralph, who was three times married ; first, to Grace Bateman ; secondly, to Abigail Hall ; and, thirdly, to Ann Branker, and had by the two last no issue. By the first wife, Grace, he had Ralph Heathcote, rector of Morton, in this county. He married Elizabeth West, and by her had eight children : viz. Grace, Ralph, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Godfrey, Abigail, George and Edward. His eldest son, Ralph, was rector of Morton, and vicar of Sileby, in Leicestershire ; married Mary, eldest daughter of the Rev. Simon Ockley, Professor of Arabic, in the University of Cambridge, and by her had a numerous family. His eldest son, Ralph Heathcote, D.D., (a writer of some eminence,) was a prebend of Southwell, rector of Sawtry, in the county of Huntingdon, and vicar of Sileby, in Leicestershire ; married Margaret Mompesson, and by her had two sons, Ralph and Godfrey. Ralph was for some years minister plenipotentiary at Hesse Cassel, and Cologne, and married a German lady. By her he had one son Ralph, now residing in Germany. Godfrey, younger son of the first rector of Morton, was an eminent attorney at Chesterfield, and for many years Clerk of the Peace for the county of Derby. He died in 1773, without surviving issue. The Rev. Edward Heathcote, of East Bridgeford, county of Nottingham, died in 1800; the fourth son of Ralph, married Katherine, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Robert Hacker, of East Bridgeford, Esq., and had issue Robert, Ralph, Katherine, Charles, Mary, Elizabeth, Edward, (who has issue,) Robert, Dorothy, Godfrey, Ralph, Godfrey, Anne, Rowland and Arabella. A family of Heathcote had been some time resident at Brampton, in 1614, when they purchased Cutthorpe, in that parish. The immediate descendant and representative of this family is the Rev. Cornelius Heathcote Reaston Rodes, of Barlborough hall. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 273 Holy-well Street,* derives its name from a well, called the Holy-well, at the Grammar School, which was built on the site of the Chapel of St. Helen. Potters' Lane, often corruptly pronounced Pothouse lane, forms the boundary of the borough on the west. In this lane formerly stood some potteries, erected for the manu- facture of brown earthenware. They were supplied with coal from Alfreton, on pack-horses ; but the supply happen- ing once to be exhausted, some was procured from about three hundred yards' distance, called Townend coal, and it was found to answer the purpose better than the Alfreton coal. From that time the manufacture of brown earthen- ware has been one of the staple trades of the neigh- bourhood. The street leading from the south west corner of the New Square to the bridge across Holme-brook, which forms the boundary of the borough towards Little Brampton, is called West Bars, The origin of this name is doubtful. It is said, by some of the older inhabitants, that two large rude wood posts, formerly stood on opposite sides of this road. Two such posts were dug up a few years ago, and it has been thought, that there was formerly a bar, or gate, extending across the way, for the purpose of preventing the cattle from straying into the town, before the land on the western side of the borough was enclosed; and when the open space, now called the New Square, had the less dig- nified appellation of Swine's Green, and was covered with a rich herbage. In an old Sheffield charter, mention is made of land extra barram de Sheffield. *' This may imply," says the Rev. Joseph Hunter, " that small wickets were * In this Street was situated the mansion of the Durants, called Durant Hall ; on the site of which, the house, lately purchased by the Duke of Devonshire, from Adam Barker Slater, Esq., and now in the occupation of Gilbert Crotnpton, Esq., was erected. The ancient family of Durant became extinct about the year 1600. The heiress married Alsop. Durant Hall afterwards passed into tke family of Taylor. The heiress of this family mar- ried Sir Charles Skrymsher, or Scrimshire, about the middle of the seventeenth century. George Taylor, Esq., who was residing at Durant Hall, A. D. 1668, left " eight shillings yearly towards the repair of ye causey betwixt Durant Hall and the church of Chesterfield, -and from the said house to the market place." He was also the founder of the Alms'- houses in Salter Gate, in the centre of which is the following inscription. " In observance of the last will of George Taylor, Esquire, -of Durrant Hall, Charles Scrimshire, of Norbury, in Staffordshire, Esquire, who married Esther his sole daughter, built and endowed these six Amis-houses, Anno Domini, 1678. T S G E Memoria Justorum Benedictione." C 36 274 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. erected at the principal avenues to the town, for the pur- pose of collecting tell from strangers resorting to the market. The memory of these seems to be perpetuated in the name of one of our streets, the West Bar."* The name of West Bars at Chesterfield may have had a similar origin. The ground which Soresby Street now occupies, was formerly the garden and pleasure ground of Soresby Hall, belonging to the family of that name/f- P ackers' Row is commonly said to have acquired its name from the circumstance of a person who manufactured pack- saddles, formerly so much in use, residing in the shop oc- cupied by the late Mr. Plant, patten maker. Another de- rivation has already been given, in page 165 of this work. But may not Packers' Row be a corruption of Packhorse Roiv, and have been so denominated on account of the trains of packhorses, which formerly passed this way, in conveying goods northward and southward I There is a tradition, that Bcetwell Street was so called from a family of that name, which resided in a large ancient stone building, now occupied partly as a workshop by Mr. Eyre, cabinet maker, at the west end of the street, near the Bowling Green, and called Beetwell Hall. But as the instru- ment used in brewing, which is nowealled bjsomeabetony, and by others an underbeck, formerly had the name of a betewell or betwell, (which it still retains in some parts of the king- dom,) it is not improbable that the hall in question was erected by some person, who carried on the manufacture of these articles ; and that it had this name given to it, not by the proprietor himself, but by the inhabitants of the town, as a sort of nickname. This street is also known by the vulgar name of Ratten Row, and is said to have been so called from the large quantity of rats which infested this part of the town, owing to its nearness to the river Hipper. Knifesmilh Gate was the street in which the manufac- * Hallamshire, p. 27. t William Soresby, of Chesterfield, Esq., who married Helen, only daughter, and heiress of William Wright, of Unthank, gent., died in the year 1/49. His second son, and heir, Adam Soresby, married Dorothy, daughter and heiress of William Holmes, of Derby, gent. William, eldest son and heir of Adam Soresby, died without issue, May 31, 1760. His sister, Mary, married William Milnes, of Aldercar; and the family is connected, by marriage, with the families of Pegge Burnell, of Beauchief Abbey and Winkbourn, and Cell, of Hopton. '' : THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. ture of knives was carried on, before Sheffield had engrossed that branch of trade to itself. Glueman Gate appears to have been the seat of a glue manufactory, when the country about Chesterfield consisted principally of open pasture land ; and the park at Walton afforded a regular supply of skins for the manufacture of that useful article. Salter Gate,* which lies to the north of Glueman Gate, and passes it tit right angles, was probably occupied by persons, who were engaged in curing the carcases of slaugh- tered animals, for distant markets, when those stringent regulations,-)- respecting butchers and victuallers, of which a copy has already been given at page 40, were in full force ; and when a Master Butcher was appointed by the corpo- ration, whose duty it was to inspect the meat brought to the market. A bye-law formerly existed, by which every butcher who killed a bull in the shambles, was compelled to bait the bull in the market-place, or pay a fine of 3s. \d. Between fifty and sixty years ago 'there were bulls baited almost every week, few butchers choosing to pay the fine. The bull-ring, fixed in a large stone, still remains in the market-place ; and is said to have been placed there very many years ago. The fine has long been discontinued, no butcher now living having ever paid it. The law of baiting was intended to inform the inhabitants, which of the butchers killed bull beef. The derivations of the names given to the other principal streets, as High Street, Burlington Street, Cavendish Street, and South Street, are too obvious to stand in need of ex- planation. SHAMBLES. The Shambles are cruciform, consisting of narrow pas- sages, which intersect, at right angles, a large square plot of ground, covered with houses, and other buildings. One * Some write this name Psalter Oate, and say, that it was customary, before the time of the Reformation, for the Priests to chaunt the Psalter along this street, in their reli- gious processions. t The regulations here alluded to arc dated 1714-15 ; but they arc probably only a copy of others, which were in existence long before that time. <) Vide p. 34. 276 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD, of these passages runs from east to west, and three from north to south. Of the latter, one is now called Irongate. This name is said to have been revived, from the circum- stance of its being found in ancient writings. But it is not improbable that Trongate was the original name of this passage, or alley, from trona or iron, an old word, signi- fying a beam used for the purpose of weighing ; and that Trongate has, in process of time, been corrupted into Iron- gate. East of Irongate, and parallel to it, is a passage, near the upper end of which stands a very ancient oak building, said to have formerly belonged to the Knights Templars. This, as well as all the older part of the Shambles, is composed principally of oak, some of which is curiously carved, and thought to be of Saxon origin. The other two passages are not distinguished by anything re- markable. DANE'S OR DANES' YARD. AT the foot of Lord's-mill bridge, fronting Mr. Dixon's house, is a plot of ground called the Danes' Yard, where the earth is raised to a considerable height. From its form it appears to have been the work of human labour. Tradition says, that a battle was fought here, by the invading Danes, against the Anglo-Saxons: and it is not improbable that such a circumstance did happen ; for we find, about the year 874, that the Danes entered Mercia, in which they took up their winter quarters; and that in 887 it was nearly overrun, and a great part of it ravaged by fire and sword. This accounts for the origin of the name. The ground may have been elevated for the burial of the dead, slain in battle, called by the Saxons beorjinj or bunpnj, that is, concealing their dead ; or it may have been formed by them, as a fortification against their enemies, as such a situation would guard the entrance into the town. BURIAL PLACE OF MAHONE. IN an enclosure near the House of Correction, called the Workhouse Meadow, are interred the remains of Michael THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 277 Solomon, a Jew, (called Mahone), who died in 1792, after having been employed for many years as a waiter at the Angel Inn, in this town. This man was a thoroughly con- scientious and devout professor of the religion of Abraham and Moses. He was in the regular habit of retiring to his attic at six o'clock every Friday evening, and not making his appearance again till the same hour on the day following. This must have been attended with no trifling inconvenience to his employer, who was an inn-keeper ; and therefore less able to dispense with his services on a market day than any other day in the week. But Mahone made ample amends for his temporary absence, by increased activity and vigi- lance on his return : and having been allowed to pass his own sabbath according to the custom of his forefathers, he was always glad to set the other servants and domestics at liberty, that they might spend theirs in an attendance upon Christian worship, on the Sunday. This poor fellow died, as we have already stated, in 1792 ; and was buried, in the workhouse meadow, at his own request. Over his remains is laid a neat stone slab, containing the following inscription. Michael Solomon, A Jew, (Faithful servant at the Angel Inn,* Chesterfield, for upwards of thirty years,) was here interred at his own request, October 23rd, 1792, Aged 75 years. This stone was erected by his Friends to his memory. To mark the place of his interment, two poplar trees were planted, one at his head, and the other at his feet. They had grown to a surprising height ; but in 1833, being considered injurious to a garden adjoining, were taken down. On their removal, a strong feeling of regret was expressed by some of those who recollected Mahone. " I should hardly care," said Pope, " to have an old post pulled up that I remembered even since I was a child." * Tliis house is situated at the top of the Market Place, and is now occupied by Mr. George Barker, grocer. 278 ANCIENT SEAL. THE late Dr. Jonathan Rogers Stokes, in the year 1799, found a curious seal on the banks of the Rother, near the Broad-Oaks, after a flood ; of which, about the beginning of the present century, he sent an account to the Gentleman's Magazine, accompanied by a drawing. We have not been able to procure the number of the Magazine which contains the description of this seal; but having been kindly furnished with a copy of this description by Bernard Lucas, Esq., we shall transfer it to our pages, together with a representation of the seal, for our ability to supply which we are indebted to the Rev. Richard Astley, of Shrewsbury, who made a casting from it, at the time that it was found. Chesterfield, January 4th. Mr. Urban, I send you a drawing of a seal, (fig. 5.) which I found in a field at the south end of this town, in the beginning of March, 1799, lying on the bank of a small brook, the sides of which a late flood had broken down. It is of lead, and a white colour, in consequence of being corroded either by the air, water, or vegetable acids. The letters are filled up with earth, and I read them *fc % DIOT6 VXORIS ftDe, Siff ilium Diotee Uxoris Ada: The Seal ofDiota the Wife of Ada. Diot, or, as now spelt, Dyot or Dyott, as in your General Index of Names, p. 72, was probably the maiden name of the lady ; and Ada, or Ade, now spelt Adee and Adey, as in your General Index, ib., p. 2, the name of her husband. This mode of mentioning women by their maiden name is still retained in Scotland. I have carefully examined all the accounts of ancient seals in your Magazine, but do not recollect any belonging to females. On the other side of the seal, which is rather concave, there is exactly behind the cross, a small projecting piece of lead, for the shape of which see your Vol. 56., p. 375., Plate ii., Fig. 2 C., which resembles mine, excepting that it has a hole in it. JONATHAN ROGERS STOKES. The editor of the Gentleman s Magazine subjoins, in a THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 279 note, " Diota is the Christian name of the wife of Adam, whose surname is omitted."* Before the Conquest, the inhabitants of this country did not seal written documents with wax, but only made a golden cross on the parchment. Sometimes they made an impression on a piece of lead, which was appended, by a silken string-, to a grant, and was reckoned sufficient to give validity to it, without either the signature of the grantor, or the attestation of witnesses. It is probable that the seal found at the Broad-Oaks was one of this kind ; and if so, a presumption arises, that it was attached to a grant or conveyance of pro- perty, which Diota had possessed in her own right. Among the Saxons, estates were of two kinds, allodial and feudal. Those of the former description were called boc-lanb ; those of the latter polc-lanb. Boc-lanb, which included the es- tates of the nobler class, was held in absolute property, and conveyed by deed in writing. Folc-lanb was the land pos- sessed by people of inferior condition, who, having no right of property, but holding their possessions merely as tenants, for payment of rent or services, did not obtain any written title for ascertaining their rights. Du Chesne says that no one beneath the dignity of a knight was allowed to use a pendant seal, which was called authenticum. Hence it may be inferred, that Diota was an heiress, and a lady of dis- tinction : but when she lived is altogether uncertain. It may admit of doubt, however, whether this lady's name was Diota. The slightest indentation or scratch, in the matrix of the letter C, would be sufficient to convert it into an O ; and if DICT6 be the true reading, the legend will run as follows. Sigillum dictce uxoris AdtB. The seal of the said wife of Adam. The inscription, read thus, implies that the seal was appended to some written instru- ment, of the nature of a marriage settlement, will, or deed of gift, from a wife to her^husband. The Rev. Joseph Hunter alludes to this seal, and de- scribes it as " presenting a fleur de lis rudely shaped, and this inscription round it, % S. DIOTE VXORIS ADE;" and as being the seal of a member of the family of Peter Fitz Adam, one of six witnesses, who attested the charter * The genitive of Adam is commonly written Ada by Latin authors. 280 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. of the Hospital of St. Leonard, at Sheffield. This hospital was founded by William de Lovetot, whose family became extinct at Sheffield as early as the reign of Henry II. "The Fitz Adams seem to have lived at Staveley," says Mr. Hunter; " for in the Harl. MS. 1808., f. 18. b., is a very old draft of arms, which are said to be ' Arma Aden de Stavelay.' They are like those on the seal, barry of eight gules and argent, a fleur de Us sable." * DUCKING STOOL. In the recollection of some of the present inhabitants of Chesterfield, there was a cucking-stool, or ducking-stool, at the Silk-Mill Dam. As many of our readers will probably be ignorant of the nature of this instrument, we borrow the following description of it from the Penny Magazine for September, 1837, Lord Chief Baron Comyns says in his Digest of the Law : " The tumbrel, or trebuchet, is an instrument for the punishment of women that scold or are unquiet, now called a cucking-stool." It was decided in the Court of King's Bench in the time of Elizabeth that the pillory and tumbrel ought to be provided by the lord of each liberty. In Manning and Bray's Surrey, vol. i., p. 343, the cucking-stool is thus described : " A post was set up in a pond : across this post was placed a transverse beam, turning on a swivel with a chair at one end, in which, when the culprit was properly placed, that end was turned to the pond and let into the water ; and this was repeated as often as the virulence of the distemper required." In the town accounts of Kingston- on-Thames in 1672, are charges for making a cucking-stool: Making a cucking-stool 8 Iron- work for the same 3 Timber for the same 7 6 Three brasses for the same and three wheels .. . 4 10 1 3 4 And Mr. Lysons observes that it must have been frequently used, as he finds several entries of money for its repair. In the third of Gay's Pastorals (The Shepherd's Week) the heroine Sparabilla, who contem- plates suicide, says : " I'll speed me to the pond, where the high stool On the long plank hangs o'er the muddy pool ; i That stool the dread of every scolding quean." * Hallamshrre. p. 27. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 281 And in West's Poems, published in 1780, the use of this stool is thus described: " Down in the deep the stool descends, But here, at first, we miss our ends, She mounts again and rages more, Than ever vixen did before ; So throwing water on the fire, Will make it burn up but the higher 5 If so, my friends, pray let her take A second turn into the lake ; And rather than your patient lose, Thrice and again repeat the dose ; No brawling wives, no furious wenches, No fire so hot but water quenches." The last instance upon record of a person indicted for a scold was Mrs. Foxby, who was convicted at the Maidstone sessions in the year 1705. But it appears by a letter, published in the Gentleman's Maga- zine in 1803, from Mr. Neeld to Dr. Le.ttsom, giving an account of the prisons in Liverpool, that the cucking, or ducking-stool, was not abolished there till after the year 1776, where it was the custom to use it on a woman's first admission to the House of Correction. It was formerly the punishment in almost every country town in Cheshire and Lancashire for scolds and brawling women, and called a choaking-stool. In the same letter we find " that within the memory of persons now living a cucking-stool was at the great reservoir in the Green Park." The Ducking-stool in the Silk-Mill Dam at Chesterfield was taken down a few years ago. PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. These may be classed under three heads, The Drama, the Races, and Assemblies. In Chesterfield, as well as most other large towns, a very visible falling off has taken place in the Drama during the last few years, whether from a change of habit and education, or from the altered taste of the times, it is not our province here to inquire. The Theatre, which is a plain brick building, in a yard or court at the bottom of the Market Place, is rented by Mr. Manly, and is the pro- perty of the corporation. The interior of the building is neat, and some years since was crowded every night, dur- ing the season, with the gentry of the town and neighbour- 37 282 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. hood. Mr. Manly's company attends regularly about the months of September and October. The Races, which are generally held about the latter end of September, have met with very unequal support of late years, although they are patronised by his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, and many of the leading gentlemen of the neighbourhood. The race course is on Whittington Common, about a mile from the town ; and at the annual meetings is much frequented by the mechanics of Sheffield. In 1830, the old race stand was taken down, and in the same year the present commodious one erected by subscription. It is a plain stone building, upon the principle of the Don- caster race stand, " si parva licet componere magnis." Sir Walter Scott makes some curious allusions to Ches- terfield races, in his Peveril of the Peak. They were certainly established before the end of the seventeenth cen- tury ; but the first regular account of them, which we have been able to meet with, is in Ghent's list of horse races, and is as follows. On June 14, 1727, a 40/. plate, given by the Right Honourable the Earl of Scarsdale, was run for ; the following horses were entered. Mr. Beighton's c. g. Tory 1 1 3 Mr. Simpson's b. h. Button Jack 2 2 1 Mr. Froggatt's c. g. Have-at-att 3 3 2 Mr. Milnes's b. m. Chance. . distanced On the same course, the following day, a purse of ten guineas was run for by galloways, the highest give and take. hands inches Mr. Froggatt's b. g. DicJcey ... 13 if 1 1 Mr. Bell's g. m. Painted Lady 13 Oi 2 2 Mr. Northall's g. m. Chance . . 13 0* 3 distanced. There was a third plate advertised at this place, but it was not run for. These prizes are not established for any years to come, but it is be- lieved they will be continued. The first day's plate for 6 years' old, is the gift of the Right Honourable the Earl of Scarsdale, (Sutton Hall) who has been pleased annually, for ten or twelve years past, to make a present of such a plate as this to the town of Chesterfield. On the same course, ahout a month after these plates were run for, Mr. Bright's b. g. beat Mr. Milnes's b. m. Chance, ten stone, four miles for ten guineas. On July 7, 1723, a 40/. plate was run for at Chesterfield, for 6 years' THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 283 old, carrying ten stone ; stakes for the second best. This prize was won by Mr. Herbert's h. Smiling Tom 1 2 3 Mr. Hawkin's g. m. Miss Crook 1 2 1 Mr. Heneage's ch. g. Poor Robin distanced Mr. Hare's b. h. Sly Billy ... distanced In running the first of these heats, Poor Robin's rider fell off, which was the cause of his being distanced ; and in the third heat Miss Crook run against a post, beat it down, and was also distanced, notwithstand- ing which she was allowed the stakes. On the same course, the following day, a purse of ten guineas was run for by galloways, 8 stone : the highest give and take. Mr. Unthank's ch. m. Weasel 1 Mr. Froggatt's g. h 2 Mr. Broomhead's b. g. Constant Billy distanced On the 19th, on the same course, a twenty guineas' purse was run for, free only for 5 years' old : weight, 10 stone : one heat. Mr. Bagshaw's 1 Mr. Hare's b. m. Bouncing Nell 2 Sir John Astley's ch. h. Highland Laddie distanced Mr. Fane's dun. g. Favourite Mr. Stevenson's g. m. Diana Mr. Wilkinson's g. g. Partner Mr. Clay's ch. h. Marlin-Skip-Jack To enter for all three on the 12th ditto ; the prizes of all three neither advertised. Assemblies were formerly held at the Angel Inn, during the winter season, and were well attended by the nobility and gentry. Commercial assemblies were also held at the same place; but both have been discontinued for some years. An assembly is held on the first race-night, at which a hand- some cold collation is provided, at the expense of his Grace the Duke of Devonshire. SUMMARY OF FACTS AND EVENTS. The following chronological table, though necessarily imperfect, contains a brief summary of the facts and events recorded in the preceding pages, together with various me- moranda, extracted at the expense of much time and labour, from the church register, newspapers, private manuscripts, 284 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. and public documents. Many of the incidents, to which we are here about to assign a place, could not have been incorporated into the body of our history ; but it is hoped, that they will not prove unacceptable to the reader, in their present form. HADRIAN. A. D. 138 Chesterfield a Roman station. CANUTE. 1037 Chesterfield church supposed to have been erected. WILLIAM I. 1086 Chesterfield a bailiwick, or hamlet, belonging to the manor of Newbold. WILLIAM II. 1087-1100 Chesterfield church, together with its chapels, given to the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln. 1100 Chesterfield church, together with its chapels, appropriated to the Dean of Lincoln, and his successors. STEPHEN. 1142 William Peverel, natural son of William the Conqueror, and Lord of the manor of Chesterfield, died. HENRY II. 1154 Henry II. seized upon the manor of Chesterfield. RICHARD I. 1189 Richard, Cceur de Lion, gave the manor of Chesterfield to John, Earl of Mortaigne. 1195 A rent-charge out of the manor of Chesterfield assigned to the brethren of the Hospital of St. Leonard. JOHN. 1204 King John gave the manor of Chesterfield to William Briwere, and granted a charter of incorporation, with two weekly markets, and a fair for eight days, at the festival of the Holy-Rood. HENRY III. 1227 William Briwere, Lord of the manor of Chesterfield, died. 1232 William, his only surviving son, died. 1233 (December 28,) Henry III. confirmed the charter granted by John. 1234 Dedication of the church of Chesterfield. 1234 Matthew de Hathersage gave six acres of land to Chesterfield church. 1266 Battle of Chesterfield, in the time of Simon de Montfort. 1266 The inhabitants of Brampton claimed a part of the burial-ground of Chesterfield church as their own, and were accvistomed to repair the walls of that part at their own expense. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 285 EDWARD I. 1294 Edward I. granted a guild of merchants to the town of Chester- field. 1330 The QuoWarranto Roll mentions the Holy- Rood fair, and another on the eve of Palm Sunday. EDWARD III. 1340 Roger de Chesterfield granted to the church of Chesterfield eighteen messuages, and twelve acres of land. 1351 John, second son of Edmund of Woodstock, Lord of the manor of Chesterfield. 1353 John, Earl of Kent, held the Hospital of St. Leonard in capite. 1357 Chantry of St. Michael founded by Roger de Chesterfield. RICHARD II. 1385 Ralph de Fretchville held land in Chesterfield. 1386 Hospital of St. Leonard seized by Joan, Princess of Wales. 1386 Sir Thomas Holland held the manor of Chesterfield. 1392 Guild of aldermen, brethren and sisters of the Virgin Mary, and the Holy Cross, founded by Richard II., and endowed by Thomas Dur and others. HENRY VI. 1430 Thomas Beresford, of Fenny Bentley, mustered a troop of horse at Chesterfield, for the service of Henry VI. 1442 Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, Lord of the manor of Ches- terfield, in right of Alice, his wife, one of the co-heiresses of Earl Edmund. EDWARD IV. 1472 Scarborough castle, with lands in Yorkshire, given by Act of Par- liament to Ann, Duchess of Gloucester, one of the co-heiresses of Richard, Earl of Salisbury, in exchange for the manor of Chesterfield. HENRY VII. 1500 Chantry of the Holy Cross founded prior to this time, by Hugh Draper. 1500 Dr. John Verdon, chaplain of the chantry of St. Michael, died. 1501 The Rev. James Brailsford vicar of Chesterfield. 1507 Hospital of St. Leonard granted by Henry VII., to John Blythe; but seized by Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, as an appendage to the manor of Chesterfield. HENRY VIII. 1509-1547 West end of Chesterfield church rebuilt during this period. 1547 Chesterfield parish contained about 2000 persons of sixteen years of age. 1547 Revenues of the chantry of St. Michael valued at lll.7s.3d. ; those of the chantry of the Holy Cross at 10Z. 6*. 8d. ; and those of the guild of aldermen, brethren, and sisters of the Virgin Mary, and the Holy Cross, at 15/. 10s. per annum. 286 THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. 1547 The Hospital of St. Leonard claimed by Francis, Earl of Shrews- bury, as an appendage to the manor of Chesterfield. ELIZABETH. 1558 (November 17,) Commencement of the earliest existing register at the church of Chesterfield.* 1558 The Rev. Martin Lane vicar of Chesterfield. 1572 The Rev. John Wood inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1586 Commencement of the first great plague in Chesterfield. 1592 George, Earl of Shrewsbury, died, seised of Chesterfield, with the wapentake, or hundred of Scarsdale. 1594 (April 24,) Charters of incorporation granted to Chesterfield by preceding monarchs, confirmed by Elizabeth. 1594 Ralph Clarke nominated first mayor of Chesterfield, under the charter of Elizabeth. 1594 Free Grammar School endowed by Godfrey Foljambe, Esq. ; and chapel of St. Helen appropriated to its use. 1595 Lectureship at Chesterfield endowed by Godfrey Foljambe, Esq.; and patronage of it vested in the Archbishop of York. 1600 The Rev. Cuthbert Hutchinson inducted to the living of Chester- field.f 1603 (January 3,) John, son of Peter Boler, baptized at Tapton bridge. JAMES I. 1608 The Rev. George Gamutt inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1608-9 Commencement of the latter plague in Chesterfield. 1613 Manor of Chesterfield purchased from the Shrewsbury family by William Cavendish, Earl of Newcastle. 16 14 House of Correction built. 16 16 The Rev. Matthew Waddington inducted to the living of Chester- field. 1618 Michaelmas sessions held at Chesterfield. CHARLES I. 1628 Title of Earl of Chesterfield given to the Stanhope family. * The following is a copy of the title of this ancient Register." Registrum in Ecclesia de Chesterfield, de omnibus commaritatis, baptizatiset sepultis, a coronatione Serenissinwe Reginse nostrae Elizabeth*, decimo septimo videlicet die mensis Novembris, in Anno Domini 1558, usque ad Annum Domini prsesentem et " t The following is a copy of the register of the burial of this " ancient father," as he has been called. " Ffebruarii 1608, Cuthbert Hutchinson, vicar Sepult. quinto die." But if he was inducted to the living of Chesterfield in 1600, and buried February 5, 1608, on what authority, it may be asked, is it stated in the Northern Star for November, 1817, that he was " Vicar of Chesterfield thirty-eight years ?" Vide p. 6l. J At July 21, 1618, in the church register, the following memorandum occurs. " This day and year the Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the High Peak and Scarsdale was kept at Chesterfield, by virtue of his Majesty's Commission and writ out of Kings Bench to the Sheriff for that purpose, and a Jury was then sworn and impannelled, but delivered no verdict for want of some presentments brought unto them. There was upon the bench then the Lord Darcy, Sir Francis Leeke, Bart., Sir William Kniveton, Knt. and Bart., Sir Peter Fletchervile, Sir John Rodes, and Sir Roger Manners, Knights, George Blount, Esq. . before whom divers alehouse keepers entered into recognizances for brewing according to the statute, which was the chiefest state of their business." THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 287 1631 (July 21,) Charles I. confirmed the charters of preceding monarchs, and granted four fairs to Chesterfield : February 28, May 4, for two days, July 4, and September 14, for eight days. 1632 (November 11,) Starchamber decree, in the cause of Leech, Knt. versus Foljambe, Bart., and Waddington, Vicar. 1632 Brampton and Wingerworth chapelries of Chesterfield. 1632 The inhabitants of Brampton and Whittington bound to make certain offerings to the church at Chesterfield, and to contribute their portion of sacramental bread. 1632 The inhabitants of Wingerworth subject only to a nominal depend- ance upon the church at Chesterfield, and their attendance there voluntary. 1634 Chesterfield ordered to provide 50?., as its portion of ship-money. 1637 (March 15 and 16,) Assizes held at Chesterfield ; and five men, and one woman executed, at Tapton bridge. 1638 The Rev. William Edwards inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1642 (October 17,) Sir John Gell marched into Chesterfield with his regiment, and raised 240 men by beat of drum. 1643 (May and December,) The Earl of Newcastle's forces came to Chesterfield. 1643 General Sir Thomas Fairfax, marched from Derby to Chesterfield, with four or five hundred men. COMMONWEALTH. 1653 The Rev. John Billingsley inducted to the living of Chesterfield. CHARLES II. 1661 Meetings of the Society of Friends held in Chesterfield. 1662 (August 24,) The Rev. John Billingsley ejected from the living of Chesterfield, by the passing of the Bartholomew Act. 1664 The Rev. John Coope inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1666-7 Brass money coined in Chesterfield. 1678 Taylor's Alms' Houses erected. 1683 The Rev. John Lobley inducted to the living of Chesterfield. WILLIAM III. 1694 Dissenting Chapel in Elder Yard erected. 1695 The Rev. William Blakeman inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1698 Sir Charles Skrymsher, of Chesterfield, knight, high sheriff of the county of Derby. ANNE. 1703 The Rev. Henry Audsley inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1703 Large's Alms' Houses erected. 1704 Dr. Samuel Pegge, antiquary, born at Chesterfield. 1705 The Rev. John Peck inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1707 Thomas Seeker, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, a pupil at the Grammar School of Chesterfield, under Mr. Robert Browne. * * " In the Review of the Life and Character of Archbishop Seeker, prefixed to his Ser- 288 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 1707 The Rev. William Higgs inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1710 Free Grammar School rebuilt. GEORGE I. 1715 The Rev. Thomas Hincksman inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1715 Salt works established in Chesterfield; rock salt brought from Northwich. These works soon abandoned as unprofitable. 1718 Chancel of the church enlarged, and newly seated. 1722 John Bright, of Chesterfield, Esq., high sheriff of the county of Derby. GEORGE II. 1733 Two flagons presented to the church of Chesterfield ; one by Mr. Thomas Dowker, of Gainsborough, merchant, and the other by his sister Mrs. Margaret Wilson, of London. * 1733 Bishop Hallifax born at Chesterfield. 1739 The Rev. William Wheeler inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1750 January, April and November fairs established. 1751 Rose's Alms' Houses erected. 1756 (October 21,) Organ opened at the church. 1 760 Brass chandeleers in the church given by Godfrey Heathcote, Esq. GEORGE III. 1764 Mrs. Radcliffe, the celebrated novelist, whose maiden name was Ward, said to have been born at Chesterfield. 1765 The Rev. John Wood inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1769 North part of the cross aisle of Chesterfield church rebuilt. 1770 Quakers' Meeting-house erected. mons, it is said, that ' he received his education at several private schools and academies in the country.' One of those places was at Chesterfield, in Derbyshire, (where he had a sister married to Richard Milnes), under Mr. Robert Browne, a good grammarian and schoolmaster there. Mr. Browne used to tap his head sometimes and say ' Tom, if thou wouldst but be one of us, (meaning a Conformist,) thou wouldst be a Bishop.' " Pegge's Anonymiana, Cent, viii., No. 70, p. 375. In an account which Dr. Pegge gives of the Rev. Thomas Hadfield, ofWakefield, (Cent.vi., No. 30, p. 97,) we find another allusion to Mr. Browne, under whose mastership, the Grammar School at Chesterfield acquired the celebrity to which it attained, at the beginning of the last century. " I have read S. Chandler's Ditcourse on occasion of the Death of Thomas Hadfield," says the doctor; " it is very just and sound, and what he says of Hadfield, I believe, is very true. The person of whom Hadfield learned his first rudiments of literature, was Mr. Robert Browne, schoolmaster of Chesterfield; and the corrected exercises by which he continued im- proving himself, were those of the Rev. Mr. William Burrow, the successor of Mr. Browne. At that tune, Hadfield was apprentice to a shoemaker at Chesterfield; and afterwards, when he was a minister at Wakefield, and a shoemaker of that town was to make him a pair of shoes, and came to take measure of him, he told him, ' O, you need not trouble yourself about that ; long sixes or short sevens will do :' upon which the mechanic could not but stare, to find his reverence so exactly skilled in the terms of the gentle craft." * Inscription on Mr. Dowker's Flagon. To the Glory of God, and for the use of the Church of Chesterfield, the gift of Mr.Thomas Dowker, of Gainsborough, East-land Merchant, and Son of Mr. Thomas Dowker, Alderman of Chesterfield. Given A. D. 1733. Inscription on Mrs. Wilson's Flagon. To the glory of God, and for the use of the Church of Chesterfield, the gift of Mrs. Margaret Wilson, of London, Widow, Sister of Mr. Thomas Dowker, who gave the other Flagon, Given A. it. 1733. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 289 1770 Act obtained for making a canal from the town of Chesterfield to the River Trent. 1774 Bells of the church hung anew, and sixth bell recast. 1774 West part of the roof of the church taken down, newly timbered, and fresh leaded. 1776 (August 17,) The Rev. John Wesley visited Chesterfield for the first time. 1777 A Roman pig of lead, bearing the inscription, " Imp. Gees. Hadrian! Aug. Met. Lut.," found on Cromford Nether Moor. 1777 (June 4,) Canal completed, and first vessel brought to the town of Chesterfield. 1778 Blue Meeting erected. 1778-9 Not one day's rain or snow from the day of St. Thomas, (De- cember 21, 1778,) to that of St. Mark (April 25,) 1779. 1779 (March 25,) Cherry, plum and pear trees in full blossom. 1781 The Rev. George Bossley inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1783 Another Roman pig of lead found near Matlock, bearing the in- scription, " L. Aruconi Verecund. Metal. Lutud." 1787 A third Roman pig of lead found on Matlock Moor, bearing the inscription, "Ti. Cl. Tr. Lut. Br. Ex. Arg." 1787 South side of the church-yard enlarged. 1787-8 Present Town Hall built, at the expense of the Duke of Port- land, by Mr. Carr of York.* 1788 (November 5,) Centenary of the Revolution commemorated on a very large scale at Chesterfield : tables erected which almost covered the market-place : a procession which extended nearly half way to Whittington : an old man, named Crich, f who was born before the Revolution, carried through the streets on a chair. 1788 (December,) Chesterfield contained 801 houses, and 3626 inhabi- tants. 1790 The body of the church and chancel whitewashed, the pillars in the body of the church painted for the first time, by assessment, (as is expressly stated in the register,) and the cross aisle and chancel newly painted for the first time by subscription of the inhabitants of the town. The new sun-dial painted in the same year. Mr. Joseph Bower and \ _., , , A .f T , r Churchwardens. Mr. Anthony Johnson J Rev. Mr. Bossley, Vicar. Jethro Turner, Parish-Clerk. * It was erroneously stated at page 185, that the Town Hall "was built by the late Duke of Devonshire, about the year 1790." A memorandum in the church register has enabled us to rectify the error. The Duke of Devonshire did not become Lord of the Manor of Chesterfield till 1792. t The representative of the family of Crich, of Ashover, is Cornelius Crich, of Walton, shoemaker, grandson of Cornelius Crich, who died aged 102, in the year 1789. This ven- erable centenarian was the individual above mentioned. n 290 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 1790 (December 23,) Chesterfield visited by a terrible storm, which was felt also in London. 1790-1 The most severe winter that could ever be remembered by any person then living, for storms of wind, hail, rain, thunder and lightning. 1791 (June 12, Whitsunday,) A heavy fall of snow early in the morning. 1791 (November,) Town Library established. 1792 Manor of Chesterfield transferred by the Duke of Portland to the Duke of Devonshire, in exchange for estates in Nottingham- shire. 1792 Workhouse let by the corporation to the overseers of the poor on a lease of 99 years. 1792 (October 23,) Michael Solomon, (called Mahone,) died. 1794 (July,) A troop of cavalry raised by subscription at Chesterfield. 1795 New altar-piece in the church completed. 1795 Grain of all kinds so scarce, in the summer, that it could with difficulty be obtained at any price. In the beginning of August wheat sold at a guinea a strike, and oats at 2l. 4s. per quarter. 1795 Methodist Chapel erected. 1796-7 (November, December, January,) Constant high winds, which did great injury to trees and buildings. 1797 Midsummer sessions removed from Bakewell to Chesterfield, and Michaelmas sessions from Chesterfield to Derby. 1797 Wheat sold at seventeen shillings the load : three strikes to the load. 1799 (March,) Ancient seal found at the Broad Oaks. 1799 From the month of July to August 11 so wet, that corn and grain of every kind were as backward as ever was known. 1800 Quakers' Meeting-house enlarged. 1800 Dispensary established. 1800 Literary and Philosophical Society established. 1801 Chesterfield contained 895 houses, and 4267 inhabitants; viz. 1929 males, and 2338 females. 1803 (December,) Chesterfield became a depot for French prisoners, and continued so till the peace in 1814. 1808 (August 31,) The first race day at night, some thieves picked the lock of the door opposite the clerk's house, went down the north aisle, picked that lock at the bottom, tried the chancel door opposite, which was bolted inside ; they then picked the other chancel door lock, and the vestry, four double locks on the chest padlocks, wrenched two clasp locks open, (which they could not pick) with the sexton's pick-axe, drank one bottle of wine, and took four with them ; took the two silver cups, the large salver dish, and the small plate, and got clear off the same way ; but left the two large flagons in the chest. The Rev. Mr. Bossley, Vicar. John Turner, Parish Clerk. ,Mr. Hurwood and" _ Mr. Joseph Bee, } Churchwarden,. THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 291 1811 Chesterfield contained 951 houses, and 4 591 inhabitants; viz. 2140 males, and 2451 females. 1814 National school erected. 1814 Vaccine institution established. 1816 (April,) Savings' bank established. 1817 Church spire supposed to be in danger of falling. 1817 (August 3,) Baptist church established. 1818 (January,) Vestry meeting called for the purpose of considering whether the spire of the church should be taken down. 1819 Agricultural Society established. 1819 School of Industry erected. GEORGE IV. 1820 New peal of ten bells put up in the tower of the church. 1821 Chesterfield contained 1048 houses, and 5077 inhabitants; viz. 2345 males, and 2732 females. 1822 The Rev. Thomas Hill inducted to the living of Chesterfield. 1822 Methodist chapel enlarged. 1822 Independent chapel erected. 1823 Unitarian chapel enlarged, and organ erected. 1824 North-east side of the church-yard enlarged. 1825 (May 25,) Act obtained for lighting Chesterfield with gas, and supplying it with water. 1825-6 Corporation baths erected. 1826 Gas works erected. 1826 Benevolent Society instituted. 1826 A survey of the borough of Chesterfield made by Mr. Glossop, of Whittington, with a view to the formation of a new rate. 1828 Market Place enlarged, by taking down a range of buildings, which separated it from the New Square, formerly called the Swine' s-Green. 1828 (January,) Chesterfield Gazette established. 1828 (April 6,) Chancel of the church first lighted with gas. 1829 Infant School erected. 1829 Suit instituted in chancery against the corporation, as trustees of the Free Grammar School. 1829 Chesterfield troop of yeomanry cavalry disbanded. 1829 Ringing of the church bells at the races discontinued, by order of the vicar. 1830 (June 25,) Chesterfield visited by the most tremendous storm ever remembered.* * We copy the following account of the above storm from the Derbyshire Courier, for July 3, 1830. " Last week, Chesterfield and the neighbourhood, were visited by the most tremendous storm ever remembered, and which has left such traces of its fury as will require length of time, and the expenditure of very considerable sums to repair. It commenced on Friday, about midnight, and continued until three o'clock, during which time the thunder and lightning were most awful, flash followed flash with fearful brilliance and rapidity, and the heavy and almost constant rolling of the thunder was truly appalling. During this dreadful agitation of the elements, the rain fell in terriffic torrents. In a very short space of time, rivulets and ditches became broad and rapid rivers, carrying in their course 292 THE HISTORY OP CHESTERFIELD. WILLIAM IV. 1830 (July,) Decree of court obtained against the corporation, in the suit above mentioned. 1830 New race-stand erected. 1831 School rooms for Sunday scholars erected on the ground adjoining the Unitarian chapel. devastation and alarm, and either sweeping away, or considerably damaging every bridge which they encountered. Many crops of corn and grass were totally destroyed, owing to the deposition of gravel and rubbish, which was in many cases several inches deep, and which will render it almost impracticable to cut them, and will also occasion infinite mis- chief to the farmer, by depriving him of all benefit from the land for a considerable time. The river Hipper, which runs through a part of New Brampton, and the lower part of Chesterfield, overflowed its banks to an unparalleled extent, its waters being in a variety of instances, upwards of a yard deep in places where they were never before known to reach, immense injury has been consequently sustained by the owners of property in its neighbourhood. The candlewick manufactory of Messrs. Hewitt, Longson and Co., has been injured to a very great extent. The machinery in the mill was so seriously damaged as to occasion a stoppage of the works for several days ; large quantities of yarn laid to bleach in the fields were swept away, as well as ashes, used in the manufactory, of con- siderable value, the coals were also washed away by the force of the stream. On the subsiding of the waters, the premises presented a most deplorable appearance. The loss at this manufactory is estimated at upwards of 600/. The iron-foundery of Messrs. E. Smith and Co., suffered greatly; very considerable loss has been sustained owing to the water inundating the workshops and washing away many valuble moulds, &c. ; one side of the counting-house was demolished by the force of the flood, but we are happy to learn that the books and papers were saved. Had the storm continued half an hour longer, the destruction of the blast furnace would have been inevitable, as the water had risen above the twiers. The damage done at these works is estimated at upwards of 300/. Serious loss has also been sustained by Messrs. B. Smith and Co., at the Adelphi iron-works, Duckmanton. The potteries of Messrs. E. Wright and Son, Messrs. Oldfield and Co., and Mr. W. Briddon, have sustained considerable injury. The residence of Mr. Wright was com- pletely inundated, the water having attained the height of a yard in the lower apartments, a circumstance quite unprecedented, and which has occasioned great destruction of furni- ture, &c. The hat factories at Beaver-place are injured greatly, and the strong walls surround- ing the reservoir which supplies them with water are completely demolished. A person named Job Barker, who works at Mr. Davies's factory, and his family, had a very narrow escape with life ; his house is built by the side of the river, near one of the bridges, the arches of which proving quite insufficient to give egress to the tremendous rush of water, occasioned an overflow of immense force from the sides. Nearly one side of the house inhabited by J. Barker was instantly swept away, the water rushing in with overwhelming force, carrying away the furniture, &c. and putting the lives of the inmates in such peril as to render extraordinary exertions necessary for their rescue, which was at length accomplished by breaking into the attics from the house adjoining, and thus afford- ing the means of escape to the inhabitants. The whole of Beaver-street was inundated to a very considerable depth, and much loss sustained by the residents from the destruction of victuals, barrels of ale, &c., which had been prepared for the consumption of the fol- lowing week, it being the feast. The gardens on the banks of the river have been totally destroyed, and we may safely assert some hundreds of yards of walling overthrown, and partly washed away. The de- struction of live stock has been very great, the poor animals having been carried away by the overwhelming torrent in great numbers from the adjacent meadows, and dashed with fury against the bridges, or any other obstacle they encountered. In the neighbouring villages, the small rills and brooks were swollen with a rapidity, and to an extent wholly without precedent, carrying away the rural bridges erected across them, and spreading a wide surface of water on all sides, which we are pained to state was generally fatal to the flocks. Mr. Wragg, of Calow, had 17 sheep drowned, Mr. Cocking 12, and Mr. Hopkin- son 9- Some sheep were also drowned at Barlow, and we fear that in many other places the farmer has to lament the loss of his cattle. Much wheat has been totally spoilt in the THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 293 1831 Midsummer sessions transferred from Chesterfield to Derby, and Easter sessions removed to Chesterfield. 1831 Mr. Roberta's news room established.* 1831 Chesterfield contained 1208 houses, and 5775 inhabitants; viz 2665 males, and 3110 females. 1831 (August,) Mr. R. R. Hurwood and Mr. Josiah Brown, inhabitants of Chesterfield, lost in the wreck of the Rothsay Castle steam- packet, off Puffin Island. 1832 Board of Health established, in consequence of the alarming ravages made by cholera in the neighbouring towns. Not a single case occurred at Chesterfield. 1832 Tapton and Spital bridges rebuilt, the old ones having been par- tially washed away by a flood. 1832 (October,) Their royal highnesses, the Duchess of Kent and Prin- cess Victoria, passed through Chesterfield, on then* way from Chatsworth to Hardwick. 1832 (December,) First contested election for North Derbyshire.f Candidates, Lord Cavendish ; Thomas Gisborne, Esq.; and Sir George Sitwell. 1833 (December,) E. Rushton, Esq., commenced his examination at the Town Hall, into the charters, management, &c., of the cor- poration, under the commission of inquiry issued by his Majesty, William IV., for that purpose. barn ; and we are sorry to learn that the two mill-dams belonging to Mr. Candy, at Holy- moor-side, have burst and occasioned him considerable damage. In the warehouses at the Chesterfield canal wharf, the water reached a considerable height; two hogsheads of sugar, belonging to Mr. William Towndrow, and Mr. Joseph Cowley, were quite spoiled. We are thankful to find that amidst the many disasters incident to this calamity, hu- man life has providentially been spared, a circumstance almost miraculous, when we reflect on the suddenness with which the flood rushed at midnight into numerous houses, in many of which the inmates were soundly sleeping." * There had been coffee rooms at the principal inns in the town, for more than half a century before this time ; but no general news room. t Under the act passed to amend the representation, the county of Derby was divided into two electoral portions, called respectively the Northern and Southern divisions, each of which now sends two members to parliament. The Northern division includes the whole of the hundreds of High Peak and Scarsdale, and so much of the wapentake of Wirksworth, as, by virtue of an order made at the Quarter Sessions for the county of Derby, held at the borough of Derby, June 28, 1831, is comprized in the Bakewell division, as established by that order. The place of election for the Northern division is Bakewell, which was preferred to Chesterfield on account of its central situation. The polling places under the Reform Act, were Alfreton, Bakewell, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Chesterfield, and Glossop. During the past year, Castleton and Eckington have been added to the number; and an application will shortly be made to the privy council for an extension of the same privilege to Buxton and Tideswell. The number of registered voters at the first general election, under the above act, was 4370, of whom 3677 polled. The expenses of the High Sheriff, (Samuel Shore, of Norton Hall, Esq.,) were 3051. is. Lord Cavendish and Thomas Gisborne, Esq., were the successful candidates, the numbers being respectively at the close of the poll, as follow. Cavendish 3378 Gisborne 2384 Sitwell 1193 294 THE HISTORY OF CHESTERFIELD. 1834 (January 1,) Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Banking Company commenced business. 1834 (August 17,) Galleries in Soresby Street Chapel opened. 1835 Actual value of the vicarage of Chesterfield 204?.: previously valued in the King's books at 151. Os. 2id, and yearly tenths at 1Z. 10s. OH 1835 Horticultural Society established, which lived only for two years. 1835 (November 9,) Municipal Reform Act passed, which effected an entire change in the corporate body of Chesterfield. 1835 Gilbert Crompton, Esq., the first mayor under the above Act. 1836 (January,) North Derbyshire Chronicle established. 1836 (February 9,) First meeting of the new town-council held. 1836 (July 4,) Act passed for making the North Midland Railway. 1836 (October 25,) New church-clock completed, and west dial lighted for the first time with gas. 1837 (March 16,) Appointment of trustees for general and church cha- rities confirmed by the Lord Chancellor. 1837 (May 17,) First stone of Trinity Church laid. VICTORIA. 1837 (October 12,) First guardians appointed under the Poor-law Amendment Act. 1837 Borough rate revised, according to Act of Parliament. 1838 (January 1,) Commencement of new mode of pauper relief in the township of Chesterfield. 1838 (January 18,) First marriage in the Unitarian chapel, being also the first marriage in a dissenting place of worship at Chesterfield under the new act. POOR LAW UNION. POOR LAW UNION. WHEN the remarks on the subject of the New Poor Law, contained in page 151, were made, it was known that Ches- terfield would form the centre of a large Union ; but it was uncertain what parishes and townships such Union would include. The commissioners have since issued their precept, of which we now present our readers with a copy. This document it was at one time our intention to have abridged ; but considering its great local importance, and aware, from the experience which we have acquired in the compilation of the present work, what difficulties might hereafter arise from its being withheld, or given in an imperfect or mutilated form, we have come to the determination of inserting it without curtailment. It is as follows. " In pursuance of an act of Parliament passed in the 4th and 5th Years of the reign of his late Majesty King William the Fourth, intituled "An Act for the Amendment and better Administration of the Laws relating to the Poor in England and Wales," the Poor Law Commissioners for England and Wales do hereby order and declare, That the Parishes and Places, the names of which, and the County or Counties wherein they are situate, are specified in the margin of this Order,* together with all Hamlets, Tythings, Liberties, or other Subdivisions, lying within, or belonging or adjacent to, any of the said Parishes and Places, shall, on the nineteenth day of October next, be, and thenceforth shall remain united for the administration of the laws for the relief of the poor, by the name of The Chesterfield Union, and shall contribute and be assessed to a common fund for purchasing, building, hiring, or providing, altering, or enlarging, any workhouse or other place of reception and relief of the poor of such parishes and places, or for the purchase of any lands or tenements under and by virtue of the provisions of the said act of or for such Union, and for the future upholding and maintaining of such work- * 1. Chesterfield, 1535?. 2. Brimington, 6l/. 3. Calow, 116/. 4. Hasland, 27\l. 5 Newbold^md Dunston, 350/. 6. Temple Normanton, 281. 7. Pilsley, 1381. 8. Tapton, 87/. 9. Walton, 175/. 10. Ashover, 66U. 11. Dronfleld, 374/. 12. Great Barlow, 102/. 13. Little Barlow, 22?. 14. Coal Aston, 97'. 15. Holmesfield, liol. 16. Unstone, 215/. 17. Bolsover, 456/. 18. Brackenfield, \\7l.~ 19. Morton, 72/. 20. Eckington, 85H. 21. Heath, 25f. 22. Killamarsh, 2151. 23. Staveley, 674/. 24. Sutton cum Duckmanton, 135/. 25. Shirland and Higham, 352/. 26. Whittington, 163/. 27. Wingerworth, i67/. 28. North Wingfield, 115/. 29. Claylane, l65l. 30. Stretton, I30f. 31. Tupton, 92f. 32. Woodthorpe, 761. 33. Brampton, 643f. 34. Wessinpton, I14/. 39 298 POOR LAW UNION. houses or places aforesaid, and the payment or allowance of the officers of such Union, and the providing of utensils and materials for setting the poor on work therein, and for any other expense to be incurred for the common use or benefit, or on the common account of such parishes and places in the psoportion of the several sums respectively set opposite to the names of each parish and place in the margin of these presents, such sums having been ascertained by the inquiry of the said Poor Law Com- missioners, to be the annual average expense incurred by each such parish and place for the relief of the poor belonging thereto for the three years ending on the twenty-fifth day of March next preceding the said inquiry. And we do hereby further order and declare, that a Board of Guar- dians of the Poor of the said Union, shall be constituted and chosen according to the provisions of the Poor Law Amendment Act, and in manner hereinafter mentioned. 1. Number and Constituency of Guardians, 1. The number of the Guardians shall be forty ; of which number three shall be elected for the parish of Chesterfield, two for each of the parishes of Ashover, Eckington, Staveley, and Brampton, and one for each of the other parishes in the Union. 2. But the same person may be elected Guardian for more than one parish, agreeably to section 40 of the Poor Law Amendment Act. II. Duration of the Office. The Guardians first elected will continue in office until the day hereinafter appointed for the annual election of Guardians, and thenceforward the said office shall be held for one year ; hut the same person who may have been a Guardian for any past year may be re-elected a Guardian for any ensuing year. III. Qualification of Guardians. -Any person who shall be rated to the poor-rate in some parish in the Union, in respect of hereditaments, of the annual value or rental of npt less than twenty-five pounds, and who, within two years next previous to the day of election, shall not have been dismissed from any office in any parish or Union by order of the Poor Law Commissioners, shall be eligible as a Guardian for any of the said parishes. IV. Qualification of Voters for Guardians, and Scale of Voters. 1 . Any rate payer who shall have been rated to the poor-rate in any parish in the Unirfn for the whole year im- mediately preceding his voting, and shall have paid the parochial rates and assessments made on him for one whole year, as well as those due from him at the time of voting, except those which have been made or become due within the six months immediately preceding such voting, will be entitled, on the election of the Guardian or Guardians for such parish, to the number and proportion of votes specified in section 40 of the Poor Law Amendment Act ; that is to say, If he be rated or assessed at any sum under 200/, he will have one vote : if he be rated or assessed at 200?. but under 400/., he will have two votes : and if rated or assessed at 4001. or upwards, he will have three votes. 2. Any owner of rateable property, situate within any such parish, who shall have given to one of the churchwardens and overseers thereof, on any day previous to the day on which he shall claim to vote, a statement, in writing, of his name and address, and the description of the property in the parish or place, as owner whereof he claims to vote, will be entitled to have the same number and proportion of votes, on the election of the Guar- dian or Guardians for such parish as is provided for inhabitants and other persons by the Parish Vestry Acts, 58 G. III., c. 69, and 59 G. III., c. 85 ; that is to say, If the aggregate amount of the assessment for the time being of any property belonging to such owner in such parish, or on any person or persons in respect of the same to the poor rate, shall not amount to 501, he will have one vote : if the same shall amount to 501. and not to 75f ., he will have two votes : if the same shall amount to 751. and not to 100/., he will have three votes : if the same shall amount to 1001. and not to 125/., he will have four votes : if the same shall amount to 125/. and not to 1501., he will have five votes : and if the same shall amount to 1501. or upwards, he will have six votes. 3. Any owner who shall be bonafide an occupier of any such property will be entitled to vote as well in respect of his occupation as of his being such owner. POOR LAW UNION. 299 4. The Form marked A., hereto annexed,* may be followed by owners of property, in making such statements of their claims to vote. 5. Any owner of such property may from time to time, by writing under his hand, appoint any person to vote as his proxy ; but such proxy must, previous to the day of election, give to one of the churchwardens or overseers of such parish, a statement, in writing, of the name and address of his principal, and a description of the property in the parish or place, as proxy to the owner whereof he claims to vote ; and also an original or attested copy of the writing appointing him such proxy. 6. The Forms marked B. 1 and 2, hereto annexed.t may be followed by owners of property in appointing proxies, and by such proxies in making their claims. 7. The churchwardens and overseers shall enter in the rate-books of such parish, or in some other book, to be from time to time provided for that purpose, the names and addresses of the owners and their proxies, who shall send such statements, and the assess- ment of the poor-rate on the property, in respect whereof they severally claim to vote. 8. The register or book of the statements of owners who have claimed to vote, and of proxies, may be kept in the Form marked C., hereto annexed.t V. Days of Election. The following shall be the days for the election of Guardians : THE FORMS ABOVE REFERRED TO. N. B. The following Forms, A and B 1 and 2, may be followed by Owners of Property in making their claims to vote, or in appointing Proxies and by such Proxies in making their claims, but any other Form to the same effect will be sufficient. * FORM A. Owner's Claim to Vote. To the Churchwardens and- Overseers of the Parish of ... This . . day of . . 183 . I, . . of . . claim to be entitled to vote according to the provisions of the 4th and 5th Wm. IV. c. 76, as owner of the property herein described, the whole of which is situate within the parish of . . viz. : . . [Owe House or Farm, fyc., situate at .. ] . t FORM B. 1, Appointment of Proxy. To the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Parish of ... This . . day of . . 183 . I, . . of . . being owner of the property hereinafter described, the whole of which is situate in the parish of . . do hereby appoint . . of . . to vote, until the present appointment is re- voked, as my proxy, in all cases wherein he may lawfully do so, under the provisions of. the 4th and 5th Wm. IV. c. 76. And the property of which I am owner, and in respect of which I appoint the said . . to vote as my proxy, is as follows, viz : . . [One House or Farm, igc., situate at .. ] . FORM B. 2. Application of Proxy. To the Churchwardens and Overseers of the parish of ... This . . day of . . 183 . I, . . of . . having been appointed by . . of . . to vote as his proxy, under the provisions of the 4th and 5th Wm. IV. c. 76, do hereby claim to vote as such proxy. I herewith trans- mit to you such my appointment, in the handwriting of, or signed by the said . . [or aii attested copy of my appointment, the original of which is in the handwriting of, or signed by the said . . ] . And the property situate in the parish of . . in respect of which the said . . is entitled to vote as owner, and in respect of which I do hereby claim to vote as his proxy, is as follows, viz. : . . [One House or Farm, $c., situate at .. ]. And I do hereby require you to enter my name and address as above, and the assess- ment of the Rate for the Relief of the Poor, of the property above described, in the book or books directed by the said Act to be provided for the purpose. t FORM C. Book for Registry of Owners of Property and Proxies. Parish of . . No. Name Address Frojurw in respect whereof right to rote iNu. ul to Rate Book AXgngMt of Name Proiy. Address of Proxy. No, Datenn whichclaiui recei ved . We do certify that the above is a full and correct register and entry of the claims to vote of owners of property and proxies in the said parish, and we do declare that all the entries of reference to the Rate Book, Amount of Assessment, Number of Votes, and Dates on which claims were received, are true. (Signed) Churchwardens. Overseers. 300 POOR LAW UNION. for the first election of Guardians the day of election shall be the nineteenth day of October next. For the annual election of Guardians the day of election shall be the first Thursday after the twenty-fifth day of March in each year. VI. Notice of Election. 1 . The churchwardens and overseers of every such parish shall 1511 up and sign, and shall, on or before the ninth day of October next, affix on the principal door of every church and chapel within such parish, or in such other place as is ordinarily made use of for affixing notices of parochial business, a notice in writing according to the Form marked D, hereto annexed,* of the first election of Guardians, and shall also give such notice in such other mode as may usually have been adopted in the parish for giving notice of parochial business. 2. Of the annual elections the Clerk to the Board of Guardians shall, from year to year, give thirteen whole days notice, in the Form marked E,t by an advertisement, to be * FORM D. Notice of the Election. . . Union. Election of Guardian of the Poor for the . . of . . . We, the undersigned, being the Churchwardens and Overseers of the poor of the . . of . . do hereby give notice that on the . . day of . . we shall, in pursuance of an order and declaration of the Poor Law Commissioners for England and Wales, proceed to the election of . . Guardian of the Poor for this . . to act as member of the Board of Guardians, to be elected for the . . Union, for this present year. Qualification of a Guardian. [Here insert a copy or correct abstract of Section III. of the Order.] Qualification of Voters. [Here insert a copy or correct abstract of Section IV. of the Order, Art. 1 , 2, 3, and 5.] Time for proposing Guardians. Any person entitled to vote may propose a Guardian ; but he must send his proposal to one of the churchwardens or overseers, in writing, on or before the . . day of . . in the following form. [Here insert the Form of Nomination Paper, F.] No person can be elected Guardian who has not been proposed in the manner above mentioned. Mode of Voting. In case more Candidates shall be duly proposed than the number of Guardians to be elected, a voting paper will be left on the . . day of . . at the house of every person residing in the . . who at that time shall be entitled to vote. The votes must be given in writing in such voting papers, which will be called for again on the day of election. All other persons who, on the day of election, shall be entitled to vote, must, on that day, apply for voting papers to one of the churchwardens and overseers, and must return them filled up before noon of the same day. Signed by us, this .. day of.. 183 . Churchwardens. Overseers. t FORM E. Notice of the Annual Election of Guardians of the Poor. . . Union. The churchwardens and overseers of the several parishes comprised in the above Union, and hereinafter named, will, in pursuance of the order of the Poor Law Commissioners for England and Wales, proceed on the . . day of . . to the Election of the number of the Guardians of the Poor set opposite the names of such parishes for the year ending . . . Parish A 10 Guardians : Parish B 5 Guardians : Parish C 3 Guar- dians, &c. as the case may be. Any person entitled to vote in any of the said parishes may propose as the Guardian or Guardians thereof any number (not exceeding the number to be there elected) of persons who are severally rated to the poor rate of any Parish in the Union in respect of property of the annual value or rental of . . . The proposal must be written, and must state the names, residences, and callings, of the persons proposed and the name of the proposer, and must be delivered to one of the churchwardens and overseers of the Parish on or before the . . day of . . . Owners of rateable property in such parish, as well as rate-payers, are entitled to vote, provided their names are on the register of owners, or if they send in to the churchwar- dens and overseers before the day of election, their claims to vote, with a statement of their names and address and a description of their property. Owners may also vote by proxy; but proxies must make the statements above men- POOR LAW UNION. 301 inserted at the expense of the Union, in some newspaper or newspapers generally circu- lated in the district wherein the place of meeting of the Guardians of such Union shall be situate ; but the rest of the proceedings of the annual election shall be conducted by the churchwardens and overseers of the said parishes as in the case of the respective first election. VII. Mode of proposing a Guardian. I. Any rate-payer or owner of property in any parish in the Union, being entitled to vote, may propose, as a Guardian or Guardians for such parish, any person or persons, not exceeding the number to be elected for such pa- rish, having the qualification hereinbefore prescribed, for that office. 2. Any person having such qualification may propose himself for that office. 3. In either of the above-mentioned cases the proposer shall, at least six whole days before the day of election, deliver or cause to be delivered to one of the churchwardens or overseers a nomination in writing, according to the Form marked F, hereto annexed.* VIII. Mode of Election. 1. The churchwardens and overseers of every such parish shall examine, within two days next after the last day upon which the names of the persons proposed as candidates could be delivered in, the nomination papers which have been delivered to them. 2. If any person put in nomination for the office of Guardian, shall, by writing under his hand, delivered or sent to such churchwardens and overseers, declare his refusal to execute that office, he shall not be considered to be a candidate for the same. 3. If the number of candidates, duly qualified, and duly proposed as aforesaid for such parish, shall not exceed the number to be then elected, the candidates so proposed shall be declared duly elected. 4. But if the number of candidates so duly qualified and proposed as aforesaid, shall exceed the number to be then elected, the churchwardens and overseers shall prepare or cause to be prepared a sufficient number of voting papers, according to the Form marked G, hereto annexed.f tioned for their principals, and transmit to the churchwardens and overseers the originals or attested copies of their appointments. In case of a contest for the office of Guardian in any of the said parishes, the votes will be given in papers to be left by the churchwardens and overseers, two days, at least, before the day fixed for the election, at the houses of those residents of the parish who are then entitled to vote. All residents out of the parish, and all persons who become entitled after that day, must apply to one of the churchwardens and overseers for voting papers on the day of election. The Forms of nomination papers, statements of owners, and appointment of proxy, may be seen and copied by voters at the board room in the . . . A. B., Clerk to the Board of Guardians. * FORM F. Nomination Paper. To the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Parish of ... Name of the Person or Persons proposed as Guardian or Guardians. Residence, and Quality Persoi or Calling, of the Person or 3 proposed. I nominate the above . . to be Guardian [or Guardians] of the . . Union, believing him [or them] to be willing to undertake the office, and to carry the laws for the relief of the Poor into execution during the ensuing year. (Signature and Address of Proposer.) This Paper must be delivered to one of the Churchwardens or Overseers at least six whole days before the day of Election. t FORM G. Voting Paper for the Parish of .. . For the purpose of enabling each rate-payer to give his vote in the most free and de- liberate manner, without the loss of his time or the obstruction of his ordinary business, or the other inconveniences usually incurred by attending to give his vote at a polling booth, at a distance from his home : this voting paper is directed to be left at the voter's dwelling for one clear day by the proper Officer, who will by order of the Commissioners acting under the authority of the Poor Law Amendment Act, attend on the . . day of . . to receive back the paper on which the vote must be inscribed hereunder as directed. 302 POOR LAW UNION. 5. Two days at least before the day fixed for the election, the churchwardens and overseers shall deliver or cause to be delivered such voting papers at the houses of those persons and proxies who are entitled to vote, and are resident within such parish. 6. On the day of election the churchwardens and overseers shall call for and collect the said voting papers which have been so delivered. 7. All persons and proxies who are entitled to vote, but are not resident within such parish, and all persons who entitle themselves to vote on or after the day on which such voting papers are delivered, either by delivering such statement as above mentioned, or by paying up arrears of rate, or otherwise, shall, on the day of election, apply for voting papers at the place appointed by the churchwardens and overseers for that purpose (who are hereby required to furnish the same), and having filled up such voting papers, shall deliver them to the churchwardens and overseers, or the person employed by them to collect such voting papers, before noon on the day of election. 8. No person employed in distributing or collecting the voting papers, or otherwise executing these orders, shall canvass the voters for any candidate, or do anything by which the return of any candidate or of any class of candidates, may be unduly influenced. 9. In the afternoon of the day of election the churchwardens and overseers shall add up the votes given in the Form prescribed j and the candidate or candidates (as the case may be), having the majority of votes shall be declared duly elected. 10. But in such calculation of votes every person who shall not vote, or shall not comply with the directions herein contained for the giving and returning of votes, shall be omitted. IX. Notice of the Appointment and Return of Guardians. 1. The churchwardens and overseers of each such parish and place shall forthwith notify to the Guardian or Guardians elected, the fact of his or their election by a letter or communication in writing, in the Form marked H, hereto annexed,* signed by them ; and shall affix on the principal door of every church and chapel in such parish and place a notice of the Guardian or Guardians elected, in the Form marked I, hereto annexedt ; and shall also make to the first meeting The voter will write his initials opposite the name of the persons for whom he votes. If the proxy votes he should sign his own name, and state in writing the name of the person for whom he is proxy : thus " M.N. for P.Q." If the voter cannot write, his mark must be attested by a witness, whose initials must be placed opposite the names of the persons for whom the votes are given. Take Notice, this Paper must be carefully preserved by the Voter, as no second Paper will be given. When it is filled up, it must be kept ready for delivery to . . and . . the Col- lecting Officers, who will call for the same on the . . day of No other person can be allowed to receive the Voting Paper ; if it be not ready for the Collectors when they call, the Votes will be lost. They will be also lost if more than . . names be returned in the List, with the initials placed opposite thereto. The Voter must therefore be careful in placing his initials against those for whom he votes. Initials of the Voter to the Names of Candidates. Names of the Persons proposed as Guardians. Residence and Calling of the Persons proposed. Names of Proposers. I vote for the Persons in the above List, opposite to whose Names I have placed my initials. Signed this . . day of . . 183 . * FORM H. Letter to Guardians Elected. .. Union. Sir,., day of.. 183.. We, the undersigned, being churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the parish of . . do hereby give you notice and declare that on the . . day of . . you were duly proposed as a Guardian of the poor of the parish of . . and that oo the . . day of . . you were elected such Guardian. (Signed) Churchwardens. Overseers. t FORM I. Notice of the Guardians Elected. .. Union. .. day of.. 183.. We, the undersigned, being churchwardens and over- seers of the poor of the parish of . . do hereby give notice that . . resident at . . were pro- posed as . . Guardian of the poor of the said parish, and that on the . . >day of . . were POOR LAW UNION. 303 erf the Board of Guardians next after such election, a return, in writing, in the Form marked J, hereto annexed*, of the Guardian or Guardians so elected. X. Explanation of Terms. 1. Whenever the signatures of the churchwardens and overseers are required in this order to be subscribed to any notice or other document ap- pertaining in any manner to the said elections, it shall not be necessary that the signa- tures of more than two of the churchwardens and overseers, or either of them, be sub- scribed to the same. 2. Whenever the word " parish" is used in this order, it shall be taken to include any township, tything, hamlet, or place separately maintaining its poor, and herein-before directed to be united. 3. Whenever the day appointed by this order for the performance of any act shall happen to be Sunday or Good Friday, such act shall be performed on the day next following the day so appointed. Given under the Hands and Seal of Us, the Poor Law Commissioners for England and Wales, this twenty-third day of September, in the Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-seven, (Signed) T. FRANKLAND LEWIS, J. G. S. LEFEVEE. At a vestry meeting, held on Thursday, October 12, 1837, the Rev. Robert Wallace, Mr. Mugliston, and Mr. Daniel, were nominated as proper persons to fill the office of guardians for Chesterfield ; and a committee, consisting of Messrs. Robinson, Lingard, Towndrow, Parker, Hurst and Savage, was appointed, in conformity with the instruc- tions of the Poor-law Commissioners, to assist the church- wardens and overseers in the revision of the Chesterfield rate. The first meeting of the board was held in the Town Hall, on Friday, October 20, when R. Arkwright, Esq., was elected chairman ; and E. G. Maynard, and G. Crompton, Esq., vice-chairmen. A variety of preliminary business was trans- acted ; and Saturday was unanimously fixed upon, as the most convenient day for holding the weekly meetings. The union, exclusively of Chesterfield, is divided into two districts for relieving officers. The Northern Relieving District comprises the following parishes : Brimington, Tapton, Newbold and Dunston ; Dronfield, Great Barlow, Little Barlow, Coal Aston, Holmesfield, Unstone, Eckington, Killamarsh, elected [without opposition, or by a majority of . . the number of votes for the several candidates being as follows, &c. as the case may be.] (Signed) Churchwardens. Overseers. * FORM J. Return to the Board of Guardians of the Guardians Elected. ., Union. .. day of.. 183.. We, the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the parish of . . do hereby certify that on the . . day of . . we affixed a notice for the elec- tion of Guardians on the principal door of the church hi the said parish, and that on the . . day of . . were proposed by . . and that on the . . day of . . were elected [without oppo- sition, or by a majority of . . number of votes for the several candidates being as follows, &c. as the case may be] and that on the . . day of . . notice of such election was duly given to the Guardians elected, and affixed on the church door. (Signed) Churchwardens. Overseers. 304 POOR LAW UNION. Staveley, Whittington and Brampton. The Southern Relieving District comprises Calow, Hasland, Temple Normanton, Pilsley, Walton, Ashover, Bolsover, Brackenfield, Morton, Heath, Sutton-cum-Duck- manton, Shirland, Wingerworth, North Wingfield, Clay Lane, Wood- thorpe, Stretton, Tupton and Wessington. The master of the union workhouse is the relieving officer for Chesterfield. The number of medical districts is four. The . Chesterfield Medical District comprises Chesterfield, Briming- ton, Calow, Hasland, Heath, Newbold and Dunston; Normanton, Tapton, Walton and Brampton : the Ashover Medical District Ashover, Brackenfield, Morton, Shirland and Higham; Wingerworth, North Wingfield, Clay Lane, Stretton, Woodthorpe, Tupton, Wessington, and Pilsley : the Dronfield Medical District Dronfield, Great Barlow, Little Barlow, Coal Aston, Holmesfield, tinstone and Whittington : and the Eckington Medical District Eckington, Killamarsh, Staveley, Bol- sover, and Sutton-cum-Duckmanton. The union is further divided into five districts for the purpose of registering births and deaths. The Chesterfield Registration District includes Chesterfield, Brim- ington, Calow, Hasland, Newbold and Dunston ; Temple Normanton, Tapton, Walton, Wingerworth, Brampton, North Wingfield, Tupton, and Whittington : the Dronfield Registration District includes Dron- field, Holmesfield, Great Barlow, Litte Barlow, Unstone and Coal Aston : the Eckington Registration District includes Eckington, Killa- marsh and Staveley : the Ashover Registration District includes Ashover, Brackenfield, Pilsley, Morton, Shirland and Higham; Clay Lane, Stretton, Wessington and Woodthorpe : and the Bolsover Registration District includes Bolsover, Sutton-cum-Duckmanton and Heath. The following is a list of the officers of the union. Clerk and Superintendent Registrar Mr. Marsh, Solicitor. Treasurer Gilbert Crompton, Esq. Auditor Mr. Cutts, Solicitor. Chaplain The Rev. Alexander Poole, B. A. Master of the Workhouse and Relieving Officer for Chesterfield Mr. Thomas Gratton. Matron Mrs. Bacon. RELIEVING OFFICERS. Northern District, Mr. G. Wheelhouse. Southern District. Mr. Levick. MEDICAL OFFICERS. Chesterfield District, Mr. Botham. Dronfield, Mr. Nicholson. Eck- ington, Messrs. Askham. Ashover, Mr. George Oldham. REGISTRARS OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS. Chesterfield District, Mr, Hollingworth. Dronfield, Mr. Nicholson. Ashover, Mr. George Allen. Eckington, Mr. Charles Taylor. Bolsover, Mr. Olinthus Stevenson, Registrar of Marriages Mr. John Wright. Porter Charles Wharton. DEANERY OF CHESTERFIELD. DEANERY OF CHESTERFIELD. CHESTERFIELD gives the name to one of the six ecclesi- astical divisions of the Archdeaconry of Derby, which was founded before the year 1140, by the bishop of Coventry. The other five are the Deaneries of Derby, Ashbourn, Castillar, High-Peak, and Repington. The Archdeaconry of Derby is coextensive with the county. The average gross yearly income is only 68/. ; and this is subject to a deduction for certain payments, amounting to the annual sum of 27Z., and leaving a net yearly income of only 41?. The Rev. James Pilkington, in his View of the Present State of Derbyshire, published in 1803, says, that he found it exceedingly difficult, and almost impracticable, to obtain a knowledge of the actual value of the livings in the Arch- deaconry of Derby ; and that he therefore entirely laid aside the intention of ascertaining it in any part of the county. He adds, "It is certainly a great deal larger than it is re- presented in the king's books : in some instances I believe it to be twenty times as much."* We are fortunately enabled to supply our readers with the information, which Mr. Pilkington found it so difficult to procure. In the following Table, the present value of the livings in the Deanery of Chesterfield is taken from the Liber Ecclesiasticus, which contains an authentic statement of the revenues of the Established Church, compiled from the Report of the Commissioners, appointed June 23, in the 2nd year of his late Majesty, William IV., " to inquire into the revenues and patronage of the Established Church in England and Wales." The present Archdeacon of Derby is the Rev. Francis Hodgson, M. A. vicar of Bakewell, who holds an annual visitation at Chesterfield, in the month of June. * Vol. ii. p. 61. 308 DEANERY OF CHESTERFIELD. Wingfield, (North Wingfield, (South Wingerworth . . . Tibshelf. Whittington Whitwell Shirland Staveley f Sutton-in-le-Da < cum l.Duckmanton . Pleasley Scarcliff. Normanton, (Sou Norton Pinxton Langwith, (Over) Morton Ehnton Heath Eckington If If If I II I? ; : ;;;;& I : : s i ;::::.&;: S Modern Name. Ancient Name. Description. Dedicated to Value Patron. Wingreurde ) Winnefelt ) Winnefelt Tibecel Witintune Whitewelle Scardecliffe Sirelunt Stavelie Ic Sudtunc Dochemanestune . th) . . . . Normentune Nortune Esnatrewic Mortune Helmetune Lunt, and Lown . Echintune 2S mil JL ' E ^ a P. : p | . Cestrefeld jElfredingtune, or I Essoure Barleburg Rectory Vicarage . . . ! re 2 o' l|| s* re re re % % ll Rectory Vicarage . . . Rectory .Vicarage ... Rectory Rectory Rectory Vicarage . . . Vicarage . . . Rectory IfUJJIIJI w. : : : : : i :::::::: : : j ::::: j E: :{: j Lawrence -Saints John the Baptis Bartholomew. Lawrence Leonard John the Baptis Mary Peter and St. P Michael Leonard ||! Helena e Holy Cross. . . Peter -Saints Peter and St. P SaSlf^l B^S llflfll III ra a ': " ' s> : : w a L, 772 G. H. Barrow, Esq. 324 Duke of Devonshire. 77 Dean of Lincoln. t J72 Miss Lord. 302 Dean of Lincoln. 625 Duke of Portland. 215 Earl of Thanet. t 706 Duke of Devonshire. ^ 309 Robert Arkwright, Esq. aul.J 493 W. P. Thornhill, Esq. 68 Earl Bathurst. 320 Josiah Wilson, Esq. [alternately]. 270 Rev. Henry Pearson. 293 D' Ewes Coke, Esq. 204 Duke of Devonshire. 360 St. John's Col. Camb., & Mrs. C. Turbutt 55 Rev. C. H. R. Rodes. 174 Duke of Devonshire. aul... 1595 The Crown. sfi'204 Dean of Lincoln. 150 W. P. Morewood, Esq. 481 John Nodder, Esq. 113 Duke of Devonshire. 515 Rev. C. H. R. Rodes. et. ... B. P. Burnell, Esq. 312 Earl Manvers. 90 Duke of Devonshire. Ill Duke of Portland, t 311 The Crown, t 224 The Crown. RECTORIAL MANOR OF CHESTERFIELD. THE extensive parish of Chesterfield formerly contained the chapelries of Brampton, Whittington, and Wingerworth; and the hamlets of Brimington, Tapton, Calow, Normanton, Hasland, Boythorpe, Walton, Hulne, (Holmes,) Dunston, Langley, Newbold, and Brearley. The lands comprized in this ecclesiastical district, which anciently formed the Rectorial Manor of Chesterfield, have passed through the hands of different proprietors. The fol- lowing table will shew who were the proprietors in the time of Edward the Confessor, and William the Conqueror. Ancient Names Possessors in the Possessors of Manors and Modern reign of Edward the when the Survey of Domesday Lands. Names. Confessor. was taken. Brandune ---- -. / Wade .............. Walter Deincourt.* Brantune ---- J Bram P n \ Branwin & Dunninc Ascoit [or Ascuit] Musard.t Brimintune ---- Brimington ........................ The King;. Buitorp ........ Boythorpe .......................... The King. Cestrefeld ...... Chesterfield ........................ The King. Holun .......... Holme ......... Dunninc ............ Ascuit Musard. Newebold ...... Newbold ........................... The King. Normentune ---- Normanton ---- Elfag .............. Edwin, under William Peverel.} r Ormer and Ernich . . Ulcher, under Henry de Femurs.* Smnersale ...... Somersall .... { EWc .............. ^ under Henry Qe Ferrars . Tapetune ...... Tapton ............................. The King. f Wade .............. Walter Deincourt. Wadescel ...... Wadshelf . . . . Waletune ...... Walton ........ Hundulf ............ The King. Wingreurde .... Wingerworth ....................... The King. Witintune ...... Whittington ........................ The King. * Walter Deincourt possessed several manors in the county of Derby by gift of the Conqueror. Edmund Deincourt, the last of the elder branch, died in the early part of the reign of Edward III. t Ascuit Musard held Staveley, (the place of his residence,) and other manors, at the time of the Domesday Survey. Nicholas, the last heir male of the family, died in or about the year 1300. The elder of the co-heiresses married Sir Ralph Freschville; a second left a daughter and heiress, married to William de Chelasto n. The name of her husband is not known. $ William Peverel, who is said to have been a natural son of William the Conqueror, had large possessions in Derbyshire by his father's gift. He built the castle of the Peak, and either he or his son is supposed to have built that of Bolsover. The heiress of Wil- liam Peverel the younger married William de Ferrars, the first Earl of Derby. There still exists a local court, called the Peverel court, in which actions are sometimes brought for the recovery of small debts. It is held at Basford, near Nottingham. Brampton, Brim- ington, Calow, Dunston, Hasland, together with many other townships in the neighbour- hood of Chesterfield, lie within its jurisdiction. t Henry de Ferrars possessed numerous manors in Derbyshire, by gift of William the Conqueror. His son, Robert, appears to have been the first Earl of I-'crrars. 312 RECTORIAL MANOR It was stated, in a former part of this work, (page 59,) on what appeared at the time to be good authority, that the Rev. Matthew Waddington consented to give up his pa- tronage of the chapelries of Brampton and Wingerworth ; and to allow them respectively to christen, marry, and bury thereat, on condition of their paying him a small acknow- ledgement yearly. But on consulting the "memorandum," on the alleged authority of which this assertion was made, it proves to be an enumeration of certain claims, on the part of the vicarage of Chesterfield, upon the neighbouring chapelries and hamlets in general, not excepting even Whit- tington. These claims appear to have been affirmed by a decree of the Court of Star-Chamber, on the llth of November, in the seventh year of the reign of Charles I., in the case of Leech, Knt., versus Foljambe, Bart., and Waddington, Vicar. We have taken great pains to decipher this curious document, which is written on a leaf at the end of the first of the church registers ; and shall make it the basis of the present division of our work. It seems from the title, which we subjoin,* to be the copy of an inscription upon the wall of the vicarage-house, and to have been inserted in the register by the Rev. M. Waddington, for the guidance of his successors, and of posterity. All traces of the ori- ginal inscription have long since disappeared ; but the copy in the register is still legible, with the exception of a few words. It is remarkable, that the Rev. George Hall, in his History of Chesterfield, (pp. 40, 41,) should have described it as "an agreement between Matthew Wadding- ton, Vicar of Chesterfield, and the Inhabitants of Brampton and Wingerworth, wherein this Vicar consented to give up his patronage of these chapels ;" when, in fact, a reference is made, at the foot of the document itself, to " the decree in the Starrechamber the Eleaventh day of November Anno Regis Carol. Septimo Leech Kt. pl'f. Foliambe Barrt., Waddington Vicar Defend'ts.," as the authority on which the claims set forth in the body of the document are grounded. * Scriptum hoc Matthseus Waddington Vicarius de Chesterfeild in Muro Vicarise Mansi delineatnm reliquit, ut spectatores legenda dilucide inspiciant quot et quanta ad eand" Vi- oaria" de jure p'tineant, ct an eadem invite detorqueantur et detineantur. OF CHESTERFIELD. 313 BRAMPTON. In the seventh year of the reign of Charles I., the chapel of Brampton was dependent upon the church of Chesterfield, as was also the chapel of Wingerworth ; and both were ap- propriated to the deanery of Lincoln.* This appropriation was made about the year 1100, by William Rufus. From that time to the present the rectory of Chesterfield has been an appendage to the deanery of Lincoln, and the dean has been impropriator of the great tithes, and patron of the vicarage. The inhabitants of the hamlets of Wigley, Wadshelf, Loades and Pocknage, after the erection of a chapel at Brampton, attended divine worship there ; and the officiating minister at Brampton had the privilege of baptising and burying. But the inhabitants of the above places, together with those of Brampton, were bound to make an offering of a farthing in the chapel of Brampton, for each inha- bited house, on the festivals of All-Saints, Epiphany and the Assumption, which the chaplain had to send to Chester- field, and pay to the vicar. They were required also to supply, in their turn, sacramental bread to the church of Chesterfield, and bound to bring thither annually for burial the corpse of the first person, who died in any of the aforesaid hamlets, after New-year's day ; and the vicar of Chesterfield was to receive, on account of such corpse, the mortuary oblations, and whatever else would have had to be paid, if the funeral had taken place at Brampton. *f- There are frequent entries, relating to this New-year's gift, in the registers of Chesterfield church. The payment of it, however, appears to have been irregular, which ulti- mately led to litigation. The following is the entry in the register for the year 1625. * Ecclesia de ChesterfeiM appropriation! Decanatui, ex qua dependent duse capellae viz. Brampton et Wiugerworth. The Rev. M. Waddington's MS. t Ad Capellam vero de Brampton, quae h'et Sepulturam et Baptisterium, accedunt habi'tores Hamletoru' de Wigley, Wadshelfe, Loades et Pocknage, qui omnes cum ha- bitatorib' de Brampton tcnentur offerr' in Capella de Brampton pro singulis domibus h'ita- tis una' qa.', scil't in festis Omniu' Sanctor', Epiph'ia D'ni, et Assumptionis b'tse Mariae, quas oblacio'es collect* h'et differr' Cappell's loci apud Chesterfeild, et eas solvere Vicario ejusde', &c. Et debent dare in Circuitu suo panem benedictum Eccl'ae de Chesterfeild, et tenentur Corpus primu' defunct! in dictis Hamlett's post festum Circumcis'onis D'ni quo- lib't anno deferre apud Chesterfeild, et ib'm illud fac'e sepeliri, et percipiet dictus Vicarius de diet' sic primo in anno defunct' mortuar' oblac'ones, et alia quae de consuetudine incumbunt. Ibid. 41 314 RECTORIAL MANOR Januarii 1625. Uxor Gulielmi Hunter de Brampton strena pro hoc anno sepulta vj" Item pro oblac'onibus ib'd'm annuatim debitis, & singulisl domib' habitantibus* in festu' circumci'onis D'ni, sollutu' J During the next two years no allusion is made to the New-year's gift, or the annual oblations; but under the years 1628, 1629 and 1630, the following entries occur. Januarii 1628. Filius Oliver Richardson de Brampton being the new yeares gift "I this yeare sine baptismo sepult' f Januarii 1629. Joanna filia Johannis Bradshawe de Brampton being the Newyeares "I gifte for this yeare fy was buried at Brampton / Januarii 1630. Vidua Meller the new years gift from Brampton was buried at Brampton and all duties paid which was ij* sepult. .... xix It must have been about this time, that the case of Leech versus Foljambe and Waddington came on for trial in the court of Starchamber. The dispute probably originated in a determination, on the part of the inhabitants of Brampton, to inter the corpse of the first person who died in Brampton after New-year's day, in the burial-ground attached to their own chapel, instead of bringing it down to Chesterfield, ac- cording to custom, for interment there. The result of this trial is doubtless embodied in the document referred to above ; and the following is the first entry of the payment of the Brampton New-year's gift, and mortuary, after the court of Starchamber had issued its decree. Januarii 1634. Thomas Spittlehouse of Brampton beinge the new yeare's gifte s. d. for this yeare hath paid to a Vicar 3 4 & for a Mortuary iijs. iiijd v die. According to the terrier, a fee, or mortuary of two shillings is now due to the vicar of Chesterfield, for the first person who dies in Brampton after New-year's day. The inhabitants of Brampton, and of the hamlets of AVigley, Wadshelf, Loads and Pocknage, formerly interred their dead at Chesterfield ; and were accustomed to build their own part of the walls of the burial-ground. In the * There is a discrepancy here between the register and the Rev. M. Waddington's MS. In the former we read habitantibus ; in the latter h'itatis, which is an evident con- traction for habitatis. MOE"UMEE"T TO MATIUCDA 1LE CAUf IB" BBAM1PTOH' CHUUBCH. OF CHESTERFIELD. 315 reign of Henry III., during- the war of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, they confined themselves to that part which they built, and would not allow others to be buried there.* This war began in 1264, and ended in 1266, when the royal army, after subjugating the counties of Northamp- ton, Leicester and Nottingham, came into Derbyshire ; and ravaged, with fire and sword, the estates of such as had joined the opposite party. It is uncertain how long the inhabitants of Brampton retained the practice of bringing their dead to Chesterfield for interment ; or when they began to bury at their own chapel. But the change probably took place some time in the thirteenth century. Brampton Chapel, or Church, which is dedicated to St. Peter, or, as some say, to St. Peter and St. Paul, has been supposed, from a very ancient inscription on one of the walls, to have existed as early as 1153. But the real date of its erection is 1253, just one century later. It was con- secrated the day after St. Margaret, on July 21, 1253, by Brendan, Bishop of Ardfert, suffragan to Weseham, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry; but still continued dependent on the rectory of Chesterfield, which belonged to the Dean of Lincoln, the vicarage not being endowed till 1268. The dean and the parishioners both claimed the right of nomina- tion to this chapel ; but at the Derby assizes in 1758, the verdict went in favour of the dean ; upon which a decree was issued in the court of the exchequer. In digging a grave,f more than a century ago, the sexton discovered a very curious sepulchral monument, ap- parently of the thirteenth century. This monument, which is now placed upright against the wall of the nave of Bramp- ton church, was intended to perpetuate the memory of Matilda le Caus. Within a quatrefoil at one end of the stone, is the upper part of a female figure, holding a heart in her hand, sculptured in bas-relief; at the other end, her * Solebant etiam facere partem sua' muroru' Coemitcrii, et tempore guerre D'ni Simonis de Monte-forte se recipiebant sub parte ilia quam faciebant, nolcntcs alios p'mit- tere ib'm recipi. The Rev. M. Waddington's MS. t Bassano's Church Notes. - The arms of Caus were three hearts. 316 RECTORIAL MANOR feet and the lower part of her drapery appear, as through an oblong opening.* On one side of the quatrefoil, is a cross-floree. On the flat part of the stone this inscription appears, cut in very fair Lombardic capitals, " Hie jacet Matilda le Caus, orate pro anima ef pat' nost\"^- Though the inscription is perfect, it is uncertain for whom this monu- ment was designed. It seems probable, however, that it was a person of no less consequence, than Matilda, the heiress of the barony of Cauz, who died in the eighth year of King- Henry III. ; as there is reason to suppose, that Peter de Brampton, who then held the manor of Brampton, was her son, his grandson having assumed the name of Le Caus. The head-dress represented on this monument does not appear to be of so early a period as the beginning of the reign of King Henry III. It is not improbable that it was inscribed to the memory of the above Matilda, several years after her death, by her son, or one of his descendants. The family of Caus of Brampton, descended in the female line from the Baronial family of Caus in Notting- hamshire, and became extinct about the year 1460. Two of the co-heiressess married Ash and Baguley. The manor of Brampton was given by King Henry II. to Peter de Brampton, whom we suppose to have been the second son of Matilda le Cauz, or Caus, heiress of the barony of Caus, by her second husband, Adam de Birkin. Of the family of Caus there are now no remains in the * This mode of exhibiting parts of the figure, through quatrefoil openings, hardly occurs, we believe, except among the ancient gravestones of Derbyshire and Notting- hamshire. Several of them may be seen engraven in Thoroton's History of Not- tinghamshire. t See the account of Ancient Sepulchral Monuments, at p. ccxxiii., of the Messrs. Lysons" MAGNA BRITANNIA. Vol. V ., containing Derbyshire; to which we are indebted for the above observations, as well as for much other valuable matter contained in this history, for which we gladly embrace the present opportunity of acknowledging our obligations. The Survey of Domesday describes three manors in Brampton (Brantune) ; two of which belonged to Ascoit Musard, and the third to Walter Deincourt. Birley-grange, which formerly belonged to the monastery of Lowth j Linacre, which was formerly esteemed a subordinate manor, the property and residence of the ancient family of Linacre j and Wadescel, now Wadshelf, or Watchell, which took its name from Wade, the Saxon owner in the reign of Edward the Confessor, and had been given by the Musards to Beauchief Abbey; are all now parcel of the manor of Brampton. Robert Linacre, who died in 1512, was seised of Linacre-hall, and a manor in Brampton, held under the Earl of Shrewsbury. Twenty descents of this ancient family are described in Vincent's Derbyshire Pedigrees. It appears to have been extinct about the year 1600. The heiresses of Hakenthorpe and Plnmley and a co-heiress of Bakewell married into this family. The last-mentioned match took place before the year 1400. The co-heiresses of John Linacre of Hasland-hall, OF CHESTERFIELD. 317 parish of Brampton, except the monument above mentioned, and an old ruined barn ; though it is said that the site of the family mansion may still be traced near Ashgate. Bassano, in his volume of Church Notes, taken about the year 1710, describes an ancient tomb of " Hiskanda, Domina de Brampton," (without date) ; and some memorials of the family of Jackson,* who inherited from the Bullocks, and were succeeded by the Beresfords in the possession of an ancient mansion in Brampton, now a farm-house, the pro- perty of Mr. Dixon. There was formerly a chantry in the chapel of Brampton, founded by Hugh Ingram, who is supposed to have married one of the co-heiresses of Caus. Brampton is now esteemed a separate parish ; and, in- deed, is said to have been so considered at the time of making the Chantry Roll, in 1547. The tithes are appro- priated to the Dean of Lincoln, who appoints the perpetual curate. In the year 1723, Godfrey Watkinson, Esq., gave 100/., and Dr. Godolphin, Dean of St. Paul's, 100/., towards procuring Queen Anne's bounty for this benefice. The exterior of the south side of the church is partially ornamented with small figures, carved in stone, which are now in a mutilated state. One of these figures seems in- tended to represent St. Peter, having the keys in one hand, and the bible in the other. The chancel contains two very handsome monuments of marble, which were erected more than two hundred years ago, to the memory of the Clarkes, formerly of Somersall Hall, and more recently of Sutton. The epitaph upon the monument erected to the memory of Nicholas Clarke, Esq., and bearing date 1589, deserves to be recorded. who died in 1488, married Rollesley and Cooke. The Abbot and Convent of Rufford had lands in Brampton, which were granted by Henry VIII. to the Earl of Shrewsbury, and have passed with the manor. The manor which belonged to the Deincourts, passed with Sutton to the Leakes, and was conveyed with that to the Clarkes ; and the estate, which has not of late possessed any manorial rights, was vested in the late Marchioness of Ormond, as representative of the last- mentioned family, and has since been sold. - It is now divided among a number of small proprietors. * Cornelivs Jackson, 1675; John Jackson, 1681. Cornelius Jackson, married the heiress of James Bullock ; the heiress of Jackson married Henry Beresford, Esq., who was buried at Brampton before 1710, but there was no memorial for him. Bassano's Church Notes. 318 RECTORIAL MANOR Far, vitae humanae fulcrum, non nascitur agris, Intereat semen ni cereale prius : Vivitur ex letho ; viventia cuncta vicissim Orbe in terrestri corripit Orcus atrox. Nulla, nisi in Ccelo, sincera est vita, benigno ; Qui vivit moritur ; qui moriturque Translation . Bread, (staff" of life) would not in fields arise, But first the seed-corn in the furrow dies : We live but out of death : all that have birth, Are by the dark grave snatch'd from off the earth. None, but in Heaven, can constant life obtain : We live to die, and die to live again. In the church, are several monuments for the family of Clarke, of Somersall* and Chilcote; and a mutilated ala- baster slab for Philip ,f who died in 1517. In October, 1821, important improvements were made in the interior of this church, particularly in repairing the monuments belonging to the Clarkes, and also in changing the situation of one of them, which had previously obscured the light from the south window in the altar place, and which is now set angularly, opposite to the other. These operations were performed under the superintendence of Mr. White Watson, F.A.S., of Bakewell ; and reflect the greatest credit upon all who were employed on them.J It is impossible, indeed, to convey, in words, any idea of the improved appearance of these fine monuments, to those who had not seen them, in the neglected condition, in which they were, before the commencement of Mr. White Watson's labours. * Nicholas Clarke, of Somcrsall, Gent., 1589; Godfrey Clarke, his son, 1634; Jane, wife of Godfrey, and daughter of Michael Grundy, of Thurgarton, 1604 ; Gilbert Clarke, son of Godfrey, 1650 ; Helen, wife of Gilbert, daughter and heir of John Clarke, of Codnor, 1643; Grace, his second wife, daughter of Peter Columbell, of Darley, 1656; Godfrey Clarke, son of Gilbert, 1670; Elizabeth, first wife of Godftey, daughter of Sir Thomas Milward, 1645 ; Elizabeth, his second wife, one of the co- heiresses of Nicho- las Freville, and relict of Robert Byerley, Esq. ; Sir Gilbert Clarke, of Somersall, who put up the monument, married, first, Jane, heiress of Robert Byerley, Esq.. above-mentioned, second, Barbara, daughter of George Clerke, Esq., of Northamptonshire ; Godfrey Clarke, Esq., of Chilcote, M.P. for the county, 1734. t Probably a son of Ash, who married one of the co-heiresses of Caus. t The above improvements are entirely due to the liberality of the late W. B. Thomas, of High-field House, Esq., near Chesterfield ; who ordered the performance of the successful labours which have produced them, from respect to the memory of the last heirs of that family, to whose ancestors the monuments were erected. OP CHESTERFIELD. 319 The Clarkes of Chilcote formerly had a seat at Somersall, or Somershall; and another family of the same name resided at Ashgate, in this chapelry. Somersall is now a farm- house, belonging to Mr. Johnson ; Ashgate is the property and residence of John Gorell Barnes, Esq. The first of the family of Clarke of Somersall, was of Chesterfield. His son was of Somersall in Brampton : Chilcote was purchased in 1672, and Sutton between 1736 and 1740. Godfrey Bagnall Clarke, Esq., the last of the family, died in 1786 : his sister and heir married Job Hart Price, Esq., who took the name of Clarke in 1787, and left a daughter and heiress, afterwards Marchioness of Ormond. The Clarkes of Ashgate* settled there in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. This branch became extinct by the death of Cornelius Clarke, Esq., of Norton-hall, in 1696. Ralph Clarke, the first mayor of Chesterfield, after the charter of incorporation granted by Elizabeth, was an ancestor of Cor- nelius Clarke. This Ralph Clarke was the third in descent from Ralph Clarke of Ashgate ; and died at an advanced age in 1660. t He was very rich, for he paid five pounds to the poll-tax in 1641, as large a sum as was paid by any one individual. His wife, Frances, daughter of Blount of Eck- ington, paid sixpence at the same time. He was residing in Chesterfield in the year 1601. But at the time of his death he lived at Cutthorpe ; and is described as of that place in his will, bearing date July 1660. The elder brother of Cornelius Clarke dying in 1669 without issue, the whole of his father's patrimony, which was considerable, centred in him. He had a large mortgage, inter alia, on the estate of William Bullock, of Norton-hall, Esq., who died in 1666; in consequence of which he pur- chased the manor, the hall house, and a competent portion of the demesne lands there, from the executors, Edward Gill, of Carhouse, near Rotherham, and William Fitzherbert, * Ashgate took its name from the family of Ash, one of whom married a co-heiress of the family of le Cans about the year 1460. t Augusti, 1660, Mr. Rad'us Clarke Aldermannus sepult 1 die. Chesterfield Church Register. $ The house which he occupied at this time was the only one of consequence in Ches- terfield, which ever appertained to the Clarke estate. la 1683 Mr. Edward Jessop was living in it. In )686 it was called the Castle Inn. 320 RECTORIAL MANOR Esq.* This was in May, 1668. In 1670 he served the office of High Sheriff for the county of Derby. His multi- plied acts of benevolence to the town of Chesterfield, have created a closer connexion between this borough, and the proprietors of Norton Hall, while they continue to be of his blood, than with almost any other gentleman's family in the neighbourhood. Of this abundant proofs have already been given in different parts of our history (Pp. 116, 213, 223). He also directed doles to be given to the several parishes of Norton, Staveley, Brampton, Whittington, Dron- field, &c. In the year 1682, he gave 107. per annum, for the pur- pose of teaching- twelve boys of the chapelry of Brampton. Sundry other benefactions,^ to the amount of above 8/. per annum, were given to this school; but much of the endowment must have been lost, the whole of the present income being stated at between 91. and 10Z. per annum. He bequeathed the estate at Norton to his nephew, Robert Offley, of Norwich, gent., son of Ursula his eldest sister. Stephen, son of Robert Offley, was High Sheriff of the county of Derby, in 1716, and married the heiress of Smyth, of Norfolk; Joseph, his grandson, the heiress of Bohun, of Beccles ; Edmund, son of Joseph, died unmarried in 1754 : his sisters and co-heirs married Shore and Edmunds of Yorkshire. There are some singular facts connected with the history of Edmund Offley, and his two sisters, to which, although not immediately connected with the subject of our history, we trust we shall stand excused in the eyes of our readers for briefly adverting. " The two Miss ," says the Rev. William Turner, of Wakefield, in a letter addressed to the Rev. Theophilus Lindsey, June 14, 1777, " had an unhappy brother of either defective understanding, or capricious or bad temper, or both, who being past his majority, and a student at Edinburgh, died there. Immediately an episcopal clergyman, in whose * The rest of the estate of William Bullock, Esq., with the advowson of the vicarage of Norton, went to Nevil who had married one of Bullock's coheirs. t Peter Calton gave 1 Os. per annum ; John Watkinson, 40s. per annum ; Sir Gilbert Clarke, 40s. per annum; Mr. Jo. Arkrode, 20s. per annum; Henry Glossop, in 1/47, 20s. per annum; Dorothy Heath, in 1793, the sum of 49/. 4 per cents. OP CHESTERFIELD. 321 house he had boarded, pretended that Mr. had married his daughter, and made a will, by which he had bequeathed all his fortune to her absolutely. When the family was in- formed of this, Mr. Newton, having furnished himself with proper power, and being also a guardian and trustee, set off express, met the corpse on the road, which they were bringing to be deposited in the family burying place, arrested and se- cured it ; went forward to Edinburgh, made diligent inquiry, discovered many suspicious circumstances, and partly by remonstrances, and partly by threats of a legal discussion at the expense of his whole fortune, prevailed upon the Scotch pretenders, in consideration of a few ready thousands, to relinquish their whole claim. He then returned with great satisfaction and honour, and ordered the corpse to proceed to the family burial place. For such a service, all the con- nexions of the family owe and pay him great esteem and gratitude." The parties here meant are Edmund Offley, Esq., and his two sisters; and the benevolent individual, who interested himself in behalf of the latter, and saved them from poverty, was the late Robert Newton, of Norton House, Esq., a gentleman of eccentric character, and retiring habits, but capable of as much vigour, activity and resolution, as any man, when the interests of humanity called for the exercise of these valuable qualities.* The late Samuel Shore, of Meersbrook, Esq., married the elder Miss Offley ; and at the death of his son, Samuel Shore, of Norton-hall, Esq., who married a co-heiress of Foye, the family estates came into the possession of his only surviving son, Offley Shore, Esq., who married Miss Eliza Brewin, daughter of John Brewin, of Deighton, Esq., near Wetherby, in Yorkshire. , Mr. Robert More, of Clare Hall, Cambridge, was * An account of the Offley inheritance forms the most prominent, and by far the most interesting feature of the story entitled St. Lawrence, in the Illustrations of Unman Life, by the author of Tremaine, and De Vere. (Vol. I. pp. 184247.) In his Dedication to the Duchess of Buckingham, the author says, " It is certainly so far new, that even the chief fact, of the preternatural appearance, has never to my knowledge been in print. However that may be, your Grace did me the honour to wish me to let you present it to Sir Walter Scott, or put it into writing myself, which last I promised to do. But the many eventful scenes I was afterwards engaged in, chiefly and severely of domestic calamity, and ending in a distressing and lengthened illness, prevented the performance of my promise. I know not if I have even now succeeded. But if your Grace will accept the Narrative, (no doubt a little garnished in the details, but in the main true,) as an unfeigned tribute of esteem for virtues universally acknowledged, you will add greatly to the favours you have conferred upon your most obliged humble servant, the Author." (pp. 155, 156.) 42 322 RECTORIAL MANOR ejected from Brampton. He was born at Nottingham. His first preaching was at Belper, in this county, where he staid about a year and then removed to Brampton, and was or- dained by the classics at Wirksworth. After his ejectment, he suffered in many ways for his nonconformity. Particularly, he was once indicted for not reading the Book of Common Prayer, though it was not yet come down. In the time of Monmouth, he, with many peaceable ministers, and others, was sent prisoner to Chester castle. He was afterwards one of the pastors of a congregation in Derby, where he died in June, 1704, the last of the ejected ministers in this county. About the year 1780, the Rev. Edmund Cartwright, well known as the inventor of a machine for combing wool, and as the author of the poem of Armine and Elvira, had the curacy of Brampton. A church, dedicated to St. Thomas, has recently been erected on a piece of ground, given by Vincent Eyre, Esq., through his resident agent, W. B. Thomas, Esq. It is built of a beautiful and durable stone, from a quarry on the estate of Sir Henry Hunloke, Wingerworth. It was erected by voluntary subscription, after the design of Messrs. Woodhead and Hurst, of Doncaster. The foundation-stone was laid February 2, 1830, by his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, when the committee presented him with a very elegant silver trowel, manufactured by Messrs. Rodgers, of Sheffield, and bearing on one side a beautifully engraved view of the west elevation of the church, and on the other the following- inscription. Illustrissimo principi Gulielmo Spencer, Duel Devoniensi, Marchioni de Harrington, Nobilissimi ordinis periscelidis equiti, Etc. Etc. In occasionem fundaminis fani Sancti Thomae, In Pago Bramptoniensi, Quarto Non. Febr. A. D. 1830, Ponendi. The following is the inscription, covering a collection of coins, commemorative of the era, at which the church was OF CHESTERFIELD. 323 founded. The plate was engraved by Mr. John Auld, of Chesterfield. Hujusce Fani In Sanctum Thomam dedicati, Quod, multis prseclaris et probis viris subsidia ferentibus, Concilium amplissimum Regiae Majestatis delegatorum ^Edificari curavit ; Illustrissimus princeps Gulielmus Spencer, Dux Devoniensis, Marchio de Hartington, Nobilissimi ordinis periscelidis eques, Comitatus Derbiensis praefectus, Etc. Etc. *Fundamina feliciter posuit, Quarto Non. Febr. A. D. MDCCCXXX. Et regni Georgii Quarti Regis undecimo. (Woodhead et Hurst, Architectis.) Translation. The first stone of this church, Dedicated to Saint Thomas, Which the Honourable Board of His Majesty's Commissioners, Aided by the contributions of many eminent and worthy persons, Has caused to be erected, Was happily laid By the Most Noble William Spencer, Duke of Devonshire, Marquis of Hartington, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Derby, Etc. Etc. The second day of February, in the year of our Lord 1830, And in the Eleventh year of the reign of King George IV. (Woodhead and Hurst, Architects.) This church was opened July27, 1831, by the Lord Bishop of the diocese, attended by his chaplain, Archdeacon Hodson. The prayers were read by the Rev. W. Peach, A.M., minister of Brampton church. His Lordship afterwards preached a very excellent sermon, from Galatians iii., 24, " The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." When the sermon was concluded, a col- lection of considerable amount was made in aid of the funds for building the church. The Bible and Prayer Book, together with the two books for the communion table, &c., are the united offerings of the ministers of Chesterfield and 324 RECTORIAL MANOR Brampton. They are in very elegant bindings, and each of them bears the following inscription. Hunc Librum, Publico Dei cultui sacrum, Sacello Bramptoniensi S. Thomae dicato, Pietatis causa Dederunt Thomas Hill, S. T. B., Gulielmus Peach, A. M., Conjunctissimi in Christo Commilitones. The boundary of the district, annexed to this church, commences at the bottom of Potters' lane; and proceeds thence up Boythorpe lane, and along the boundary of the township of Walton, (including the whole of the township,) till it meets the river Hipper ; thence along the west boundary of the parish of Brampton, as far as Harwood cupola ; and thence, along the Beely and Chesterfield road, to the Moor-edge road ; thence along the Moor-edge road, to the Hall Cliff lane, and then along the said lane to the Baslow new road, and down the said road at Westwick lane; thence along Westwick lane, to Ashgate, then down the lane to Woodnook, and by the north-east fence of a certain close, at the back of widow Canlin's house, to the boundary between the parish of Brampton and the township of Newbold ; thence, along the said boundary, till it joins the turnpike-road from Barlow to Chesterfield, then along the said road till it crosses the boundary of the township of Newbold and Chesterfield ; thence along the said lane to the Potters' lane, and along the said lane, to the point at which the boundary commenced. This sketch of the boundary includes the right hand side of the several roads, along which it is described as passing. The superintendence of this district is confided to the Rev. Matson Vincent, M.A., formerly of the parish of Everton, near Bawtry. The National School, which is connected with the church, and united to the National Society, forms a most valuable adjunct to the sacred edifice. The simple elegance of this structure excites the admiration of every beholder. A spacious play-groiiud is attached to the front. The school OF CHESTERFIELD. 325 was opened in March, 1832 ; and contains 100 boys and 60 girls. The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, situated upon the confines of Brampton Moor, is a neat small building. It was erected in the years 1827-8, and opened April 9th, by the Rev. Theophilus Lessey (from Stockport,) when a col- lection was made in aid of the funds, and towards defraying expenses. The interior is neatly fitted up. A few yards from this, is a small chapel, built for the use of the Independents. It is of brick, and was erected in 1827 . The Primitive Methodists, commonly called Ranters, have likewise a place for public worship in Little Brampton, on the south-east side of the road, near the Chesterfield gas works. It is built of stone, in the Gothic style, and was opened May 18, 1828, by the Rev. J. Harrison, (from Waken" eld,) when a collection was made towards defraying the expense of the building. The following account of the Charities in the parish of Brampton, is abridged from the Report of the Commissioners for inquiring into Charities : No. 18. pp. 122-131. Parish School. . &. d. Schoolmaster, for instructing nine children in reading 410 Schoolmaster, for instructing two children in reading and writing 1 10 Schoolmaster, for instructing five children in reading, writing and accounts . . . 3 18 9 18 Sir Gilbert Clarke s Charity. Minister, for preaching a Sermon on Christmas day 2 6 Schoolmaster, for teaching two of the above children reading, writing and accounts 2 6 Fourpenny loaves on Christmas-day . . , . 1 6 8 Fund for providing blankets and clothing for the poor 4 4 630 Henry Glossops Charity. Schoolmaster, for teaching two of the above children reading 100 Clerk, for repairing testator's tomb 2 6 Thirty groat loaves, given to the poor by the minister and churchwardens, on the fourth Sunday in Lent 010 1 12 6 326 RECTORIAL MANOR Charities of George Wilcockson and others. 4. s. d. In respect of Glossop's Charity 112 6 Minister, for preaching a Sermon on Easter Tuesday, and read- ing prayers on New-Year's-day, in respect of Newbold's, Hibbert's and Kindar's gifts for such purposes 1 8 6 Sixty penny loaves, distributed to the poor by the minister and churchwardens on Easter Tuesday, according to the will of Joshua Hibbert 5 Fund for providing blankets and clothing, which are distributed by the minister and churchwardens to the poor on St. Thomas's-day 2 6 6 5 12 6 N.B. The premises out of which the above sum arises, are stated to be subject to a rent-charge of a shilling, pay- able to Sir George Sitwell ; and another of a pound, payable to the Duke of Devonshire. The whole annual rent of the premises is 67. 13s. 6d. James Shaw's, John Akr ode's and George Milward's Charities. Fund for providing blankets and clothing as above, in respect of Shaw's and Milward's Charities 1 In respect of Akrode's Charity, Schoolmaster, for teaching two of the above children reading and writing ." 1 10 Six hundred penny loaves, distributed by the minister and churchwardens, five dozen every fifth Sunday 2 10 Minister 914 6 14 14 6 N.B. The above sum is part of a rent-charge of 16/., on a farm at Clay Lane, the residue I/. 5s. 6d. being de- ducted for land-tax. James Shaw's Charity. Placing out apprentices 17 12 6 The poor 5 Minister, for preaching a Sermon on St. Thomas's-day .... 010 Clerk and churchwardens for refreshment . , 10 23 12 6 Henry Hartley's Charity. Thirty-four poor widows : . , 1 OF CHESTERFIELD. 327 Anthony Boote's Charity. . s. d. Forty poor widows 1 James Belfifs Charity. Thirty twopenny loaves to the poor on the 5th of November ..050 William Andrew's Charity. Twenty loaves every Christmas-day, distributed at the church 018 Elizabeth Tomlinsons Charity. Poor persons in the parish of Brampton, in sums varying from 2*. 6d. to 5*., on the 1st of April 24 In addition to the above, Brampton partakes of Fol- jambe's and Gisborne's Charities. The Parliamentary Returns of 1786 also state, that Ann Stevenson, by will, in 1743, gave to the poor of the hamlet of Wadshelf the sum of five pounds. This legacy is in the hands of J. G. Barnes, Esq., who pays annually five shillings, as the interest thereof, to the churchwardens of Brampton, by whom it is distributed among four or five poor widows of Wadshelf. George Wilkes's Charity of 10?. to the minister of the parish of Brampton, for preaching a sermon on St. Thomas's- day, and 61. for the poor, is mentioned on a tablet in the church; but the commissioners were unable to procure any further information respecting these donations. In that part of Brampton which lies contiguous to the borough of Chesterfield, there has been, within these few years, a considerable increase in the population, owing to the iron-foundry; the neighbourhood producing plenty of coal and ironstone, which were formerly worked to great advantage, in making stoves, grates, ovens, cannon balls, &c. There are also several potteries, for the manufactory of coarse earthenware. Many persons are likewise employed at the pipe and hat factories, and at the bump-mill. The building formerly used as a foundry, has been taken by Mr. Hackett, of Derby, a manufacturer of small wares; and is expected to afford occupation to many persons in 328 RECTORIAL MANOR Walton and Little Brampton, who were thrown out of employment by the discontinuance of the iron trade. An act of parliament, for enclosing lands in the chapelry of Brampton, passed in 1815. At the census of 1831 the parish of Brampton contained 700 houses, and 3594 inhabitants. WINGERWORTH. It appears from the Rev. Matthew Waddington's memo- randum, at the end of the first volume of the Chesterfield Church Register, that, during his incumbency, the inhabitants of Wingerworth, Thwathweytt, [Swathwick?] and Hill, attended divine worship, and received the sacrament at Wingerworth chapel, and baptized and buried there : nor did they attend at Chesterfield church, unless their devotional feelings led them to give that the preference. But the Dean of Lincoln, as Lord of the Rectorial Manor, received, without any deduction, the tithes and emoluments of Win- gerworth, of all kinds whatever.* The Rev. James Pilkington, in his valuable History of Derbyshire, states, that there was a church at Wingerworth in the 25th year of Edward I., at whiqh time Henry de Brailsford was possessed of the advowson. The Dean of Lincoln now appoints the minister; and the living is a perpetual curacy. In the church on the north-west side, is a fine monument of marble erected to the memory of General Gladwin. f * It' ad Capellam de Wingerworth accedunt h'it'ores ejusdem, et Thwathweytt et Hill, et ib'm obtintntes sepultur" et hapister' audiunt divina, et percipiunt Sacramenta ac Sacramentalia, ac sepelient ib'm. Et ad Ecclesiam de Chesterfeild non accedunt, nisi ex devocio'e hoc facere voluerint j in dictis autem Capellis, [viz, de Brampton et de Winger- worth,] Decan' percipit om'odas decimas, et alteragia integraliter, hiis' quae suprascripta sunt de Brampton duntaxat except is. t Among the curiosities collected by the late General Gladwin, which are now preserved at Belmont, near Chesterfield, the residence of C. D. Gladwin, Esq., are a pair of Indian shoes, such as are worn by the North American chiefs in the neighbourhood of Lake Huron. The shoes are made of an elk's-skin, and are curiously ornamented with rude tassels. The following anecdote renders them valuable to the general's family. In the year 1/63, when the General, then Major Gladwin, was Commandant of the town and ;'.' !'' A OF CHESTERFIELD. 329 Here lie the remains of General Henry Gladwin, "who departed this life on the 22nd day of June, 1791> in the 62nd year of his age. He was distinguished by all those private and social virtues which constitute the Man and the Christian. Early trained to arms and martial deeds* on the plains of North America he reaped the laurel : At the battle of Ticonderago (in which he was twice wounded) his courage was conspicuous, and his memorable defence of Fort Detroit against the united attacks of the Indian Nations, will long be recorded in the annals of a grateful country. This church likewise contains the monuments of the ancient families of Brailsford and Hunloke. fort of Detroit on the Strait which joins Lake Huron to Lake Erie, he engaged an Indian woman to make him these shoes of a valuable skin which he had in his possession. The woman having completed her work brought it home along with the remainder of the material, and so well pleased the governor, that having paid her for her trouble he requested her to take back with her the piece of the skin, and make it into shoes of the same kind, particularly urging her to use expedition in their completion. Instead of returning directly home, the woman was observed to loiter about the habi- tation of the governor ; not like a person full of idle curiosity, but as one labouring under some mental oppression, or distress. The governor's servant demanded the reason of her behaviour : she gave him no answer : he was then ordered to bring her to his master. " Good woman" said the commandant, as soon as they were alone, " What induces you to loiter about here, when your time might be so much more profitably employed at yourown house ? Go home, and apply yourself to the fulfilment of my commission." "Your honor" answered the woman, her voice interrupted with sobs, " your honor is too good. You have hitherto been a good friend to me, and I should not wish to be the cause of your sustaining any loss ; permit me to leave the remnant of this skin with you, for I know it is a valuable one." " Why" replied the commandant, " should I be more unwilling to trust you with a piece, than I was with the whole skin ? I have no reason to doubt your honesty : take it with you, and apply yourself to work." "Alas I your honor, I shall never be able to bring it you again !" The curiosity of Major Gladwin was now excited : he saw plainly that the woman's expressions covered some latent meaning ; that she was possessed of some information, which she wished, yet dared not to reveal. He gave her every encouragement in his power, and after having promised, that, whatever she should say, should not be turned to her disadvantage, he prevailed upon her to speak her mind freely. " Beware sir," said she, her voice still faltering, " beware of the interview you have promised to grant to-morrow to the Indians, who are now encamped beneath your walls. Perhaps you know not that they are commanded by Pontiac, the perfidious yet enterpris- ing chief of the Miames, whose policy last year rendered him too successful in his attack on your fortress of Michillimackinac; or perhaps you are ignorant that he has sworn never, in peace or in war, to let slip an opportunity of injuring the subjects, or possessions of your king. Last night, I unseen, attended their council ; I heard it resolved that, while ar- ranging the future method of trade between your country and theirs, while pretending to brighten the chain of peace, even at the moment of presenting to your honor the most sa- 43 330 RECTORIAL MANOR In the church-yard, on the south side, is a grave-stone with the following inscription. Here lieth the body of Ann Ash, who departed this life, April the 24th, 1789, aged 104 years. Descended from a good family in London, yet by the vicissitudes of fortune, she would have felt all the miseries of penury and indigence, but for the benevolent assistance of distant relations, who supported her for the last fifty years of her life, first by the father, and after his death by his son, a gentleman well known in the neighbourhood for his generosity and humanity. Reader, whoever thou art, reflect on the instability of human enjoy- ments, and while in thy flower, extend that benevolence to thy fellow creatures, which thou in thy time mayest be necessitated to receive from the bounty of others. Wingerwortk in the time of the Conqueror, was a soke or hamlet, of the manor of Newbold, which belonged to the king, and was written UJinjneujibe. This estate was afterwards the property of the Brailsfords, in the time of Henry II., cred pledge of Indian friendship, the wampun belt, the deceitful Pontiac, by an unusual motion in its delivery, should give a signal to the other deputies, to draw forth their guns, (previously shortened for concealment) from beneath their blankets, and to fire upon you, and all the officers in the council-chamber ; and at the same moment, that the whole army of Indians should burst into your town, and kill and plunder the inhabitants. This, sir, is what renders me uneasy : and if you would follow the advice of a woman, and a stranger to your nation ; if you would preserve a life deservedly dear to your king, your country, and your friends; if, in short, you would secure your fellow subjects from massacre and pillage, recal the fatal promise of to-morrow's meeting." A plot so regularly arranged, and so ripe for execution, could not but astonish a person who was designed to act so principal a part in the tragedy, as the brave commandant. He thanked the woman for her intelligence, promised on the proof of its truth to reward her for her attachment, and dismissed her with the strongest injunctions of secrecy. To the officer next to him in command he communicated the intelligence he had just obtained, and had the mortification to hear that gentleman treat the whole as an artful fabrication, unworthy of the least attention. Rightly considering, however, that what cannot be proved false, has a possibility of being true, the Major resolved, without disclosing his reasons to any other person, to act in the likeliest manner to render the plan abortive, without causing an alarm, by the revocation of a promise already given. He inspected all the arms, visited every post, and saw every centinel on duty. The Indians meanwhile were enjoying, by anticipation, the success of Pontiac's dia- bolical stratagem : they gave a loose to their noisy mirth, and their rejoicings vibrated like the war-whoop in the ears of the governor, as he patrolled the port : he had in his life passed many a pleasanter night. At daybreak he ordered the garrison under arms, communicated his suspicion of treachery to his principal officers, directed them how to proceed, and exhorted them to act with caution. He then informed the inhabitants of a number of Indians being expected within the walls, who might possibly be induced to make some attempts at plunder : he recommended to them to be watchful over their .property, and on any emergency to repel force by force. About ten o'clock the Indian deputation arrived, and was conducted to the council- chamber, where the commandant, and his principal officers were to receive it, each fully armed with charged pistols in his belts. The soldiers had attracted the notice of the wary chief, who was no sooner seated on his skin, than he demanded of the commandant, why, contrary to his usual custom, his men were this day under arms ? The governor replied, that, not knowing how soon their services might be wanted, he thought it the duty of a OF CHESTERFIELD. 331 and descended from them to the'Curzons, of Kedleston, in this county. Nicholas Hunloke purchased the manor of Wing-erworth in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, from Richard Curzon, of Kedleston, Esq. Wingerworth Hall, which is situated about two miles from Chesterfield, in the hundred of Scarsdale, was built by Sir Thomas Windsor Hunloke, between the years 1726 and 1730: it is a respectable stone edifice, and the principal apart- ments are well finished in an elegant style, and furnished wifh paintings designed by some of the great Italian masters. In the rooms are several good pictures of the ancestors of this family. This mansion is situated on an eminence, and commands several extensive prospects into the surrounding- country, particularly of the town of Chesterfield. Wingerworth Hall has been, for about three centuries, the principal seat of the family of the Hunlokes ; and still continues in the possession of one of their descendants. That the family of Hunloke is of considerable antiquity, plainly appears from a certificate given to Sir Henry Hun- loke, December 14, 1674, by James, Earl of Suffolk, deputy to the Right Honourable Henry, Earl of Norfolk, Earl Marshal of England, wherein he affirms, that his ancestors, good officer to keep his troops in a, state of readiness, and to have them as perfect as pos- sible in their exercise. The chief then proceeded to the business of the legation, and rising on his feet, addressed the commandant in a flattering oration, in which he professed the strongest good will to him, individually ; and the most unfeigned friendship for his nation. " My only desire" said he, "is to strengthen the bond of amity at present existing between your nation and my own, toextinguish the yet smoking embers of war, and to brighten the long wished for chain of peace ; it is therefore the desire of the chiefs of my people, that I should present to you, as an emblem of future union, this most sacred of Indian pledges, this" a clang of arms among the soldiers who guarded the open door, and the instantaneous rising of the British officers, each with his sword half drawn at this moment, disconcerted the Indian villain, who was advancing to deliver the fatal present, and prevented him from giving the pre- concerted motion, which was to be the signal of massacre and murder ; the belt was then delivered in the usual manner, and the disappointed Indians looked on one another with silent surprise. The commandant then addressing Pontiac, told him, that he could not thank him for his professions, because he knew they were void of truth. " Your whole design" said he, "is known to me ; to these shortened guns" (taking up the blanket of the chief nearest to him, and discovering to the whole assembly the mutilated musket) " to these shortened guns I am no stranger. As traitors you deserve instant death ; I have promised you a safe return, and the word of a British soldier is ever sacred. Depart in peace; but beware of ever trusting yourselves again within these walls." Thus, to the trivial circumstance of the delivery of apair of shoes, a brave commander owed his life, a gallant army its preservation, and an Indian colony its liberty and existence. 332 RECTORIAL MANOR for many descents, have borne and used for their arms three tigers' heads, &c., as appeared by old records remaining in the College of Arms, which leaves no room to doubt of their ancient extraction. The first of whom we have any certain account, is Nicholas Hunloke. In the reign of Henry VIII. he was possessed of a large estate at Hadley, in Middlesex, and in the neighbourhood of Bramcote and Stapleford, in Nottinghamshire. He died in London, leaving issue two sons, Nicholas and Thomas. Nicholas, his eldest son, purchased the manor of Wingerworth of the Curzons. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Barlow, of Barlow, by whom he had issue Nicholas, Henry, Joan, Margaret and Christopher. He died at Wingerworth, anno 1551, and lies buried in the parish church. Nicholas, his son, dying without issue, was succeeded in his estate by his brother Henry, who married twice : by his first wife Margaret, the daughter of Nicholas Walker, Esq., he had only one son, Henry. He was buried at Wingerworth, October 12, 1612. Henry Hunloke, Esq., his heir and successor, had two wives. By his first wife he had no issue ; by his second, Ann, daughter and heiress of Richard Alvey, Esq., of Corber, in the county of Derby, he had issue one son, Henry, and a daughter Ann. He was sheriff for the county of Derby, anno 1623 ; and to shew his affection to his prince, took a journey to meet King James I., and attend him in his progress, at a very ad- vanced age, and with a fatigue above his strength. The consequence was, that he fell down dead in the presence of his majesty, August 17, at Ilkeston, in Derbyshire, acquiring as much renown by dying in his duty to the sovereign, as if he had lived to receive the honor of knight- hood, which the king designed to confer upon him. He was succeeded by his only son Henry, (the fourth in descent from the first possessor,) not only in his estate, but also in his loyalty, which he sufficiently testified, by lending King Charles a considerable sum of money, in his most pressing necessity, even at a time when there was little probability of being repaid. This he did at the request of his majesty, who honoured him with a letter on the occasion, dated September 14, 1642. But his free concurrence to the maintaining of the royal cause, stopped not here ; for he soon after, at his own expense, levied and accoutred a complete troop of horse in the regiment of Colonel John Fretchville, of Staveley, (afterwards Lord Fretchville) of which he himself was lieutenant colonel : and to the perpetual honour of his name and family, this young heir, not yet twenty-two years of age, like a true lover of his country, at the memorable battle of Edge-Hill, in War- wickshire, October 23, 1642, by uncommon valour, conduct, and courage, so signalized himself, that King Charles, to publish the honour he had merited that day, knighted him in the field of battle, and soon after created him a baronet. Not long after, making a bold attempt upon the enemy near Beckwood-Park, in Nottinghamshire, in a skirmish with some of the adverse party, that lay hid in ambush, he received a dangerous OF CHESTERFIELD. 333 cut with a sword in his elbow, which so disabled his right arm, that it hung useless in a scarf to his death. He was fined by the sequestrators 14581. for his loyalty. He married Maria, daughter of Dixey Hickman, of Kew, in the county of Surrey, Esq., by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of Henry Lord Windsor, in whose right the barony of Windsor, with the estate, descended to her brother, Thomas Lord Windsor, afterwards created Earl of Plymouth. He left issue, Henry his son and heir, who succeeded him ; a daughter called Marina, who became a Benedictine nun at Brussels ; and a posthumous son called Thomas Windsor, who was a volunteer in the French army against the imperialists, and died at Treves, Germany, November, 1672. This Sir Henry Hunloke died January 13, 1648, and was buried at Wingerworth. During the Commonwealth, the family was driven from the seat at Winger- worth, which, being a large stone building, was converted into a garrison for the forces of Parliament ; and Captain Taylor's company, consisting of about one hundred men, was chiefly stationed here about 1643. Lady Hunloke, the relict of Sir Henry, being married to Colonel William Michael, one of Cromwell's officers, the colonel proved a good friend to the family ; and was instrumental in preserving the ancient mansion and estate from any further injury. Sir Henry Hunloke, Baronet, (son of Sir Henry Hunloke, Knight and Baronet aforesaid,) married Catherine, only daughter and heiress of Francis Tyrwhit,* of Kettleby in Lincolnshire, Esq., by whom he had seven sons and six daughters ; Henry, who died at Paris in his travels through France; Francis, who died young ; Thomas Windsor ; Robert, and Nicholas, who both died infants ; another Robert ; Francis who died at Amsterdam; Elizabeth, who married George Heneage, ofHairton, Lincolnshire, Esq. ; Catherine, Ann, Teresa, and Marina, who died children ; and another Marina, a Benedictine nun, at Pentoise in France. The Sir Henry Hunloke above-mentioned, enjoyed the title and estate for the space of sixty-seven years, in which time he very much improved, and beautified his seat, with a pleasant park, &c. He lived and died universally esteemed, and was interred at Wingenvorth, January 6, 1715- Sir Thomas Windsor Hunloke, the third baronet, succeeded him in his title and estates. He took down the ancient seat, and erected the present one, between the years 1726 and 1730. He married Charlotte, the sixth daughter of Sir Robert Throckmorton, of Coughton, Warwick- shire, Baronet ; and died in the year 1752. He had issue four sons, and seven daughters. Sir Henry Hunloke, Baronet, his eldest son, on December 21, 1769, married Margaret, the eldest daughter of Winman Coke, of Longford, Esq. By this lady he had four sons, and seven daughters. Sir Thomas Windsor succeeded his father, and was born in March, * In consequence of this marriage, the late Sir Thomas Windsor Hunloke was, in 1806, adjudged by the House of Lords to be one of the coheirs of Robert de Roos, who was summoned to parliament, 40 Henry III. The barony being taken out of abeyance, was then given to Lady Henry Fitzgerald. Lysons' Derbyshire. 334 RECTORIAL MANOR 1772. He married the daughter of Eccleston, of Scarisbrick Hall, Lancashire, Esq. He died in January, 1816, at Paris, whither he was gone to reside. A plain stone monument is erected to his memory. He was succeeded by his only son, Sir Henry Hunloke, Baronet, born in 1812, who has been educated chiefly in France. In the park, not far from the hall, is a very old mulberry tree, a particular favourite of the Dowager Lady Hunloke, supported by a neat stone pillar, which she caused to be erected as a memorial of the affection of Pyramus and Thisbe, who are said to have killed themselves by the same sword, under a white mulberry-tree, which, as the poets mention, was stained with the blood of the lovers, and ever afterwards bore fruit of the colour of blood. On the stone is the following- whimsical inscription. Sacred to the memory of Pyramus and Thisbe, who departed this life under a Mulberry tree. These Mulberries had not been red Had these two lovers not been dead. March 10, 1812. The following ancient document may not be uninteresting as a commentary on the spirit of the times, when Sir Henry Hunloke was compelled, solely on account of his religious tenets, to submit to the mortifying conditions imposed by the statute, before he could leave home, even on the most urgent business. (Indorsed.) LICENCE TO TRAVELL. DERB' TO WIT. To all Constables, Thirdboroughs, & all other their Ma'ties Officers whom these may Concerne. Whereas Sr Henry Hunloke, of Wingerworth, in ye County of. Derby, Bt., being a reputed Papist, is by severall Statutes, (and by their Ma'ties late Procla- mation to require the due observation of the same,) prohibited to travell from the place of his abode, above the space of five miles, without Licence so to do, according to the said statute : Wee, therefore, their Ma'ties Justices of the Peace, & one of us being a Deputy Lieutenant for the said County, doe hereby grant our Licence to the said (Seal) Sr Henry Hunloke (he having taken before one of us JoitN LOWE. his Corporall Oath that he has truely acquainted us with his businesse, & that he desires the said Licence Residence cf the, Ric/Ht Hem? 1 * J~.ATieroro-rnb ':;IPTK OF CHESTERFIELD. 335 for no other end & purpose) that he may freely & peaceably travell from his said house at Wingerworth to his Councell att Darby, & Long Whatton in MAT. SMITH. Leicestershire, & to his Estate att Chillwell in ^i) Nottinghamshire, & from thence to meet his Lady att Northampton, on her returne from London. In regard J. SPATEMAN. of which businesse we have thought fitt to allow him (Sed) the space of Ten dayes, to go & returne in. Given under our hands & seales this Jurat. Cor' Me day of August, in the Third year of their Ma'ties J. SPATEMAN. Reigne, King William & Queen Mary, over England &c. Annoq. Dni. 1691. On the summit of Stanedge Cliff, which forms a part of the Wingerworth estates, there were formerly several rock basins, hollowed in stone, and two seats, supposed by Mr. Rook,* to have been appropriated to the use of augury. A few years ago, they were unfortunately destroyed, on account of the stone, which was used chiefly for building. It is the opinion of Mr. Borlase, as expressed in his History of Cornwall, that the Druids made choice of situations like these, for the celebration of their religious rites; and he believes that the basins were formed to receive the water which came from the clouds, as the purest of all fluids, and used by them for the purpose of lustration and purification. Into these basins the country people frequently dropped a pin, to which ceremony they appear to have annexed the idea of propitiation, as in so doing their motive was to obtain " good-fortune." The druidical rites and ceremonies in Britain were, according to Tacitus, abolished in the reign of Nero ; yet such is the amazing power of superstition, that we still find some shadowy traces of them remaining in this neighbourhood, and in many other places, after a period of nearly two thousand years. Stubbing Court, in the chapelry, or parish of Wingerworth, is the property of Charles Dakeyne Gladwin, Esq., Lieu- tenant Colonel of the Derbyshire Militia, who formerly resided there ; but it is now in the occupation of the Right Honourable J. Abercrombie, Speaker of the House of Commons, to whom * Archseologia, Vol. xii. p. 43. Stanedgre. 336 RECTORIAL MANOR it is let on a lease of seven years, Lieutenant Colonel Glad- win having gone to reside at Belmont, in the parish of Brampton. The brass head of a catapulta was found a few years ago on the Roman road, which passes through the parish of Winger worth, and crosses the avenue in front of the hall. The following account of the Charities in the parish of Wingerworth, is abridged from the Report of the Commis- sioners for inquiring into Charities : No. 18. pp. 267, 268. John Stanford's Charity. . s. d. Master of the school at Hill Houses, for instructing twenty poor children of Wingerworth, and other places adjoining thereto, in reading, writing and arithmetic 19 Poor persons of the parish, not receiving constant relief .... 8 27 Ellen Lowe's Charity. Ten poor widows of Wingerworth 1 The parish of Wingerworth is entitled to a portion of the charity of Godfrey Foljambe, Esq. It partakes also of the charity of the Rev. Francis Gisborne. The waste lands in this parish were enclosed by act of parliament in the year 1757. The parish contained 88 houses, and 471 inhabitants, at the census of 1831. CHAPELRIES AND HAMLETS STILL RECOGNIZED AS BELONGING TO THE PARISH OF CHESTERFIELD. IT was during the incumbency of the Rev. M. Waddington, who was inducted to the living of Chesterfield May 27, 1616,* that the dispute arose respecting the claims of the vicarage ; Leech knight, plaintiff; Foljambe, baronet, and Wadding- ton, vicar, defendants. The cause was tried in the court of * Mains Anno 1616 Mr. Matthseus Waddington a Laneham venit Chesterfeldiam, et templi possessionem habuit xxvij. Church Register > OF CHESTERFIELD. 337 Starchamber,* and a decree issued November 11, 1631, the substance of which, as regards Brampton and Wingerworth, has been incorporated into the preceding part of our narrative. The church of Chesterfield was then declared to be the parish church of the inhabitants of Chesterfield, Brimington, Tapton, Calow, Normanton, Hasland, Boythorpe, Walton, Hulne, (Holmes,) Dunston, Langley, Newbold and Brearley. At this church they took the sacrament, and attended divine worship. The vicar received from them tithes of wool and lambs, and other small tithes, oblations, and altarage; and was required to pay annually to the Dean of Lincoln, in equal portions, at Easter, and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, (August 15,) the sum of twenty pounds sterling, for the tithes of hay, &c.-f- At that time there were attached to the living, (in addition to the vicarage house, with a shrubbery and orchard, in the town of Chesterfield,) upwards of a hundred acres of land in Newbold, Brimington, Tapton, Calow, Hasland, Boythorpe and Walton,^ with which the vicarage was probably endowed in 1268. If the above acourit of the vicar's sources of income, during the Rev. M. Waddington's incumbency, be correct, it is clear that some portion of the endowments have since been alienated : but at what time, or by what authority, it is now difficult to ascertain. Possibly the archives of the * The court of Starchamber was at this time a legally recognized tribunal, but its decisions were often extremely unjust ; and all disputes in which the church was a party were decided in a very summary manner. It was abolished by Act of Parliament in 1641. The bill for its abolition passed the Commons, and was sent to the Lords ; but the Lords efused their assent to it, at the same time professing their willingness to reform all abuses which had crept into this court. The Commons, however, vigorously supported the bill ; and the king gave his assent to it in 1641. + Item ad Eccl'iam de Chesterfeild accedunt habitatores de Chesterfeild, Brim'ington, Tapton, Calow, Normanton, Hasland, Boythorpe, Walton, Hulne, Holmes, Dunston, Langley, Newbould, Brearley, et ibi h'ent recipere sua Sacramenta, et audire divina ; et Vicarius recipitde eisdem decimas lanse et agnorum, et alias minutas decimas, et oblac'ones, ac alia quae ad alt'agium pertinent; solvetq. vicarius Decauo pro decimis garbar', feni et arolend'mor' singulis annis xx. sterlingor' in festis Paschae, et Assumptionis b'tse Maria; per equates portiones. The Reo. Matthew Waddington's MS. t Item p'tinent ad Vicariam p'petuam de Chesterfeild unum Mansu' in Villa de Ches- terfeild, cum pulchro pomario et largo virgulto, et xxii acraa terr' arabilis in Campo de Newbould, contiguo villae de Chesterfeild in D. . o : Et in Tapton unum Toftum, et xliiij acrae terrse in d. . o : In Calow unum Toftum, et una bovata terr' in D. . o In Hasland quatuor acrae terras in D. . o : In Boythorpe una Clausura vulgarit' vocat' Vicar's Coytt : In Walton xxvij acrse terrae in D. . o : Quse quidem omnia spectant perpetue Vic-arise Eccl'ice de Chesterfeild p'dict'. Ibid. 44 338 RECTORIAL MANOR Deanery of Lincoln might throw, some light upon this matter. The following is a copy of the Terrier of all the houses, outhouses, glebe lands, accustomary offerings, and all other profits and advantages whatsoever, claimed, as pertaining of right to the vicarage of Chesterfield, during the incum- bency of the Rev. George Bossley. 1. The vicarage house, containing six bays of building or thereabouts. 2. One stable and brewhouse thereunto adjoining, containing three bays of building, or thereabouts. 3. One orchard and one garden, both containing about half an acre. 4. One croft by the house, containing about half an acre. 5. Two fold-yards, and one other small garden, between them, con- taining about a quarter of a rood. 6. Two cottages or tenements in the Vicar-lane, containing about three bays of building. 7. Two orchards or gardens, and a backside thereunto belonging, containing about one rood. 8. One piece of ground called the Brigg closes, lying in Hasland, and abutting upon a lane called Derby Lane on the north, containing by es- timation five acres, or thereabout, left by Mr. Thomas Large to the vicar of Chesterfield for ever, for preaching two sermons yearly, one on St. Peter's day, the other on St. Thomas's day. Twenty shillings of the yearly rent thereof excepted, which is left to the head master of the free- school for ever. 9. The church-yard, containing near an acre. 10. Some lands and housing belonging to the chapel of Brimington, within the parish of Chesterfield, to the yearly value of about forty shillings, 11. Forty shillings yearly left by Mr. Richard Wood, for preaching two sermons every year; one on New-year's day, and the other on Mid- summer day. 12. Forty shillings yearly left by Mr. Francis Heathcote, for preaching two sermons every year ; one on Lady-day, and the other on Michaelmas - day. 13. Twenty shillings yearly left by Mr. George Taylor, for preaching a sermon every year, on Good Friday or Easter Tuesday. 14. Twenty shillings yearly left by Mr. Paul Webster, for preaching a sermon every year on St. Paul's day. 15. Twenty shillings yearly left by Mr. Richard Youle, for preaching a sermon every year on the fifth of November. 16. Twenty shillings yearly left by Mr. George Atton, Doctor in Physic, for preaching a sermon every twenty-third day of April, being St. George's day.* 17. Ten shillings yearly left by Mrs. Catharine Barker, for preaching a sermon every year on the twenty-third day of June. * This bequest being charged on lands was void. Hall's History of Chesterfield, p. 129, OF CHESTERFIELD. 339 18. Twenty pounds augmentation money paid yearly by the Dean of Lincoln to the vicar, out of which the vicar pays him again an annual pension of ten pounds ; so that the vicar receives from the Dean of Lin- coln only ten pounds yearly, clear. 19. The two seasons of the payment of ten pounds per annum, out of the vicarage of Chesterfield to the Dean of Lincoln, are Easter and Michaelmas. 20. The two seasons when the Dean's augmentation money is paid to the vicar of Chesterfield, are Candlemas and Midsummer. 21. In the town of Chesterfield every housekeeper, the man and his wife pay for their offerings fivepence, and every widower or widow, two- pence halfpenny. 22. In the hamlets within the parish every man and his wife three- pence ; every widower and widow threehalfpence. 23. For every house with a yard or backside throughout the town or parish, threepence ; and every house without, one penny. 24. For every unmarried person's offering, whether man or woman, above sixteen years of age, threehalfpence. 25. For every young or unmarried man's hand throughout the parish sixpence, besides his offerings ; but if he be housekeeper, he pays only for his house, yard, and offerings. 26. For every apprentice boy or girl for the first year, one penny; for every other year threehalfpence. 27. For every servant's wages throughout the parish, whether man or woman, for every shilling of wages they receive, one farthing, besides their yearly offering. 28. For every cow renewed twopence ; and for every strop milch cow, one penny. 29. For every foal, one penny. 30. For every swarm of bees, one penny. 31. For geese every tenth ; and for every odd one above ten an half- penny : and if there be under ten for every one under a tenth, one penny. 32. For pigs every tenth, and for every odd one whether under or over ten, one penny. 33. For every cock two eggs, for every hen one, and so for turkeys and ducks. 34. For sheep the tenth fleece, or the tenth part of the wool, or if the vicar does not take the wool in kind, then for every sheep, one penny. 35. For lambs every tenth, but if the vicar does not take them in kind, then for every lamb twopence. 36. If a man winters or summers his sheep out of the parish, he pays only half dues, and so proportionably for any lesser time than half a year ; and if any person not of the parish keep sheep here, he must pay for the time. 37. For flax and hemp every tenth strike. 38. For every churching sixpence to the vicar, and registering the baptism fourpence to the clerk. 340 RECTORIAL MANOR 39. For every banns of marriage one shilling to the clerk, and for every marriage with banns, two shillings and fourpence to the vicar and one shilling to the clerk : and for every certificate of banns two shillings and fourpence to the vicar : and for every marriage with license within the parish, to the vicar five shillings, and to the clerk two shillings and sixpence : and for every parishioner that is married out of the parish by license, whether man or woman, five shillings* to the vicar, and two shillings and sixpence to the clerk. 40. For every burial within the parish, to the vicar fivepence, and to the clerk one shilling and sevenpence : and for every man and woman that is buried in the chancel between the Walton choir and the pillars that face the vestry, ten shillings for the vicar; and for every child five shillings. 41. The clerk of the church receives no yearly salary by assessment; but according to the ancient custom, which hath been time out of mind, gathers his wages from all persons that are liable to pay Easter-dues to the vicar, which wages are according to custom fourpence from a mes- suage or farm house, and twopence for a cottage. 42. For every house in Brampton one penny yearly to the vicar of Chesterfield, which are commonly called smoke pennies. 43. For every New Year's gift from Brampton, that is, for the first person that dieth in Brampton after New Year's-day, the accustomed dues to the vicar and clerk of Chesterfield, which dues are two shillings. 44. For every housekeeper's mortuary throughout the parish, dying possessed of a clear personal estate in goods and chattels to the value of above ten marks and under thirty pounds, three shillings and fourpence ; if above thirty pounds and under forty pounds, six shillings and eight- pence ; and if above forty pounds, ten shillings. BRIMINGTON. THE chapelry of Brimington is valued at 10/. in the King's books. Its present net value, according to the Liber Ecclesiasticus, is 102/. The chapel was rebuilt in 1808. The tower had been built at the expense of Joshua Jebb, Esq., in 1796. This chapel was twice augmented by lot, in 1737 and 1753 ; and a third time by subscription, in 1762, when the sum of 500/. was laid out in the purchase of an estate at Ashover. In the year 1819, 1200/. was voted to this chapel from the fund granted by Parliament for in- creasing the revenues of small livings. The money not yet being laid out, remains in the hands of Government, who allow thereon four per cent. The minister is appointed by * The fees here mentioned to vicar and clerk not being sanctioned by law, are not claimed. Hall's History of Chesterfield, p. 131. OF CHESTERFIELD. 341 the Vicar of Chesterfield. A handsome subscription has just been raised, for the purpose of erecting a parsonage house. The family of Brimington was extinct in the time of Edward III. The heiress married Stuffin. The manor of Brimington was an appendage to Newbold when the Domesday Book was compiled. Geoffrey, son of William de Brimington, gave, granted, and confirmed to Peter, son of HughdeBrimington, one toft, with the buildings, and three acres of land in the fields there, with twenty pence yearly rent, which he used to receive of Thomas, son of Gil- bert de Bosco, with the hostages and services, reliefs and escheats, rendering yearly to him and his heirs a pair of white gloves, of the price of a halfpenny, at Christmas, for all services. The manor passed successively into the families of Breton, Loudham, and Foljambe. In 1800, Mr. Foljambe, deputy clerk of the peace for the West Riding of York, sold it to John Dutton, of Hylton Grove, near Newcastle, Esq., the present owner. The ancient hall is now the property of D'Ewes Coke, Esq., and is occupied by his son, E. T. Coke, Esq. The following account of the Charities in the township of Brimington, is abridged from the Report of the Commis- sioners for inquiring into Charities : No. 18. pp. 184, 185. Joshua Jebb's Charity. . s. d. Five poor old women of good character, living within the township of Brimington, or Tapton, and having no pay of the parish, in sums of 20s. each, given every Christmas- day 5 Elizabeth or Isabel Brailsford's Charity. Bread, one half of which is sent to the overseer of Brimington, and distributed by him to the poor of that township ; the other half being distributed among poor widows of Tapton 010 N. B. This sum of 10s. appears to be a rent-charge, issuing out of a farm at Lockerford, in the township of Tapton. The township of Brimington, which forms a distinct chapelry, partakes of the charity of the Rev. Francis Gisborne. A share of Foljambe's Attenborough and Asli- ov&r charities is also appropriated to Brimington, which, like that assigned to the chapelry of Temple Normanton, and the hamlets, is regulated chiefly by the extent of the population. In 1831 the number of houses in Brimington was 142, and of inhabitants 759. Camden states, that an instrument of ironstone, lodged in a bed of yellow clay, was found in a stone-quarry, in a field at Brimington. It was twenty-two inches long, and from one to two broad ; and was supposed by Dr. Pegge to be a British club. The Iknield street from Tapton Castle into Yorkshire, could not. have gone very far from the place in which this weapon was found. In the months of October, November and December, 1603, many of the inhabitants of Brimington died of the plague. They were interred at Brimington; but their deaths are recorded in the register belonging to Chesterfield Church, from which we make the subjoined extracts. October Anno 1603 Elizabetha filia Tho. Massie de Brimington dyed (as it was thought) of the plague, & was buryed at Brimington the xxxjst. day. Margeria filia spuria p'dict' Elizabethse Massie dyed lykewyse of the plague, & was buryed at Brimington the first day of November, 1603. November Anno 1603 Joh'es Brandyron de Brimington, dyed lykewyse (as it was thought) of the plague, & was buryed at Brimington the same day. (viz. vj.) Joane uxor p'dict' Joh'es Brandyron dyed lykewyse (as we thought) of the plague, & was buryed at Brimington the vijth day. Alicia filia Tho : Galley, dyed of the plague, & was buryed at Brim- ington xxi die. December Anno 1603 Dorothia Armytage dyed of the plague & was buryed at Brimington the xxiij day of November. Rodger Cadman dyed lykewyse of the plague, and was buryed at Brimington the last of November. Bartholomew Turner dyed of the plague, and was buried xxvth. of December. Francis Turner was lykewyse buryed at Brimington ij of Januarie. Henrie Turner dyed of the plague, and was buryed at Brimington the same viz. ij January. OF CHESTERFIELD. 343 From the above extracts it appears, that the fatality was very great. In some cases many individuals of the same family fell victims to the ravages of this appalling disease, which was probably the same as that, by which Chesterfield was visited in the years 1586 and 1608-9. TAPTON. THE manor of Tapton passed by marriage with one of the co-heiresses of William Briwere, the younger, to Ralph de Middleham. Tapton was held under the Briweres and their heirs by the family of Brimington, from whom it passed, in the reign of Edward III., partly by marriage, and partly by purchase, to the Stuffins of Sherbroke, in this county. It was afterwards, for some generations, in the family of Durant. The heiress of Durant married Alsop. In the year 1637, Durant Alsop and Thomas Alsop sold the manor of Tapton and Durant Hall, to George Taylor, Esq. Sir Charles Scrimshire, the heir of Mr. Taylor, sold the estate to Thomas Gladwin, Esq., of Tupton Hall, in the parish of North Wingfield, one of whose co-heiresses married Cox. In 1746, the manor of Tapton and Durant Hall were purchased of Dr. William Cox and Martha his wife, by Adam Slater, M. D., of Chesterfield. He died in 1758, and left them to his son Adam Slater, who rebuilt Durant Hall. This Adam died in 1806, and left them to his son Adam Barker Slater, Esq. Durant Hall is now the property of his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, from whom it is rented by Gilbert Crompton, Esq. Tapton Hall is a farm-house. The family of Milnes, a junior branch of which settled at Tapton Hall, is traced to the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Richard Milnes, alderman of Chesterfield, who died in 1628, was ancestor of the Milneses of Aldercar, Dunston, and Cromford. Richard Milnes, Esq., of Aldercar Park, was Sheriff in 1720; William Milnes, Esq., of Cromford, in 1771. Richard Milnes, elder brother of this William, was of Dunston: his only child who left issue was a daughter, married to Robert Mower, by whom she had a daughter, (her only surviving child,) wife of the late Thomas Smith, Esq., of Dunston, and afterwards of John Frederick Smith, Esq. William Milnes, Esq., above-mentioned, who acquired 344 RECTORIAL MANOR Cromford in marriage with the heiress of Soresby, had a grant or confirmation of arms in 1795, and died without male issue in 1797. One of his co-heiresses married Smith ; another, Lee, and afterwards Pegge; and the third, Gell, of Hopton. Richard Milnes, Esq., of Chesterfield, nephew of William above-mentioned, never married. Mr. Gell, of Hopton, is the representative, in the female line, of Milnes of Cromford and Aldercar. The other co-heiresses left no issue. James Milnes, who settled atTaptonHall, was a younger brother of Richard Milnes, alderman of Chesterfield, before- mentioned. This branch became extinct in the male line in 1717. The sisters and co-heirs of the last heir male married Revell and Brailsford. The Yorkshire branch (of which is Sir Robert Shore Milnes, created a Baronet in 1801) derives its descent from Richard Milnes, of Chesterfield, a younger brother of James Milnes, Esq., of Tapton Hall; which Richard died in 1706. In the branch descended from Richard Milnes, we find the celebrated Dr. Milnes, who, by his mother's side, was nephew to Seeker, Archbishop of Canterbury, a prelate highly distinguished in the annals of the church. He died without progeny, and was succeeded in his estates by his niece, the wife of William Waller, of Chesterfield, Esq. Three other branches are now represented by Lowndes, of Hampstead, near London; Gates, of Low Hall, near Leeds; and Boroughs, of Chetwynd Park, Shropshire. In the township of Tapton, the late Isaac Wilkinson, of Tapton House and Leamington, Esq., possessed con- siderable landed property, which he bequeathed to George Yeldam Ricketts, Esq., who, on coming into possession of the estate, took the name of Wilkinson, and occasionally resides at Tapton House. The only charities to which the township of Tapton is entitled, besides those of Godfrey Foljambe, Esq., which extend over the whole parish of Chesterfield, are those of George Taylor, Elizabeth Brailsford, and Joslma Jebb. An account of Taylor's will be found p. 245 ; and of the two others p. 341. Tapton contained 33 houses, and 171 inhabitants, at the last census, in 1831. OF CHESTERFIELD. 345 CALOW. THE manor of Calow belonged successively to the families of Breton, Loudham, and Foljambe : it is now the property of Earl Manvers, in whose family it has been for a con- siderable time. He holds a court annually ; and is the owner of 895 acres of land in this township. At the last census, Calow contained 105 houses, and 569 inhabitants. Calow not being a chapelry, is entitled to no portion of the Rev. Francis Gisborne's charity ; but it partakes, in common with all the other hamlets, of the Attenborough and Ashover charities. The only other charity belonging to Calow is a rent charge of ll.Ws., left by Edmund Wagstaff, April 21, 1668 ; twenty shillings to be employed in putting- out apprentices, and ten shillings to be distributed annually among the poor. TEMPLE NORMANTON. THE manor of Temple Normanton, which belonged to the Knights Templars, and afterwards to the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, was granted, in 1563, to George, Earl of Shrewsbury. It is probable that the Leakes purchased it of the Shrewsbury family : it afterwards became the property of the Marchioness of Ormond, whose ancestor, Godfrey Clarke, purchased the manor of Normanton, with Sutton, &c., from the trustees of the last Earl of Scarsdale, in 1742. At the sale of the Marquis of Ormond's property, it came into the family of the Arkwrights. The chapel of Temple Normanton was formerly a domestic one, belonging to the lords of the manor of Tupton, in the adjoining parish of North Wingfield. It is now considered as a chapel of ease to Chesterfield. But in consequence of a benefaction given by Mrs. Jane Lord, widow of the late William Allwood Lord, Esq., the patronage of the chapel, with the consent of the vicar of Chesterfield, and the appro- bation of the bishop of the diocese, was vested in Mr. Lord's family. The net annual value of this chapelry is 55/. The population of Temple Normanton was 145, in 1831 ; and the number of houses twenty-nine. There is a school in this chapelry, the master of which 346 RECTORIAL MANOR receives the yearly sum of 41. 10s., for which he instructs, without any further charge, four poor children of the chapelry, appointed by the trustees, in reading, writing and arithmetic. This sum is a rent-charge, issuing out of two- third parts of a plot of ground, in Shirland, called the Well Close Plot. The payment of it is to cease for a year, and revert during that time to the owner of the land, Robert Clarke, or his heirs, if the school shall be vacant of a school- master for the space of one whole year together ; but if at any time there shall be a vacancy of a schoolmaster for the space of two whole years together, it is to cease and be void altogether. As the township of Temple Normanton forms a distinct chapelry, it partakes of the charity of the Rev. Francis Gisborne. HASLAND. HASLAND passed in marriage with one of the co-heiresses of William Briwere, jun. to Ralph de Middleham.* The Duke of Devonshire is now lord of the manor, it having been in- cluded in the exchange before-mentioned with the Duke of Portland. A younger branch of the Leakes was, for some generations, of Hasland Hall, of which John Linacre died seised in 1488. About the middle of the seventeenth cen- tury, Hasland Hall belonged to Colonel Roger Molineux, who sold it to Captain John Lowe, of the Alderwasley family :-f- it is now the property and residence of Bernard Lucas, Esq., whose ancestor purchased it of the Lowes in 1727. The family of Wagstaffe formerly resided at Hasland , This family appears to have been of Glossop in the reign of Henry VI., afterwards of North Wing-field, and of Hasland. Anthony Wagstaflfe, who was living at Hasland in 1611 r had three sons. The family of Lucas traces its descent to Bernard Lucas, who died September, 1660 ; and whose son, Thomas Lucas, of Hasland, purchased several estates in Hasland, Chester- field, and other places, in 1695* and at other times afterwards. Thomas, grandson of this Thomas, married Elizabeth, * Dugdale's Monasticon, vol. ii. p. 602. t Pegge's Collections. OF CHESTERFIELD. 347 daughter of John Burton ;* and their eldest son, Bernard Lucas, of Hasland, Esq., who married Esther Maynard, youngest daughter of John Lax, of Eyrholme, in Yorkshire, now inherits the family estates. Robert Waller, Esq., who was town clerk of the borough of Chesterfield for many years, married Anne, daughter of Thomas Lucas, of Ches- terfield, Esq., and sister of the present Bernard Lucas, of Hasland, Esq. The manor of Boythorpe, in the reign of Henry VI., was in severalties, belonging to Longford and others. It now belongs to Mr. Nathaniel Bacon, who lately purchased it, together with the farm which he occupies, from Vincent Eyre, Esq. Hasland and Boythorpe have no charities of their own, t>ut their poor partake of Foljambe's Attenborougk, and Ashover charities. The population of Hasland and Boythorpe in 1831, was 889 ; and the number of houses 181. In the year 1710, Grassmoor, Hady and Hasland Green, with several other pieces of waste ground, were enclosed. WALTON. MANY towns and villages, standing upon rivers, have the the name of Walton; as Walton in le Dale, on the river iXerwent, in Lancashire; Walton upon Trent, in Derbyshire; and Walton upon Thames, in Surrey. These are supposed by Dr. Pegge,f to have a different etymology from the nu- merous other Waltons, which are generally supposed to mean jjealb town, or wood town. IDale seems to signify water, whence, perhaps, well, in Saxon pelle, and swale, the name of some rivers. Walton, in this case, will be the town near the water. * William de Burton, of Fald, 23rd of Edward III., who died 5th of Richard II., was descended from James de Burton, 'squire of the body to Richard I. His grandson, Richard Burton, steward to the Earl of Shrewsbury, 20th of Henry VI., 5th of Edward IV., was buried at Chesterfield. John, the son of Richard, married Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of Robert Shaw, of Hill-top, in the county of York ; from whose second son John, Edward Burton, an eminent solicitor of Chesterfield was descended. Edward Burton married Anne, sister of Dr. Samuel Hallifax, Bishop of St.Asaph, and died without issue. Thomas Lucas, of Chesterfield, Esq., married Elizabeth, only surviving sister of Edward Burton. t Anonymiana, Cent. Hi., Art. 80. 348 RECTORIAL MANOR The manor of Walton was formerly the property of the ancient family of Breton. This family became extinct in the early part of the fourteenth century. The heiress married Sir John Loudham. Sir John Loudham, the younger, having died without issue, in or about the year 1392, his sisters and co-heirs brought this estate in moieties to Thomas Foljambe, Esq., and Sir John Beckering. The first of the Foljambe family, of whom we have any account in the pedigrees, is Sir Thomas Foljambe, whose son, Sir Thomas, appears to have been settled at Darley. Sir Godfrey, son of the last-mentioned Sir Thomas, died in or about the year 1376 : it was his son Thomas who married the heiress of Loudham, of Walton, which was the seat of his posterity for several generations. In the reign of Henry VIII., about the time at which that monarch separated himself from the See of Rome, the following letter was addressed to Sir Godfrey Foljambe, by Thomas Cromwell, then probably secretary of state, and afterwards Earl of Essex. To my lovyng Freend, Sir God/ray Foljamb, knight. After my herty com'endac'ons, ye shall understand I have receyved your Pres of the ixth of this present, and well p'used the saim, whereby appereth the good zele, dilygence, and dexteriti, ye use to sue such felonyouse p'rsons as the hermite who was sent to me to be apprehended, and their malice repressed, thanking you hertely for the same, being assured that I will not fayle to make report thereof to the King's High- ness, who, I doubt not, shall have your such gentil procedings right acceptable. I have sent and removyed the said hermite to my Lord Stuard, with an inditement there to be brought before the Justices of Assises, to receve such punishment for his demerits as the lawe requireth, to the fearful example of all like. I doubte not but ye woll doo therein to see justice ministred as to right and yo'r duetie towards his Ma'ti shall apperteyn. Thus fare you hertily well this xviijth of July. From your lovynge freend, THOMAS CRUMWELL. This letter must have been addressed to Sir Godfrey Foljambe, when he was High Sheriff of the county of Derby, in the year 1537, an oflice which he had previously filled in the years 1520 and 1525. The "Lord Stuard," as appears from the following letter, was the Earl of Shrews- bury, who was then lord of the manor of Chesterfield ; and " the hermite" was probably some disguised Catholic priest, OF CHESTERFIELD. 349 who was engaged in exciting the people against the Refor- mation. To my very good Lord, th' erle of Shrewsbury, Lord Stuard to the King's Majestic. After my right herty com'endac'ons to your Lordship, I have by this bearer, your s'rvaunt bailly of Chesterfeld, receyved your 1'res and the byll therin enclosed concernyng th'ermyte ; the whiche being by my examyned, answered that he could not tell whether he spak 'em the same trayterouse words or not. I have caused an inditeme't to be drawen therupon, whiche your Lordeship shal receyve herwith. And also I have thoght convenient to rendeyr the said hermite unto you agayn, there before the Justices of Assise to be tryed, and to th' exemple of all other to be punyshed according to right and the king's lawes. I thank ev'mor' your Lordship for your good zele, diligence, and dexterite in repressing and apprehending such perniciouse and detestable felons ; and therof shal I not faile to make true report to his Highnes, who, I am assure, shal tak the same in most thankfull part. Thus I beseech o'r Holy Creator to send you p'sperite and long lifFe. From Cheleshith, this xvjth of July, your Lordshyp's assuryd THOMAS CRUMWELL. Sir James Foljambe was High Sheriff of the county of Derby in the reign of Philip and Mary; (A. D. 1556.) Godfrey Foljambe, of Aldwark, Esq., in that of Elizabeth; (A. D. 1567, and 1579;) and Godfrey Foljambe, of Walton, Esq., in the same reign ; (A. D. 1586.) The county of Derby was represented by Thomas Foljambe, Esq., jointly with Robert Dethick, Esq., in the twenty-fifth parliament of the reign of Edward I., parliaments being then annual, and being numbered according to the year of each king's reign ; and the names of different mem- bers of the Foljambe family frequently occur among the representatives of the county, during that and subsequent reigns. The Foljambes eventually became possessed of the whole of the Loudham estate at Walton, and Walton Hall was their chief seat, till Sir Francis Foljambe, who had been created a baronet in 1622, sold it, in 1633, to Sir Arthur Ingram, the elder, and Sir Arthur Ingram the younger. The Ingrams, in or about the year 1636, sold Walton to Mr. Paul Fletcher, by whom it was bequeathed to his nephew, Richard Jenkinson. Paul Jenkinson, son of Richard, was created a baronet in 1685. The title became extinct by the death of Sir Jonathan, the third baronet, in 350 RECTORIAL MANOR 1741. Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Paul, the second baronet, being possessed of this estate, gave it to her mother. Lady Jenkinson bestowed it on her second husband, William Woodyear, Esq., of whose heir, John Woodyear, Esq., of Crookhill, near Doncaster, it was purchased, in 1813, by the late Sir Thomas Windsor Hunloke, of Wingerworth, who died in 1816, and left it to his son, Henry, born in 1812. His trustees, in 1821, sold it to the Rev. Richard Turbutt, in whose possession it now is. The remains of Walton Hall have been fitted up as a farm house. An estate at Walton, on which is now a house, the pro- perty and residence of Joshua Jebb, Esq., was sold by the Jenkinsons to the family of Soresby, with whose heiress it passed to Milnes of Cromford : it was purchased of the heirs of Milnes, in 1768, by Samuel Jebb, Esq., father of the present proprietor. Joshua Jebb, Esq., now of Walton, and Richard Jebb, Esq., late of Tapton-grove, were grandsons of Joshua Jebb, alderman of Chesterfield. Samuel Jebb, M.D., well known in the literary world, and John Jebb, Dean of Cashell, were brothers of the alderman of Chesterfield. Dr. Samuel Jebb was father of Sir Richard Jebb, Bart., an eminent phy- sician of the last century : the Dean of Cashell was father of Dr. John Jebb, a well known controversial and political writer, who died in 1786. In the early part of the fourteenth century, there were not fewer than fifty-four deer-parks in Derbyshire, belonging to monastic bodies, and to individuals. Of these Walton Park was one, from which Park Hall probably took its name. There was formerly a chapel at Walton, the walls of which were standing a few years ago. It appears, however, to have been only a domestic chapel. Sir Roger Breton is said to have had a license for a chantry in his chapel at Walton, in the reign of Henry III ; but no reference has been found to it in any of the calendars at the Tower. Perhaps it was nothing more than an ecclesiastical license for an oratory. The whole of the township of Walton is now included in the district of St. Thomas, of which an account has already been given. According to the returns made at the census of OF CHESTERFIELD. 351 1831, the population of Walton was 935 ; and the number of houses 181. This township partakes of Foljambe's Attenborough and AsTiover charities; but has none which is exclusively its own. NEWBOLD. THE great manor of Newbold, at the time of the Norman survey, was parcel of the ancient demesne of the crown. The following is the description given of this manor in Domesday Book. Derby scire. Terra Regis. Scarredele Wapentac. M. in Newebold cum VI Berewicis ; Witintune, Brimintune Tapetune, Cestrefeld, Buitorp, Eckintune. Ibi sunt VI Carucatae terre et I bovatum ad geldum. Terra VI Carucatse. Ibi habet Rex XVI Villani, et II bordarii, et I Servum, habentes IHI caracutse. Ad hoc Manerium pertine't VI acrae prati. Silva pastura III leucae longitudine, et III leucae latitudine. Tempore Regis Edwardi valeb. VI librae, modo X librae. Translation. Derbyshire. King's Land. Wapentake of Scarsdale. A manor in Newbold with six berwicks ; Whittington, Brimington, Tapton, Chesterfield, Boythorpe and Eckington. There are six carucates of land, and one ox-gang to be taxed. Land six carucates. There the king has sixteen villanes, and two bordars, and one bailiff, having four carucates. To this manor belong six acres of meadow ; wood-pasture three leucae long, and three broad. Worth six pounds in the time of king Edward : now worth ten pounds. In order to render this description of the ancient manor of Newbold intelligible, it will be necessary to give some explanation of the terms employed. The word carucate is derived from the Latin carruca, a kind of carriage, or plough ; and a carucate of land was as much land as could be tilled in a year by one such plough. An ox-rjang was as much as could be ploughed by one team, or gang of oxen, in a day. A Berwick, in Domesday Book, is said to mean a village; so that, at the time of the Norman survey, Chesterfield was 352 RECTORIAL MANOR nothing more than a village, forming, together with the villages of Whittington, Brimington, Tapton, Boythorpe and Eckington, an appendage to the manor of Newbold. The following traditionary lines are still repeated by the country people of the neighbourhood. When Chesterfield was gorse and broom Leasefen* was a market town ; Now Chesterfield is a market town, Leasefen is but gorse and broom. A villane was a country farmer, who had a small portion of cottages, and an ox-gang of land, containing fifteen acres, allotted to him ; for which he was dependent on his lord, and bound to certain work, and corporeal service. For the rent of his land he had to pay sixteen pence per annum. No mention is made in Domesday Book of the kind of services performed by the class of persons, called villanes : but in the year 1183, Hugh Pudsey, Bishop of Durham, directed a survey to be made of the manors belonging to that see ; from which we learn something respecting the nature of those services. The book, in which the particulars of this survey * Leasefen, or more properly Lees Fen, is a part of that ground, where the sheep be- longing to the occupiers of Barlow Lees Hall^f formerly pastured. It is a large piece of level marshy land, which has been drained at a considerable expense. It is in the parish of Barlow, on the right hand side of the old turnpike road, leading from Chesterfield to Baslow, about six miles from the former place ; and is the source of four rivulets, or small brooks, one of which assists in supplying the town of Chesterfield with water. It also forms part of an allotment of land, which contains upwards of 516 acres, awarded by the Commissioners of the Barlow Inclosure, to his grace the Duke of Rutland. On the west side is a large piece of the Baslow Moor, and on the north, a part of Holmsfield, all in the same inclosure, which forms an extensive tract of ground, over which his grace sports (the Duke being lord of the manor) during some part of August in each year, for the purpose of shooting grouse and black game. On different parts of the moors, particularly in the neighbourhood of Lees Fen, and Stonelow where several deep drains have been made, large quantities of oak timber have been dug up. The oak wood is in general quite black, having no bark left. In cutting a drain near Stonelow, about three feet below the surface of the earth, un- der a layer of clay, an abundance of oak and nut leaves was discovered, acorns and nuts could be easily distinguished. The trees thus found were generally from two to three feet below the surface, though some were lower, and others not so low. On the spot, where these trees have been found, there is not a tree of any magnitude to be seen growing. Hence the question arises, How have these trees come into the situation which they now occupy ) They have un- doubtedly been overwhelmed in the places where they stood, as they could not have been washed away from the higher part of the country. If they had been brought down by water from the higher ground, and deposited where they now are, the earth must have been washed from the roots, at least in many instances; but this does not appear to be the case, for the roots in general appear to be full of earth. Trees have also been found upon the highest parts of the moors, in situations to which they could not have been removed : they must therefore have been overwhelmed in or near the places where they have been found. [IT Lees Hall is the Manor House of Barlow.] OP CHESTERFIELD* 353 were entered, was called The Boldon Book, because the manor of Boldon stood first in the record. In Boldon the villanes laboured three days in each week, throughout the year ; excepting the weeks of Easter and Whitsuntide, and thirteen days at Christmas. In Lanchester the villanes were to mow the lord's meadows ; and to make, and carry his hay. When they mowed, they were to have from the lord their mess, called a corody. They were also to drive the lord's hogs from the forest after the mast and pannage seasons ; on which latter duty each received a loaf of bread. In Greencroft the villanes were to carry the bishop's wine. In Wickham the villane- ten ants wrought for the lord, three days in each week in the year, besides the labour of harvest and ploughing. They were bound to erect a cottage, forty feet long, and fifteen feet wide, every year ; and to carry and fetch from Durham and Bedlington the bishop's baggage, &c., when required, with the allowance of a corody whilst they worked. They also provided a milch cow for the lord, and for every ox-gang of land they found a hen, and ten eggs ; and served in the lord's fishery in the river Tyne. A bordar was a lower sort of farmer, who had a bord, or cottage allowed him, for which he supplied his lord with poultry and eggs. On the demesne appertaining to the castle of Ewyas, we read that there were twelve bordars *' operantes una die ebdomad. ;" that is, working one day in each week. This is the only place in Domesday Book, in which the particular services, performed by the bordars, are mentioned. Their condition was probably different in dif- ferent manors; but it would seem that they were merely cottagers. The word leuca is supposed by some to denote a mile, and by others a league, or three miles : but the fact is, that it is used in a very loose sense, for we never read, in Domes- day Book, of fractional parts of a leuca. With the aid of the above explanations, the reader will be enabled to perceive, that the manor of Newbold, which, in the reign of William the Conqueror, was a royal manor, contained the villages of Whittington, Brimington, Tapton, Chesterfield, Boythorpe and Eckington, and as much land in tillage as could be turned over in a year by six ploughs ; that the portion of it which was taxed was as much as could 354 RECTORIAL MANOR be ploughed by one team of oxen in a day ; that the king: had upon this manor sixteen farmers, two cottagers or la- bourers, and a bailiff, having as much land as could be tilled in a year by four ploughs ; and that it contained six acres of meadow land, and several miles of wood pasture. After Newbold ceased to be a demesne of the crown, it appears to have belonged to the abbot and convent of Wei- beck, subject to the payment of a quit-rent ; but in the reign of Henry III., Hugh Wake relinquished his claim to this quit-rent, which had come to him by inheritance from the Briweres. At the time of the dissolution of Monasteries, it was parcel of the possessions of Beauchief Abbey, and ap- pears to have been granted to Sir William West, whose son, Edmund West, Esq., sold it in the year 1570, to Anthony and Gervase Eyre. Thomas Eyre, of Newbold, a zealous royalist, was governor of Welbeck, under the Earl of New- castle. It is said, that being captain of a troop, he was three times in one action personally engaged with Cromwell, and obliged him to retreat. The manor of Newbold is now the property of the Duke of Devonshire, having been in- cluded in the exchange with the Duke of Portland, in 1792. The Catholic chapel at Newbold was nearly demolished, and all the monuments destroyed in the reign of William III. A copy of the following monumental inscription from the tomb-stone, or monument of the Honourable Anthony Browne, was taken by his daughter Martha Browne, May 1, 1683, and is still preserved in the family of his descendants. To the memory of the Honourable Anthony Browne, eldest son of Francis Viscount Montacute, of Cowdray, in Sussex, Major in the Volunteer Regiment at York, who was wounded in the leg in a sally from thence, 1644. (He married Bridget Maskew, daughter of James Maskew, of York, Esq., who, together with his two sons, was killed at Marston Moor, fighting for their king and country ;) he left two sons and two daughters, John, Gervase, Christian and Martha. He departed this life May 6, 1666, aged 46 years. Requiescat in pace. Tis very well known he'd a great deal of trouble, He suffer'd with patience, 'cause God made him able, He liv'd a good Christian and wish'd to get heaven, And hoped that through Christ his sins would be forgiven. The following is a brief memoir of the above-named Anthony. Browne. At the commencement of the civil wars OF CHESTERFIELD. 355 in the reign of Charles I., being on a tour to the continent, and having visited France, Italy, and other states, he arrived in Holland, when the disturbed state of England induced him to repair to the king's standard. He did this without consulting his father, who, with his two younger sons, was fighting on the parliamentary side. He was appointed major in the royal army; and during the siege of York, on January 10, 1643-4, married Bridget, the daughter of James Maskew, Esq., who had large estates in that county, and who, with his two sons, perished in the battle of Marston Moor. Major Browne had his leg broken, and was taken prisoner in a sally from York. On recovering from his wound, he killed the guard of his prison, and made his escape, in company with a brother officer of the name of Adlington, of Adlington Hall in Cheshire, (from whom the Adlingtons of Calow are descended ;) and taking the name of John Hudson, he put himself under the protection of the Eyres, a Catholic family, residing at Newbold. His wife Bridget, after being some time confined by the parliament- arians, made her escape, and joined her husband at Newbold, the place of his retreat, and other particulars respecting him having been conveyed to her by a faithful soldier, who fought under Major Browne during the siege of York, and who, for his bravery, was made an ensign. The name of this faithful servant, was White, from whom the Whites of Tupton, are descended. Major Browne, under the assumed name of Hudson, purchased from the Eyres' family a messuage, and some closes of land. The field in which his house stood, is still known by the name of Hudson's Yard. On the resto- ration in 1660, he resumed his proper name, went to London, and petitioned Charles II., for his wife's estates, which had been confiscated by Cromwell. The king had given the estates to a court favourite, Sir George Barlow, and said that he could not remember every old soldier, who had fought for his father. After this disappointment, Major Browne repaired to his father, Viscount Montacute, at Cowdray, in Sussex ; but his father was then abroad, in consequence of the part which he had taken against the king, having been one of the parliamentary commissioners for purchasing Charles I. from the Scots' army. The major now returned to Newbold, much disappointed, and very infirm from his wounds. He 856 RECTORIAL MANOR died there in the year 1666, sixteen years before his father. His wife, Bridget, survived him thirty-four years. It appears, by deeds of lease and release, May 6 & 7, 1687, that John Browne, and Bridget Browne, his mother, conveyed to Gervase Browne in fee, a messuage, and several closes in Newbold. She afterwards took a farm under the Hunloke family at Wingerworth, where she died in the year 1700. She was buried by the side of her husband in Newbold Chapel. It does not appear that any monumental inscription was ever put up in memory of her. The Brownes of Lings, formerly of Wingerworth, claim to be the lineal descendants of Anthony and Bridget Browne.* We find the ancient and wide-spreading family of Eyre, first settled at Hope, where William le Eyre held a messuage and lands in the reign of Edward I. The earliest pedigree in the Herald's Visitations begins with Nicholas, son of this William. It appears by record, that he was living in 1365. He had four sons ; but there is no account of the posterity of the two elder in the Visitations. Robert, the third son of Nicholas, married the heiress of Padley, of Padley in Hathersage, by whom he had eleven sons. Robert, the eldest of these, settled at Padley. One of the younger sonsf of Robert Eyre, by the heiress of Padley, was of Holme Hall in the parish of Chesterfield; he married the heiress of Whit- tington, who was heiress also of Bakewell. Edward Eyre, grandson of this marriage, had two wives. From the first is descended Anthony Eyre, Esq., of the Grove, in Notting- hamshire, many years one of the members for that county. Thomas Eyre, son of the second wife, settled at Holme Hall ; and his descendants were afterwards of Newbold, and of DronfieldWoodhouse. The immediate representative of this branch is Edward Eyre, Esq., of the tipper Crescent in Bath. Vincent Henry Eyre, Esq., son of the late * The tomb-stone of Gervase Browne, second son of Anthony, was to be seen not many years ago, in the chapel. Rhodes Hibbert, of Newbold, who died at a very ad- vanced age, asserted that the ancient tomb-stones were used for mantel and chimney pieces, door- ways &c. He remembered the grave of Anthony Browne being opened in the presence of the Rev. Mr. Morewood, of West Hallam, and others. The leg that had been broken, as stated above, was found seamed at the fracture. t Called in the Visitation, Robert, and described as the fourth son, the elder being also Robert. It is more probable that his name was Roger, as was that of his eldest son. There is but one Robert mentioned among the children of Robert and Jane Eyre, on the monument in Hathersage church : the third is there called Roger. OF CHESTERFIELD. 357 Mr. Eyre, of Sheffield, and grandson of a younger brother of Mr. Edward Eyre's father, was, till within the last year or two, the proprietor of High Field in the township of Newbold. High Field came into the family of Eyre, by marriage with the heiress of Milnes. It is now the property and residence of Maynard Lucas, Esq. The manor of Dunston and Holme, now esteemed part of the Duke of Devonshire's manor of Newbold, was given, by Matthew de Hathersage, to the prior and convent of Lenton, in Nottinghamshire. King Henry VIII. granted it to Francis Leake, Esq. A younger son of the Eyres of Padley having married the heiress of Whittington, settled at Holme Hall about the middle of the fifteenth century, as lessee, probably under the priory of Lenton. Thomas Eyre, Esq., who died in 1595, sold Holme Hall to the Leakes, already possessed of the manor, under king Henry's grant. Dunston Hall, formerly belonging to the family of Milnes, became the property of the late Mrs. Smith, daughter and only child of Robert Mower, Esq., and granddaughter and heiress of Richard Milnes, Esq. It still remains in the same family; and is now the residence of the second son, the Rev. William Smith, who married a daughter of Broughton Stead, Esq., of Beauchief. Five descents of the family of Lathbury of Holme, in Newbold, (a younger branch of the Lathbury s of Eggington) are described in the Visitation of 1611. Francis Lathbury had then a son, William, aged ten, and two younger sons. Bernard Wells, of Holme, son of T. Wells, Esq., of Ashton-under-Hill, in Gloucestershire, had a son and heir, Bernard, aged twenty-two in 1634; the son died without issue; the daughters and co-heirs married Bradshaw and Eyre. In 1785, a school-room was built at Newbold, with a dwelling-house adjoining for the master. It was erected by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants of the hamlets of Newbold and Dunston, for the purpose of educating poor children within these hamlets, in reading, writing, and the first three rules in arithmetic. It is endowed with about thirteen acres of land, situated within the liberty of Newbold. In consideration of this endowment, the trustees elect and RECTORIAL MANOR allow about sixteen of the scholars to receive their education gratuitously : the remainder of the scholars pay quarterage. The school was endowed by the representatives of George Milnes, Esq., May 1, 1794, in lands which yield an annual income of 18/. 18s. In the year 1781, Mrs. Elizabeth Tomlinson built an almshouse at Newbold, and gave the sum of 400Z., four per cents., for the purpose of repairing it, and for the maintenance of three poor women therein. This sum of 400/. was placed out at interest, in the hands of Mr. Joseph Bromhead, and was secured by his bond, dated July 2, 1796. At his death, in January, 1826, it came into the hands of the Rev. Alexander Crawford Bromhead, his nephew, and personal representative ; and interest was paid on it at the rate of four and a half per cent., amounting to 18/. a year. When the commissioners of charities visited Newbold, it was proposed to place it out at a higher rate of interest, for the purpose of enabling the trustees to liquidate a debt, and defray the expenses of a new trust deed ; but whether this intention was carried into effect we have been unable to ascertain. Newbold receives a part of Foljanibe's Attenborough and Ashover charities, according to its population ; which, at the last census, was 1140, including the inhabitants of Dunston. The number of houses in the township of Newbold, at the same period, was 240. WHITTINGTON. THE chapelry of Whittington originally formed a part of the rectorial manor of Chesterfield; but Whittington, like Brampton and Wingerworth, has long been a distinct parish. The living is a rectory ; and the Dean of Lincoln is the patron. The inhabitants of Whittington formerly had to make oblations, and to supply in turn the sacramental bread for the church of Chesterfield, in the same manner as the inhabitants of Brampton:* but no traces of this * Item habitatores de Whittington, ubi est una Capella, quse est de advocatione Decani, h'ent offerr' eod' modo q'o supradictu' de habitatorib' de Brampton, et oblationes, et panem benedictum eod' modo dare. The Rev. Matthew Waddington's MS. OP CHESTERFIELD. 359 dependence of Whittington upon Chesterfield exist in the present day. In the church, which is dedicated to St. Bartholomew, is the monument of the late Rev. Samuel Pegge, L.L.D., the well-known antiquary, author of The Life of Bishop Grossetete; A History of Beauchief Abbey, and Bolsover and Peak Castles ; Dissertations on Coins, and other anti- quarian subjects.* He collected also considerable materials for a History of Derbyshire, which are now deposited in the Heralds' College. Dr. Pegge was forty-five years rector of "Whittington, where he died February 14, 1796, in the ninety-second year of his age. The monument erected to his memory bears the following inscription. At the north end of the Altar Table within the Rails, Lieth the Remains of Samuel Pegge, L.L.D., Who was inducted into this Rectory, November 11, 1751 ; And died February 14, 1796, In the 92nd year of his age. In the church-yard is the monument of Christopher Smith, Esq., of London, who died in 1752, and left 550/. to the corporation of that city, for the relief of disabled and wounded seamen. In the parish register is the following remarkable entry : Thomas Ashton, son of Mr. Arthur and Mrs. Jane Bulkeley was baptized July 1, 1744. Godfathers; Edward Downes, Esq., great- great-great-great-uncle; Dr. Charles Ashton, great-great-great-uncle; Joseph Ashton, Gent., great-great-great-uncle. Godmothers ; Mrs. Wood, great-great-great-great-aunt; Mrs. Wainwright, great-great- grandmother; Mrs. Green, great-grandmother. Registered at the request of Joseph Ashton, of London, Gent., who nominated the god- fathers and godmothers, believing they are not to be paralleled in England. In the survey of Domesday, Whittington is described as a hamlet of Newbold. The paramount manor, which had been in the Peverils, was granted by King John to William Briwere, from whose family it passed to the Wakes. The Boythorpes, and after them successively the Bretons and * Several of his papers on antiquarian subjects arc printed in the Archaologia; and he was a frequent contributor to the Gentleman's Magazine, under the signature of Paul Gemaege, which is a transposition of his own name, Samuel Pegge. 360 RECTORIAL MANOR Foljambes, appear to have held under the families before- mentioned as mesne lords ; but the immediate possession was from an early period in the family of Whittington, whose heiress married Dethick. Geoffrey Dethick was seised of the manor as early as the year 1320. A co-heiress of Dethick brought it, about the year 1488, to the Poles, who held under Foljambe. George Pole had two daughters, co-heirs, who, towards the latter part of the seventeenth century, brought this manor in moieties to Frith and Chaworth. Frith's moiety passed by marriage to Sir Charles Sedley, who sold to Gillett. The late Mr. Richard Gillett, of Chesterfield, sold this moiety, in or about 1813, to Mr. John Dixon ; and it is now the property of his great nephew, Henry Dixon, Esq. The Chaworth family possessed three-fourths of the other moiety in 1769 : this portion passed afterwards to the family of Launder, and having been since purchased by Mr. John Dixon, is now the property of his great nephew above-men- tioned, who is possessed of seven-eighths of the manor. The remaining eighth belongs to the children of the late Samuel Hinde, who inherited one-sixteenth, and acquired one- sixteenth by purchase. The following account of the Charities in the parish of Whittington, is abridged from the Report of the Com- missioners for inquiring into the Charities : No. 18. pp. 261266. Charity of Peter Webster, the Elder. . s. d. Parish schoolmaster for instructing twenty of the meanest and poorest men's sons born in the parish of Whittington (the rent of a farm at Unstone) 23 2 Parish schoolmaster for instructing twenty of the meanest and poorest men's sons born in the parish of Whittington, (the rent of a piece of land set out by the award of the commissioners for the Whittington enclosure,) 2 2 Six scholars in rotation belonging to the parish school, for the purchase of bibles, or other books, or shoes 1 16 The poor of the parish, in sums usually varying, (till the time of the enclosure,) from one shilling to five 1518 17 14 42 18 N.B. The above sum of 171. 14s. arises as follows : viz. from a house, garden and yard, in Whittington, let on a lease to Mr. John OF CHESTERFIELD. 361 Maddock, the present schoolmaster, for 21 years from 1822, at an annual rent of 2l. 2s. ; from two fields in Whittington, which were set out by the award of the commissioners on the enclosure, in exchange for 5a. 2r. 4p. old enclosure, let in part to the schoolmaster at the rent of six shillings per annum, and in part to Elizabeth Green, at the rent of 111. 6s.; and from two allotments on Whittington Common, let at the rent of 3/. per annum. Joshua Webster's Charity. .*.<*. Schoolmaster, for instructing ten poor children of the parish of Whittington, (being a rent-charge upon a farm called Plumtree Farm) 10 10 o Poor's Lands. Poor persons, appointed by the minister and parish officers, on Good Friday, in sums varying from two shillings to three shillings and sixpence 12 19 Nicholas SprentalVs Charity. Poor men and women of the parish of Whittington, at Christ- mas, in sums usually varying from one shilling to three 100 Godfrey Wolstenholme' s Charity. Two gowns for two poor widows of Whittington 1 5 John Hind's Charity. Distributed to the poor on Good Friday, with the produce of the Poor's lands, (being the interest on fifty shillings) 020 George Gilberthorpe' s Charity. Twelve penny loaves, distributed at the church, after divine service, on each Sunday in Lent, to twelve poor persons of the parish, including the clerk ; (being a rent-charge issuing out of a farm at Whittington) Charity of Peter Webster, the Younger. In equal sums to three poor men, and three poor women of the parish of Whittington, who are appointed by the resident curate, and the churchwardens and overseers, a preference being always given to persons bearing either the Christian name or surname of Webster 18 N.B. The testator directed that one half the above sum should be distributed in money, and the other in clothes ; but when the commis- sioners visited Whittington, it had not been the practice for many years, 47 RECTORIAL MANOR to distribute any portion of it in clothing, though it seems proper that this provision of the testator's will should be observed. Elizabeth Burtons Charity. Six twopenny loaves, every Sunday in Lent, distributed by the parish clerk, after service at the church, among six poor persons 6 The parish of Whittington partakes of the charity of the Rev. Francis Gisborne; and it is stated in the Parlia- mentary Returns of 1786, that Elizabeth Bulkley, by will, in 1740, gave money, then vested in Thomas Aston Bulkley, producing six shillings a year, for bread to six poor widows.- But this charily appears to be lost, as is also that of Samuel Holmes, who, by will, bearing date January 6, 1753, gave 10/. to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of Whittington, the interest of which he directed to be yearly distributed amongst the poor inhabitants, at or near Christ- mas, at the discretion of the vestry and churchwardens and overseers. This money appears to have been paid in 1810 by Joseph Brown to John Naylor, then one of the overseers; and the commissioners state, that it was never accounted for by Mr. Naylor. Katherine Wright, a native of Whittington, was one of the persons whom John Darell pretended to dispossess of devils in the early part of the seventeenth century. He was attacked as an impostor by Samuel Harsnett, afterwards Archbishop of York, and wrote a pamphlet in reply. In an enclosure at Whittington is a chalybeate spring, which, from the tests employed, appears to contain about the same quantity of iron, as those situated at Quorndon and Buxton. The main difference is, that it parts more freely with the fixed air, with which it is impregnated. There are very few places in England, equally distin- guished, in the annals of history, with the village of Whittington, at which the Revolution of 1688 was planned. The building in which the parties met, who were mainly instrumental in bringing about that glorious event, is still in existence. It is a small cottage, remarkable for nothing OP CHESTERFIELD. 363 in its external appearance ; and calculated only to excite an interest in the mind of the spectator, from the circumstances connected with it, and the glorious event to which those circumstances ultimately led. This humble and unosten- tatious building is endeared to every Englishman who visits it as the spot, where that glorious revolution was planned, which forms one of the most celebrated epochs in British history ; which was brought about by the spirited and unre- mitting exertions of a few patriotic individuals, who embarked their lives and fortunes in it ; and which eventually paved the way for the accession of the illustrious House of Hanover to the throne of these realms. Unable to bear the tyrannical measures of James II., and the destruction of the protestant religion, a few worthies, whose names will be ever dear to the lovers of British freedom, in the year 1688, met each other on Whittington Moor, for the express purpose of devising some means of rescuing their country from the double slavery with which it was threatened. The person upon whom they fixed their hopes was William Prince of Orange, who had, from his earliest entrance into public life been immersed in enterprizes and political intrigues. This prince now clearly saw that James had lost the affection of his subjects, and was on the eve of losing his crown, upon which he placed a much higher value. He obtained regular information of the discontents which prevailed throughout the kingdom ; and, by appearing to discourage, still further increased them, hoping at length to dispossess James of the crown, and place it upon his own brow. His claims were strengthened by the union which he had formed with Mary, the eldest daughter of James, and it was a fortunate circum- stance for him, that the wishes of the principal nobility coincided with the projects of his own ambition. Ten years previously to this, in the reign of Charles II., the Earl of Danby had been accused of high treason by the House of Commons, on a charge of being in the French interest; and, in particular, of being popishly affected. Many peers and commoners were misled on this occasion, and conceived an unfavourable opinion of him and his political conduct, as appears from the introduction to his letters, printed in the year 1710. " The malice of my accusation," says he, " did so manifestly appear in that article wherein I 364 RECtORIAL MANOR was charged to be popishly affected, that I dare swear there- was not one of my accusers that did then believe that article against me." His Grace then proceeds to vindicate himself from the imputations which had been thrown out against him, in these memorable words, relative to the meeting at Whit- tington : " The Duke of Devonshire also, when we were partners in the secret trust about the Revolution, and who did meet me and Mr. John D' Arcy for that purpose, at a town called Whittington, in Derbyshire, did, in the presence of the said Mr. D' Arcy, make a voluntary acknowledgement of the great mistakes he had been led into about me ; and said, that both he, and most others, were entirely convinced of their error."* Bishop Kennet, in his Memoirs of the Family of Cavendish, mentions Lord Delamere, Sir Scroope Howe, and some other persons of great quality and interest in Derbyshire and the neighbouring counties, as concerned with the Earls of Devonshire and Danby^f- in this important business ; and it does indeed appear that these two illustrious patriots were with the Earl of Devonshire at Nottingham, a few days after the Prince of Orange had landed in England :J nor is it al- together improbable, that they were privy to the conspiracy. But it would seem from the Earl of Danby's narrative, that the Earl of Devonshire and Mr. John D' Arcy were the only persons who met him at Whittington. The reason for their selecting this as their place of conference is said to have been, because it was a central situation between Chatsworth, Kive- ton, and Aston, the respective seats of these eminent per- sonages. Tradition says that, on a certain appointed day, the Earl of Devonshire's harriers threw off upon Whittington Moor ; and that, when they were in pursuit, he and his friends, agreeably to a preconcerted plan, adjourned to this cottage, to concert measures about the intended Revolution. But this account is probably incorrect ; for it appears, that, so early as the month of July, a secret correspondence was * See Deering's Histm-y of Nottingham, p. 260. t These two Earls, who appear to have been principally instrumental in promoting the Revolution, were in great favour with William III., after his accession. The Earl of Danby was created Marquis of Caermarthen, April 20, 1689, and Duke of Leeds, May 4, 1694. (Debrett's Peerage, p. 33-35.) The Earl of Devonshire was created Marquis of Hartington and Duke of Devonshire, May 12, 1694. Debrett, p. 38. J Deering's Nottingham, p. 260. OF CHESTERFIELD. 365 carried on between the Prince of Orange, and the promoters of the Revolution in England,* so that the meeting in question must have taken place prior to the hunting season. f Another account states, that the conference was intended to be held privately on a particular part of the Moor, but that " a shower of rain happening to fall, they removed to the village for shelter, and finished their conversation at the cottage above mentioned, which was then a public house, the sign of the Cock and Pynot."J The variation in these ac- counts is, however, a circumstance of trifling importance, the main fact being attested by evidence of the most authentic and unexceptionable kind. The cottage thus distinguished, as the birth-place of the Revolution, stands on the spot, where the old road from Chesterfield branches off to Sheffield and Eckington ; and has been called the Revolution House, ever since the memo- rable event, from which it takes its name. As you view the building from the Eckington road, the second window from the door, on the right hand, belongs to the room which was occupied by this illustrious triumvirate ; and which is, to this day, known by the name of the Revolution Parlour, or Plot- ting Chamber. In this room an old armed-chair is still pre- served, in which the Earl of Devonshire is reported to have sat during the conference ; and which, from the marks of antiquity that it bears, may claim an origin of still earlier date than the Revolution. The parlour, as it is called, has no communication with the other parts of the building, the entrance being from a door, which looks towards the old Sheffield road. When last visited by the writer of this sketch, || it was in the occupation of one William Mitchell, a facetious and intelligent old cobbler. The floor and walls were going fast into a state of decay, and the principal furniture con- * Rapin's History of England, (fol. ed.) vol. ii. p. 770. t The discontents had been very general throughout the kingdom, from the accession of James, in 1684 ; but what greatly hastened the event of the Revolution, was the trial of the Bishops, for refusing to comply with the king's mandate. This trial took place on June 26, and it was in this posture of affairs that William was invited to advocate the cause of the people. It does not appear to have been seriously thought of before; and the meeting at Whittington, in all probability, took place between tins and the middle or end of July. t Pynot is the provincial name for a Magpie. II The above account first appeared in the Northern Star for October, 1818, vol. iii. p. 2 11 ; and the author has been induced to revise and enlarge it for our History. 366 RECTORIAL MANOR sisted of the venerable inhabitant himself, and his armed chair. Strangers who visit the spot generally indulge themselves with a seat in this chair, which is considered as entitling the occupant of the building to some trifling gratuity. On Wednesday, November 5, 1788, a day on which there were partial rejoicings all over the kingdom, the centenary commemoration of the Revolution was celebrated with great magnificence at Whittington and Chesterfield. A Narrative of what passed at the Revolution House, at Whittington, in the year 1688, was printed, about a fortnight before that time, at the expense of Hayman Rooke, Esq., of Mansfield Woodhouse ; and copies were presented to many gentlemen residing in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, who had signi- fied their intention of joining the festivities of the approaching jubilee. This Narrative was drawn up by the Rev. Samuel Pegge, A.M. S.A.S., and was accompanied by a perspective view and ground-plan of the cottage. The tract itself is now become scarce ; but the reader may find an exact reprint of it, with the exception of a short preface by Hayman Rooke, and an introductory letter of Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Pegge, in the Gentleman's Magazine, for 1789, p. 125. The commemoration of the day commenced with divine service in the church at Whittington. The Rev. S. Pegge, who was then rector of the parish, and had that morning en- tered into the 85th year of his age, delivered a sermon upon the occasion, from Psalm cxviii., 24, " This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." The descendants of the illustrious houses of Cavendish, Osborne, Boothe, and D'Arcy ;* a numerous and powerful gentry; a wealthy and respectable yeomanry ; and a decent and at- tentive peasantry ; formed an audience, which, in point of rank, consequence, and number, has seldom been equalled on any similar occasion. The discourse was printed, at the request of the committee, and dedicated " to His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, and the other noblemen and gentlemen" who were present at the time of its delivery. *f- After service * The venerable Duke of Leeds, whose age would not allow him to attend, sent his two grandsons, in whom the blood of Osborne, and that of D' Arcy are united. t Bishop Watson was requested to preach the sermon ; and would in all probability have complied, had it not been for the death of a near relation. OF CHESTERFIELD. 367 the company went in procession to view the room called the Revolution Parlour, and the old armed chair ; and then par- took of an elegant cold collation, which was prepared in the new rooms adjoining the cottage. The procession then began to form, and moved in regular order to Chesterfield, where the remainder of the day was spent with the utmost cordiality and rejoicing. A number of constables, with long staves, headed the procession, for the purpose of forcing a way through the crowd. Then followed the clubs, with their wands and favours, many of them with uniforms, and all with gay flags and music. The flag of Mr.Deakin's club wasblue, with orange fringe; and the emblem, a figure of Liberty, bearing this motto, " The Protestant Religion and the Liberties of England we will defend" The flag of Mr. Bluet's club was blue, fringed with orange; the motto, " Libertas qu Charles Hope ' ' C. S. Hope 1 ' 372 RECTORIAL MANOR OF CHESTERFIELD. Infirmary, in October, 1818, on the same conditions. The failure of the original project was owing, in a great measure, to circumstances which no human foresight could have an- ticipated ; but, as the money was collected for a public purpose, and individuals were not likely to claim the amount of their respective subscriptions, it was wisely resolved to apply it to the object above specified. Thus ended this warm and generous effusion of patriotic feeling, and a monument is still wanting to commemorate the spot where Tyranny received that just sentence, from the effects of which it can never recover, while Liberty is dear to the hearts of Englishmen. On November 4, in the present year (1838,) just one hundred and fifty years will have elapsed, since the landing of William, Prince of Orange, atTorbay. A suitable oppor- tunity will then occur of celebrating the jubilee of that im- portant event ; and it is to be hoped, that this opportunity will not be allowed to pass, without some demonstration of national joy, similar to the one above recorded. CHATSWORTH. CHATSWORTH. CHATSWORTH is an extra-parochial hamlet in the parish of Edensor, in the hundred of High Peak, two miles south of Baslow, two miles north-east of Rowsley, three and a half miles south-east of Bakewell, nine miles west of Chesterfield, twenty-six miles north-north-west of Derby, and ten miles north by west of Matlock. It is esteemed one of the seven wonders of the Peak, on account of its splendid palace, which has been, for nearly three centuries, the principal country seat of the noble family of Cavendish ; and has been celebrated alike by the poet, the historian and the tourist. Chatsworth, in Domesday Book, is written Checej-pojtSe, (Clietesworthe) ; but it seems that ChetelrpojvSe, (Chetels- worthe) would have been more proper, as it no doubt took its name from Chetel, one of its Saxon owners mentioned in the survey.* The termination pojvSe denotes a court or forum ; and implies that such a court has been held in places, in the name of which it is found. Chatsworth, therefore, is a corruption of Chetel's-worthe, or the Court of Chetel. At the time of the Norman Survey, the manor of Chatsworth belonged to the crown ; and was placed under the custody of William de Peverel. It was for many generations the property of a family named Leche or Leech, who had a respectable mansion at Chatsworth, with a park ; one of whom, named John, was chirurgeon, or, as a medical attendant was termed at that period, leech to the king, in the reign of Edward III. From this John Leech descended Sir Roger Leech, of Beaurepoir, or Belper, who was Lord * In Chetesworde and Langelie, Levenot and Chetel had ten ox-gangs of land to be taxed. Land to ten oxen. This belongs to Ednesoure. William Peverel has the custody of them by the king's order. Five villanes and two bordars have there two ploughs and one acre of meadow. Wood-pasture one mile long and one broad, and the like quantity of coppice- wood. Value in king Edward's time 20. now 16s. Domesday Book, 295. 376 CHATSWORTH. High Treasurer of England in the time of Henry V. The brother of Sir Roger was Sir Philip Leech, who was treasurer of the wars of France. This distinguished knight was appointed to maintain a military post at the siege of Rouen. He was also governor of Monceaux and Newcastle, and was sent by the king on a commission with the Earl Marshal to the province of Maine. Raulf Leech was a captain in the van-guard of the king's army, which entered France, June 16, 1513 ; and Roger Leech was his pety captain. The male branch of this family became extinct about the middle of the sixteenth century ; but previously to that occurrence, the manor of Chatsworth had been sold by Francis Leech or Leche, who had espoused the sister of the Countess of Shrewsbury, to the family of Agard, of whom it was purchased by Sir William Cavendish. The illustrious family of Cavendish derives its origin from Robert de Gernon, who was a distinguished officer in the service of William the Conqueror, came over with him from Normandy, and contributed con- siderably to the success of his expedition, for which he received large grants of land in Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire, and other counties.* Geoffrey de Gernon, one of his descendants, resided at Moor Hall, near Bakewell, in Derbyshire, in the reign of Edward I. His son, Roger, resided at Grimstone Hall, in the county of Suffolk, and having married the daughter and heiress of John Potton, or Potkins, lord of the manor of Cavendish, his children, according to the custom of the age, and in compliment to their mother, assumed the name of Cavendish. This Roger died in the reign of Edward III., leaving three sons, John, Roger, and Stephen. Richard, a fourth son, died young. John, the eldest, an eminent lawyer, became Lord Chief Justice in 39 Edward III., 1366, and was continued in that office by Glaus writ, July 15, 46 Edward III., 1373. In the next reign his patent for that honourable office was likewise renewed; and June 26, Richard II., 1378, he had a grant of one hundred marks per annum. In 4 Richard II., he was made Chancellor of the University of Cambridge ; and in 5 Richard II., was commissioned, with Robert de Hales, lord high Treasurer of England, for the purpose of suppressing the insurrection raised in the city of York. He was seized by the insurgents of Suffolk, consisting of about fifty thousand men, and was beheaded by them at Bury St. Ed- * These grants consisted in part of the manor of Merdley, three hides of land in Wal- lington, two hides and a half in Aiot, one hide in Wymundeley, and the manor of Leu- worth, rated at ten hides, all in Hertfordshire. This Robert de Geriion gave the church of St. Peter, in Gloucester, the church of Winterburne, the church of Loverstoke, and half the lands thereto belonging, to the Abbey of Gloucester, which was confirmed by Henry I., in the time of Peter the Abbot : from which it appears that he had large possessions in Gloucestershire. idHATSWORTH. 377 Hiunds, in 1381, in revenge for the death of Wat Tyler, whom his son was reported to have slain. He was buried in the church of Cavendish.* He married Alice, daughter of Sir John Odyngseles, who brought to her husband Cavendish Overhall ; by her he had two sons,, Andrew and John, and one daughter, Alice. From Roger, the second son of Roger de Gernon, descended the famous Sir Thomas Cavendish, f the third person, and the second English- man, who achieved the circumnavigation of the globe. Stephen, the third son, became an eminent merchant, and repre- * " Cavendish, is a town or village in Suffolke, wherein the valiant gentleman, John Cavendish, Esq., who slew that arch rebell, Wat Tyler, Anno Reg. Regis, Ric. 2. 4. was borne, which fact was not long unrevenged, for, in the same yeare, the rebels of Norfolke and Suffolke, under the conduct of their captaine, Sir John Wraw, (a detestable priest), took Sir John Cavendish, knight, cousin to the aforesaid John, Chiefe Justice of the King's Bench, and beheaded him, together with Sir John, of Cambridge, prior of St. Edmunds- bury, whose heads they set on the pillory in the market-place." Weever's Funeral Monu- ments. t Among the gentlemen in that enterprising age, who sought wealth and fame by privateering expeditions against the Spaniards, one of the most distinguished was Thomas Candish, or Cavendish, proprietor of a large estate at Trimley, near Ipswich, in Suffolk. As soon as he became master of his fortune, he equipped avessel of 120 tons burden, with which he accompanied Sir Richard Grenville, in his expedition to Virginia, in 1585. Some experience and aspirations, prompted by the accounts which he heard of Sir Francis Drake's exploits in the Western Seas, were the sole fruits of his enterprise ; but his ardour was rather prompted than extinguished by the expensiveness of his voyage ; and he soon after fitted out a small fleet, consisting of three vessels, the largest of which was of 140 tons burden, and having on board one hundred and twenty-six officers and sailors, with which he intended to follow the footsteps of Drake, and invade the Spanish ppssessions in the South Seas. Having provided himself with maps, and whatever guides the science of the age afforded, and having successfully employed his influence at court to obtain a com- mission from the Queen to cruise against the Spaniards, he set sail July 21, 1586. When Cavendish arrived in the Straits of Magellan, the ruins of Sarmiento's unfortunate colony were still in existence. The bastions of the fort had suffered no dilapidation ; some of the houses were still standing, and the whole presented a melancholy appearance of desolation. One of the surviving Spaniards was found, who gave to our countrymen an afflicting account of the sufferings which terminated in the destruction of the colony. The guns which had been mounted on the batteries, and which the Spaniards, foreseeing the fate of the settlement, had taken the precaution to bury in the sand, were dug for by Cavendish, and all recovered. With respect to the natives, he confirms the account given by preceding navigators, of their gigantic stature. The impression of a foot in the sand, in one instance, measured eighteen inches. At Penguin Island, which lies within the straits, he found such a multitude of those birds from which the island has its name, that he could easily have taken sufficient to serve as provision for his whole voyage. Cavendish at length left the straits, and entered the Pacific Ocean, without encountering any of those violent hurricanes or variable winds, which have so often baffled the skill of the Spanish seamen both before and after him. As he proceeded northward, along the coast, he entered on his work of war and spoliation. He burned the town of Payta, and committed the like outrage at Puna, where he sunk a large ship, having first plundered her valuable cargo. On approaching New Spain, he captured a vessel, on board of which was Sanchez, a pilot well acquainted with the South Seas, and from whom he received intelligence of a riclily laden vessel whose arrival was daily expected from the Philippines. At Cape Saint Lucas, in California, where the jutting white rocks resemble the Needles in the Isle of Wight, he lay in shelter, waiting his prey. At length the wished-for signal was given. A large vessel was seen on the horizon, and proved to be the Saint Anne of 700 tons, the admiral of the South Seas, and laden with a cargo of silks, satins, musks, and other commodities, which was valued at 122,000 pesos, or in English money, 48,800*. The division of so rich a prize led to mutinous quarrels, which might have been at- tended with the most fatal consequences ; but the generosity of Cavendish appeased the 49 378 CHATSWORTH. sented the city of London twice in parliament, 31 and 34 Edward III., was sheriff, 32 Edward III., lord mayor of the city 37 Edward III., 1363 ; and died in 1373. Sir Andrew Cavendish, knight, eldest son of the lord chief justice, was made sheriff of the county of Norfolk, 1386; he died seised of Cavendish Overhall, &c., 1396, and was buried at the New Abbey, near the Tower of London. He married Rose , a widow, by whom he had one son, William. storm which his youth and inexperience could not prevent. All were satisfied with the distribution which he made of his wealth, and retumed to obedience before discord and alienation had become incurable. Preparations were now made to return home. The prisoners were put on shore, furnished with clothing and provisions to enable them to reach New Spain over land ; and a few only of the crew were retained, whose acquaint- ance with the Indian seas might be serviceable in the navigation homeward. Cavendish sailed from the coast of California to the Ladrones, a distance which he estimated at 1800 leagues, in the short space of forty-five days. Pursuing a circuitous- route, by the Philippines, Borneo, and the Moluccas, he at length arrived in the Straits of Sunda. Having there re-fitted, and taken in a new stock of provisions, he put to sea, and after a voyage of nine weeks, arrived at the Cape of Good Hope. During this navigation he made numerous observations on winds, tides, and currents, which contributed not a little to improve the nautical science of the day. He remarked that the distance from Java to the Cape of Good Hope, was above 2000 leagues in the Por- tuguese charts, while by his reckoning it was only 1850. He thns made a considerable approximation to geographical correctness, in contracting the distance between the Cape of Good Hope, and the remote countries of India ; while at the same time he increased the interval between the Spice Islands and the Continent of America. Leaving the Cape of Good Hope, he touched at St. Helena, which he describes as a delicious island covered with trees ; and he was the first British navigator who discovered the local advantages of that island, which had hitherto been resorted to exclusively by the Portuguese fleets. The native forests, with which it was then covered, were afterwards destroyed with sin- gular rapidity, by the introduction of goats and rabbits into the island ; and this is not the only instance in which the multiplication of these animals has laid bare the most en- chanting scenes in nature. Cavendish arrived at Plymouth, September 9, 1588. He came to London and entered the river in a kind of triumph, his mariners and sol- diers were clothed in silk ; his sails were of damask and gold : his prizes were esteemed the richest that had ever been brought to England. Birch's Memoirs, vol. i., p. 57. In this voyage we see another proof of the rapid improvement of maritime science. Drake had circumnavigated the globe in three months less time than had been employed in a like navigation, by the companions of Magellan ; but the voyage of Cavendish round the globe, was penormed in eight months less than that of Drake. In all the accounts which remain of his voyage, may be seen abundant evidence, that he surveyed every object with the eye of an expert seaman. He examined with great care the Straits of Magellan; his account of the Philippines is full of valuable information ; and he likewise brought home with him a map and description of China. His success as a privateer surpassed the anticipations of the most sanguine. He is said, by contemporary writers, to have amassed wealth sufficient " to buy a fair earldom." Being young and ardent, he regarded his early good fortune, as only the prelude to greater acquisitions. But success soeminent was not to be repeated ; and Fortune, who had once lavished all her favours on him, rudely repulsed his future addresses. He equipped a second fleet, and sailed ouce more for the Magellanic Straits. But his progress was now thwarted by all the calamities that can beset a maritime expedition. Continued storms baffled all his attempts to enter the Pacific Ocean : mutiny broke out among his crews ; his captains disobeyed his commands ; and, after sustaining a considerable time the united pressure of bodily fatigue and mental anxiety, he sunk under his affliction, and died on the coast of Brazil. The lamentable issue of this expedition damped, for a time, the ardour of enterprise which existed in England ; and the experienced mariners of Cavendish's fleet, many of whom had been the companions of Sir Francis Drake, were obliged to seek abroad that employment which they could not find at home. CHATSWORTH. 379 John Cavendish, esquire, second son, was knighted for slaying Wat Tyler, in 1379, and had an annuity of 40Z. settled upon him and his heirs, for ever, in reward for his services in quelling the insurrections that were then prevalent. He was one of the esquires to- the body of Richard II. and Henry V., to the latter of whom he was embroiderer of the wardrobe. In October, 1415, he was present at the battle of Agincourt. William Cavendish, son and heir of the above Sir Andrew, passed the estates of Cavendish Overhall, by fine, to his cousin, William Cavendish, citizen and mercer of London, who was the son of the above John Cavendish. Robert Cavendish, esq., brother and executor of the will of the last named William, died March, 17 Henry VI., 1438, seised of Cavendish Overhall, which he bequeathed to his nephew Thomas, of Cavendish and Pollingford, in Suffolk. This Thomas Cavendish had issue a son, named Thomas Cavendish, who took to the study of the law, became clerk of the pipe in the Court of Exchequer, and died 15 Henry VIII., 1524. He had 1st to wife, Alice, daughter and co-heir of John Smith, of Padbrooke Hall, Suffolk, by whom he had three sons, George, William and Thomas. George, the eldest, resided at Glemsford, in Suffolk, and was author of the life of his patron, Cardinal Wolsey,* to whom he was gentleman- usher of the chamber : he attended him both in his glory and distress, till his death.f Though his situation was rendered very critical, by the * That the editors of the Biographia and Peerages, have fallen into an error, in sup- posing that Sir William Cavendish was author of the Life of Cardinal Wolsey, and in con- sequence, (as the author of that work himself asserts,) an attendant on that celebrated minister, and indebted to his patronage for the events which led to his subsequent eleva- tion, has been ably shown by the Rev. Joseph Hunter, of Bath, in an anonymous tract published in 1814, entitled, Who wrote Cavendish's Life bf Wolsey? This writer, among other reasons which would almost have been conclusive as presumptive evidence, has shown that the author of Wolsey's life, could not have been Sir William Cavendish, be- cause he represents himself as having had a wife and family (luring his attendance on the cardinal ; whereas, Sir William Cavendish, most probably was not married till after the cardinal's death. His first child certainly was not born till four years j after, as appears by Sir William's funeral certificate at the Heralds' College. It is shown, that not only Lord Herbert had asserted George Cavendish to have been the author of Wolsey's Life, but that Francis Thynne, the herald and antiquary, a contemporary writer, speaks of it as the work of George Cavendish. He is so called in most of the ancient copies of the MS., and by Wanley in the Harleian Catalogue; besides which, the circumstances relating to the author which do not accord with the history of Sir William Cavendish, accord with that of his elder brother, George Cavendish, Esq., of Glcmsford, in Suffolk. It is sufficient to remark here that Sir William Cavendish died in 155", and the manu- script affords unequivocal evidence that the writer survived Queen Mary, who died at the close of 1558. t He accompanied the cardinal in his splendid embassy into France, 1527, when the Earl of Derby, the Bishop of London, Lord Privy Seal, the Lord Sands, lord chamberlain of his majesty's household, with a great number of other lords, knights and gentlemen, attended on him. At Canterbury, Mr. Cavendish was dispatched with letters to a Cardinal at Calais, and staid there till his lordship's arrival. When Cardinal Wolsey had been feasted by the king at Amiens fourteen days, and it was agreed to remove to Compclgne, he was sent before to provide lodgings, which he prepared in the great castle of tlio town, 380 CHATSWORTH. king's displeasure with his patron, yet his conduct was regulated by so much prudence, that after the death of the cardinal, the monarch took him into favour.* He married Margery, daughter of William Kemp, of Spains Hall, Essex, niece to Sir Thomas More ; by whom he had one son, William. Thomas, the youngest, was one of the knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and died unmarried. William the second son, (who may be said to be the founder of the and saw it furnished ; the king having one half of the castle, and the cardinal the other; the gallery in like manner being divided between them. It appears that he was admitted to more intimacy with his lord, and let more into his secrets, than any other servant; and therefore would not desert him in his fall, but honourably waited on his old master, when he held no office, and had no salary to bestow upon him. He was with the cardinal in his chamber, when the Earl of Northumberland and Sir Walter Walshe arrested him, in the king's name, and was the chief person whom they suffered to be about him. Sir Walter telling Mr. Cavendish that the king's majesty bore unto him his principal favour, for the love and diligent service he had performed to his lord ; the king's pleasure was, that he should be about him as chief, in whom his highness put great confidence and trust ; and thereupon he gave him in writing several articles ; which having read, he was content to obey his majesty's pleasure, and was sworn to the performance of them. He attended on the cardinal when he went to the Earl of Shrews- bury, at Sheffield Park, who shewed a particular regard to Mr. Cavendish, saying, " Forasmuch as I have always perceived you to be a man in whom my lord your master hath great affiance ; and for my experience, knowing you to be an honest man," (with many more words of commendation and praise) said, " It is so, that my lord, your la- mentable master, hath often desired me to write to the king's majesty that he might come into his presence, to make answer to his accusations ; and even so have I done ; for this day I have received letters from his grace, by Sir William Kingston, knight, whereby I do perceive that the king hath in him a very good opinion ; and upon my often request, he hath sent for him, by the said Sir William, to come up to answer, according to his own desire ; who is in his chamber." " Therefore now would I have you to play the part of a wise man, to break first this matter unto him so wittily, and in such sort, that he might take it quietly in good part : for he is ever so full of sorrow and dolor in ray company, that I fear me he will take it in evil part, and then he doth not well : for I assure you, and so show him, that the king is his good lord, and hath given me the most worthy thanks for his entertainment, desiring and commanding me so to continue, not doubting but that he will right nobly acquit himself towards his highness. Therefore, go your ways to him, and so persuade with him, that I may find him in good quiet at my coming, for I will not tarry long after you." He therefore went to the cardinal ; and imparted to him what the Earl desired. Mr. Cavendish also attended the cardinal, with Sir William Kingston, to Leicester, who, on receipt of letters from his majesty, to examine the Cardinal about what money- he had, was directed to follow Mr. Cavendish's counsel : but his death prevented what had been aimed at; and Mr. Cavendish when he had paid his last respects to the Cardinal, by seeing him interred in St. Mary's Chapel, at Leicester, November 30, 1530, set forward to wait on his majesty, and being introduced by Sir Henry Norris, groom of the stole, had a long conference with the king, who was so well satisfied in the answers he made, that, in conclusion he told him, " for his honesty and truth he should be his servant in his chamber as he was with his master. Therefore go to Sir John Gage, our vice cham- berlain, to whom I have already spoken to give you your oath, and to admit you our servant in the same room ; and then go to my Lord of Norfolk, and he shall pay you all your whole year's wages, and a reward besides." * " Upon the death of the cardinal his master, Cavendish relates that the king gave him the same appointment, of gentleman usher, in his service, which he had filled in the household of Wolsey ; yet at the close of his work he tells us that he returned to his own home in the country. Whether his retirement was only temporary, or whether he then took his final leave of the court, we have no exact means of ascertaining." Preface to Singer's edition of The Life of Wolsey, by George Cavendish. CHATSWORTH. 381 two noble houses of Newcastle and Devonshire) rose to great dis- tinction. In 1530, when Henry VIII. had resolved upon the sup- pression of religious houses, Sir William* was appointed one of the commissioners for visiting and taking the surrender of several of them. The eminent talents and zeal which he displayed in this important work, and in promoting the Reformation, appear to have gained him the favour of his sovereign, and to have raised him to considerable honours and pre- ferments. In 1539, he was made one of the auditors of the court of aug- mentationf, which was instituted for the extinction of monastic establish- ments. Three manors in Hertfordshire, (abbey lands,) were the reward of his services to the crown; and he was, in 1546, made treasurer of the chamber}:, knighted, and admitted of the privy council. In the reign of Edward VI. he exchanged his Hertfordshire manors, for several lands, &c. belonging to the dissolved priories and abbeys in Derbyshire, Not- tinghamshire, Staffordshire, Dorsetshire, Cornwall, Kent and Essex, besides North Awbrey, in Lincolnshire ; the site of the priory and rectory of Cardigan, in South Wales, with other lands in Cornwall and elsewhere. This Sir William Cavendish was married three times : his last wife, whom he married about the year 1547, was Elizabeth, daughter of John Hard- wick, of Hardwick, in Derbyshire, and widow of Robert Barley, esq., of Barley (Barlow). It was this marriage with the heiress of Hardwick, that first led to the settlement of the Cavendishes in Derbyshire. Sir William purchased Chatsworth, and began to build on the site of the old hall, what Camden calls " a spacious and elegant house," which was a quadrangular building with turrets. He died|| in June, 1557, and the building was completed by his widow. By this marriage he had three sons, Henry, William and Charles ; and three daughters Frances, Elizabeth and Mary. Henry, the eldest son, was elected one of the knights for Derbyshire, 14 Queen Elizabeth, and served in five other successive parliaments, in the * In that year, the prior and convent of Sheen came before him at Sheen, and sur- rendered their Monastery to him) and on Decembers, 31 Henry VIII., the abbots and monks of St. Alban's delivered their convent seal, and surrendered to him and others of the king's visitors. t The Court of Augmentation was then newly erected, and so called, because the King's revenue was much augmented by the access of those monastery lauds at that time to the crown. t This was a place of great trust and honour ; for by an act in 6 Henry VIII., con- cerning the king's general receivers of his revenues, it is declared, " That every person whom the king hereafter shall [name] and appoint to the roome and office of treasurer of his chamber, shall not be accomptable in the exchequer for any such his or their receipt, &c. &c." II The following is a "Memorandum" of his death, made by Elizabeth liis widow, and appears in the Ex. Autog. in BM. Hurley. " Memorandum, that Sir William Cavi-ndyshc, Knight, my most deere and well beloved husband, departed this present life of Mundaie being the 25 daie of October, betwixt the howers of 8 and 9 of the same daie at night, in the yeere of our Lord God 1557, the dom. letter then C. On whose soul I most humbly beseeche the Lord to have mercy, and to ridd mce and his poore children out of our trrcatc miserie." ELIZABETH CAVENDV.SHE." $ According to Collins's Collections of the Noble Families of Cavendish, Ke., he appears to have had two other daughters, Temperance and Lucrcse, but it is probable that they died young. 082 CHATSWORTH. reign of that Queen. In the latter part of his life he settled at Tutbury ; he married Grace, daughter of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, but died in 1616, without issue. He was buried at Edensor, where a monument is raised to his memory.* William the second son, was so great a favourite with his mother, that at her death he became possessed of a larger estate than his elder brother. Being a person of distinguished merit, and of great wealth, he was in the year 1605, raised to the dignity of a peer, by the title of Baron Cavendish of Hardwick. After the death of his elder brother, he was, in the year 1618, created Earl of Devonshire by James I. His lordship contributed greatly to the rise of the English Colonies in North America, particularly those of Virginia and the Bermudas, of the largest of which last, one of the eight divisions is still known by the name of Cavendish. He died at Hardwick in 1625, and was buried at Edensor, where an elegant Latin epitaph is inscribed on his tomb.f He was married twice : by his first wife Anne, daughter and co-heiress of Henry Kighley, esq., of Kighley, in the county of York, he had three sons, Gilbert, William, and James ; and three daughters, Frances, Mary and Elizabeth. Gilbert died young : Mary, Elizabeth and James, all died infants. The third son, Charles Cavendish, purchased the fee of Bolsover Castle, in 1613, of the crown; and having rebuilt it, he made it his residence, but died in 1617, two years after its completion. He had a son, who became Duke of Newcastle. William, the second Earl of Devonshire, was the second son of the first Earl. His lordship was distinguished for his classical knowledge, and mental attainments. He was a great speaker in both houses of par- liament, where he was beloved and admired. He also upheld the dig- nity of his family in all public transactions, in which he was deeply en- gaged during his short life, which terminated in June, 1628. He had * The monument above mentioned bears the following inscription, " Sacred to the memory of Henry, eldest son of William Cavendish, knight, of Chatsworth, in the county of Derby, and of the much celebrated Elizabeth Hardwick, of Hardwick, in the same county, who afterwards married her fourth husband, George, sixth Earl of Shrewsbury. He was a strenuous and brave man, and particularly distinguished himself among the English volunteer Commanders in the campaign of the Nether- lands, in the year 1578, in which he displayed perseverance, skill, diligence, activity, and fortitude. When, however, his military engagements gave place to the enjoyment of ease, he indulged in the liberal and sumptuous use of his fortune, in such a manner as to retain the character of splendour and festivity, and avoid the reproach of luxurious indolence. Having deposited within these walls, in this County, his Arms and his Mortal Remains, his Body lies here awaiting, instead of the clarion of Fame, the trumpet of the Resurrection. He died the 12th day of October, 1616." t " Sacred to the memory of William Cavendish, the second son of the same parents, who also here put off his earthly dress. He was a man born to fill every honourable station, and in the simplicity of his virtue, deserving, rather than courting, glory. Whom, when James the First, of blessed memory, King of Great Britain, had honoured with the Titles, first of Baron Hardwick, and afterwards Earl of Devonshire, he appeared not so much to do honour to the Man as to the Title. With what Wisdom, Integrity, and Applause he sustained the Duties of his Province, euquire-of that Province Common Fame is seldom false. He was not merely the best Man of his own, but every age ; nor can his character be suppressed or spoken of without difficulty. He was capable of the CHATSWORTH. 383 been educated under the care of the celebrated philosopher Hobbes, to whom, during his own life, he continued his friendship and patronage. On his return from his travels through France and Italy, (where he had been accompanied by his tutor) he received the honour of knighthood ; and through the mediation of King James, he married Christiana,* daughter of Edward Lord Bruce, of Kinross, and sister to Thomas, Earl of Elgin, who was descended from the kings of Scotland. By her he had three sons, William, Charles and Henry ; and one daughter, Anne. William, the eldest son, and third Earl of Devonshire, was only eleven years of age, when he succeeded to the honours and estate of his father. He was not backward in testifying the loyalty which was so distinguished in his parents, and opposed every approach to the rebellion which afterwards broke out, and destroyed the monarchy. During the civil war between the unfortunate Charles I. and the Parliament, he withdrew from England, when his services could be of no avail ; but his flight did not prevent the sequestration of his estates. He suffered much for his loyalty, yet never engaged in public business, or sought employ- ment at court. On the Restoration, he was reinstated in his title and possessions, and enjoyed the confidence of his majesty Charles II., until his own death, which took place at Roehampton, in 1684. He was married to Elizabeth, second daughter of William Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, and by her had two sons, William and Charles, and one daughter, Anne. Charles Cavendish,* esquire, second son of the second Earl, dis- utmost diligence, and unsullied faith, with the appearance of the greatest indolence. To Him, having ordered that he might be buried without splendour, and in a plain grave, this monument was erected with an affection greater than its expense. He died the 3rd of March, 1625." * This lady was respected for her address and judgment, as well as her economy and resolution. Being left a widow at an early period of her life, with three children, the eldest of whom had not attained the age of eleven, and with the immense estates of the family greatly encumbered by the splendid style in which the Earl had lived, she, by her good management during the minority of the young Earl, paid off the debts and ter- minated many expensive law-suits. She committed the education of the youthful peer to the friend and tutor of his father, Mr. Hobbes, who privately instructed him at his own house for three years, and travelled into foreign parts with him three years more. On their return, the aged philosopher was maintained by the Devonshire family in ease and plenty until his death, which did not happen before his 92nd year. The Countess dowager was held in great estimation by leading persons of both parties, but she never remitted her endeavours to serve the royal cause, even when all expectations of success in the field had terminated. While she resided at Latimers, a seat belonging to the family, in Buck- inghamshire, the king was brought thither prisoner, and was for two nights entertained by her and her son. So steadfast was she in the cause of the king, that the politic General Monk sent her, by a considerable officer, a private signal, by which she might know his intentions of restoring the monarchy. After a long life spent in acts of hospi- tality and charity, and still with splendour and magnificence, this eminent lady departed this life in the year 1674, and was buried at Derby. * " Colonel Cavendish was the son of William, second Earl of Devonshire, and a person of such a manly figure, winning presence, polite arts, and personal courage, that he was the love and admiration of all that conversed with him, and beheld him; insomuch, that when he was brought into this town, [Newark,] to be interred, the people would not suffer him to be buried, till for some days they had viewed his body with their eyes, and embalmed it with their tears. When his body was removed to Derby, thirty years 384 CiHATSWORTrf. tinguished himself as a loyal and brave subject on behalf of his king during the rebellion, in which, after performing many gallant exploits, he perished fighting nobly near Gainsborough, in 1642-3. Cromwell, who was in the engagement, boasted not a little of the advantage which he had gained on this occasion. He was buried at Newark. Pursuant, however, to the express desire of his mother, the remains of her beloved son were taken up and removed to the family vault at Derby, at the time of her own funeral, February 1.8, 1674-5. Henry, the third son of the second earl, died young. The fourth Earl, and first Duke of Devonshire, succeeded his father when in his 44th year. This illustrious patriot, and enterprising states- man greatly surpassed all his ancestors in several striking qualities and accomplishments. He had considerable reputation as a poet, and a man of letters. After a regular course of studies, he made the tour of Europe, attended by Dr. Killigrew, who was subsequently master of the Savoy. He sat in the long parliament, immediately after the Restoration, as member for the county of Derby. During the Dutch wars he attended the Duke of York, and was present at the memorable engagement, on the 3rd of June, 1665, when the Hollanders lost thirty- two ships of war. Four years afterwards, he accompained Mr. Montague in his embassy to the court of France 5 and during his residence at the capital of that kingdom, he distinguished himself by his personal courage. As a member of the House of Commons, he was a strenuous asserter of the rights of parlia- ment : he had an honest heart, anablehead, and great fluency of expression. He remained,a member of the Commons' House of Parliament until the death of his father. So attached was he to that estimable and interesting patriot, Lord Russel, that he sent a message to him by Sir James Forbes, declaring that he would come to his prison and exchange clothes with him in order to effect, if possible, his escape. A nobleman of such principles was not likely to contemplate, with satisfaction, the accession of a prince like the Duke of York, bigoted to the dominion of a foreign priesthood, and insisting upon the divine right of the crown. The noble Earl was, accordingly, a determined advocate for the bill of exclusion ; and by this, and other public acts, incurred the hatred of the mis-directed monarch, James II. It is stated, that soon after the accession of that prince, his lordship, having in the king's presence-chamber met with Colonel Colepepper, by whom he had been insulted, took him by the nose and led him out of the room. For this action, a prosecution was commenced in the court of King's Bench, and his lordship was con- demned to pay a fine of 30,000?. and was committed to prison. On his escape, a precept was directed to the sheriff of Derbyshire, to raise the posse comitatus, and to take the Earl prisoner to London. The Countess Dowager offered to deliver up to the king bonds and acknowledgments to the amount of double the fine, which her ladyship held for money lent after, fresh lamentations were made for him, by all that knew him, so unwilling were they to part with the reliques of a person, who, while living, had been the ornament and defence both of the town and country round about." Anonymous History of Notts., 1/42. CHATSWORTH. 385 by the Earl's father and grandfather to the Royal Family in their deepest distress ; but this offer was rejected. The Earl was at length induced to give his bond for the 30,OOOJ. This bond was found among the papers of James after his abdication, and returned to the Earl by King "William. After this affair, until his Lordship's attention was again called to the great political events of the Revolution, he employed himself in con- sultations with architects, and with their plans for the magnificent edifice of Modern Chatsworth, exemplifying the richness of his taste by de- vising and collecting ornaments for that beautiful structure. The conduct of the King had, in the mean time, alarmed and disgusted his subjects, and the Earl of Devonshire took the lead with other eminent patriots in inviting over the Prince and Princess of Orange, to whom he pledged his support throughout their noble purpose of delivering the nation from the tyranny, civil and ecclesiastical, under which it was suffering. As soon as his Lordship received intelligence of the Prince's landing, he marched at the head of his retinue to Derby, where many of the principal noblemen and gentlemen of that, and the neighbouring counties, resorted at his Lordship's invitation, and were nobly entertained by him. Having received the Prince's declaration, he read and explained it to the mayor and commonalty of Derby, and then produced a paper drawn up by himself, and signed by the nobility and gentry with him, in which they declared, that if the king should refuse to consent to the meeting and sitting of a parliament, freely and duly chosen, they would, to the utmost, defend the Protestant religion, the laws of the kingdom, and the rights and liberties of the people. Not long after, a new declaration was drawn up at Nottingham, which, after enumerating the various illegal acts and arbitrary proceedings of the king and his ministers, and making proper observations upon them, concluded with signifying the intention of his Lordship and his friends to join the Prince of Orange. In consequence of this, a regiment of horse was formed, under the command of the Earl of Devonshire, who, from that time forward, exerted himself with the utmost zeal and spirit, in the cause of the Revolution. In the Plotting Parlour at Whittington, the Earl of Devonshire, in concert with two or three other noblemen, his neighbours, laid the first plan for the Revolution, which happily ended in the abdication of James, and the peaceful accession of the Prince of Orange to the throne of these realms. In reward for his strenuous exertions and services, the king conferred upon him many distinguished honours and employments. Soon after the accession of William, and his Queen, his lordship was admitted into the Privy Council, and made lord steward of the household. He was also appointed lord lieutenant of Derbyshire, and created knight of the garter. It reflects the highest honour on his memory, that while he dis- played an abhorrence of Popery, he was too conscientious a friend to religious liberty, to entertain the most distant idea of persecution ; and he sometimes fearlessly reminded King William, that he came over, not to 386 CHATS WORTH. persecute the Papists, but to defend the Protestants. The Earl attended King William to the congress of the princes in Germany, held at the Hague, in January, l6f)0 ; and was in the shallop, or royal yacht with him, when he and all his attendants were in the most imminent danger of perishing. When the congress met, few of the sovereign princes who assisted at its deliberations, equalled the Earl in the magnificence of his furniture and plate, and the splendour of his entertainments. In May, 1694, his Lord- ship was created Marquess of Hartington, and Duke of Devonshire. In the preamble to the patent,* their majesties expatiate in his praise, and acknowledge how much they were indebted to his assistance in restoring the ancient rights and liberties of the nation. Repeatedly during the ab- sence of the king, his Grace was named in the royal commission for con- ducting the business of the crown ; and on the accession of Queen Anne,^ he retained the favour of that princess. It was chiefly owing to the Duke of Devonshire, that the bill against occasional conformity (which was, in fact, a bill, tending to abolish all freedom in religious matters, and would have been a disgrace to a free country,) miscarried in the House of Lords. His Grace was nominated one of the commissioners to treat with the commissioners of Scotland concerning a union between the two kingdoms ; and when, after the failure of the first negociation, the design was resumed in 1706, both the Duke and his eldest son, the Marquess of Hartington, were put into the commission. In the celebrated case of Ashby and White, which concerned the rights of electors, and impli- cated the dignity of both Houses of Parliament, his Grace distinguished himself by his public-spirited declarations in the House of Lords, while his son, the Marquess, did the same in the Commons. His Grace was also one of the sixty-one peers in a majority against thirty, who, upon a division, after long and violent debates relative to the danger of the church, resolved, that " the Church of England is now, by God's bless- ing, in a most safe and flourishing condition, and that, whoever goes about to insinuate that the church is in danger under her majesty's ad- ministration, is an enemy to the queen, the church and the kingdom.'* His Grace united to a liberal mind, great political foresight, and was considered a wise and resolute statesman. He possessed an elegant and * The preamble of this patent is his truest and best eulogium ; it is in these words. " The king and queen could do no less for one who deserved the best of them : one who, in a corrupt age, and sinking into the basest flattery, had constantly retained the manners of the ancients, and would never suffer himself to be moved, either by the in- sinuations or threats of a deceitful court ; but equally despisiug both, like a true assertor of liberty, stood always for the laws, and when he saw them violated past all other redress, he appealed to us, and we advising with him to shake off that tyranny, he, with many other peers drawn off to us by his example and advice, gave us the greatest assistance towards gaining an absolute victory without blood, and so restoring the ancient rights and religion." t The celebrated Marshal Tallard, who was taken prisoner on the plains of Hochstedt, near Blenheim, by the Duke of Marlborough, in 1/04, remained a prisoner in this country during a period of seven years. He was invited by the Duke of Devonshire, to Chats- worth, and nobly entertained by him for several days. On, departing, he paid his Grace this pleasing compliment : " My Lord Duke, when I compute the time of my captivity in England, I shall leave out the days of my enjoyment at Chatsworth." CHATSWORTH. 387 discriminating taste, which he had much enriched by observation and reading. Chatsworth remains as a monument of his love of the fine arts, and the Revolution of 1688 is an historical proof of his ardent attach! ment to the liberties of his country. He was the author of An Ode on the Death of Queen Mary, and a work entitled An Allusion to the Bishop of Cambray's Supplement to Homer. The following inscription is said to have been left by his Grace to be inscribed upon his monument : Gulielmus, Dux Devoniae, Bonorum Principium subditus fidelis, Inimicus et invisus Tyrannis. Translation : William, Duke of Devonshire, A faithful subject to good Sovereigns, Inimical and hateful to Tyrants. After an active political life, spent in promoting the civil and religious liberties of the country, this patriotic nobleman expired at Devonshire House, in Piccadilly, London, in the 67th year of his age, A.D. 1707. He married the daughter of James, Duke of Ormonde, and by her had issue three sons, William, Henry, and James; and one daughter, Elizabeth. William the second Duke of Devonshire, succeeded his father not only in his titles and estates, but likewise in his places and trusts. While a commoner, he served as knight of the shire for the county of Derby in the parliaments of 1695, 1698, and 1700; and for Yorkshire in 1702, 1705, and 1707. While Marquess of Hartington he was constituted captain of the yeomanry of the guard; 6th September, 1707, declared lord steward of the household ; 8th September sworn of the privy coun- cil ; 29th October following, justice in Eyre, north of Trent, and also lord lieutenant of the county of Derby; May 10th, 1708, again sworn of the privy council. In 1710 he resigned his places, but having been elected knight of the garter, he was installed the same year. On the ac- cession of George I. he was nominated one of the regents of the king- dom ; declared lord steward of the king's household ; and sworn of the privy council. On 5th July, 1716, he resigned the office of lord steward, and the next day was declared lord president of the council, which he resigned in April, 1717. In 1720 his Grace was again declared one of the justices of the kingdom; in 1725, lord president of the council; and in May, 1727, a fifth time declared one of the lords justices. The same year his Grace was re-appointed lord lieutenant of the county of Derby; 4th October, lord president of the council; and, 1 7th November, one of the governors of the Charter House. There is still preserved at Devonshire House, an extensive and very valuable cabinet of medals and gems, collected by his Grace. He died in London, June 3, 1729, and was interred with his ancestors at Derby, the 14th of the same month. His Grace married Rachel, the daughter of the brave but unfortunate Lord Russel, and sister of Wriothesley, Duke of Bedford, and by her 388 CHATSWORTH. had issue, five sons, William, who died an infant, William, James, Charles, and John ; and six daughters, Mary, Rachel, Elizabeth, Catherine, Anne and Diana. Henry Cavendish the second son of the first Duke of Devonshire, was elected member of parliament for Derby in 1695 and 1698. He died May 10, 1700, and was interred at All Saints' Church, Derby. James Cavendish was the youngest son of the first Duke of Devon- shire; he died December 14, 1751, and was buried at All Saints' Church, Derby. Elizabeth, only daughter of the first Duke of Devonshire, was married to Sir George Wentworth, of Broadsworth, in the county of York, bart. William, the third Duke of Devonshire, born in 1698, like his pre- decessors had a considerable share in the administration of the public affairs of the kingdom. He served in parliament whilst a commoner for the boroughs of Lostwithiel and Grampound, and for the county of Huntingdon. In 1726 he was constituted captain of the band of gentle- men pensioners. Succeeding his father in his honours, his Grace was appointed lord lieutenant of the county of Derby, and sworn of the privy council; and 12th June, 1731, declared lord keeper of the privy seal. His Grace was lord steward of the household, in 1733, and was installed knight of the garter 22nd of August in the same year. He was declared lord lieutenant of Ireland, 31st of March, 1737, which office he held until the 3rd of January, 1744, when he was again made lord steward of the household, during his majesty's absence from the kingdom. His Grace was one of the lords justices in 1741, 1743, 1745, and 1748, and continued lord steward of the household until June, 1749, when he re- signed that office. Like most of his predecessors, when England was invaded by the Pretender Charles, in 1745, his Grace testified his loyalty, by raising at his sole expense, a retinue of one hundred and fifty men ; and being joined by six hundred more, the night preceding that on which the Cavaliers entered Derby, after complimenting the Duke of Cumberland, who had encamped with a large army at Lichfield, he marched by torch-light to Nottingham at their head, to wait and watch the route of the rebels. It is said that the king in particular had a warm personal regard for him, and was un- willing to resolve on any measure of great importance, without his opinion and approbation. Towards the end of his life, his Grace relinquished all public business and retired to Chatsworth, where he died, Decembers, 1755; and was buried with his ancestors at Derby, the 17th of the same month. His Grace married the only daughter and heiress of John Hoskins, of the county of Middlesex, esq., and had issue, four sons, William, George Augustus, Frederick, and John ; and three daughters, Caroline, Elizabeth, and Rachel. Lord James Cavendish, the third son of the second Duke, was in 1730, colonel and captain of the 3rd regiment of foot guards; in 1738, was made colonel of the 34th regiment of foot, and member of parliament CHATSWORTH. 389 for Malton; died November 5, 1741 ; and was buried at Derby the 14th of the same month. Lord Charles Cavendish, the fourth son, was M. P. for Heytsbury, in Wiltshire, in 1725; in 1727, for the city of Westminster; in 1728, gentleman of the bedchamber to the Prince of Wales; and in 1734, was chosen M.P. for the county of Derby. He died April 28, J 783 ; and was buried at Derby, on the 7th of May following. He married Anne, third daughter of Henry Grey, Duke of Kent, by whom he had two sons, Frederic and Henry.* John, the fifth son, died young. William, the fourth Duke of Devonshire, was a nobleman whose amiable manners, sweetness of disposition, and benevolence of heart, not * The Hon. Henry Cavendish, son of Lord Charles Cavendish, nephew to the third Duke of Devonshire, and great-uncle to the present Duke of Devonshire, was born Octo- ber 10, 1731. This gentleman had rendered himself familiarly conversant with every part of Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy; the principles of which he applied, nearly fifty years ago, to an investigation of the laws on which the phenomena of electricity depend. Pur- suing the same science, on the occasion of Mr. Walsh's experiment with the torpedo, he gave a satisfactory explanation of the remarkable powers of electrical fishes ; pointing out that distinction between common and animal electricity, which has since been amply con- firmed by the brilliant discoveries in galvanism. Having turned his attention very early to pneumatic chemistry, he ascertained, in 1766, the extreme levity of inflammable air, now called hydrogen gas. On this discovery, many curious experiments, and particularly that of aerial navigation, have been founded. In the same path of science, he made the important discovery of the composition of water by the union of two airs ; and thus laid the foundation of modern chemistry, which rests principally on this fact, and that of the decomposition of water, announced soon afterwards, by M. Lavoisier. As the purity of atmospherical air had been a subject of controversy, Mr. Cavendish contrived essential improvements in the method of performing experiments with an eudiometer ; by means of which, he was the first who showed that the proportion of pure air in the atmosphere is nearly the same in all open places. The other and much larger portion of our atmosphere, he sagaciously conjectured to be the basis of the acid of nitre ; an opinion that he soon brought to the test by au ingenious and laborious experiment, which completely proved its truth; whence this air has now very generally obtained the name of nitrogen. So many, and such important discoveries spread his fame throughout Europe, and he was universally considered as one of the first philosophers of the age. Among the labours of his later days, is the nice and difficult experiment by which he determined the mean den- sity of the earth ; an element of consequence in delicate calculations of astronomy, as well as in geological enquiries. Even in the last year of his life, at the advanced age of seventy- seven, he proposed and described improvements in the manner of dividing large astronomi- cal instruments ; which, though not yet executed, promises very great advantages. These pursuits, together with reading of various kinds, by which he acquired a deep insight into almost every topic of general knowledge, formed the whole occupation of his life, and were, in fact, his sole amusement. The love of truth was sufficient to fill his mind. From his attachment to such occupations, and the constant resource he found in them, toge- ther with a shyness and diffidence natural to his disposition, his early habits had been secluded. His manners were mild, his mind firm, his nature benevolent and complacent. He was liberal without being profuse, and charitable without ostentation. He possessed great affluence, wliich was to him rather a matter of embarrassment than of gratification ; but, however careless about its improvement, he was regular in its management and di- rection. He died February24, 1810, at his house at Clapham. His remains were removed thence to be privately interred in the family vault, in All Saints' Church, Derby. He left the greatest sum in funded property which perhaps any person ever possessed, amounting to 1,200,0001. His writings on subjects of science appeared in the Philotophical Transactions of 1766, and subsequent years. The stamp-duty upon Mr. Cavendish's will amounted to 42,0001. 390 CHATSWORTH. only endeared him to his friends, but rendered him the delight of man- kind. In the senate, he was intrepid and sensible ; in office, faithful and uncorrupt ; in private, generous and humane ; without meanness he was a friend to the crown ; and without faction, he was a friend to liberty. He was born in 1720, was at the general election in 1747, chosen M.P. for the county of Derby. On June 13, 1751, he was called up to the House of Lords, in the lifetime of his father, and took his seat there as Baron Cavendish, of Hardwick, with precedency, according to the patent granted to his ancestor, on May 4, 1605. He was appointed master of the horse, March 30, 1752, and three days afterwards sworn of the privy council. He was appointed one of the lords of the regency in January, 1754; constituted governor of the county of Cork, in Ireland, in the February following ; lord high treasurer of that kingdom in the place of the last Earl of Burlington, March 27, 1755 ; lord lieutenant of Ireland, November 16, 1756 ; first commissioner of the treasury, December 15 of the same year; lord lieutenant of the county of Derby and knight of the garter, in 1757. In May, 1757, his Grace was ap- pointed chamberlain of the household, (having first resigned his seat at the Treasury Board,) upon the death of the Duke of Grafton, in which station he assisted at the coronation of George III. In 1762, he resigned all his employments in England, depending on the crown, being dis- gusted, as it was said, at the high degree of favour and influence pos- sessed by the Earl of Bute. His Grace married, March 28, 1738, Char- lotte, the third daughter, and at length heiress of Richard, Earl of Burlington and Cork, by which union the Barony of Clifford, created by writ of Charles I., 1628, came into this family. By this marriage his Grace had issue, three sons, William, Richard, and George Henry ; and one daughter, Dorothy. His Grace died at the German Spa, where he had gone for the recovery of his health, Octobers, 1764, and was buried at Derby the 24th of the same month. Lord George Augustus, second son of the third Duke, was appointed in October, 1761, comptroller of the household; and in 1792, sworn of the privy council. He died unmarried, and was buried at Holker, in the county of Lancaster, in 1794. Lord Frederick Cavendish, third son of the third Duke of Devonshire, rose to the rank of field marshal, and was taken prisoner at the battle of St. Cas, in 1758, but was afterwards allowed to return home on his parole. Lord John Cavendish, fourth son of the third Duke of Devonshire, was distinguished as the friend of Lord Rockingham, and the opponent of Lord North. He was twice chancellor of the exchequer, many years member of parliament for the county of Derby, and died in 1769. Lady Caroline was married in 1739; to William Ponsonby, Lord Viscount Duncannon, son and heir of Brabazon, Earl of Besborough. She died January 20, 1766, and was buried at Derby. Lady Elizabeth was married in 1743, to the Right Honourable John Ponsonby; she died in 1760. CHATSWORTH. 391 Lady Rachel was married in 1748 to Horatio Walpole, who was afterwards created Earl of Orford. She died in 1783. William, the fifth Duke of Devonshire, born December 14, 1743, maintained the independent spirit of his father, but held no public situ- ations under the crown, except the lord lieutenancy for the county of Derby, which is an office almost necessarily attached to the extensive possessions of the family in the county.* His Grace married in 1774, Georgiana, daughter of John Earl Spencer, of Althorpe, in the county of Northampton, who died March 30, 1806, by whom he had William Spencer, born in Paris, May 21, 1790, now the sixth Duke and ninth Earl of Devonshire; and two daughters, Georgiana, born July 12, 1783, who married March21, 1801, George,Earl of Carlisle ; and Henrietta Eliza- beth, bornAugust 12, 1785,who married December 24,1809, Lord Viscount Granville Leveson Gower. His Grace was married again, October 19, 1809, to Lady Elizabeth Foster, relict of John Thomas Foster, esq., of the county of Louth, Ireland, and daughter of the late Earl of Bristol. He died in London, July 29, 181 1, aged 63, and was laid in the family vault with his forefathers, in All Saints' Church, Derby, f His Grace was lineally descended from Mary, daughter of Henry VII., and widow of LouisXIL, by her second husband, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, through the families of Grey, Seymour, and Boyle. Lord Richard, second son of the fourth Duke, died at Naples, Sep- tember 7, 1781, unmarried, and was buried at All Saints' Church, Derby. Lord George Henry, the third son, was member of parliament for the borough and county of Derby, for upwards of half a century, and ever distinguished himself by his free and independent attachment to the liberties of the people. He succeeded his uncle, Lord John Cavendish, who died in 1796, as representative in parliament for the county of Derby. He married Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Charles, the seventh Earl of Northampton, by whom he had four sons and six daughters. His eldest son, William, was unfortunately killed by a fall from his carriage, January 14, 1812, leaving three children, of whom the eldest, Mr. William Cavendish, now the Earl of Burlington, after having attained the highest academical honours at Cambridge, was, in consequence of his capacity and acquirements, chosen member of par- liament for that University in 1829, and soon afterwards espoused Lady Blanche Howard, daughter of the Earl of Carlisle. George Henry Compton Cavendish, the second son of the above Lord George Henry, * In September, 1768, the king of Denmark visited Chatsworth, and was entertained there with great splendour, during his tour through the north of England. t As a proof of the cultivated talents of the fifth Duke of Devonshire, it may be mentioned that his intimate friends were Fox, Sheridan, Hare, and the brilliant and dis- tinguished men of the whig party, and it is well known he possessed all the qualifications of an elegant and accomplished scholar. His attainments in classical knowledge, and his thorough acquaintance with Shakspeare, were well known. 392 CHATSWORTH. was major of the 7th dragoon guards, and was wrecked on board the brig Primrose, off Falmouth, January 22, 1809. Henry Frederic Compton Cavendish, the third son, is lieutenant colonel in the 1st life guards, was many years member of parliament for the borough of Derby, and was clerk marshal at the coronation of Queen Victoria, in the present year, 1838. Charles Compton Cavendish, the fourth son, married in 1814, Catherine Susan, the daughter of George Gordon, Earl of Aboyne; is member of parliament for East Sussex, (1838,) and resides at Latimers, Buckinghamshire. The present illustrious possessor of the Dukedom, is his Grace William Spencer, the sixth Duke, and the ninth Earl of Devonshire. Endowed with a mind liberal and comprehensive, his Grace has devoted his princely revenues to the patronage of the fine arts, to the encourage- ment of literature, and to that splendid yet judicious style of living, which renders the luxuries and embellishments of society the channels of public benefit. His establishment is numerous and elegant, as becomes his rank ; and his entertainments bespeak at once his magnificence, his taste, and benevolence. Among his dependents and his tenantry, an affectionate attachment to his Grace is apparent ; and in the public estimation, no nobleman of the present day stands more secure. His Grace has not taken any prominent position in the conduct of public affairs ; but when- ever important occurrences have demanded his attention, he has ever been in his place in the House of Peers, or offering his patriotic counsels to his sovereign. On all occasions when his sentiments have been called forth, they have been found to be those of a clear-minded, philanthropic statesman, earnest rather than ardent, and having for their object the prac- tical blessings of national liberty and greatness. Enjoying the personal es- teem and friendship of King George IV., his Grace has never permitted the tenor of his political principles to swerve from that high and heredi- tary determination which influenced his illustrious ancestor at the period of the Revolution of 1688, to vindicate the claims of civil and religious liberty; and, hence, with sincere and grateful attachment to the sovereign, his Grace, on taking his seat in the Upper House, hesitated not to oppose the measures of those servants of the crown, who, at that period, seemed to endeavour rather to stifle, than to alleviate the complaints of a distressed people. On every occasion, his Grace was found on the side of humanity, justice, and popular rights ; and even when, in one great and particular instance, the sensibilities of the sovereign himself were excited, the noble Duke fearlessly espoused the cause of the insulted and the persecuted, with that intrepidity of rectitude, which secures admi- ration, even in the quarter where it seems most to offend. Such generous conduct abated not the favour and regard of his majesty towards his Grace ; and, on the accession of the Emperor Nicholas, to the throne of Russia, the noble Duke was nominated to the embassy of congratulation from the British court, to the court of St. Petersburg. The splendour and magnificence displayed by his Grace on this occasion, combined costliness with elegance, and surpassed as well in taste as in dignity, all CHATSWORTH. 393 previous embassies of a similar character. This visit cemented a warm friendship between the Emperor and the Duke. His Grace was ac- companied on his mission by Lord Morpeth, Lord William Russell, Mr. Grosvenor, Mr. Cavendish, (now the Earl of Burlington,) Mr.Townsend, and Sir Alexander Mallett. Extraordinary preparation was made for some weeks, for a grand ball, to be given by his Grace, at which the whole of the Imperial family was present. None of the foreign ambassadors could vie with his Grace in the splendour which he had thrown round his mis- sion. " The Devonshire manner," became a current phrase among the Russian nobility, when they wished to denote the highest display of gor- geous magnificence. On his return to England, his Grace was installed a knight of the garter, and lord chamberlain of his Majesty's house- hold. The property of his Grace is of almost incredible amount. His col- lections of books and the fine arts, are estimated to be worth a million and a quarter sterling, while his princely mansions of Chatsworth, Hardwick Hall, Bolton Abbey, Lismore Castle, Devonshire House, and Chiswick, are maintained in a style, and at a cost, which afford abundant evidence of the great wealth of their proprietor. He is lord lieutenant and custos rotulorum of the county of Derby ; high steward of the borough of Derby ; lessee under the crown of the mineral duties in the High Peak; lord of the following manors, and patron of the under named church livings in the county of Derby. Ashford-in-the-Water Lord of the Manor. Astwith-in-Hucknall Bakewell Baslow Patron of the Living. Beeley Lord of the Manor Ditto. Blackwall-in the-Peak Ditto. Blackwell Lord of the Manor Patron of the Vicarage. "" " r ' I / L 68866 of ^ e Manor Bradshaw Edge M I < under the Crown. Bradwell J Brampton Brampton Wood Lord of the Manor. Brough and Shatton Lessee of the Manor. Brushfield Lord of the Manor. Buxton, owner of the greater part of the -i (-Lessee of the Manor town / V under the Crown.. . . Patron of the Living. Callenge Low Chaddesden Chapel-en-le-Frith and Townships / Lesse j e of l the Manor I under the Crown. Chatsworth Lord of the Manor. Chelmorton Ditto. Chesterfield, owner of considerablepropertyDitto. Chinley, Bugsworth, and Brownside Lessee of the Manor. Church Broughton Lord of the Manor. Clowne Coomb's Edge Lessee of the Manor. Codrington Cutthorpe Lord of the Manor. Derwent Ditto Patron of the Living. Dore Ditto Ditto. Edale Ditto Ditto. Edensor Ditto Ditto. si 894 CHATSWOR.TH. Eyam Woodlands. Fairfield Lessee of the Manor. Fernilee Ditto. Flagg Ditto. Foolow Ditto. Great Hamlet, Phoside, and Kinder Lord of the Manor. Great Longstone Ditto. Hathersage Ditto Patron of the Vicarage. Hatton Ditto. Hardwick Park Ditto. Hardstoft Ditto. Hault Hucknall Ditto .'. Patron of the Vicarage. Hasland Ditto. Houghton Bassett Ditto. Harttngton Ditto Patron of the Living. Hayfield Lessee of the Manor. Heath Lord of the Manor Patron of the Vicarage. Highlow Lessee of the Manor. Hilton Lord of the Manor. Hope Woodlands Ditto. Langwith Ditto Patron of the Living. Little Chester ... . . { Lessee of the Manor un- 11 der theDean of Lincoln. Little Eaton Ditto. Little Longstone Ditto, under the Crown. Marston-on-Dove Lord of the Manor Patron of the Vicarage, Meadow Place Ditto. Mickleover . . Newbold and Dunston Lord of the Manor. Oakerthorpe Ditto. Offerton Lessee of the Manor. One Ash Lord of the Manor. Oxcroft Ditto. Peak Forest Ditto Patron of the Living-. Pentrich Ditto Patron of the Vicarage. Pilsley Ditto. Quarndon Lessee of the Manor. Ripley Patron of the Living. Rowthorn Lord of the Manor. Scarcliffe Ditto Patron of the Living. Scropton Sheldon Lord of the Manor. Shottle and Postern Ditto. South Wingfield Ditto Patron of the Living. Stainsby Ditto. Staveley Ditto Patron of the Rectory. Stoney Middleton Ditto. Stoney Houghton Ditto. Tibshelf Tideswell Lord of the Manor. Wardlow Miers Lessee of the Manor. Whitle Ditto. Woodthorpe Lord of the Manor. Youlgreave Lord of the Manor Patron of the Living. Woods on the above estates, besides valuable mines of ironstone, lead ore, coal, &c. The ancient mansion of Chatsworth appears to have been a quadrangular building with turrets. This house, with the manor of Chatsworth, was purchased by Sir Willam Cavendish, who, soon after his purchase of the estate, pulled down the old hall, and began to build, on its site, a spacious CHATSWORTH. 395 mansion. Before one wing of the intended fabric was reared, Sir William died, October 25, 1557; but his widow was employed upon it many years after his decease,* arid com- pleted the whole building in a style, which entitled it to be ranked among the wonders of the Peak. She made it her occasional residence during her union with her fourth hus- band, the Earl of Shrewsbury. When the Countess was, with the Earl, entrusted with the custody of Mary, Queen of Scots, tliis hall acquired peculiar interest, as being one of the prisons of that unfortunate princess,f the presumptive * Lady Cavendish had to her third husband, Sir William Saint Loe, a gentleman of an ancient knightly family in the county of Somerset, who was captain of the guard to Queen Elizabeth. When not in attendance upon the court, this gentleman resided at Chatsworth. His lady is said to have been a woman of great wit and beauty. It is certain that she was a woman of much address, had a mind admirably fitted for business, was very ambitious, and withal overbearing, selfish, proud, treacherous and unfeeling : one object she pursued through a long life to amass wealth, and to aggrandize her family. To this she seems to have sacrificed every principle of honour or affection ; and she com- pletely succeeded. t In 1570, the unhappy queen was removed to Chatsworth from Wingfield-Manor, and resided there for some months. The vigilance of her keeper disappointed a scheme laid for her release by two sons of the Earl of Derby, and a gentleman of the county of Derby, named Hall : and at Chatsworth, at the period before us, was held the first of that series of personal negociations by which hope was kept alive in the breast of the sufferer, and a colouring of reason and propriety given to a series of acts of oppression and bar- barity. Cecil and Mildmay were at Chatsworth on this business in the month of October. The Earl of Huntingdon had been released from his disagreeable employment when the queen was removed from Tutbury ; and it seems to have been concerted between Shrews- bury and the two ministers of Elizabeth, that Mary should be removed to Sheffield. Ac- cordingly Sir William Cecil, on his return to the court, having first expressed his thanks to the earl for the honourable entertainment he and his colleague had received at Chats- worth, and having passed some compliments on the good service which he and his coun- tess were rendering to their sovereign, proceeds thus: " Now for the removing of yt quene, hir Maty sayd at the first that she trusted so to make an end in short tyme yt your L. shuld be shortly acq'ted of hir j nevertheless when I told hir Maty that yow cold not long indure your howshold there, for lack of fewell, and other thyngs, and yt I thought Tutbury not so fitt a place as it was supposed, but yt Sheffeld was ye metest, hir Maty S ayd she wold thynk of it, and wtin few dayes gyve me knolledg : Only I see hir Ma'y loth to have y' Q. to be often removed, supposyng that thereby she cometh to new acqueyn- tance ; but to that I sayd yor L. cold remove hir w'out callyng any to yow but your owne. Uppon motio' made by me, at the B. of Rosse's request, the Q. Maty i s pleased yt your L. shall, when yow see tymes mete, suffer ye Quene to take ye ayre about your howss on horssback, so your L. be in co'pany; and therein I am sure your L. will have good respect to your owne company, to be suer and trusty ; and not to pass fro" your howss above one or twoo myle, except it be on ye moores : for I never feare any other practise of strangers as long as there be no corruptio' amongst your owne." This letter was written on the 26th of October, and it was soon followed by another containing the queen's permission that he might remove with his charge to Sheffield-castle. The queen passed some portion of the autumn of 1573, at Chatsworth : but in Novem- ber of the same year she was again removed to her dreary abode of the Castle of Sheffield. Soon after Easter, 1577, we find the Countess of Shrewsbury endeavouring to engage her husband to spend the summer at her favourite house at Chatsworth. Her letter is in a singular style of mingled affection and peremptoriness, and may be considered as one of the first overt-acts of that hostility, of which more striking proofs appeared in the next year, and which embittered the remainder of the earl's life. The countess was then build- ing at Chatsworth. She was persuaded that Elizabeth's consent might be obtained : and 396 CHATSWORTH. heir to the crown of England, who, in the year 1568, had been forced by dissensions at home, to throw herself on the protection of her kinswoman the Queen of England. During the civil wars between the Parliament and Charles the First, Chatsworth was occasionally occupied as a for- tress by both parties. In 1643, it was garrisoned by forces under Sir John Gell, on the part of the Parliament; and in December of the same year, the Earl of Newcastle having taken Wingfield Manor, attacked and made himself master of Chatsworth Hall, and placed a garrison in it for the king, under the command of Colonel Eyre. In 1645, it was held for the royal party by Colonel Shalcross, with a fresh garrison from Welbeck, and a skirmishing force of three hundred horse. It was then besieged for fourteen days, by Major Mollanus, with four hundred foot, but the siege was raised by the command of Colonel Gell, who ordered the major and his forces to return to Derby. The erection of the modern mansion of Chatsworth, was projected about the year 1687, by the celebrated fourth Earl (afterwards the first Duke) of Devonshire, on his retirement from the court of James the Second. That nobleman, in order to keep his patriotic mind from dwelling too intently in a postscript uses this strange expression, " Lette me here how you, your charge and love dothe, and comendeme I pray you." The earl either could not obtain permission, or did not choose to comply at first with this request; but in the September following, it does appear that he was at Chatsworth. The queen appears also to have been at Chatsworth in some part of the year 1578. In the summer of 1581, she was again at Chatsworth, and there is some reason to believe that she also visited Buxton. Here then closes the connexion of Chatsworth with the story of this ill-fated woman. In the year 1584, the Earl of Shrewsbury solicited, and Elizabeth at length yielded, his entire discharge. After this she had several keepers, and was removed in 1585 from Wing- field to Tutbury, and thence to Chartley, and Fotheringhay, where she was executed February 8th, 1587. She was in England exactly eighteen years, eight months, and twenty-two days. The following table will exhibit at one view, what proportion of this time was spent at different places where she resided. The whole term of her residence in England, may be supposed to be divided into a hundred parts. 1 in Cumberland. 2 at Coventry, Worksop, and in her journeys. 2 at Fotheringhay. 3 at Chartley 3 at Bolton. 4 at Winfield 4 at Buxton. 7 at Chatsworth. 12 at Tutbury. 62 at Shefiield. CHATSWORTH. 397 upon the oppressions of his country, directed his attention to works of architectural taste and magnificence, and resolved to raise a structure worthy of his wealth and rank.* In this disposition he contracted (says Kennet,) with workmen to pull down "the south side of that good old seat, and to rebuild it on a plan he gave to them, for a front to his gar- dens, so fair and august, that it looked like a model only of what might be done in after ages. When he had finished this part he meant to go no further ; till seeing public affairs in a happier settlement, for a testimony of ease and joy, he undertook the east side of the quadrangle, and raised it entirely new, in conformity to the south, and seemed then content to say, that he had gone half way through, and would leave the rest for his heir. In this resolution he stopped about seven years, -f- and then reassumed courage, and began to lay the foundations for two other sides, to complete the noble square ; and these last, as far as uniformity admits, do exceed the others, by a west front of most excellent strength and elegance, and a capital on the north side, that is of singular ornament and service. And though such a vast pile (of materials entirely new) required a prodigious expense, yet the building was his least charge, if regard be had to his gardens, water-works, statues, pictures, and other the finest pieces of art and of nature that could be obtained abroad or at home." The south front of the present magnificent mansion was begun to be rebuilt on April 12, 1687, under the direction of Mr. William Talman, the architect. The great hall and staircase were covered in about the middle of April, 1690, from which it appears that the inner flank of the east side was built up immediately after the south front. In May, 1692, the works were surveyed by Sir Christopher Wren, at which time upwards of 9000/. appear to have been ex- * Bishop Kennet says, in his usual quaint style, that " he was singularly accom- plished. He hadagreat skill in languages, wasatrue judge in history, acritic in poetry, and had a fine hand in music. In architecture he had a genius, a skill, and experience, beyond any one person of any age. He has in this county, (Derby) a monument of beauty and magnificence, that perhaps is not exceeded by any palace in Europe." t It does not appear that the works were, as Dr. Kennett supposed, ever wholly Euspended. i It is the impression of many, that Sir Christopher Wren built two of the fronts of Chatsworth House. 398 CHATSWORTH. pended. In 1693, Mr. Talman was paid 600/. in advance for building the east front, and the north-east corner, which was finished in 1700 ; and in that year the old west front was pulled down. The old south gallery was pulled down to be immediately rebuilt, in 1703. In 1704, the north front was pulled down, the west front was finished in 1706, and the whole of the building not long afterwards completed, being about twenty years from the time of its commencement. Mr. Talman received upwards of 13,000/. for his contract.* Many artists of first rate celebrity were employed to decorate this sumptuous pile.-f Chatsworth House is most beautifully situated: the grand entrance is on the west, and commands a view of uncommon beauty. The park is nearly eleven miles in circumference. * From the Auditor's accounts, and a book of the Artists' and tradesmens' receipts, in the possession of his Grace the Duke of Devonshire. t The following is a list of the Artists employed at Chatsworth House. Painters. Laguerre and Ricard, who were engaged in January, 1689. These two persons were much employed by Verrio, and it is not improbable that they were sent over by him previous to his own coming. They were paid igoi. for their labours at Chatsworth. Verrio himself did not arrive until November in the following year. He received got. in advance for ceilings to be executed at Chatsworth. In September, 1692, Verrio had finished the great chamber, staircase and altar-piece. He was paid 4691. for his work. A Monsieur Huyd was also employed ; he painted in Verrio's manner, and appears to have been one of his assistants. He was engaged at Chatsworth six months before Verrio. Mr. Highmore, serjeant-painter to William III. was also employed; and a painter of the name of Price. Sir James Thornhill was also engaged, but probably at a somewhat later period, and he was induced by the paintings of Verrio and Laguerre, to enter into their style. Ironworker. Monsieur Tijou, a French smith, whose daughter was the wife of Laguerre : he executed the iron balustrades, and received 5281. for his work. Plumber. Mr. Cock, of London, delivered a bill for work done of nearly 1000L, from which a deduction was made of 2361. for overcharge. Carvers in Stone. Caius Gabriel Gibber, father of the celebrated author and comedian, Colley Gibber, was engaged in 1687 . Two sphinxes on large bases, with ornaments, which are much praised by Lord Orford, were the work of this artist. He carved several door-cases with rich foliage, and many ornaments. It appears from Gibber's receipts that he was employed in 1688, to make the statues of Pallas, Apollo, and a Triton, for which he had WOl. In 1690, Gibber made figures for a new fountain, supposed to have been the four sea horses. He received in the whole, 3101. J. T. Geeraerslius assisted Gibber, and made a sea nymph and other figures, on his own account. Augustine Harris was engaged in 1688 : he made seven statues for the garden, for which he was paid 44 J. 18s. 6d. In 1694, Mr. Nost was engaged, and made a statue of Ceres, for which he was paid 301.; and two years afterwards, he was paid fifty guineas for a marble figure, and a bas- relief. In 1696, Mr. Davis was paid 24J. for a stone statue; and in the year following 130/. for three bas reliefs, and three heads. Mr. B. Lanscroon, was employed as a carver in 1696: in the September of that year, he was paid 42J. for carving the festoons in the gallery. CHATSWORTH. 399 The meandering current of the noble river Derwent, which is little more than two hundred yards from the western front of the house, flows, with a serpentine course, through the valley. Descending from the lodge at Edensor Inn, where strangers generally leave their equipage, the mansion appears to great advantage, amid a noble amphitheatre of wood. The foliage near the house is connected with the remote hills by a succession of forest scenery, until it terminates in the rude and barren mountains of the Peak, which rear their lofty heads toward the clouds. The more distant scenery of the country corresponds with the magnificence and grandeur of the building. In short, every object in view appears with an unusual air of greatness and sublimity; and we cannot but feel, that so noble a mansion is only suitable for the resi- dence of a subject of the first rank and fortune. In July, 1697, Watson was employed on the capitals and pilasters of the gallery. In September, 1698, he was paid, for carving the ornaments of the gallery, and the gal- lery chimney, 337. Watson carved most of the ornaments in stone on the outside of the west front; in 1711, he was employed on the library cornice, and in making mask heads in alabaster for the lower dining-room, &c. Monsieur Nedauld executed the ornaments of the great frieze for the front. He was paid in 1703, 114J. for the ornaments of the great frieze, friezes over the doors, cyphers, coronets, &c. He carved also twenty-two heads, for the galleries in the inner courts ; for which, and for six vases, he was paid 107*. 10s. : in 1704, he was paid 1127. 1 6s. for similar work. A Mr. Auriol was also employed. Carvers in Wood. Mr. Thomas Young was engaged as principal carver in wood, in January, 1689. In 1691, Joel Lobb was employed in conjunction with Young. In September, 1692, Lobb, Willam Davis, and (on behalf of Young, with whom Lobb appears to have been then in partnership,) Samuel Watson, contracted, each of them to do a third part, for carving the ornaments for the great chamber, (the dining-room in the state apartments,) in lime-tree, for 4007. It appears that this was not finished in 1694. It has been generally represented, that most of the carving in wood, at Chatsworth, was the work of the celebrated Grinlin Gibbons; but on reference to the auditor's accounts, and a book of the artists' and tradesmens' receipts, for this period, in the possession of the Duke, there is no evidence of his having been employed there at all. There is indeed an item of the sum of 14/. 15s. paid to Henry Lobb, the carpenter, for cases which con- veyed some carved work, statues, and pictures from London ; and it is barely possible, that this carved work might have been from the hand of Gibbons. It is certain, however, that there is no memorandum of any money paid for such a purpose. " Soon after the days of Gibbons, the art of ornamental carving in wood began to decay, and it may now be considered as nearly lost. Its decline may be attributed to two causes. In the first place, to the change of taste in fitting up the interiorof our mansions ; and in the next, to the introduction of composition for the enrichment of picture-frames, and other objects of ornament." (Paris's Life of Sir Humphry Davy, p. 2.) A corres- pondent of Dr. Paris says, " Robert Davy," the father of Sir Humphry Davy, " has been considered as the LAST OF THE CARVERS, and from his small size, was generally called The little Carver." It is not improbable, that Robert Davy was a descendant of the Wil- liam Davis, who assisted Young and Lobb in executing the carvings in wood, at Chats- worth. We often find much greater changes in the orthography of family names, in the course of two or three generations. 400 CHATSWORTH, Many delightful views occur from various points, almost all of which terminate in the surrounding Moorland scenery. Mr. Rhodes, in his Peak Scenery, says, " Immediately before us lay the river, across whose stream a stone butment or weir has been erected, which, damming up the water, expands it into breadth; it is thence precipitated over this interruption to its progress, where it forms a magnificent cascade. On a gently ascending ground, about half a mile higher up the river, stands Chatsworth, finely embosomed in ' Majestic woods, of ever vigorous green ; Stage above stage, high waving o'er the hills.' Thomson. A little on the left is the bridge, backed with broad and ample foliage ; cattle reposing in groups on the brink of the river, or cooling themselves in the stream, adorned the foreground ; and the middle and remote dis- tances, which are ornamented with a palace, a bridge, and towers and temples, disclose a scene as rich and as lovely as the fancy of Claude Lorraine ever portrayed when under the influence of his happiest inspi r rations. Yet the foreground had more of Berghem than Claude about it ; the respective features which constitute the peculiar charm and excellence of these great masters, were most harmoniously combined ; every part was in character, and the whole was faithful to nature." The approach to the mansion, from Edensor, is by an elegant bridge of three arches, built by Paine, and said to be from a design by Michael Angelo; the niches between the arches, have some fine marble figures by Gibber. Northward of this bridge is a small tower, fenced with high walls, and surrounded by a deep moat, called the bower of Mary Queen of Scots, from a garden having formerly occupied its summit, wherein that unfortunate princess passed many of her tedious hours of confinement.* The style of architecture in which the House is built, is the Ionic; and the original design consists of an immense quadrangle, with two principal fronts. The western front, which rests on a rusticated base, is rich in architectural ornament. It is divided into three compartments, of equal dimensions: the central one, which projects, is enriched with four handsome fluted pilasters of the Ionic order, which sup- port an ornamental frieze and pediment, within the tympanum of which are the arms of the Devonshire family, admkably * One of her attendants, when detailing the Queen's usual avocations, says "all day she wrought with her nydill, and the diversity of the colours made the work seem less tedious, and contynued so long at it, till very pyne made her to give over." CHATSWORTH. 401 sculptured in stone. The right and left portions of this front have each four attached fluted columns. The roof is flat, and surrounded with open balustrades, divided into sections, and adorned with urns and statues. On this side is the principal entrance, by a flight of steps, to a terrace, which extends the whole length of the building. The length of this front is one hundred and seventy-two feet. The south front, though less ornamented than the west, is highly imposing. It is enriched with Ionic pilasters, resting on a rustic base. In the centre of this front, is a double flight of steps. In the frieze is the motto " Cavendo Tutus." This front is one hundred and eighty- three feet in length. The south and east sides correspond, in general style and richness of ornament, with the principal fronts. The four sides of this princely mansion enclose a spacious court: in the centre of which there was formerly a fountain, composed of .Derbyshire marble, with the figure of Arion seated on a dolphin.* On the east and west sides of this court are some military trophies, formed into four different subjects, executed by Samuel Watson. f * This figure was generally called Orpheus, probably from the circumstance of his playing on a lyre, and the well known classical fable of Arion is forgotten. He was a musician and a poet at Lesbos, at a time when those characters, though now distinct from each other, were intimately connected. Having acquired great fame in his own country, he travelled into Italy, and became rich by the exercise of his professional excellence : re- turning homewards, full of the hope of enjoying in his country the wealth he had amassed in another, the mariners who accompanied him were tempted to throw him into the sea, that they might possess themselves of his riches. In this extremity he requested permission once more to play upon his harp before he died : the request was granted : he struck the chords, and amidst a stream of music that astonished the mariners, he leaped into the sea : a dolphin, charmed with the strains of his harp, caught him on his back, and in return for the sweet music it had made, bore him safely through the waves to his home, where he arrived long before the vessel in which he had embarked, when he told the story of his danger and escape. The mariners, on their examination, acknowledged their murderous intention, and as far as they were concerned in the transaction, they confirmed the tale of the miraculous escape of Arion on the back of a dolphin. t The urns the medallions the coats of arms the wreaths and the roses that orna- ment the four fronts of Chatsworth and the military trophies in the court are all supposed to be the workmanship of Watson. He attained great excellence in his profession, as a carver in stone, and was highly esteemed both for his integrity and talents. He was the friend and associate of Sir James ThornhiU, who painted his portrait, which is now at Bakewell, and who regarded him as worthy of a regular correspondence, when they were many miles apart. The very liberal prices he received for his works sufficiently evince the estimation in which he was held. In his papers, amongst many items of a similar nature, are the following : " September 2, 1701 . An agreement made between His Grace the Duke of Devonshire of the one part, and Samuel Watson, of Henor, in the county of Derby, carver, of the other. Witnesseth, that the said Samuel Watson shall doe and perform, the south front of Chatsworth, according to the several sorts of carved work, hereafter mentioned, and the west front of Chatsworth house, according to the several rates hereafter expressed and mentioned. 402 CHATSWORTH. The Great Northern Wing-, which is about three hundred and eighty-five feet long 1 , is a continuation of the east and west fronts. With the old part, it is five hundred and fifty- seven feet in length. For the column capitalls i4 10 apiece. For the pillaster capitalls 3 o ditto. The ornaments in the Freeze over the windows ....,., 4 ditto. The stages heads in the key stone 150 ditto. The serpents in a twisted knott T fr ditto. The lions heads in the cornish 012 ditto. For carving two curbs in the door case of the front 5 For carving two curbs in the door case to the inner court, comprehending- the work over the doors 400 " In witness whereof the parties above named have interchangeably set their hands, (Signet) "DEVONSHIRE." . " Chatswwfh, September 28, 1705. " Mem. It is this day agreed betweene His Grace ye Duke of Devonshire of the one part, and Samuel Watson, of Henor, in the county of Derby, carver, of the other part. Witnesseth, that the said Samuel Watson doth hereby covenant, bargain, and agree to carve in stone six Corinthian capitalls for the north front of Chatsworth house, according to a designe approved on by His Grace, at the rate of five pounds a-piece, the stone to be ready masoned at his Grace's charge. And the said Samuel Watson doth hereby further agree to carve the medillians and roses in the intabliture of the north front^ every medillian and a rose at the rate of ten shillings both together, and to performe the worke after the best manner, according to ye designe drawn by Mr. Archer. And it is further agreed that the said Samuel Watson shall doe and performe, after the best manner, ye severall workes hereafter mentioned, according to the rates here expressed, viz. Work to be done for the head of the great cascade. Power shells for ye crowne of fower neeches, at 14s. a peece. Eight scrolls, 3 feet long by 1 foot, at 10s. each. Fower festoons between the scrolls, 3 feet long, 15s. each. Fower shells with leaves in the freese, 2 feet 9 inches long, 14s. each. Fower shells with leaves outside the freese, 2 feet long, 10s. each. The ornaments round the oval windows in the north front, 4 feet 5 inches high, 6 feet 8 inches long, 50s. a peece. All the mouldings in the intabliature of the north front, 8s. a foot. (Signed) "DEVONSHIRE." Carving for the north front. . s. d. For carving six pelaster capitalls 30 For the arcatrave ffreese and cornish, 731 feet of mouldings, carved at 8d. per foot running ~. 24 7 4 For carving 45 medallions and -roses 2110 For carving 6 ovall windows 15 For carving 6 lions heads .- 3 12 The following are the heads of several bills of carving, at Chatsworth, contracted for and in great part executed, by Samuel Watson. . s. d. A bill of carveing don in the cornish in the lower dineing room in the west front 08 16 7 A bill for carveing a peice of ornament for one side the great gallery chimney, in wood 0210 A bill of carveing in wood in the vper story in the west front, and in the lower dining-room, in stone, for the bovfett 67 08 o A bill of carveing in stone in the staircase in the west front 12 17 6 A bill of worke don in the chapell alter 03 07 A biU of worke don for ye Vpholsterer U 05 a CHATSWORTH. 403 The addition of this wing- was suggested by his Grace, the sixth Duke and ninth Earl of Devonshire, for the ac- commodation of his numerous and distinguished visitors. The talents of Sir Jeffrey Wyatville were enlisted for this purpose, and the additions and improvements reflect great credit on all employed in their execution.* The chasteness of the design, and the superiority of the masonry, and of every kind of work, evince talent of the first character; and A bill of worke -don for ye Vpholsterer 05 09 A bill for carveing the survetor vnder ye raidle part of ye west front, in stone . . 1 1 10 A bill for carveing ye 2 door cases in the west front 13 04 6 A bill of worke done in the cornish, in the salloon room, in ye west front, in the staircase, & for ye cascade, & 6 forms for the garden 53 07 9 A bill of carveing don ffor the north side of Chatsworth 94 09 4 The Coats of Armes, containing 220 foot, setting of what is plain below, at 5s. perfoot 5500 o 342 Received in part of these bills of Mr. Wheldon 57 00 Of Mr. Rotheram, by order of Mr. Grosvener 80 00 o 137 00 e Remains 205 5 5 December 5, 1705. A bill for carveing don 61 11 3 February 29, 1711. A bill for carveing don 7801 2 It is probable that the second item, in the above account, relates wholly, and the third in part, to work contracted for by Watson on behalf of Young. See Note [t] pp. 398, 399. Watson's epitaph in Heanor church, where he was buried in 1715, claims for him the merit of some of the best of the carvings at Chatsworth : but it is not said whether those carvings were in wood or stone. " Watson is gone, whose skilful art display'd. To the very life whatever nature made : View but his wond'rous works in Chatsworth hall, Which are so gazed at and admired by all, You'll say, 'tis pity he should hidden lie, And nothing said to revive his memory, My mournful friends, forbear your tears, For I shall rise when Christ appears." " This Samuel Watson died 29th March, 1715, aged 53 years." * The following are some of the principal artists and mechanics, who were en- gaged in ornamenting, and fitting up the Great North Wing of Chatsworth House. Bernasconi and Son, London, plasterers. Brookhouse and Co., Derby, plasterers. Hutchinson and Co., London, painters and gilders. Armstrong and Siddon, London, joiners. Robert Moseley, Derby, carver and gilder. R. Westmacott, esq. London, sculptor. Rossi, esq. London, sculptor. Richard Brown, Derby, marble mason. G. H. Barrow, Staveley, iron-founder. Smith and Co., Chesterfield, iron-founders. Standley and Co., Birmingham, locksmiths and bell hangers. Picksley and Bertram, Sheffield, smiths and ironmongers. The masonry, wood-work, plumbing, glazing, &c., was executed under the superin- tendence of the clerk of the works, Mr. Holmes, who left Windsor Castle for that purpose. 404 CHATSWORTH; the arrangement of the whole will remain a lasting memorial of the abilities of the architect, and of the taste and magni- ficence of the princely owner. The termination of the northern wing is distinguished by an elegant Italian tower, in the construction of which the Doric, the Ionic and the Corinthian orders of Architecture have been tastefully used. The stone of which this wing is built, is of a pleasant colour to the eye, being slightly tinged with a pale yellow; the whole has been furnished from quarries on his Grace's estates at Beeley Moor, in the im- mediate vicinity of Chatsworth. Many of the rooms and passages in this new wing have groined arches, or arched roofs. The Entrance, or Porter's Lodge, consists of three arched gateways. These arches are divided into compartments, and enriched with carved rases. The gates are of wrought iron, with the enrichments gilt. The centre or principal gateway leads to the northern entrance. The western one leads to the Duke's private terrace, which is divided from the entrance court by an ornamental wall, separated by a handsome balustrade, the piers of which are surmounted by sphynxes elegantly sculptured by Rossi. The eastern gate- way leads to the office court. The entablature and balustrade are supported by eight Doric columns, with pilasters. Passing the Porter's Lodge, the domestic offices of this establishment are on the left. A large weeping ash tree* is growing luxuriantly in a square plot, in the north-west front of this entrance. It may be necessary to state to the reader, that no ac- count of the interior of Chatsworth can be complete, as far * This tree was purchased by his Grace from Messrs. Wilson, and was removed from the gardens in the Kedleston Road, Derby (where it had been an ornament upwards of forty years,} under the superintendence of the proprietors and Mr. Paxton, upon a machine constructed by Messrs. Strutt of Helper. This was a carriage improved from Stewart's principle, aud lent for the purpose to his Grace ; and though the tree, with the earth attach- ed, weighed nearly eight tons, it arrived at its destination in eighteen hours, the distance being twenty-eight miles; and, contrary to expectation, it was able to pass through the different toll-bars, with one exception, without displacing them. The greatest difficulty occurred at the Milford toll-bar ; but this, by the skill and exertion of Mr. Anthony Strutt, was considerably lessened. The gates and wall at the entrance to Chatsworth Park were, however, obliged to be taken down, and the branches of some trees in the park lopped off. His Grace met the tree at the entrance to the' Park ; and was much gra- tified by its safe arrival. The undertaking was commenced on Wednesday, the 8th of April, and completed on the Saturday following. Derbyshire Courier, April ijth, 1830. CHATSWORTH. 405 as regards details in works of art. The various improve- ments which are constantly in progress, render it impossible to give a correct specific account. The lower, or Sub-Hall is the first room to which strangers are ad- mitted ; near its further end are two full-length antiques from Wanstead House, a Germanicus and an Agrippina. There are also numerous busts resting on fine granite and marble pedestals, among which may be ob- served those of Socrates, Homer, Sappho, Venus, &c. The Entrance or Great Hall. A flight of steps, cased on each side by variegated Derbyshire alabaster, now leads to the north corridor, which communicates with the Great Hall, a spacious and appropriate entrance to the splendid apartments, which we are about to describe. This Hall is sixty feet by twenty-seven, and strikes the visitor by its grandeur. The Mosaic floor of black and white marble, was laid in 1779, by Mr. Henry Watson, son of the celebrated carver. On three sides of this hall, a gallery, protected by a succession of open balusters, has recently been added, which furnishes a convenient communication between the old and new parts of the house. The north and south ends of the Hall are each divided into three arched compartments. The largest and central one forms the entrance from the corridor at one extremity, and the one opposite communicates with the Grand South Staircase at the other. The smaller compartments are each occupied by columns of polished marble, from mines in Derby- shire, supporting large and richly ornamented golden vases. The paintings in this Hall are by Verrio and Laguerre.* The subject * Verrio was in great favour with Charles the Second. From I676to 1681, he received nearly seven thousand pounds for paintings done at Windsor only so munificently were the arts patronized during the reign of this remarkable prince. The following anecdote, on the authority of Horace Walpole, exhibits so much of the character of both Verrio and his royal patron, that it is hoped the introduction of it will not be deemed out of place. Verrio, in his style and manner of living, was very expensive : he kept a splendid table, and often pressed the king for money with great freedom, which his Majesty good-natur- edly indulged. Once, at Hampton Court, when he had but lately received an advance of one thousand pounds, he found the king in such a circle, that he could not conveniently approach him. He called out, " Sire, I desire the favour of speaking to your Majesty." " Well, Verrio," said the king, " what is your request ?" " Money, Sire ; I am so short of cash that I am not able to pay my workmen, and your Majesty and I have learnt that pedlars and painters cannot give credit long." The king smiled, and said he had but lately ordered him a thousand pounds. " Yes, Sire," replied he, " but that was soon paid away, and I have no gold left." " At that rate" said the king, " you would spend more than I do to maintain my family." " True," answered Verrio, " but does your Majesty keep an open table, as I do ?" Verrio, influenced by feelings that did honour to his nature, retained his attachment to his royal master, long after the latter had descended into the grave. At the revolution of 1688, he relinquished the place he held at court; and contemning the 'offers of new regal favors, he refused to employ his pencil in the service of King William. At this time he quitted the capital, and retired into the country, where he executed the paintings at Chatsworth ; and at Burleigh, the princely mansion of the Marquis of Exeter, where his works are equally numerous, and of the same character. With such feelings, it is perhaps extraordinary, that Verrio should have been Induced to spend so much of his time, in 406 CHATSWORTH. is from the history of Julius Caesar. In the first compartment he is seen crossing the Rubicon ; in the second, passing over to his army at Brun- dusium ; on the left side he is sacrificing before going to the senate, after the closing of the Temple of Janus. Over the door, at the north en- trance, is the death of Caesar in the senate house, at the foot of Pompey's statue. The ceiling contains his apotheosis, or deification. The South Gallery Contains a most extensive collection of original drawings by the first masters of the Venetian, the Flemish, the Florentine, the Spanish, and the Italian schools. Raphael, Titian, Caracci, Corregio, Salvator, Rubens, Claude Lorraine, and others, have all contributed to form this concentration of talent. From this gallery a door communicates with the chapel. The Chapel Is seated, and wainscoted throughout, with cedar-wood. Painting, sculpture and carving, have all contributed to its decorations. Laguerre, assisted by Verrio, embellished it with paintings. The subject on the right, which occupies the principal compartment opposite the windows, represents Christ healing diseases : some of the figures are very striking. In the compartment over the altar are the twelve disciples, and our Saviour, reproving the incredulity of St. Thomas.* This is considered one of the best and most successful efforts of Verrio's pencil. Laguerre had probably a share in its production, and visitors are frequently told that it is by him. He had a free pencil, and executed with great facility those combinations, with which his mind was stored. In the corresponding compartment over the pulpit is Bartimeus restored to sight. Over the door is Christ with the woman of Samaria. Beyond the statuary are Justice and Mercy, painted in relief. In the compartments between the windows are Charity and Liberality. On the ceiling is painted the Ascension of Christ. The altar-piece is composed of the fluors and marbles of Derbyshire, exquisitely wrought, and highly polished, and enriched with the statues of Faith and Hope, by Gibber. A vacant niche, apparently intended for ornamenting the mansion of the first Duke of Devonshire, who, it is well known, was a principal agent in the production of that event, which Verrio appears so much to have deplored. Laguerre had only one son, who was on the stage in the capacity of a singer. On his benefit night, his father attended to witness his performance, but before the drawing up of the cvutain, he was seized with a fit of apoplexy, and expired in the pit of Old Drury. Such, and so sudden, was the death of Laguerre. * Horace Walpole attributes this production to Verrio. Pilkington, in his Dictionary of Painters, when speaking of Verrio, says " That performance which is accounted his best, is the altar-piece in the chapel, at Chatsworth, representing the incredulity of St. Thomas." CHATSWORTH. 407 a third figure, forms a part of the design of this altar. Charity was pro- bably intended to have been introduced by the sculptor. The floor of the chapel is of marble, curiously inlaid. In this chapel there are some beautiful specimens of carving in wood. The Music Room. This room adjoins the gallery of the Chapel. It is hung with white watered tabby, the chairs and sofas correspond. Formerly there was an organ, which was used during divine service in the chapel, and had a fine effect : it has lately been removed. Over the chimney-piece is a portrait, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, of the Duchess of Devonshire, the mother of the present Duke. The walls of this apartment are adorned by pictures of Mary Magda- len, and Christ in the Garden, by Gennari ; and one of Michael the Archangel overcoming Satan. The Billiard Room Is ornamented with a richly painted ceiling by Sir James Thornhill. Over the -chimney-piece is a whole-length portrait of his Royal High- ness, William Duke of Cumberland, who defeated the rebels at the Battle of Culloden, 1745, painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. On another side of the apartment is a picture of Titian's family, painted by himself. Nearly opposite to this last is the portrait of King George the Fourth, reclining on a sofa, painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence. The Drawing Room. This noble apartment, which used to be the dining-room, is forty- eight feet long, and occupies the south-east angle of the building. The busts of Charles James Fox, the late Dukes of Devonshire and Bedford, Lord George and Lady Cavendish, by Nollekens, rest on fine pedestals of black and rosewood marbles, from the Duke of Devonshire's works at Ashford. A most admirable copy of the Venus de Medici, by Bartolini, stands near the east window, which looks into the garden. The principal paintings in this room are one of the Honourable Mr. Cavendish ; another of the present Countess of Carlisle, sister of his Grace, and mother of Lord Morpeth ; and a splendid full-length por- trait of George the Fourth, commenced by Sir Thomas Lawrence, and finished, after his decease, by his assistant Simpson. In this room is also a table, which deserves particular notice. It is composed of different splendid minerals, of various colours. The length of the table is five feet, by three and a half. The Chapel, Music Room, Billiard Room, and Drawing Room, oc- cupy the whole of the south front of the Library story, at Chatsworth ; and through the windows, which look toward Rowsley, DarleyDale, and 408 CHATSWORTH. Matlock, the eye may gaze on some of the finest landscape scenery of Derbyshire. From the Drawing Room, visitors are admitted into 9$8(iol The Great Library. This splendid room is the first of the long range of apartments forming the east front of Chatsworth. The extreme length is nearly five hundred and sixty feet. The length of the rooms in succession is the Drawing Room, thirty feet ; the Great Library, ninety feet ; the Anti-Library, thirty feet; the Cabinet Library, twenty-six feat; the Dining Room, fifty-eight feet ; the Anti-Dining Room and Music Gallery, twenty-six feet; the Sculpture Gallery, one hundred and three feet; and the Orangery, one hundred and eight feet. The remaining portion of the five hundred and sixty-nine feet of the east front, is occupied with the Staircase to the Banquetting Room, the Bath Lobby, &c. The doors that enter the whole of this suite of apartments, are all of the width of six feet, and are placed directly opposite to each other ; and when the whole are thrown open, a magnificent vista through a series of rooms of almost unparalleled splendour and richness, is presented to the visitor, affording a long perspective of interior architecture, not surpassed in any mansion in the kingdom.* The ground of the Great Library ceiling is pure white, adorned with gold ornamental work in bas-relief, which forms a series of frame-work to five circular paintingsf by Louis Charon, a French artist of consider- able reputation. The Library contains a very large and fine collection of books, in- cluding the chemical collection, apparatus, and numerous manuscripts, of the celebrated Henry Cavendish. The recesses between the windows, the north and south ends, and west side of the Library, are fitted up with the choicest Spanish mahogany, French polished, and looking glass panels over them, surrounded with burnished gold mouldings. The book-cases are divided into compart- ments by semicircular metallic pilasters a section of a three-inch diameter column, covered with burnished gold : these compartments are three and nine feet alternately. For the better convenience of reaching the books from the upper shelves, without the necessity of using moveable library stairs, a gallery has been erected, that extends along three sides of the room, the floor of which is supported from the top of the pilasters by an expanded and richly wrought leaf, about eight or nine feet from the ceiling. The gallery is defended by a rich balustrade, carved, and ornamented with dead and burnished gold, the ascent to which is by a secret winding staircase in the wall. The chimney-piece, on the west side of this apartment, is of Carrara * The Swedish Ambassador, Count Bjornstjerne, was perfectly astonished when he saw this suite of rooms thrown open, and pronounced it one of the finest in Europe. t These paintings formed a part of the ceiling of the old Library. CHATSWORTH. 409 marble, and composed of columns wreathed with beautifully sculptured foliage, supporting the shelf; on which stands a pair of elegant urn- shaped vases, of Siberian porcelain jasper, scalloped, and enriched with foliage. Over this chimney-piece is a mirror, from one entire piece of glass, six feet by four feet six inches wide, surrounded by a bronze-gilt moulding, and veined marble jambs. The doors at each end of this room, are of fine Spanish mahogany, tastefully carved, and French polished. The floor is parquetted with oak. The length of the room is eighty-eight feet eight inches, by twenty-two feet three inches wide ; and seventeen feet high. The Anti-Library. The Anti-Library is twenty-nine feet six inches long, by seventeen feet six inches wide, and seventeen feet high. It is fitted up in the same style as the Great Library. The ceiling is adorned with a beautiful picture by Hayter ; and two others, Night and Morning, from Thorwaldsen, by Charles Landseer. Opposite to the window of this room, which is of plate glass, is a frame fitted up with an immense collection of medallions of distinguished persons, of ancient and modern times. A door on the west of this room communicates with the great north staircase. The Cabinet Library. The Cabinet Library adjoins the last mentioned room. The roof is a splendidly ornamented dome, divided into compartments, and sup- ported by columns of variegated stalactite, and Italian marble, based on pedestals of pure statuary marble, and surmounted with Corinthian capitals, richly sculptured in dead and burnished gold. The door of this apartment leads into The Dining Room. This splendid apartment is fifty-seven feet two inches long, by thirty feet six inches wide ; and twenty-four feet nine inches high. The two entrances into this magnificent room are particularly beauti- ful. The doors, which are cf mahogany, are set between columns of Sicilian jasper and African marble, based on appropriate pedestals, and surmounted with Ionic capitals. The ceiling is slightly arched, and divided into numerous compart- ments or panels, the divisions and the ornaments within being richly gilt on a ground of the purest white. The deep plinth that surrounds the room, and all below the surbase, are polished marble, of a chaste and beautiful colour, from the vicinity of Hopton. The mouldings are gilt. The apartment is lighted by five windows of plate glass. In the four piers between the window, looking- glasses are sunk into the marble. 410 CHATSWORTH. The walls of this room are hung with several family portraits, a few of which are by Vandyke. The portraits of the first Earl and Countess of Devonshire, Sir Arthur Goodwin, Lady Wharton, and Lady Rich, are excellent. Two chimney-pieces, executed in Carrara marble, one of them by the younger Westmacott, and the other by Sievier, adorn this room. It is said that these two fire-places cost upwards of two thousand guineas each, independently of the highly ornamental and expensive stoves, fenders and fire-irons. On the two extremities of the chimney-piece by Westmacott, are a youthful Bacchus, and a Bacchante. On the other by Sievier, is a Bacchus, and a priestess of his festivals. On his head is a wreath of vine leaves, and in his hand he bears a thyrsus . The attendant priestess is in the act of replenishing the wine-cup, with the juice of the grape. The whole of the figures are in full relief, and as large as life ; they are peculiarly graceful in form and attitude ; their countenances beautiful, and the expression free, open, and joyous. Six large and beautiful slabs, mounted on richly embossed, and splendidly burnished gold frames, serve as side tables. The two at the north end are fine specimens of a dark lava, with imbedded chrystals of olivine or augite } those at the south end of the room are porphyritic sienite j and those on the east side are a peculiar kind of serpentine, veneered on a composite. Magnificent mirrors and furniture of the most elegant description, decorated with the crest of his Grace, occupy the sides and ends of the room ; in short, all that taste and art can produce, wealth has purchased, and here concentrated in splendid competition. The Sculpture Gallery Is a magnificent room, one hundred and three feet long, thirty feet wide, and twenty-two feet high. The first view on entering is powerfully impressive. The light is admitted from a glass roof. The walls through- out are of finely rubbed variegated grit stone, of a pleasing colour. The door-ways are lined with entrochal marble, splendid columns of a rare Egyptian green marble supporting the entablature over them : those to the north, resting on golden pedestals, and surmounted by richly gilt Corinthian capitals, have a magnificent appearance. The works of art which adorn this magnificent gallery are the following. A sleeping Endymion, by Canova, which is regarded as one of his most masterly productions : the pedestal is of African breccia. An Achilles wounded. This figure is by Albacini. These two recumbent figures are placed on the right and left in the middle of the floor, directly opposite the entrance into the Sculpture Gallery, and have a fine effect. On each side the entrance, are fine busts of the Emperor Nicholas, and the Empress of Russia. CHATSWORTH. 411 In the left corner of the room are An antique colossal Medicean Vase, exquisitely sculptured in white marble, with figures in bas-relief, representing the sacrifice of Iphigenia, who is slain at the altar of Victory. The pedestal is of variegated sand stone, pannelled with red granite slabs. Venus wounded, by treading on a rose, with Cupid extracting the thorn from her foot : byTereranL The pedestal of this group is panelled with porphyry. Double bust of an Isis and Serapis, sculptured in Rome, in fine black marble, sent from the Duke's quarries at Ashford. The pedestal is of green marble, on a base of Giallo Antico. Cupid resting, by Trantanova. The pedestal is panelled with marble. Colossal bust of Bonaparte, by Canova. The pedestal is of grey granite. Cardinal Gonsalvo, a bust, by Thorwaldsen, The pedestal is of Verde Antico, from the Forum at Rome. Diana, a full length figure, by Prosalindi. The pedestal is of ori- ental porphyry. Princess Pauline Borghese, a bust, by Campbell. The pedestal is of Giallo Antico. Madame Mere, a bust, by Canova. The pedestal is of coralline breccia. Madame Letitia, the mother of Bonaparte, a full-length figure, re- clining on an antique chair. A discobolus, by Kessels. The pedestal is panelled with white marble. In one panel is inlaid a table, containing a fine variety of spe- cimens of Swedish porphyry, from Elphendal. The other panel con- tains a Mosaic, from Herculaneum. Greyhound and Whelps, by Gott. Colossal Bust of Achilles, by Rennie. The pedestal is of red granite. On the helmet is a representation of Achilles, dragging the dead body of Hector round the walls of Troy. A Venus, by Gott. Latona and her two Children, Apollo and Diana, a group by Pozzi. She is represented as having entreated Jupiter to change the people of Curia into frogs, for having insulted and refused her a draught of water. A Bacchante, recumbent, by Bartolini. Her hair is braided with ivy leaves, and in her hand is a musical instrument. The pedestal is panelled with breccia. Two Colossal Lions in Carrara marble, occupying the two sides of the door, at the north end of the Gallery. One of them is in repose, and the other appears just roused from his lair, and ready to spring upon his prey. These Lions were carved out of two vast blocks of marble, each weighing about nine tons, previously to being submitted to the sculptor's chisel, and worth about three hundred pounds. They each measure nine feet in length, and are four feet high. Their present weight is four tons each. Canova, a colossal bust, by himself. His Grace the present Duke of Devonshire, by Campbell. 412 CHATSWORTH. Venus Fillatrice, or the Spinning Girl, a figure by Schadow. The pedestal is a fragment of granite, from one of the columns of the Forum of Trajan. George Canning, a fine bust, by Canova. Venus Musidora, a figure by Wyatt. The pedestal is of red Egyptian granite. Lucius Verus, a colossal bust, copied from the original at Rome. The pedestal is of red granite. Two Italian Greyhounds, in bronze. Cymbal Player, by Westmacott, jun. The pedestal is sculptured in basso relievo, with two Bacchanti springing through the air. Ariadne, an antique, by Gott, A Vestal, by Trantanova. Hebe, by Canova. The pedestal is of oriental porphyry. Ceres, a bust by Renoldi. The pedestal is of porphyry. A Bacchante, by Renoldi. The pedestal is of grey granite. Laura, by Canova. This is remarkable as a small piece of statuary. Venus, by Thorwalsden. Alexander, a colossal bust. The pedestal is of grey granite. Cupid and Psyche, by Finelli. The pedestal is of African breccia. Ganymede and the Eagle, by Tadolini. Mars and Cupid, a colossal group, by Gibson, a pupil of Canova. A Colossal Vase, by Bartolini. This vase is twenty feet in circum- ference; it is formed from one entire block of Swedish granite, on a foot and pedestal of the same material, and was sculptured at Berlin. Another Vase of smaller dimensions, but similar in form, and of more costly material. It is a natural conglomerate, of a variety of beautiful marbles, interspersed with pieces of chalcedony, and half transparent veins of calcareous-spar. Its circumference is twelve feet, elegant in form, and highly polished. A Table. This is a rare and unique specimen of felspar from Labrador, imbedded within a margin of red porphyry. Another Table, manufactured by Mr. Mills, of Ashford. This table contains about ten thousand different pieces, and its value is estimated at between three and four thousand pounds. The four large panels in the centre of the table, are the production of the Island of Corsica, called plasma verde, or green plasma ; and were a present to His Grace the Duke of Devonshire. The colour is a pale green, variegated with darker shades ; it is exceedingly hard, and has the polish of a precious stone. Different coloured marbles, with fragments of lapis lazuli disposed in richly ornamental mosaic work, surround the four panels, and form an elegant border. A tablet of the stratification of Derbyshire, from east to west, com- posed of actual specimens from each respective stratum, by a scale of one inch to a mile. Also a tablet forming a section of the coal strata in the neighbourhood of Chesterfield, both of which were made and are fully described in the Delineation of ike Strata of Derbyshire, by the late Mr. White Watson, F.L.S. CHATSWORTH. 413 Fine specimens of stalactites from Castleton; isolated columns of choice and valuable marbles ; the dog-tooth spar, enshrining copper pyrites, from his Grace's copper mines at Ecton, &c. &c. adorn this splendid room. The Orangery. The entrance into this room is through a splendid portal, formed by two noble columns of green Egyptian marble ; these columns rest on golden pedestals, and are surmounted with capitals of the Corinthian order, worked in fretted and burnished gold. The Orangery is a magnificent room, one hundred and eight feet long, twenty-six feet seven inches wide, and twenty-one feet six inches high. The walls are of dressed stone, of most excellent masonry, and of a pleasant colour to the eye. The room is lighted by eleven windows of plate glass, each containing twenty-eight panes, of two feet square each The centre window is sixteen feet by ten feet : the others are sixteen feet by eight feet. The glass roof is supported by unique, and beautifully moulded arches. A niche on the western side is occupied by a group, in statuary mar- ble, Venus and Cupid at play. On each side of this niche is a circular compartment, sculptured in marble, with figures in bas relief, represent- ing Morning and Evening, by Thorwaldsen. At one end of the Orangery are Agamemnon's Heralds, Talthybius, and Eurybates, carrying off Briseis from Achilles, and another scene from Homer; both by Thorwaldsen. At the other end, sculptured in marble tablets, is the Battle of Castor and Pollux, with Lynceus and Idas ; by Schadow. Also Castor and Pollux carrying away Phoebe and Talayra, daughters of Leucippus, who were to have been married to Lynceus and Idas : by Schadow. Numerous Chinese scent jars are tastefully arranged along this elegant room. Choice exotics, and rare and precious shrubs and flowers, in endless variety, are amongst the garniture of the Orangery. There are also several fine orange trees, some of which, purchased by his Grace, in 1829, had formerly belonged to the late Empress Josephine, and constituted part of her collection at Malmaison. In the Orangery is a splendid Rhododendron Arboreum, brought from Nepaul, in 1820; and the Norfolk Island Pine, a beautiful tree, bearing the date of 1796. The door at the north end, opens into The Baths and Lobby, Which occupy part of the east front. The Baths consist of two commo- dious hot baths, and a swimming bath. They are lined with marble, and Dutch tiles. The Banquetting Hall. A spacious lobby at the north end of the Orangery communicates with the stairs that lead to the Banquetting Hall, which is in length 414 CHATSWORTH. eighty-one feet ; in width thirty feet ; and twenty feet five inches high. Above this is an open temple, in the richest style of Corinthian archi- tecture, which commands a most extensive and picturesque view of the adjacent scenery. Sir James ThornhilTs large painting of Perseus and Andromeda, and various pictures by Louis Charon, formerly in other rooms of this mansion, now form panels in the ceiling of the Banquetting Hall; the spaces between which are fitted up with appropriate ornaments. From the centre of this apartment is suspended a most splendid chandelier, the rim of which is composed of stags'-heads, as large as life, carved and gilt, and surmounted with natural antlers of that animal from the forests of Germany. Various devices in dead and burnished gold fill up the intermediate spaces. Among the pictures in this room are the Spartan Isadas, by Eastlake ; and a portrait of the old gamekeeper, Burgoyne, by Reinagle. One end of this apartment has been fitted up with boxes, and a gallery for the purpose of visitors to his Grace witnessing private theatrical amusements. A communication from the Anti-Library, leads through the North Gallery to the West Back Stairs, and from thence to The State Apartments, Which occupy the third story of the south front, and are lined with wood of the choicest description. They contain beautiful and costly cabinets, exquisite carvings, and excellent paintings by the old masters ; and are fitted up with Gobelin's tapestry, representing the Cartoons of Raphael. The parquetted or Mosaic floors, are of oak, curiously inlaid. The State Dressing Room. This room occupies the south-west angle of the House, and its ceiling contains the Judgement of Paris, painted by Verrio. On one side hangs a painting, the Flight into Egypt, by Guinara. The Scarlet or State Bed Room. This room is so called from containing the bed in which George II. died. The bed and furniture are of crimson silk damask. This bed, with the chairs and footstools used at the coronation of George III. and Queen Charlotte, were perquisites of the fourth Duke of Devonshire, as lord chamberlain of his Majesty's household. The ceiling of this room is elegantly painted : the subject is Aurora, or the Morning Star, chasing away Night, and her misty host of attendants. In the compartments between the windows are a variety of paintings, among which are the following subjects. Diana changing the country people into frogs. Diana bathing. Diana changing Actaeon into a stag. CHATSWORTH. 415 Diana hunting. Bacchus and Ariadne. Venus and Adonis. Meleagar and Atalante. Cephalus and Procris. The tapestry contains the stories of Jupiter and Leda, Perseus and Andromeda, Apollo and the nymph Isis, and Minerva and Vulcan. The State Music Room. This room contains the two gorgeously gilt chairs, in which William the Fourth, and Queen Adelaide were crowned. The present Duke of Devonshire being lord chamberlain of the household, they became perquisites to him, in right of his office. In this room is the following amongst other portraits. William, first Earl of Devonshire, in his state robes ; by Mytems.* The State Drawing Room. The ceiling of this apartment is most splendidly painted with the allegory of Phaeton taking charge of the chariot of the Sun. In the compartments between the windows are the following subjects. Phaeton entreating his father, Apollo, for permission to drive the chariot. The Fall of Phaeton. The Sisters of Phaeton transformed into trees, for their presumption in bewailing the loss of then* brother. The tapestry, which is considerably faded, excepting at the borders, contains the stories of Jupiter and Antiope, and the Muses on Parnassus. The State Dining Room. This is a noble apartment ; it is fifty feet long, by thirty feet wide. The ceiling is adorned with numerous allegorical paintings by Verrio. The carvings in wood in this, and other rooms of the suite, are indeed beautiful, and are in the highest style of excellence. Over the chimney- piece are representations of dead game, accurately grouped : amongst which are distinctly observable, the grouse, pheasant, partridge, quail, snipe, woodcock, linnet, and lark, and various kinds of fish.-f' * Horace Walpole said this was one of the finest single figures he had seen, but sup- poses it to be by Paul Vansomer, who usually painted his whole-length figures as standing; on a mat; while Mytems preferred the colouring of a carpet. t Whether they were in part or not the work of the eminent Gibbons, it may be observed, with Horace Walpole, " that there is no instance of a man before Gibbons, who gave to wood the loose and airy lightness of flowers, and chained together the various productions of the elements with a free disorder natural to each species." The birds seem to live, the foliage to shoot, the flowers to expand beneath your eye. The most marvellous work of all is a net of game ; you imagine at the first glance, that the gamekeeper has hung- up his day's sport on the wall, and that some of the birds are still in the death-flutter. 416 CHATSWORTH. Bolton Abbey, in the Olden Time,* a justly celebrated picture by Edwin Landseer. Leaving tbe State apartments by the South Staircase, visitors are shown to the Duke's private rooms on the basement story. A Mosaic pavement representing the Battle of Darius, is expected to be put down in the west entrance. * This picture has been pronounced one of the very noblest specimens of modern art, of which England can boast : and as it is so great a favourite with the public, we hope it will not be deemed out of place to describe it. The painting, as it appeared in Somerset House, at the Exhibition of 1834, was so well described in the following extract from a paper in Fraser's Magazine, that no better account of it could be here supplied. In the paper alluded to, a brother and sister are supposed to be strolling through the Exhibition Rooms of the Royal Academy, and, struck with the dignity and beauty of Landseer's pic- ture of Bolton Abbey, in the Olden Time, the brother is led at once to enter fully into the subject of it. He says : " Come, Lizzy, here we are in the Court of the Refectory : the door is open, and gives us a glimpse of the glories of the ancient pile : the prior is in presence an awful man, just touched with years ; the stalwart frame has begun, and only begun, to relax into corpulency, and that evidently from the new indulgence of dignified ease, and the lack of accustomed exercise; for these magnific limbs are not the limbs of a cloistered monk. Many and many a time has that broad chest swelled, and that haughty nostril been expanded to the breezes of the mountain : many and many a day of free and sweet toil has it taken to develope those splendid muscles. Higher attributes, however, has he than those of mere physical conformation : look at that magnificent brow that pile of a brow in which thought, and will, and power seem enthroned. Bow down, Lizzy, to the imper- sonation of mighty intellect 1 bow down in your knowledge and gentleness, as your fair sister the peasant-girl of the picture does in her ignorance and humility. But mark ! the prior is reading a letter. What can be the purport of its contents ? We might be told by some dullard, it is an epistle of compliment, comprising an inventory of the various heads of game, and so forth, exhibited to his view. An epicurean twinkle in the corner of the eye and his portly person, would be quoted in support of this theory. I believe it not; I will not believe it. No, that letter is touching matters of high import. The Neville or the Percy is about to raise his banner, and shout his war-cry against the Scot ; and he prays the aid of his dear friend and kinsman, the most reverend prior, with his following. He is even then on his way to visit the Abbey. And is not that prior as well able to wield a battle-axe in foughten field as was the mitred lord of Beauvais ? Or else the letter advises him of the perilous assaults made upon holy church by the zeal and labours of some heretic some preacher of the reformed faith, and invokes him to stretch forth the arm of power to crush the apostle of innovation ; and in either case he is meditating, even as he reads, whether it will be adviseable or expedient for him to embark in the enterprise to which he is so earnestly invited. Shall there be once again a rising of the North ? He gazes intently upon the scroll, though he has ceased to regard the words, to wring a new, an occult meaning an omen an inspiration, from it. In the words of the poet ' His mind his wandering away, away !* In vain does the forester kneel at his feet, pointing to the haunch of a magnificent " stag often ;" in vain is the floor strewn with gastronomic treasures, ' The treasures of earth, of sea, of air;' in vain does a lay brother stand in all humility at his side, with a salver gleaming with the richest cordials ; in vain does a falconer, bearing some noble's cognisance on his shoulder, gaze upward to his countenance in the depth of awe and admiration, waiting to catch a glance and deliver, with some courtly message from his lord, the heron and bittern where- with he is loaded ; in vain does one of the loveliest girls that ever adorned earth, that ever made earth gladsome with her presence in vain does she stand before him with downcast eyes, cheeks gently flushed, and swelling bosom even she remains unheeded ! The prior's mind has expanded far beyond the circumstances whereby he is surrounded. What cha- racter, and how appropriate the character conveyed in all those figures ! We have spoken of the prior ; now mark the lay brother : he is of common clay ; the lines of servility are on his brow and withered countenance ; he watches the prior with a moist eye, and it is the eye of a menial. The forester, albeit kneeling, has more of the consciousness of man- CHATSWORTH. 417 Adjoining the Entrance Hall from the West Front, is a smajl, but elegant room, used as a private Library, containing numerous engravings from the works of Canova. This leads to The Duke's Sitting Room. This room is not shown to the public. It contains some most excel- lent portraits of his most intimate friends. A whole-length figure of the Duke, in the robes worn by him at the coronation, by Hayter. A scene from Gil Bias. This is a fine cabinet picture, by Newton. A fine oval table, composed of polished malachite, (a carbonate of copper,) from Siberia, a present to the Duke from the late Emperor Alexander, of Russia. The rosary worn by Henry the Eighth, is in the possession of his Grace. Upon the four sides of each bead are four circles, within which are carved groups, each taken from a chapter in the Bible. Nothing can surpass the exquisite beauty of the workmanship of this relic of other days. Every figure is perfect, notwithstanding the extreme minuteness of their size ; and the whole is from the design of that great master, Holbein, who has painted Henry in these identical beads. The rosary is ingeniously preserved from injury, while it is exhibited to full view, being suspended within a glass bell. The Duke's Breakfast Room, Is elegantly furnished, and contains several good portraits and pic- hood ; he has something of the freedom of the forest in his look and bearing, vassal though he be. The falconer is a younger servant, and in him, added to the awe for the prior as the feudal lord, there is a touch of superstitious reverence for that dignified ecclesiastic, well evinced in the earnest concentrated gaze wherewith he contemplates, without that calmness and self-possession which would enable him to peruse, the dread and venerated features. And now look at the girl, she is a peasant girl, an English peasant girl. What exquisite truth of beauty there is in that form and face ! How well does her plain russet garb become her ? How well do its dark and coarse hues contrast with the fairness and beautous sheen of that neck and bosom, to which a loving sun has only lent a rich and healthful hue ! Every ' bit ' of the picture (to use the artist's phrase) is in itself a treasure ! a peculiar and appropriate character has been imparted to every object, animate and in- animate, from the lordly prior to the prior's lap dog, who sits at his feet in all the pride and sleekness of a minion. Mark the stag hounds ! do they not display the bearing befitting their nobler nature ? a-wearied but unabashed and unembarrassed in the dread presence. Again, observe, the dog of my lord's falconer has caught something of the servile taint of his master! Look on these trout! see, the moisture of their native waters yet glitters on their backs : they are absolutely alive ! The gills of one are dilated gaspingly in the un- genial element; a bend-wavy (as the heralds might call it) of the tail of the other a spas- modic action, declares that he, too, is instinct with the remains of life, and that he is faintly writhing in the throes of expiring animation. The censer swinging on the crook, the very crucifix the prior wears, the book he holds under his arm, with that air of ease and familiarity which shews that the volume and he are old companions, would be of itself sufficient to make the reputation of an aspiring artist. How really dignified in compo- sition how masterly in execution and how true and graceful, in every point, is this ex- quisite and splendid painting 1 Oh, Lizzy ! should I not be happy to be the possessor of such a perfect English picture !" 14 -413 CHATS WORTH. tares. Amongst others, may be observed Canova, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, a masterly production. From this room visitors are generally shown into the Quadrangular Court, and thence into The Pleasure Grounds, Gardens,* Sxc., Which extend over upwards of eight acres of ground, and are laid out in smooth-shaven lawns, shrubberies, plantations, fountains, and cascades, ranging from the house southward, and along the hills eastward. They are rich in forest scenery, and are much admired for the pictur- esque beeches, chestnuts, and elms, in which they abound. Delight- ful walks have been carried through the wood, which clothes the hill on the east. These walks are of some miles in extent, in consequence of their being conducted in a circuitous direction, to diminish the steepness of the ascent. The principal ones are thirty feet in width ; and these, as well as the pleasure grounds, are occasionally ornamented with sculp- tured figures and vases. In these grounds on the west front, is a Spanish chestnut, planted in 1816, by the Archduke Nicholas (now the Emperor of Russia,) and a variegated sycamore, planted in 1818, by the Archduke Michael, in commemoration of their visit. The greatest care is taken for the preser- vation of the trees planted by these eminent visitors : each is called by the name of its noble planter. In another part of these gardens is a British oak tree, which was planted in 1832, by the Princess (now Queen) Victoria, in commemo- ration of her visit to Chatsworth. There is also an American chestnut, which was planted at the same time, by her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent. On the lawn directly opposite the south front, is a copy of Canova's Endymion, by Sir Francis Chantrey. The Flower Gardens have been greatly enlarged, and nearly surround the house. Those overlooked from the Western Terrace, are laid out from plans furnished by Sir Jeffrey Wyatville. The style of the gardens on the west front is Italian. They are en- riched with eight stone baskets, for shrubs and flowers, are thirty-two feet square each, and elegantly sculptured. The Gardens appropriated to the growth of fruit and vegetables, extend over twelve acres of ground, and are furnished with twenty-two hothouses, and numerous forcing pits : they are at some distance to the north of the house. At the top of a flight of steps leading to the Greenhouse, is a fine white marble vase, on which is elegantly sculptured The Judgement of * The old gardens, which were laid out by George London, were begun in 1688 ; the grand parterre, at the south front, was contracted for in June, 1694, by London & Wise- This parterre was four hundred and seventy-three feet in length, and two hundred and twenty- seven in breadth : the sum contracted for was 350/. Lysons' Derbyshire. CHATSWORTH. 419 Paris. On the rim of the vase is the following inscription: " Reforma- tum Hagse a Johanne Baptist^ Xavery Antverpiensi. A. ]745." The Greenhouse is on a small scale, when considered in connexion with Chatsworth House. It however contains many choice exotics, among which is the Pitcher Plant, twenty-three feet high, and is sup- posed to be the finest in the kingdom; the Urania Speciosa, Ficus Elasticus, or India Rubber Tree, Papyrus Antiquorum, brought from Egypt in 1803 ; together with many other choice exotics, well deserving peculiar attention. There are also beautiful specimens of the Green Fluor, and Ecton Spar ; the latter of which is from a mine belonging to his Grace, The lawn in front of the Greenhouse has been tastefully laid out in the eastern style, with elegant flower beds and shrubs. Amongst these are placed sixteen pillars, surmounted with busts and figures, which have recently been brought from the quadrangular court. Two ancient granitic figures of Isis and Osiris, on raised pedestals, which were sent to England by Mr. Banks, occupy central positions, on each side of the middle walk. Chinese scent jars are tastefully arranged. . The Great Stables, Are about two hundred and fifty yards to the north-east of the mansion ; the west and north fronts of which are upwards of two hundred feet in length. The Water Works. On the summit of a high hill, which forms the eastern boundary of this princely domain, is a large reservoir covering fourteen acres of ground, whence the water is conveyed by pipes, which supply the various water works, in different parts of the grounds. An attendant gives notice to a person on the hill, which pipe he wishes to be filled. On the east front is the natural waterfall, called "The cascade of the robber's stone," a natural chasm, with its rustic bridge, which rolls down precipitous rocks to the depth of forty feet. This immense cas- cade stands unrivalled in England : it is quite equal to the waterfall of Marmora, near Terni, in Italy, and may be said to be one of the most complete waterfalls in the world. On some large fragments of stone are the following verses composed by Lord Morpeth. These fragments stood on Sunium's airy steep ; They reared aloft Minerva's guardian shrine ; Beneath them rolled the blue vEgean deep, And the Greek pilot hailed them as divine. Such was e'en then their look of calm repose, As wafted round them came the sounds of fight, When the glad shout of conquering Athens rose, O'er the long track of Persia's broken flight. 420 CHATSWORTH. Though clasped by prostrate worshippers no more, They yet shall breathe a thrilling lesson here ; Though distant from their own immortal shore, The spot they grace is still to freedom dear. The artificial waterworks were constructed under the direction of a French engineer of the name of Grillet, in the year 1690, when the pipe for the great fountains was laid. They were executed by a Mr. Cock, a plumber, from London, who made the first artificial tree, in 1693. This has been taken down, and a new one erected by Mr. Bower, of Chesterfield, by desire of his Grace, and under the direction of Mr. Paxton and Mr. Holmes. On the side of the hill, to the south-east front of the house, is the Great Cascade, which consists of a temple surmounted with a dome, and ornamented with columns and pilasters. On pinnacles are four lions' heads. On the front lies the god Nilius at full length, reclining on an urn. A little below, are two sea nymphs. Betwixt them and the river god, are two sea-lions' heads ; and under all are two dolphins. When the cascade is put in motion, deplorable is the situation of any stranger who may have been tempted to enter the interior of the building, for the purpose of admiring the prospects through its portals. The water hisses in small bxit numerqus and power- ful streams, through as many apertures in the ground beneath, crossing, and as it were playing with each other to the right and left. Unless the spectator is lucky enough to make good his retreat, he is quickly wet to the skin. Then rushes the water with impetuous and increasing velocity from the dome above, and from the columns, mouths, and urns of the various grotesque figures that ornament it, until the whole temple is covered with its spray and foam ; and the identity of the building is lost among the turmoil of the sparkling waters, which fall into a large basin in front, from which again other fountains issue, in the shape of fine spread- ing fans or trees. Besides these, there are two other discharges on each side of the basin. The water then flows from this basin, and descends a long-continued flight of twenty- four steps or ridges, foaming and glit- tering in its course, till it reaches the bottom, two hundred yards from the temple, where it disappears by sinking into the earth, amid rude masses of stone ; and the Temple is again seen, in all its architectural beauty. To the south front of the mansion is the artificial tree* before men- tioned. It is made of copper and brass, and represents a decayed weeping willow, and consists of eight thousand different pieces. It dis- charges about eight hundred jets of water from the ends of the branches, and through the centre of the leaves ; and this produces an artificial * This tree was designed and executed by that ingenious workman, Mr Bower, of Chesterfield, to which town he was the first to introduce, at his own risk and expense, lighting by gas ; and whose devotion of genius to his profession has, we fear, but too much impoverished his resources. Correspondent of the Mirror. CHATSWORTH. 421 shower, and plays many an unlucky trick to those who approach too near, either from curiosity or ignorance. A tap being turned, while the attention is fixed on the tree, the water spreads to a considerable distance, and drenches the unsuspecting stranger in an incredibly short space of time, not only from the tree, but from a number of small fountains planted in the ground, which are called cannons. The tree measures fourteen feet in height, sixteen in diameter, and forty-eight in cir- cumference. The whole effect is excellent. The branches have a natural and easy appearance, and every jet freely discharges the water when in operation. It reflects great credit on the ingenuity of the artificer, who so success- fully completed it. Under the shadow of this tree, water rises from a vase, in the shape of a parasol. Descending the hill, near its foot is a large basin, in the form of a fount, of hewn stone, from the centre of which rises a jet d'eau above sixty feet high. Opposite the south front of the house is the grand canal, which is three hundred and twenty yards long, and twenty-five broad. Near the north end are two Sphynxes, on large bases, with ornaments by Caius Gabriel Gibber. In this canal is a fountain, which throws the water ninety feet high, and has a striking effect. In a circular basin, nearer the house, are four sea-horses, and a Triton, from whose heads small streams issue. , and i always The third jet d'eau is opposite the Duke's private room windows, always in play when his Grace is at Chatsworth. The Hunting Tower. On the crest of the eastern hill, about half a mile from the house, is a Hunting Tower of a square form, with a rounded turret at each angle : its height is ninety feet. This building is seen at the distance of many miles, and when the noble owner of Chatsworth is resident there, a flag is displayed upon its turrets to announce his presence. It is said to have been erected as a station whence the female visitors could enjoy the pleasure of a stag-hunt without incurring the dangers attendant on the chase ; its lofty station enabling them to see across the surrounding hills to a considerable distance. The Conservatory Which is now erecting, is about one hundred yards south of the artificial willow tree. Its dimensions will be on a scale of unparalleled magnitude, and will be, when completed, the most splendid structure of the kind at present in the kingdom. The north and south divisions of this Conservatory will be fifty-two feet in height ; the dome or central 422 CHATSWORTH. comp&rtment, round which a gallery will be carried, will rise to th height of seventy-six feet, and be sustained by a circular range of light and elegant iron columns, twenty-eight feet high. The length of the building will be three hundred and twenty-four feet, and its width up- wards of one hundred and seventy feet. The aspect of the Conservatory will be south-west ; and it will be effectually screened from the wintry blasts, by the lofty forest trees which nearly surround it. At an elevation of about five feet from the ground, this magnificent structure will be one mass of glass frames. Along the sides, a spacious carriage drive will be made. Interesting- as this description of Chatsworth must be, it is most gratifying to be able to state, that the noble Proprietor allows all persons without distinction, to view the mansion and grounds, on any day, from ten in the morning till five in the afternoon. In the true spirit of a great and liberal mind his Grace not only permits the whole to be shewn to the humblest individual, but has expressly ordered that the water-works should be played to every visitor, without exception. HARDWICK. HARDWICK. THIS celebrated seat is the property of his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, is situated in the parish of Hault Hucknall, and nearly equidistant from Chesterfield, Mansfield, and Alfreton, about seven miles. Hardwick does not appear in the Domesday Book, but with other townships it formed the manor of Steinesbi, which was granted to Rogerius Pictuviensis, (Roger of Poictou). King John transferred it, in 1203, to Andrew de Beauchamp ; and it passed in 1258, to William de Steynesby, who held it of John le Savage, by the annual surrender of three pounds of cinnamon, and one of pepper. By the Quo Warranto Roll it appears, that John Steynesby, his great grandson, died possessed of it in 1330. The family of De Hardwick were established here soon afterwards, and possessed it for six generations. Elizabeth, the third daughter, and (after her brother's death) co-heiress of John Hardwick, Esq., brought this estate to her second husband, Sir William Cavendish ; and Hardwick, with its wide domains, has continued in the possession of her lineal descendants, through the noble family of Cavendish, to the present owner, his Grace, William Spencer, Duke of Devonshire. Considerable remains of the ancient Hall are yet stand- ing, which, as the capital of a domain so widely extended, appears to have been a very magnificent edifice. From the style of its architecture, it could not have been built any great length of time before the present mansion. It is now (1838,) in a ruinous state, and remains grey, shattered, and open to all the winds of heaven ; almost overgrown with ivy, and threatening to tumble about the ears of the bats and owls, which are now its sole inhabitants. One majestic room remains entire, which is fifty-feet six inches, by thirty feet six inches, and twenty-four feet six inches high : it is floored 428 HARDWICK. is to be expected but unqualified praise, or ingenious pallia- tion ? A tendency to exaggerate will be remarked by every reader of the subjoined quotation ; and yet, some facts, by no means favourable to her general character, are not sup- pressed. Fuller gives the following historical sketch : " Elizabeth of Hardwick, a woman of an undaunted spirit, and happy in her several marriages, to great persons. She left two sacred, besides civil monuments of her memory in this county, (Derbyshire), one that I hope will not, (her tomb in All-Hallows, Derby,) the other that, I am sure, cannot be taken away, as registered in the court of heaven, her stately almshouses for twelve poor people, in Derby." " This beautiful and discreet lady was married at fourteen years of age to Robert Barley, of Barley in com. Derb. Esquire, who was also very young, and died soon after (viz. on the 2nd of February, 1532, 24 H. VIII.) but his large estate was settled on her and her heirs. She lived a widow a considerable time, and then took for her second husband this Sir William Cavendish,* who had so great an affection for her, that, on her desire, he sold his estate in the southern parts of England to purchase lands in Derbyshire, where her own friends and kindred lived. Also, on her further persuasion, he began a noble manor house at Chatsworth, which he did not live to finish, dying in the fourth and fifth years of the reign of king Philip and Queen Mary. He had by her a hopeful number of sons and daughters. " 1. Henry, who was elected one of the knights for Derbyshire, in the fourteenth year of Queen Elizabeth, and served for the same county in five other succeeding parlia- ments in the reign of that Queen. In the latter part of his life he resided at Tutbury, in Staffordshire; but dying without issue, October 12, 1616, was buried at Endsore, in Derbyshire, whose memory is preserved by an inscription in that church. * " Memorandum : That I was married to Elizabeth Hardwick, my third wiffe, in Lcicestersheere, at Broadgatt, my Lord Marquesse's [of Dorset] house, the 20th of August, in the first yeare of King Edward the Sixth, at 2 o'clock after midnight, the dom. letter B." Collins's Collections. The Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, the Marchioness of Northampton, the Marquis of Winchester, the Earls of Shrewsbury, Pembroke and Warwick, Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, Ladies Jane and Catherine Grey, and even the Queen's majesty herself, were among the sponsors at the baptisms of her children. Hunter's Hallamshire. HARDWICK. 429 " 2. William, heir to the whole estate, and first Earl of Devonshire. " 3. Charles, whose sou and heir was ' the loyal' Duke of Newcastle. " 4. Frances, married to Sir Henry Pierrepoint, of Holm Pierrepoint, in the county of Nottingham, ancestor to the Duke of Kingston, now Lord Manners. " 5. Elizabeth, wedded to Charles Stuart, Earl of Lenox, younger brother to Henry, Lord Darnley, father of King James the First, who were sons of Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lenox, by his wife Margaret, daughter of Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus ; and of Margaret his wife, daugh- ter of King Henry the Seventh. The said Charles, Earl of Lenox, left issue by the said Elizabeth his wife, that in- comparable Lady Arabella, who being so nearly related to the crown, state jealousy confined her, and sacrificed her in the Tower.* * The Lady Arabella Stuart was educated at Hard wick, under the superintendence of her grandmother, the Countess of Shrewsbury, who kept her in a state seclusion, amounting 1 almost to imprisonment : she afterwards became a singular and affecting instance of the sacrifice of a human being to state policy, from her affinity to James the First and Queen Elizabeth. The following account of the treatment which she experienced, is from the pen of the elder D'Israeli. It is probable that the king, (James) from some political motive, had decided that the Lady Arabella should lead a single life ; but such wise purposes frequently meet with cross ones ; and it happened that no woman was ever more solicited to the conjugal state, or seems to have been so little averse to it. Every noble youth, who sighed for distinction, ambitioned the notice of the Lady Arabella , and she was so frequently contriving a mar- riage for herself, that a courtier of that day writing to another, observes, " these affectations of marriage in her do give her some advantage to the world of impairing the reputation of her constant and virtuous disposition." The revels of Christmas had hardly closed, when the Lady Arabella forgot that she had been forgiven, and again relapsed into her old infirmity. She renewed a connexion, which had commenced in childhood, with Mr. William Seymour, the second son of Lord Beauchamp, and grandson to the Earl of Hertford. This treaty of marriage was detected in February, 1609, and the parties summoned before the privy council. Seymour was particularly censured for daring to ally himself with the royal blood, although that blood was running in his own veins. He assured their lordships that both of them had never intended marriage without his majesty's approbation . But love laughs at privy-councils and the grave promises made by two frightened lovers. The parties were secretly married, which was discovered about July in the following year. They were then separately confined, the lady at the house of Sir Thomas Parry, at Lambeth, and Seymour in the Tower, for " his contempt in marrying a lady of the royal family without the king's leave." This, their first confinement, was not rigorous ; the lady walked in her garden, and the lover was prisoner at large in the Tower. The writer in the Biographia Britannica, observes, " thatsome intercourse they had by letters, which, afteratime was discovered." In this history of love there might be precious documents, and in the library at Long-leat, these love epistles, or perhaps this volume, may yet lie unread in a corner. It IB on record, that at this seat of the Marquis of Bath, certain papers of Arabella arc preserved. She addressed the king in defence of her secret marriage, and remonstrated with him for what she calls his neglect of her; and while she feared to be violently separated from 430 HARDWICK. " 6. Mary, who was the wife of Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury. A rare example of two brothers founding two several dukedoms, and the sisters matched, one with a direct branch of the royal family of Great Britain, and the others with the noblest families of England. " The Lady Cavendish, their mother, continued in her widowhood some time, rejecting many offers, and then ac- her husband, she asserted her cause with a firm and noble spirit, which was afterwards too severely tried ! The secret correspondence of Arabella and Seymour was discovered, and was followed by a sad scene. It must have been now, that the king resolved to consign this unhappy lady, to the strictest care of the Bishop of Durham. Lady Arabella was so subdued at this distant separation, that she gave way to all the wildness of despair ; she fell suddenly ill, and could not travel but in a litter, and with a physician. In her way to Durham, she was so greatly disquieted, in the first few miles of her uneasy and troublesome journey, that they could proceed no further than to Highgate, where the king, being advised of her state, by the physician, consented she should remain till sufficiently recovered to proceed. But the day of her departure hastened, and the lady Arabella betrayed no symptom of her first despair. She openly declared her resignation to her fate, and showed her obedient willingness, by being even over-careful in little preparations, to make easy a long journey. Such tender grief had won over the hearts of her keepers, who could not but sympathise with a princess, whose love, holy and wedded, was crossed only by the tyranny of statesmen. But Arabella had not within, that tranquillity with which she had lulled her keepers. She and Seymour had concerted a flight, as bold in its plot, and as beautifully wild, as any recorded in romantic story. The day preceding her departure, Arabella found it not difficult to persuade a female attendant to consent, that she would suffer her to pay a last visit to her husband, and to wait for her return at an appointed hour. More solicitous for the happiness of lovers, than for the repose of kings, this attendant, in utter simplicity, or with generous sympathy, assisted the Lady Arabella, in dressing her in one of the most elaborate disguisings. " She drew a pair of large French-fashioned hose, or trow- sers, over her petticoats ; put on a man's doublet, or coat; a peruke, such as men wore, whose long locks covered her own ringlets ; a black hat, a black cloak, russet boots, with red tops; and a rapier by her side." Thus accoutred, the Lady Arabella stole out, with a gentleman, about three o'clock in the afternoon. She had only proceeded a mile and a half, when they stopped at a poor inn, where one of her confederates was waiting with horses, yet she was so sick and faint, that the ostler, who held her stirrup, observed, that " the gentleman could hardly hold out to London." She recruited her spirits by riding; the blood mantled in her face ; and at six o'clock our sick lover reached Blackwall, where a boat and servants were waiting. The watermen were at first ordered to Wool- wich ; there they were desired to push on to Gravesend ; then to Tilbury, where, com- plaining of fatigue, they landed to refresh ; but, tempted by their fright, they reached Lee. At the break of morn, they discovered a French vessel, riding there to receive the lady ; but as Seymour had not yet arrived, Arabella was desirous to lie at anchor for her lord, conscious that he would not fail to his appointment. If he, indeed, had been pre- vented in his escape, she herself cared not to preserve the freedom she now possessed ; but her attendants, aware of the danger of being overtaken by a king's ship, overruled her wishes, and hoisted sail, which occasioned so fatal a termination to this romantic adventure. Seymour, indeed, had escaped from the Tower ; he had left his servant watching at the door, to warn all visitors not to disturb his master, who lay ill of a raging tooth-ache, while Seymour, in disguise, stole away alone, following a cart which had just brought wood to his apartment. He passed the warders ; he reached the wharf, and found his confidential man waiting with a boat ; and he arrived at Lee. The time pressed : the water was rising ; Arabella was not there ; but in the distance he descried a vessel. Hiring a fisherman to take him on board, to his grief, on hailing it, he discovered that it was not the French vessel, charged with his Arabella. In despair, and confusion, he found HARDWICK. 431 cepting of Sir William St. Loe, captain of the guard to Queen Elizabeth, and possessor of divers fair lordships in Gloucestershire, which, in articles of marriage, she took care should be settled on her, and her own heirs, in default of issue by him ; and accordingly, having no child by him, she lived to enjoy his whole estate, excluding his former daugh- ters and brothers. In this third widowhood, she had not survived her charms of wit and beauty, by which she capti- vated the then greatest subject of the realm, George, Earl of Shrewsbury, whom she brought to terms of the greatest honour and advantage, to herself and children ; for he not only yielded to a considerable jointure, but to a union of another ship from Newcastle, which, for a good sum, altered its course, and landed him in Flanders. In the meanwhile, the escape of Arabella was first known to government ; and the hot alarm which spread, may seem ludicrous to us. The political consequences attached to the union, and the flight of these two doves from their cotes, shook, with consternation, the grey owls of the cabinet, more particularly the Scotch party, who, in their terror, par- alleled it with the gunpowder treason ; and some political danger must have impended, at least, in their imagination, for Prince Henry partook of this cabinet panic. Confusion and alarm prevailed at court; couriers were dispatched, swifter than the winds wafted the unhappy Arabella, and all was hurry in the seaports. They sent to the Tower to warn the Lieutenant, to be doubly vigilant over Seymour, who, to his surprise, discovered that his prisoner had ceased to be so for several hours. James, afflret,, was for issuing a proclamation, in a style so angry and vindictive, that it required the mo, deration of a Cecil, to preserve the dignity, while he concealed the terror of his Majesty. But we have left the Lady Arabella alone and mournful on the seas, not praying for favourable gales to convey her away, but still imploring her attendants to linger for her Seymour ; still straining her eyes to the point of the horizon for some speck which might give a hope of the approach of the boat freighted with all her love. Alas 1 never more was Arabella to cast a single look on her lover and her husband ! She was overtaken by a pink in the king's service, in Calais roads ; and now she declared that she cared not to be brought back again to her imprisonment, should Seymour escape, whose safety was dearest to her ! The life of the unhappy, the melancholy, and the distracted Arabella Stuart, is now to close in an imprisonment, which lasted only four years ; for her constitutional delicacy, her rooted sorrow, and the violence of her feelings, sunk beneath the hopelesness of her situation, and a secret resolution in her mind to refuse the aid of her physicians, and to wear away the faster if she could, the feeble remains of We. But who shall paint the emotions of a mind which so much grief, and so much love, and distraction itself, equally possessed ? What passed in that dreadful imprisonment cannot perhaps be recovered for authentic history ; but enough is known ; that her mind grew impaired, that she finally lost her reason, and if the duration of her imprisonment was short, it was only terminated by her death. Such is the history of the Lady Arabella, who from some circumstance not sufficiently opened to us, was an important personage, designed by others, at least, to play a high character in the political drama. Thrice selected as a queen , but the consciousnes of royalty was only left in her veins while she lived in the poverty of dependence. Many gallant spirits aspired after her hand, but when her heart secretly selected one beloved, it was for ever deprived of domestic happiness ! Seymour, who was afterwards permitted to return, distinguished himself by hU loyalty through three successive reigns, and retained his romantic passion for the lady of hi* first aflections ; for he called the daughter he had by liis second lady, by the ever-beloved name of ARABELLA. STUART. D'Israeli's Curiosities of Literature. 432 HARDWICK. families, by taking Mary, her youngest daughter, to wife of Gilbert his son, and afterwards his heir; and giving the Lady Grace, his youngest daughter, to Henry, her eldest son. On November 18, 1590, she was a fourth time left, and to death continued a widow. A change of conditions that perhaps never fell to any one woman, to be four times a creditable and happy wife ; to rise by every husband into greater wealth and higher honours ; to have an unanimous issue by one husband only ; to have all these children live ; and all by her advice be honourably and creditably disposed of in her life time ; and after all, to live seventeen years a widow, in absolute power and plenty. She built three of the most elegant seats that were ever raised by one hand, within the same county, beyond example, Chatsworth, Hardwick, and Oldcotes,* the two former transmitted entire to the first Duke of Devonshire. At Hardwick she left the ancient seat of her family standing, and at a small distance, still adjoining to her new fabric ; as if she had a mind to preserve her cradle, and set it by her bed of state. She endowed a noble hospital at Derby, for the subsistence of twelve poor people, who have each of them an allowance of near 10/. per annum ; and departing this life, in the eighty- seventh year of her age, on the 13th of February, 1607, was buried on the south side of All Hallows Church, in Derby, under a stately mural monument, which she took care to erect in her own life time. Her statue, arrayed in the habit of the times, and in full proportion, curiously cut in marble, lies at length, her head supported by a cushion, and her hands in the attitude of prayer : above this is the fol- lowing inscription. Elizabeth* Johannis Hardwick de Hardwick, in agro Derb. armigeri, filise; fratriq ; Johanni tandem cohseredi ; pi imo Roberto Barley de Barley, in dicto com. Derb. armig. nuptse : postea Will. Cavendish de Chatsworth equ. aur. (Thesaurario Camerse regibus Henrico octavo, Edoardo sexto, ac Mariae Reginse ; quibus etiam fuit a secretioribus consiliis :) Deinde Will. St. Low militi, Regii satellitij capitaneo : ac ultimo proenobili * Mr. Walpole records a tradition concerning this Lady, which if founded on truth, proves the rage for building that distinguished her conduct, to have originated in a super- stitious weakness. The tradition is, that she was told by a fortune-teller that her death should not happen while she continued building ; and accordingly she employed a great deal of wealth in that way ; yet she died in a hard frost, when the workmen could not labour. HARDWICK. 433 Georgio Coraiti Salopian, desponsatae : per quern Will. Cavendish prolem solummodo habuit, filios tres ; scilicet, Henricum Cavendish de Tutbury in agro Staff, armig. (qui Graciam, dicti Georgii Comitis Salopia3 filiam, in uxorem duxit) sine prole legitima defunctum: Willielmura, in Baronem Cavendish de Hardwick, necnon in Comitem Devonian, per serenissimum nuper Regem Jacobum evectum, et Carolum Cavendish de Welbeck equ. aur. patrem honoratissimi Will. Cavendish, de Balneo militis, Baronis Ogle jure materno; et in Vicecomitem Mansfeild, Comitem, Marchionem ac Ducem de Novo-castro super Tinam, et comitem de Ogle merito cre- ati. Totidemq, filias ; scilicet, Franciescam Henrico Pierepont equ. aurato, Elizabetham Carolo Stuarto Lenoxiee Comiti, et Mariam Gilberto Comiti Salopian enuptas, Haec inclitissima Elizabetha Salopia? Comitissa, jEdium de Chatsworth, Hardwick et Oldcotes, magnificentia clarissimarum, fabricatrix, vitam hanc transitoriam xiii. die mensis Februarii, Anno ab incarnatione Domini 1607, ac circa annum aetatis siue LXXXVII finivit; et gloriosam expectans Resurrectionem subtus jacet tumulata." Of this inscription tke following is a translation. " To the memory of Elizabeth, the daughter of John Hardwick, of Hardwick, in the county of Derby, esq. ; and at length co-heiress to her brother John. She was married first to Robert Barley, of Barley, in the said county of Derby, esq ; afterwards to William Cavendish, of Chatsworth, knt. Treasurer of the Chamber to the kings Henry the Eighth, and Edward the Sixth, and to queen Mary, to whom he was was also a privy councellor. She then became the wife of Sir William St. Loe, captain of the royal guard. Her last husband was the most noble George, (Talbot) Earl of Shrewsbury. By Sir William Cavendish alone she had issue. This was three sons, namely, Henry Cavendish, of Tutbury, in the county of Stafford, esq. ; who took to wife Grace, the daughter of the said George Earl of Shrewsbury, but died without legitimate issue ; William, created Baron Cavendish of Hardwick, and Earl of Devonshire, by his late Majesty King James ; and Charles Cavendish, of Welbeck, knt., father of the most honourable William Cavendish, Knight of the Bath, and Baron Ogle, by right of his mother, and on account of his merit created Viscount Mansfield ; Earl, Marquis, and Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne ; and Earl Ogle, of Ogle^ She had also the same number of daughters, viz. Frances, married to Sir Henry Pierpoint; Elizabeth, to Charles Stuart, Earl of Lenox; and Mary, to Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury. This most illustrious Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury, built the houses of Chatsworth, Hardwick and Oldcotes, highly distinguished by their magnificence, and finished her transitory life on the 1 3th of February, in the year of our Lord's incarnation 1607, and about the 87th year of her age;* and awaiting a glorious resurrection, lies interred underneath." * If Collins be correct in his statement, that she was fourteen when married to Robert Barley, who died in 1533, her age must be here somewhat under-rated, and she must have been in her ninetieth year, even if her first marriage had not been ol twelve months' con- tinuance. Lysons's Derbyshire. 56 434 HARDWICK. Lodge, in his Illustrations of British History* gives the* following character of this celebrated lady. " She was a woman of masculine understanding and conduct, proud, furious, selfish, and unfeeling. She was a builder, a buyer and seller of estates, a money lender, a farmer, a merchant of lead, coals, and timber. When disengaged from these employments, she intrigued alternately with Elizabeth and Mary, always to the prejudice and terror of her husband. She lived to a great old age, continually flattered, but sel- dom deceived, -and died immensely rich, and without a friend* The Earl was withdrawn by death from these complicated plagues, on the 18th of November, 1590," In the disputes between the Countess and her husband, which had proceeded to an open rupture towards the latter part of his life, the Queen took the Lady's part, enjoined the Earl the irksome task of submission, and allowed him a rent of 500 per annum out of his estate; leaving, as it appears, the whole disposal of the remainder in the Countess's hands. In a letter to the Earl of Leicester, dated April 30, 1585, he says, "Sith that her Ma' tie hathe sett dowen this hard sentence agaynst me, to my perpetual infamy and dishonor, to be ruled and overanne by my wief, so bad and wicked a woman ; yet her Ma' tie shall see that I obey her com'andemente, thoughe no curse or plage in the earthe cold be more grevous to me. These offers of my wiefes inclosed in yo r r L'res, I thinke theim verey unfyt to be offered to me. It is to muche to make me my wiefes pencyoner, and sett me downe the de- meanes of Chattesworth, without the house and other lands leased, which is but a penc'on in money. I thinke itstandeth with reason that I shuld chose the v. c. 1. by yeare ordered by her Ma' tie where I like best, accordinge to the rate Wm. Candishe delyvered to my L. Chancelor." From this time they appear to have lived separate. The Bishop of LicJiJield and Coventry (Overtoil) in along letter, in which he labours to bring about a reconciliation, appears to take the Lady's part, though he admits that she was re- ported to be a shrew. " Some will say, (observes the Bishop) in y'r L. behalfe tho' the Countesse is a sharp and bitter shrewe, and therefore HARDWICK, 435 tteke enough to shorten y'r liefe if shee should kepe yow company : In deede my good Lo. I have heard some say so; but if shrewdnesse or sharpnesse may be a just cause of sep'a'con betweene a man and his wiefe, I thincke fewe men in Englande woulde keepe theire wives longe ; for it is a com'on jeste, yet trewe in some sence, that there is but one shrewe in all the worlde, and ev'y man hath her ; and so ev'y man might be rid of his wiefe, that wold by rydd of a shrewe." The Countess was involved in perpetual disputes with her lord, and carried her resentful feelings so far, as to accuse him of too great a familiarity with the imprisoned Queen : at the same time she abused Mary in terms, which JohnKnox himself could not have exceeded. Mary, deeply incensed, complained of this outrage : the Earl also appealed to Queen Elizabeth, and the Countess and her daughter, Lady Talbot, were obliged to declare upon oath, that this accusation was false, scandalous, and malicious, and that they were not the authors of it. In a communication to Lord Burleigh,* the Earl defends himself, and complains of his " wyked and malysious wyfe," and accuses her and " her imps," as he irreverently styles the whole brood of Cavendishes, of con- spiring to sow dissensions between him and his eldest sou. It is barely possible that Mary should have encouraged so elderly a lover. He might pity her hard fate, be subdued by her amiable deportment, or have followed the dictates of his own courteous nature. It is evident he had greatly suf- fered from the calumny of his own country, as he erected his own tomb in his lifetime, and ordered a refutation of it to make a part of his epitaph. His indignation of such a charge was extreme. The following extract from Hunter's History ofHallam- shire, with a correct copy of the inscription, will, we hope, prove interesting to our readers. " Against the south wall of the Shrewsbury Chapel, in St. Peter's Church, Sheffield, is the monument of George, the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury, erected by himself in distrust of * Goaded by ceaseless remonstrances from the court, the Earl was driven, in confirmation of his fidelity, to write to the Queen, that he should adopt the following severities in future : " Now she is metly quyett, savinge she mislykes she cannot goo a hunting into the fcldcs upon horseback, whych I trust the Queen's majestic will not assent unto, ualess she nyndes to set her at iiberte." 436 IIARDWICK. his executors. It is in the style which prevailed at the latter end of the reign of Elizabeth, when ornaments borrowed from Italian, or classical architecture, began to be mingled with the appropriate subjects and ornaments of early English sepulchral architecture. The Earl is represented lying on a sarcophagus in plate armour, and with a truncheon in his hand, bare-headed, his helmet standing beside him. Before the injury which the features sustained a very few years ago, the face bore a striking resemblance to the portrait of this Earl, engraved by Mr. Lodge in the second volume of his Illustrations, &c. The truncheon has been broken off. At his feet the talbot. On the wall immediately above the effi- gies, is a plain slab which contains the long inscription given below, surrounded by a border, composed of shields of arms and military trophies alternately. The shields exhibited matches of the Earl's ancestry, but most of them have per- ished. Above is a grand shield of the arms and quarterings of the Earl, within the garter, viz., Talbot, old Talbot, Comyn, Valence, Montchensy, Montgomery, Strange, Nevil, Furnival, Lovetot, Verdon, and Lacy, with crest, supporters, and motto; and the whole surmounted by a lion sejant affrontee. The whole was once richly painted and gilt. Some parts of the inscription are become illegible. It was the composition of John Fox, the Martyrologist, whose first draught of it, with various corrections and alterations, in his own hand, now remains among his papers in the Har- leian library.* He has executed his task, as if the subject of his encomium was really numbered with the dead. Fox died three years before the Earl. In presenting this inscription to the reader it may be pro- per to state that the best authority has been followed, namely, a copy taken therefrom when it was new set up, among the collections of Mr. Wilson, compared with the monument itself in part, where the inscription is still legible. ' Christo opt. max. et. posteritati sacrum. In spem certamf futurae resurrectionis, illustriss. conditur hie heros Georgius Salopiee Comes, sui nobilissimi generis longa serie a Norraan- * Harl. MSS., 3/4, 3. Fox's papers came into Lord Oxford's possession, from Strype, the historian. t There are many epitaph authorities for this construction : as that of Sir Francis HARDWICK. 437 orum conquestu derivati, nullaq. unquara perfidiae labecula aspersi, Co- mitum ordine sextus, summus regni Mariscallus, a Talboto, Furnivall, Verdun, Lovetoft, Extraneoq. de Blackmere, honoribus amplissimis, Dominus insuper et Baro nuncupatus : Garteriani quoq. equestris ordinis sane praeclarissimi, sodalis dignissimus : Francisci Comitis unicus qui supererat filius et successor, omniumq. virtutum ex asse haeres. Qui quantum pacis belliq. artibus, omnibusq. corporis atq. animi dotibus eximiis eniti potuit, id omne, secundum pietatem in Deum, uni patriae, ejusq. principibus impendere solebat. Ut qui Maria? reginae temporibus, in Northumbriensis Comitis succursum, a patre turn super- stite ac belli duce primario, cum tribus armatorum millibus, ad Louvicum in Scotiam ire jussus, strenue summaq. cum laude bellicam illam praefec- turam administrarat. Pariq. cum laude, et non minore successu, paulo post Beruvicum hosti in occursum missus, quingentorum cataphractorum equitum cohorte stipatus fuit, concomitantibus Barone Graeio, strenuo equite Drureio, aliisq. rei militaris scientia peritissimis belliq. principatum turn gerente Westmario Comite. Deinde regnante Elizabetha Anglorum gemma, cum Scotorum Regina Maria preelio domi superata, in Angliam compulsa esset, atq. apud Scotici limitis prsefectum primum diverteret, donee in utriusq. regni perniciem, magna moliri est comperta, buic illustri Comiti tutius custodienda traditur, anno M.D.LXVIII. Quern penes honorifice ac splendide satis usq. annum M.D.LXXXIIII. per tria amplius lustra, hospitata, non sine magna ipsius hospitis impensa, curaq anxia vix exprimenda. Qui, divina providentia gubernante, in causa tarn ardua, cujus magnitude gravissima utilitas publica fuit, tarn laudate ac feliciter se gessit, eum virum fidelem non minus quam providum atq. prudentem, ipsa Invidia judicare debet. Quamq. semper ab omni suspicione perfidiae fuerat alienus, illud declarat, quod licet a malevolis propter suspectam cum captiva regina familiaritatem saepius mate audiret, cum tamen ejusdem regina? causa ex senatus regni consultu a proceribus in arce Fodringhaiensi cognoscenda esset, inter magnates qui reatus sui in testimonium ac vindictam admittendi erant, hunc nobiliss. comitem ser a Regina Elizabetha unum esse voluit ; illumq. post judicium latum, ejusdem sententiae transactorem constituit; dato ad hoc diplomate regio, magno sigillo Angliae communito. Ita vir iste genere clams, publicis bene gestis magistratibus clarior, domi ac foris clariss. illustriss. erga principem et patriam fidei et summi apud omnes honoris, quern ad fatalem maturae senectutis horam, sine fortunae ludibrio perduxerat, aeterno numini spiritum a quo acceperat, firma in Xtum fide placide et tranquille reddidit xvni. mensis Novem- bris anno Redemptoris Xti M.D.XC. Ex priore conjuge, D. Gertrude, Thomse Rotolandise Comitis nata, utriusq. sexus prolem suscepit egregiam : Franciscum scilicet primogeni- tum, eo superstite, e vivis sublatum: Gilbertura haeredem futurum ; Anderton, bart. in the church of the English Benedictines at Paris, i6;8 ; that of William Bassett, Esq., at Claverton, near Bath s and that of John, Duke of Lauderdale, 1682. So also the epitaph on Winslow, the anatomist, in the Museum of French Monumento, ' In spcm bcatic unmortalitatis.' HARDW1CK. Eduardum ; Henricum ; Catherinam Herbert! regulo copulatam, ac sine sobole extinctam : Mariam Georgio Savillo equiti disponsam : et Graceam Henrico Cavendichi equitis haeredi, nuptam. In the old copy which is here followed, the date of the Earl's death is not given. In the superscription it is added that ' the date could not be placed, but he departed this life 18 Nov. 1590.' Dugdale informs us, that in his time the date was wanting, and that the Earl prophetically foretold that his executors would not take care to supply it.* Perhaps it was added on public notice being taken of the omission in the Baronage." The great historical circumstance so long and so tena- ciously located to Hardwick new Hall, is, that it was one of the prisons of distressed and persecuted majesty ; and many are the sad tales of the persevering rigour of con- finement which the ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots, endured for the space of nearly thirteen years. It has been indis- putably proved, that Mary never was confined in, and rarely, if ever, present at either of the mansions known as Hard- wick Hall. And such is the invariable consequence of implicitly following traditional history, without the warrant of comparative dates, and of taking facts, merely upon trust. To combat opinions, even those partially received, is an un- pleasant task, and in this particular instance, a love of ac- curacy has prevailed. In the removals of Mary, the details of which have been collected principally from the letters of those to whose safe custody she was committed, and from other documents, there is no mention of Hardwick. The very few excursions she was allowed to make, during the entire period of her captivity, included no visit, of any duration, to this place. The Countess of Shrewsbury was at Hardwick, in 1577, several years before the present Hall was built, and she wrote to the Earl, intimating her wish that he would come to Hardwick, if the Queen would give him permission. During the Scottish Queen's captivity, the ancient Hall at Hardwick had been nearly dilapidated, by removing many * His relict, Elizabeth, countess of Shrewsbury, who is completely passed over in the epitaph, built her own monument in All Saints' church, Derby, in like distrust of her heirs. See page 432 ante. HARDWICK. 439 of its materials to Chatsworth,at which the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury frequently resided, and which she had rebuilt. After his decease, it contributed mainly to the formation of the new palace, which the far-famed Countess had begun in 1590, and finished in 1597; and which became her constant residence till her death, in 1607. It will be seen, that the present mansion was not even begun, till four years after the Queen's execution ;* and it may be safely conjectured, that upon her desertion of Chatsworth, the Countess appropriated apartments to receive all that peculiarly belonged to the unfortunate Queen. An apartment in the New Hall, was furnished with the Queen's bed, and contained many specimens of ingeniously wrought needlework, the sad employment of many a melancholy hour. Traditions which have been sanctioned by the belief of centuries, are parted from most unwillingly; they must, however, yield to chronology, and to historical investigation. In detecting the error, as to the confinement of Mary Queen of Scots, at Hardwick, there is no reasonable ground of offence given to those who have received and adopted a contrary opinion.^ The present Hall was erected by Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury, and appears to have been finished about the year 1587. It stands on an easy height, a few miles to the right of the road from Chesterfield to Mansfield, in a fine park, furnished with ancient and wide-spreading oaks, from which its towers of hoary grey rise with great majesty. In front of the principal entrance, the ground suddenly sinks to a darkly shadowed glade, and the view opens over part of the vale of Scarsdale, bounded by the wild mountains of the Peak. * Mary Queen of Scots, was executed in the great Hall of the Castle of Fotheringhay, February 8, 1587, in the forty-fifth year of her age. t Cardinal Wolsey is reported also to have passed a single night at Hardwick Hall. It was Kirkby-Hardwick, in Nottinghamshire, near Sutton in-Ashfield, which received the wearied and death-stricken statesman, then journeying so nearly to the period of his earthly pilgrimage. George, Earl of Shrewsbury, who lived in the reign of Henry the Eighth, had a large mansion, noticed by Leland, called Hardwick-upon-Line, about as far to the south of Mansfield, In Nottinghamshire, as the Hardwick in Derbyshire, so much more known, lies to the north-west. Both these mansions subsequently belonged to George, sixth Earl of Shrewsbury; and hence originated the mistake. Hunter's Wko wrote the Life of Cardinal Wolsey t 440 HARDWICK. The building is of stone, dug out of the hill on which it stands : it is of oblong form, and has six towers, each of which is ninety-six feet in height, both projecting from, and rising much higher than the body of the building. The sum- mits of these towers appear to be covered with lightly shivered fragments of battlements, but these are, in reality, perfectly carved open-work, in which the Countess's initials, E. S. frequently occur, underneath a coronet. The principal front comprehends two hundred and eighty feet in extent ; a colonnade runs along each side of the house, between two of the projecting towers. The mansion exhibits a most complete specimen of the domestic architec- ture which prevailed among the higher ranks, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In the front of the house, is a spacious and quadrangular court. The walls surrounding this court, are finished with openwork, of bands of carved and knotted stone, mounted at intervals, with quaint pyramidal ornaments. To authenticate the name of the architect who designed and superintended the work, has been, from the absence of proof, an unsuccessful task ; and we are assisted, only by comparison, in endeavouring to assign to it any particular professor. Gerard Christmas, John Thorpe, and the Smith- sons, father and son, who built Wollaton Hall, in the vi- cinity, present a probable claim to this monument of their professional talents. The best architects were usually em- ployed in the provinces in which they had gained their fame. These eminent men in their zenith, had been for nearly two centuries, eclipsed by the prevailing genius of Inigo Jones, and till the appearance of Horace Walpole's Anecdotes, were sunk in darkness and oblivion. Their works were too vast and magnificent not to command surprise, but their archi- tectural merit in the succeeding age, was neither understood nor admired. The intermediate period between the disuse of the Tudor, and the introduction of the Palladian style, was passed over with neglect, as far as any genuine infor- mation of either the architects, or their works, was concerned. There is a decided analogy in their plans. The general interior design, included massy carved chimney-pieces, reaching to the ceiling, like the sepulchral monuments of the age; and narrow passages, which led to grand apartments. HARDWICK. 441 At Hardwick, the furniture is in keeping with the house. A conceit prevailed of placing the initial letters of the founder, carved in an open parapet, to conceal the roof, and here the arms are added. Similar instances are to be found at Wol- laton, Temple Newsham, and Castle Ashby. The high wall of hewn stone, with large gateways surrounding the garden, exhibits similar ornaments.* On the east front of Hardwick Hall, there was formerly a most beautiful carved gateway : this was removed about forty or fifty years ago. A flight of steps, also, led from the house to the lawn. Colonnades, similar to those which now remain on the east and west fronts, formerly connected the angles of the building. Thomas Hobbes,-f- commonly called the Philosopher of Malmesbury, was patronised as a tutor by the Devonshire family, when only twenty years of age. He was almost con- stantly domesticated with them for seventy years, and may * Vitruvius Britannicus. t Of a person so much connected with Hardwick Hall, some account may not be deemed irrelevant, although his whole life and character differed so much from those of the illustrious personages already mentioned. The father of this eccentric scholar was a clergyman, resident at Malmesbury, in Wiltshire, where the subject of this short memoir was born, in the year 1588. In his early studies, under the master of the grammar-school in his native town, his pro- ficiency was so rapid, that before he was fifteen years of age, he translated the Medea of Euripides into elegant Latin verse. He was entered at Magdalen-Hall, Oxford, and obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts before he was nineteen ; and, in the following year, was recommended by the heads of his college to Lord Ca- vendish, of Hardwick, who was soon afterwards created Earl of Devonshire, as a person well qualified to act as a tutor to the young Lord Cavendish. Mr. Hobbes became the friend and companion of his pupil; and, in the year 1610, accompanied him in his travels through France and Italy. On his return, Mr. Hobbes enjoyed the society, and acquired the esteem of the lord chancellor Bacon, and of the eminent Lord Herbert, of Cherbury. Ben Jonson had so great an esteem for him, that he revised his translation of The History of Thucydides. While this work was preparing for the press, the Earl of Devonshire died, and shortly after, the second Earl, in whose service, as a tutor and secretary, Mr. Hobbes had spent twenty years. He was then in his fortieth year, and an offer being made him to accompany the son of Sir Gervase Clifton, he again went abroad, but was recalled to England by the solicitations of the Countess Dowager of Devonshire, who was desirous of placing under his tuition the young Earl, then in the th irteenth year of his age. In the year 1634, Mr. Hobbes accompanied his noble pupil to Paris and Italy, and returned to England in 1637. Here he continued to reside in that nobleman's family, and wrote Ills Latin poem on the Wonders of the Peak, which he published in quarto, under the title of De Mirabilitnu Pecci, Carmen. At the commencement of the civil war between the King and Parliament, Mr. Hobbes, who had rendered himself obnoxious to the popular party, by his conversation, retired to Paris, and became intimate with Des Cartes. It was in the year 1642 that he published his work De doe, which was the basis of his subsequent noted book, entitled Leviathan. He continued to reside at Paris, where he was recommended 56 442 HARDWICK. be considered as a kind of fixture to Hardwick Hall. At one period he was patronised by Charles the Second ; and he became the leader of a sect styled the Hobbists. His patron, the Earl of Devonshire, having removed from Chatsworth to Hardwick, Mr. Hobbes earnestly per- sisted in requesting, that he might be carried to the same to the Prince of Wales (afterwards Charles II.) as a mathematical and philosophical tutor. During a severe illness, with which he was attacked in the metropolis of France, his friend , father Mersenne, attemped his conversion to the catholic faith ; hut he told the worthy priest that he had debated all those matters in Ms own mind long before. In the year 1 850, he published a small treatise, in London, entitled Human Nature, which Mr. Addison pronounces to be his best work ; and in the next year appeared his: Leviathan, which displays immense learning and ingenuity, and with many sound and important observations on politics and government, contains notions that have been regarded as both paradoxical and dangerous. Upon its publication, the whole body of the English clergy took the alarm ; and the author was not only suspected to be inimical to the cause of revelation, but in politics to favour the cause of democracy. These sus- picions dissolved his connexion with Charles II. at Paris, and, according to Lord Clarendon, he was compelled secretly to effect his escape. On his return to his native country, he found a welcome asylum in the Devonshire family, and commonly passed his summers in Derbyshire, and his winters in London. On the Restoration of Charles II., Mr. Hobbes attended the Earl of Devonshire to court, where he was well received by that monarch, who admitted him to a private audience, ordered his portrait to be painted by an eminent artist, in order that it might be placed m the royal closet, and settled upon him a pension of 1001. per annum. His Leviathan was nevertheless censured by a vote of parliament. He enjoyed, however, the high estimation of the learned men and philosophers of all countries ; and among the foreigners of distinc- tion who visited him, was Cosmo de Medici, then Prince of Tuscany, who, having received his picture, and a complete collection of his writings, ordered them to be placed in the library of Florence. In the year 1672, Mr. Hobbes wrote his own life in Latin verse, when, as he observes, he had completed his eighty-fourth year. In this poem, he informs his readers, that when he retired to France, his whole fortune consisted of SOW. ; and he observes that, with the accession of a legacy of 200/., together with an annuity of 80/. a-year from his patron, the Earl of Devonshire, he could easily persuade himself, that neither Croesus nor Crassus were- richer than he. In 1674, he published a translation, m English verse, of four books of Homer's Odyssey, which were so well received by the public, that he was encouraged to undertake a version of the whole Iliad, and the remaining books of the Odyssey. This task (an astonishing labour for a man of eighty- seven) he completed, and published the work in 1675 ; and in less than ten years, it ran through three large editions. The versifi- cation is very bad, and there are trases throughout, of the carelessness or weakness of senility; but Mr. Pope, in his preface to his own translation, admits that the sense is in general correctly given. Mr. Hobbes continued, for four years longer, to employ himself in literary pursuits ; and in the year of his death, he sent his Behemoth, or a History of the Civil Wars, from 1640 to 1660, to an eminent bookseller, requesting that it might not be published until an interval of some years had elapsed. The work, however, made its appearance shortly after the decease of the author. He was about this time seized with a suppression of urine, and being informed by the physician, that the complaint would probably be fatal, he said, " 'Tis well I shall find a hole, at last, to creep out of the world at." Hobbes was a man of strong and capacious mind, and he had greatly enriched his na- tural powers by his acquired knowledge. He reasoned closely, but he had much in his early prejudices, and general habit of thinking, to overcome ; and it is manifest, that he permitted himself to yield slowly to the force of truth. Notwithstanding the devotion to high monarchical principles, with which he entered life, and which were fostered by the leading principles of the noble family in which he was so honourably domesticated, his great work, the lifi-Mthuu, insists determinately on the natural and political equality HARDWICK. 443 pi-ace, whither he was conveyed on a feather bed. He bore the journey without much inconvenience ; but in a few days afterwards, he lost the Use of speech, and of his right arm, from a paralytic attack ; and on December the 4th, 1679, he died in the ninety-second year of his age. He was buried in the adjoining parish church of Ault Hucknall. His epitaph, which is in Latin, recounts only plain facts. He of mankind, and contains sentiments, which, however qualified, are favourable to demo- cracy. If he is an adversary to the doctrines of revealed religion, he is an unwilling- one, and in his conduct he was a practical adherent to the established church, adopting her creed, and regularly communicating with her members. Ecclesiastical power rather than religion is the topic of his severest animadversions. Considering his position, and the times in which he lived, he did much, it must be confessed, towards the emancipation of the human mhul ; and if his two noble pupils did not catch his tone of ratiocination, he made, it is probable, a deep impression upon the sentiments of that illustrious family, which was seen in the conduct of the first Duke of Devonshire, at the period of the Revo- lution : nor will it ever be considered as the least honour of Hardwick and Chatsworth, 'that they were the seat of the lucubrations of Thomas Hobbes. St. Evremond, in one of his letters to Waller, dated from Chatsworth, details some interesting particulars of this extraordinary man. He says " I now write to you from the Earl of Devonshire's, where I have been this fortnight past, paying my devotions to the Genius of Nature. Nothing can be more romantic than this country except the region about Valois, and nothing can equal this place in beauty but the borders of the lake. " It was not, however, so much the desire of seeing natural curiosities that drew me 'hither : there is a certain moral curiosity under this roof which I have long wished to see, -and my Lord Devonshire had the goodness to indulge me by a very kind invitation : I need not tell you that I mean the great philosopher, Mr. Hobbes, so distinguished for the singularity of his sentiments and disposition. I arrived a little before dinner, notwith- standing which the Earl told me, he believed I was too late to see Mr. Hobbes that day. * As he does not think like other men,' said his Lordship, ' it is his opinion that he should not live like other men : I suppose he dined about two hours ago, and he is now shut up for the rest of the day ; your only time to see him is in the morning, but then he walks so fast up those hills, that unless you are mounted on one of my best hunters, you will not keep pace with him,' It was not long before I obtained an audience extraordinary of this literary potentate, whom I found like Jupiter, involved in clouds of his own raising. He was entrenched behind a battery of ten or twelve guns, charged with a stinking combus- tible, called tobacco. Two or three of these he had fired off, and replaced them in the same order. A fourth he levelled so mathematically against me, that I was hardly able to maintain my post, though I assumed the character and dignity of ambassador from the republic of letters. I am sorry for your republic,' said Hobbes, ' for if they send you to me In that capacity, they either want me or are afraid of me : men have but two motives for their applications interest and fear ; but the latter is in my opinion most predominant.' I told him that my commission extended no farther than to make him their compliments, and to enquire after his health. ' [f that be all,' said he, ' your republic does nothing more than negociate by the maxims of other states, that is, by hypocrisy : all men arc necessarily in a state of war, but all authors hate each other upon principle : for my part, I am at enmity with the whole corps, from the Bishop of Salisbury down to the bell-man : nay, 1 hate their writings as much as I do themselves : there is nothing so pernicious as reading ; it destroys all originality ol sentiment. My Lord Devonshire has more than ten thousand volumes in his house : I entreated his Lordship to lodge me as far as possible from that pestilential corner : I have but one book, and that is Euclid, but I begin to be tired of him ; I believe he has done more harm than good ; he has set fools a reasoning.' "There is one thing in Mr. Hobbes's conduct,' said Lord Devonshire, ' that I am unable to account for : he is always railing at books, yet always adding to their number. ' t write, my Lord,' answered Hobbes, ' to show the folly of writing. Were all the books in the world on board one vessel, I should feel a greater pleasure than Lucretius speaks ol In seeing the wreck.'' But should you feel no tenderness for your own productioiw f 444 IJARDWICK. was extremely desirous, that it should have been written at large, by some eminent scholar ; but he was par- ticularly pleased with one suggested to him, " Here lies the Philosopher's Stone." The following is the inscription on his tomb. Condita hie sunt ossa Thomae Hobbes, Malmesburiensis, qui per multos annos survivit duobus Devoniae Comitibus patri et filio. Vir pro- bus, et fama eruditionis domi forisque bene cognitus. Obiit anno Dom. 1679, mensis Decemb. die 4, set. suse 91. Translation : Here are deposited the bones of Thomas Hcbbes, of Malmesbury, who during many years, served two Earls of Devonshire, father and son. He was an honest man, and well known at home and abroad, by his reputation for learning. He died in the year of our Lord, 1679, on the fourth day of the month of December; and in the 91st year of his age. ' I care for nothing,' added he, ' but the Leviathan, and that might possibly escape by swimming.' ' " As he had frequently changed his political principles, I did not think it of conse- quence to enquire into his ideas of government ; but in the course of conversation I found that he looked upon the principal engine of administration to be Fear. ' All government,' said he, ' is in itself an evil : it is nothing but the continual imposition of terror, and infliction of punishment : it must be owned that it is an evil which the natural depravity of men has rendered necessary to the existence of society ; but still, it cannot in itself be looked upon with any other sensations than such as are excited by the view of its several instruments the scourge, the gibbet, and the jail the sight of majesty inspires me with no other ideas than such as arise when I see the lowest executioner of the civil power.' ' That is,' said Lord Devonshire, ' you have the same respect for the king as the hangman.' Pardon me, my Lord,' returned Hobbes, recollecting himself, ' the king is a very worthy gentleman : you know I had the honour of teaching him philosophy at Paris.' ' Oh, Mr. Hobbes,' replied his Lordship, ' in that respect your royal pupil does .you much honour.' " The following description of the person of Hobbes, it is presumed, will not be found uninteresting. " His head was of a mallet forme approved by the physiologers. His face not very great, ample forehead, yellowish reddish whiskers, which naturally turned up ; below, he was shaved close, except a little tip under his lip ; not but that nature would have afforded him a venerable beard, but being mostly of a pleasant and cheerful humour, he affected not at all austerity and gravity, and to look severe. He had a good eie, and that of a hazel colour, which was full of life and spirit, even to his last; when he was in dis- course, there shone (as it were) a bright live coal within it. He had two kinds of looks ; when he laught, was witty, and in a merry humour, one could scarce see his eies ; by and by, when he was serious and earnest, he opened his eies round his eie-lids ; he had middling eies, not very bigg, nor very little. He was six foote high, and something better, and went indifferently erect, or rather, considering his great age, very erect. He rose about seaven, had his breakfast of bread and butter, and tooke his walke, medi- tating till ten j then he did putt downe the minutes of his thoughts. His dinner was provided for him exactly by eleven. After dinner he took a pipe of tobacco, and then threw himself immediately on his bed, with his band off, and slept about halfe an houre ; in the afternoon he penned his morning thoughts. He died the 4th of December, 167P, aged 91." John Aubrey's Lives fif Eminent Men. HARDWICK. 445 Passing through the court on the west front (which has recently been converted into flower gardens and shrubberies,) we arrive at The Entrance Hall, Which is spacious, and hung with beautiful modern tapestry; representing a variety of subjects, from pictures by Rubens and other masters. The first object in this Entrance Hall, which attracts the notice of the visitors, is a Statue of Mary Queen of Scots, sculptured in Maltese stone, by Westmacott. The figure is a most beautiful work of art, is of the size of life, and stands on a stone pedestal, bearing an armorial es- cutcheon, under which is this inscription. Maria Regina Scotorum Nata 1542, A suis in exilium acta, 1568, Ab hospita neci data, 1587. A gallery, with a balustrade of oak, crosses the west end of the hall ; this gallery is supported by four pillars, which form a sort of vestibule to the entrance beneath. From this hall, ascending the North Staircase, we arrive at the apartments on the first floor, where, on turning to the right, is The Chapel. This is hung with tapestry, on which are painted several pieces of scrip- ture history, particularly the Conversion of Saint Paul ; the Punishment of Elymas the Sorcerer ; Paul pleading before Agrippa ; and the Shipwreck of Saint Paul at Melita. The chairs and cushions, and a very rich and curious cloth, thirty feet in length, with figures of saints under canopies, wrought in needle- work, are still preserved here. The Dining Room Is on the same floor. Over the chimney-piece is the following motto in gilt letters, on a black tablet : " The conclusion of all thinges is to fear God and keepe his commaundementes." Underneath is an Earl's coronet, surmounting the initials E. S., and the date 1597- This room is wainscotted with dark oak, in small panels. Several portraits are contained in this room, amongst which are the following. The Right Honourable Henry Pelham, chancellor of the exchequer. An oval head of Horatio, first Lord Walpole, brother of Sir Robert Walpole. An oval head of the Earl of Southampton, lord treasurer of England in the reign of Charles the Second. 446 HARDWICK. Mr. Richard Montague. Lord Clifford, of Londesborough, eldest son of the first Earl of Burlington. A door on the north side of this room opens into another Bed Room, Which is hung with very curious and ancient silk drapery, richly embossed with emblematic figures in gold and silver thread and orna- ments, representing Chastity, Lucretia, Constans, Arthemisia, Pietas, Perseverance, Penelope, and Patience. Over the fire-place, the arms of Cavendish, Shrewsbury, and Hard- wick are emblazoned. Returning through the Dining Room, we come to a door at the south- west corner, leading to the open gallery, which crosses the Entrance Hall, and communicates with The Drawing Room. This room is wainscotted about two-thirds of its height, with beautiful dark oak panels. Above this is tapestry, representing the story of Esther and King Ahasuerus. In this room are several portraits. Sir William Cavendish is repre- sented in a fur gown, with a small flat cap, a glove in his left hand, and a long pointed beard and whiskers. This portrait was taken in the forty- second year of his age. Charles James Fox. James Hare, Esq. Mr. Roper. Countess Spencer, mother of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. On the chimney-piece are the Hardwick arms, supported by two stags, and surmounted by an earl's coronet; under the arms is this inscription " Sanguine, cornu, corde, oculo, pede, cervus et aure Nobilis at claro ; pondere nobilior."* A small passage from a south door of this room, leads to another feffs ,*mlta lt;jd7A imn H] i>- rf?lfi.:.J Stjl TfifJ} J>iJlfv* !t , , | ^ ir { |J ,OtJ{iI IJ^{ ,. J| 8il> Vfililiolfi 9fiJ 00 .bhil JILr* f-.I lint A ?-mf above nine years, neither shall he hold it in court, but demise it by the licence of the steward, and it shall be enrolled in the court by making fine. Item. In all places of this manor, sokemen must repair and defend the mears and ditches, between them and the Lord our King. Item. If any make default, he shall be amerced by his Peers. Item. If any tenant will marry his daughter, out of his soke, and out of his custody, he shall give to the Lord our King, five shillings and fourpence for her redemption. Item. No sokemen of this manor ought to swear upon the holy Evangelists but at the two great courts, or by writ of right of our Lord the King, or for judging the death of a man which always must be deter- mined by twelve jurors and not otherwise, and all other complaints and pleas ought to be determined by six men of the court, which ought to be charged by their fidelity, made to our Lord the King, that they say the truth between parties. Item. They shall have common of pasture in all woods of our Lord the King, except in parks and closes which are livered at all times of the year, and that they hold not goods, or any thing that doth not yield agistment, upon pain to make fine to our Lord the King. Item. All gardens, tofts, crofts, and tenements in all places of this manor, are separable at all times of the year. Item. Sokemen shall have the nuts and acorns fallen upon the ground, for their hogs, so that no tenant, nor his servants, nor any other shall or do shake by force any nuts or acorns, and that have not agisted, and if they have done, the bailiff thereof shall have advantage in court, they shall be amerced at the lord's will, and the bailiff shall gather at his own will for his own profit, and afterwards the sokemen shall gather, for their hogs, nuts and acorns. Item. They shall have in the common woods of our Lord the King, thorns to burn and bake, and for their hedges when it shall be needful, and rods for their nursery uses, and dry wood, and wood blown down and riven up with the wind, as well within the land as without. Item. All sokemen ought to enter common together, with all the fields with their beasts, yearly, at the Feast of St. Martin, the Bishop, in winter, until the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, except in places separately sown, and no longer, except it be by consent of the bailiff of the court, and the sokemen. Item. It is lawful for sokemen to dig for sea coal, marl, and quarries to their proper uses, without the view and delivery of the bailiff of the foresters. Item. Sokemen must answer yearly to our Lord the King, all rents and perquisites of court, belonging to the aforesaid manor, for which the same and their heirs ought to have great timber for their buildings in the woods, so often as it shall be fit, without making waste, and at the will of the bailiff, and view of the foresters. Item. They shall have in the aforesaid woods, great timber for carts, wheels, yokes, ploughs, and chariots, at the bailiff's will and forester's view. BOLSOVER. Item. Sokemen may hunt and take hares, foxes, and fish in all places, out of the park and ponds of the mills, to their own proper use. Item. If any do draw blood, he shall pay to the Lord our King, five shillings and fourpence. Item. If any do draw sword or knife, doth make a fray, he shall forfeit the sword or knife, and shall pay two shillings. Item. Every foreigner, resident out of the manor, shall yearly give to the lord, a sickle boon in harvest. Item. That no tenant do carry any wood upon the court day, upon pain to make fine. Item. Every foreigner in all places, is first to be distrained, and if he make default, he shall be amerced, and if again he make default, his amercement shall be doubled, and so infinite after the first distringas. Item. As well tenants as foreigners, after the distringas shall be amerced to twopence, and if default be made again, the amerciament shall be doubled, and afterwards after the first distress until they appear. Item. All fines for suit of court, ought to be paid to the two great courts, or else he shall lose one penny for his negligence, and so from court to court, it shall increase until that be paid. Item. No heir nor tenant may give, bequeath, or alien his tenements, which he holds of the Lord our King, before he shall be of the age of fifteen years, and then he may will, give, or alien in open court, so that it be enrolled according to the custom of the manor, ratified, and es- tablished to remain for ever, saving that the next heirs may recover by writ of Right Close, according to the custom, when they shall see it expedient. Item. It shall be lawful for the bailiff of the court, for the time being, upon public proclamation in open court, to warn all and singular the tenants which do hold lands, tenements, or cottages, wasted of what sufficient distress cannot be found for the rents, and services due and accustomed to our Lord the King, there to do all services to our Lord the King, and those lands, tenements and cottages, so wasted, to seize in the lands of our Lord the King, and to demise to whomsoever at his will without cavil. Item. It shall be lawful for every bailiff, for the time being, to sur- render for term of life, or of years, or in fee simple, or in tail, tenements, cottages, and other places, of land wasted to be builded, which lie in the lands of our Lord, to hold of our Lord the King by such services, all such surrenders so taken to be enrolled in the court rolls that it may remain to the parties as a record for ever. Item. Every freeholder of the manor which is of full age and perfect memory, unless within five years next following after the death of his ancestor, he do come into the open court and make recompense to our Lord the King by what services he holds, then to demand his inheritance against the tenant of the land or tenements, let him be quit from all accounts of right and claim whatsoever. Item. If the husband of any woman will sell her or his own tene- ments, and the wife, in full court, or before the bailiff which holdeth the 464 BOLSOVER. court, will, upon her oath, in her husband's absence, confess that it is by her free will and mere from all account of right shall be barred for ever. Item. It shall be lawful for all tenants and officers, in the absence of the forester, to arrest axes within the woods, and other trespasses, and to present them. Item. Sokemen ought to do all their ground-works which belongeth to the mills, ponds, and houses, with all coverture and closure, saving the hurst, and the Lord shall find great timber and the mills, and the tenants shall do all carriages at their own proper charge and expenses in all places, and all tenants resident within this manor ought to grind at the said mills, allowing of mulcture the sixteenth part of all the grain which groweth within the soke aforesaid, and of the grain bought out of the soke they ought to mulcture the twentieth part of the grain, and to grind the same within the soke where they will or shall double the toll to the value of twelve pence for every quarter of grain ; and every tenant with his grain shall do suit to the mills, and shall leave his own corn at the mill, attending there by the space of six days, for default of water or over charge, upon pain of making fine at the will of the Lord, and if within the time aforesaid they cannot grind, then to go with their own elsewhere without any damage or fine. The Custom of Oxcroft, granted to the Tenants there at the will of our Lord the King, by his council. All tenants of Oxcroft are licensed to gather chips within Shuttle wood to burn, and to get fern in the same, but they shall not carry axes there. Item. It shall not be lawful for the lord of Oxcroft, nor his tenants to have in the aforesaid wood any cattle which will or may eat acorns, from the Feast of St. Michael until the Feast of St. Martin in winter. Item. That they pay to our Lord the King, for every beast there found, two shillings ; and if one be found all the tenants must pay at that time to our Lord the King two shillings. Item. Nevertheless, they shall have their swine in the aforesaid woods, all abroad and at large, for painage upon such condition, that all the tenants there do come in at the Feast of St. Martin, the Bishop, in winter, to the manor of our Lord the King, before the steward and constable of the castle, with all their swine, to declare upon their faith how much they will kill or sell, and how much they will detain for their lardery, without concealment ; if they kill or sell ten, they shall give to our Lord the King, one hog ; if nine, one hog ; if eight, one hog ; if seven, one hog ; if six, one hog ; if five, half a hog, or four shillings and fourpence ; if three, threepence ; if two, twopence ; if one, a penny : and if any refuse to do so, they shall be grievously amerced. And also they shall grind at the mill of our Lord the King, for the sixteenth part ; and shall willingly do all other works, as all other tenants of Bolsover have been accustomed to do ; and further, it is granted to the Lord of Oxcroft, that he and his heirs shall have, to their own proper use, BOLSOVER, 465 common on Shuttle-wood, and pasture for four oxen, two of his plough beast, and one hundred sheep, throughout the year, from the Feast of St. Martin, until the Feast of St. Michael, they shall have one hog with his, and if any other of his beasts be found there, they shall be attached, and remain until amends be made unto our Lord the King ; and more- over, they shall grind at the mill of our Lord the King, allowing the twentieth part of the grain, and it shall be next to him which he shall find in the mill, unless it be the King and his bailiffs, Bolsover was formerly celebrated for its manufacture of buckles and spurs, which was carried on to a considerable extent. These were made, in a very superior manner, of the best malleable iron, and then hardened on the surface only, that they might admit of a fine polish. The process of hardening used by the buckle-makers of Bolsover, is tech- nically termed case-hardening, and is well known amongst those who are connected with the manufacture of articles of steel and iron : to those who are not, it may be as well to intimate, that iron, properly so called, is incapable of receiving a very high polish : the buckles and spurs were therefore formed, and filed into shape, when in the state of iron only : the exterior surface was then converted into steel by a certain process, in which burnt bones, and ashes made from the leather of old shoes, were generally used : the manufactured article was now internally iron, and therefore not liable to be easily broken, but the exterior surface was converted into the purest steel, and fitted to receive the most brilliant polish, which can possibly be imparted to that beautiful metal. The test of their excellent temper, which is still traditionally reported in the neighbourhood, was, that though the wheel of a loaded cart should pass over a Bolsover buckle, the latter, in consequence of its elasticity, would not suffer any permanent alteration of its shape. The only manufacture now carried on at Bolsover, is that of tobacco-pipes. The inhabitants are almost entirely employed in agricultural pursuits. The land is considered good, and situated on magnesian limestone, of middling quality. The rents are moderate. Those farmers who are esteemed the best managers, pursue the following system of alternate husbandry. They lay down their land in fallow, every four or five years, and generally get a crop of turnips at the end of the fallow : they have then, in the first year 59 466 BOLSOVER. wheat ; in the second, clover ; in the third wheat again, and in the fourth oats. The land is chiefly arable. The commons were inclosed in 1780. The estimated annual value of all the land and buildings, is 4798/. 9s. The average parochial expenses, for seven years, is 7067. 12s. per annum. There are in this township several sick-clubs, male and female, consisting of about 320 members ; seven publichouses ; a Sunday school, belonging to the church establishment, at which about 160 scholars attend, supported by voluntary contribution ; an endowed parochial school; one Independent, and one Wesleyan- Methodist chapel. The water of Shuttlewood Spa, in the neighbourhood, is of the same nature as that of Harrowgate, but weaker : it has been used as a bath, and bears evident marks of antiquity. The manor of Bolsover (Belej*ovne) which had belonged to Leuric, was, at the time of the Domesday survey, held by Robert, under William Peverel, on whom it had been conferred, by William the Conqueror;* but no castle is mentioned in that record. " In Belesoure Leuric had three carucates of land to be taxed. Land to four ploughs. There are now two ploughs in the demesne, and four- teen villanes and bordars having four ploughs, and eight acres of meadow. Wood-pasture two miles long, and one broad. Value in king Edward's time 40s., now 60s. Robert holds it." Domesday Book. It is probable that the manor was afterwards held in demesne, and the first castle erected by William Peverel, but of this ancient fortress not a vestige now remains. The Peverel-road, as it is called, is yet in existence, though * In the partition of Derbyshire, Hugh de Ferrers, a distinguished officer and coun- cillor in the court of the Conqueror, had nearly a hundred manors in this county, and to William de Peverel, the natural son of the Conqueror, were given, together with the Peak Castle, twenty manors in Derbyshire, and extensive possessions in the adjoining county of Nottingham. Ralph Fitz Hubert is mentioned in the Domesday Book, as being in the possession of nearly thirty Derbyshire manors. The other proprietors in this county were Roger de Busli, Hugh, earl of Chester, Geoffry Alselin, Ascoit Musard, Walter Deincourt, Ralph de Buron, Nigel de Stratford, Roger de Poictou, Gilbert de Gand, Robert Fitz William and others; together with the monks of the abbey of Burton, and other ecclesi- astic establishments. The king retained the town of Derby, and about a hundred and twelve manors in his own hands. BOLSOVER. unfrequented ; it commences at Bolsover, and proceeds in the direction of South Wingfield, where the Peverels had another residence. William Peverel died about the seventh year of the reign of Stephen, 1142. William Peverel the younger, forfeited the manor and castle of Bolsover, together with his other estates and employments, to the crown, in the year 1153, the first of the reign of Henry the Second, in consequence of his having poisoned Ranulph, Earl of Chester, two years before.* It is at this time that we find the first account of a castle at Bolsover. Part of the demesnes of this William Peverel the younger, continued many years in the hands of Henry the Second, as appears by the sheriff's accounts ; but another part went to the criminal's daughter. In the year 1189, the first of the reign of Richard the First, it appears that this castle was vested in the crown, as the king gave it, with the manor, to his brother John, Earl of Mortaigne, on his marriage with the daughter and co-heir of the Earl of Gloucester. In the quarrel which afterwards ensued between Long- champ, bishop of Ely, and John, Earl of Mortaigne, during the absence of King Richard in the Holy Land, Bolsover castle was committed, by agreement, to Richard del Pec, if he was willing to receive it ; if not, this, as well as the Castle of the Peak, was to pass into the custody of Hugh de Nonant, bishop of Coventry. Richard, how- ever, accepted, and received forty pounds for the service at one time, from Geoffrey Fitz-Peter, one of the regents : more might be paid him after. As to the prelate, Hugh de Nonant, the order often went to the war in these times, and therefore it could not be thought out of character, that the custody of castles should be committed to them, or that they should be sheriffs of counties ; Hugh was a very bust- ling man, and suffered at last for confederating with Earl John. * The charge was, that he had conspired with others to effect this crime ; but the cause that instigated him to this diabolical act does not appear. Fearful that king Henry would avenge with severity the death of an eminent baron, attached to the interests of himself and his mother, Peverel fled to the monastery of Lenton, where he caused himself to be shorn as a monk ; but being apprized that Henry was returning that way from York, he quitted the monkish habit, and escaped out of the kingdom. 468 BOLSOVER. Whether John ever recovered these two castles in the life-time of kis brother Richard, is not known; but two years after his own accession, Geoffrey Luttrell was appointed one of the overseers of the expenditure of thirty pounds, for enclosing Bolsover park for the king 1 . In the sixth year of his reign, 1204, he granted the government of the castle to his great favourite, William Briwere, whom he also enriched with numerous and large possessions. In the ninth year of the same reign, Bryan de Lisle was constituted governor. During this troublesome reign, Bolsover castle, as well as the Castle of the Peak, were posts of consideration, which, by some means or other, now not known, had gone out of the king's disposal, and were kept against him by the disaffected barons, till the year 1215. They were then retaken by William de Ferrars, Earl of Derby, who raised troops for the King, and took them by assault; for which service he was appointed governor of both. In 1216, Bryan de Lisle received a mandate to fortify Bolsover Castle, and hold it against the rebellious barons; or if he could not make it tenable, to demolish it. It was not destroyed, but was rendered a place, or piece, as the term then was, of good defence and security. In the same year, the king appointed Gerard de Furni- val to make it his family residence, for the better preservation of the peace of the neighbouring districts. From this fact it appears, that the possession of this fortress not only contributed to the quiet of the country, but was furnished and inhabited. In the long and tumultuous reign of Henry the Third, Bolsover continued a fortress of great consequence. Soon after the accession of this king, William Ferrars, Earl of Derby, obtained new patents for the custody of the Castles of Peak and Bolsover, and retained the government of them about six years. In the seventh year of the reign of Henry the Third, Bryan de Lisle was reappointed. In the eighth year of the same reign, William Briwere held the situation of commandant, having been reappointed.* * It was while William de Briwere was castellan, that, a conference being: held with the barons, in the presence of the king, the archbishop of Canterbury urged the con- BOLSOVER. 469 In the same year, Robert de Lexington held the office of castellan ; but in the tenth year of that reign, he was commanded to give up the custody of Bolsover castle, to Robert de Tateshall. From the thirteenth to the seventeenth years of the reign of Henry the Third, Bryan de Lisle again held the castle ; and in that year it was, for a short time, in the hands of Hugh De Spencer. It was then governed by Gilbert de Segrave ; and afterwards, in the same year, by William Ferrars, Earl of Derby. In or about the year 1234, the manor and castle of Bols- over, were conferred, as an inheritance under the crown, upon John Scott, Earl of Chester; and he dying without issue, they passed to Ada, his fourth sister and co-heiress, who married Henry de Hastings, Lord Abergavenny. '" In the year 1243, the castle was resumed by the crown, an equivalent having been given to the possessor. Twelve years afterwards, the government of it was granted to Roger, son of Nigel de Lovetot, who at that time was sheriff of the counties of Derby and Nottingham. In 1301, in the thirtieth year of the reign of Edward the First, Ralph Pipard held Bolsover and Hareston castles for life. He died in 1308, the third year of Edward the Second. From this period, the third year of Edward the Second, to the nineteenth of Richard the Second, is an interval of about eighty-six years ; during which time it is not known who was governor. In the nineteenth year of the reign of Richard the Second, 1395, Sir Richard Stury had possession of the manor and castle of Bolsover, which he also held for life.* Here again is an interval of sixty years, during which period, nothing is known of the government of this castle. cession in full of the charter obtained during the preceding reign ; and upon this, William de Briwere, who was one of the king's council, stood up, and declared that " those liber- ties having been by force extorted ought not to be observed." The archbishop immediate ly replied, " William, if thou didst love the king, thou wouldst not be an impediment to the peace of the realm." The young king observing that the archbishop was much moved, said, " We have sworn that that they shall be observed, and we will keep our oath." * Esch. 19 Ric. II. The castle estate was then valued at 361. per annum, exclusive of profits of court, &c. Roger Leche and his son Philip are said to have succeeded Robert Litton as keepers of the manor of Bolsover, 3 Hen. V. 470 BOLSOVER. In the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Henry the Sixth, 1456, Edward of Hadham, Earl of Richmond, and father of Henry the Seventh, died possessed of the lordship of Hareston, and manor of Bolsover. The castle of Bolsover is not specifically named ; but there can be little doubt that the castle and the manor went together. A considerable interval is also here unaccounted for, namely, from the thirty-fifth of Henry the Sixth, to Febru- ary the 1st, in the fifth year of Henry the Eighth. King Henry the Eighth, in 1514, granted the Castles of Bolsover and Hareston, and the manor of Horseley, all in Derbyshire, (to be held with other manors and lordships, by the service of one knight's fee,) to Thomas Howard, on the day that he was created Duke of Norfolk. In the thirty-eighth year of this reign, on the attainder of the second Duke of Norfolk, the castle reverted to the crown, in the possession of which it remained until the reign of Edward the Sixth, who, in the fifth year of his reign, April 10, 1552, granted a lease of the manor of Bolsover, for fifty years, to Sir John Byron ; and two years afterwards, granted the same in fee-farm, to George Talbot, knight, Lord Talbot, and his heirs. On December 20, in the sixth year of James the First, 1608, Gilbert Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, his Countess Mary, "William Hammond, and Edward Linsell, granted a lease of the manor for one thousand years, to Sir Charles Cavendish, knight, for a rent of ten pounds per annum; and August 9, in the eleventh year of the same reign, 1613, the said Earl Gilbert, in consideration of a certain sum of money, sold the manor to Sir Charles, and the deed was enrolled in Chancery, August 20. At this time the old castle was in ruins, and it is probable that the remains of it were removed by Sir Charles Cavendish, who, the same year that he purchased the manor, began the foundation of the. present castellated mansion* at the north * An Almanack of 1613, in the possession of John Carter, of Bolsover, contains a MS. note, on the margin of page 30, which says, " Foundation of VoKnevie house at Bolsover begune to be layde." BOLSOVER. 471 end,* designing it evidently more for a place of abode than a fortification. In the early part of the civil war, the Earl of Newcastle being commander in chief of the King's forces for the nor- thern and midland counties, placed a garrison at Bolsover, under the command of Colonel Muschamp. The Earl was at Bolsover with his staff in the month of December, in 1643. The following account of its capture by the parliamentary forces, under Major-general Crawford, is given in a Par- liamentary Chronicle, published by Vicars, entitled the Burning Busli not Consumed. " Shortly after August 16, 1644, the noble Major-General having left Colonel Bright, a commander of my Lord Fairfax's, and a party of foot in the castle (Sheffield) by order from the most noble the Earl of Manchester, advanced towards Bolsover castle, about eight miles from Sheffield. It being another strong house of Marquesse Newcastle's, in Derbyshire, which was well manned with soldiers, and strengthened with great guns, one whereof carried eighteen pound bullets, others nine pound, and it had strong works about it ; yet this castle also, upon summons, was soon rendered up to my Lord's forces, upon fair and moderate articles granted to them. It pleased God to give us, in this castle of Bolsover, an hundred and twenty muskets, besides pikes, halberts, &c. Also one iron drake, some leaden bullets, two mortar pieces, some other drakes, nine barrels of powder, with a proportion of match, some victuals for our soldiers, and some plunder." The parliament, who had seized it on account of the de- linquency of itsnoble proprietor, William, Earl, and afterwards Duke of Newcastle, sold it, and a part of it was pulled down; but Sir Charles Cavendish, his younger brother, finding means to repurchase it of the parliamentarians, at an advanced price, prevented its total demolition. * Huntingdon Smithson, who was living at Bolsover in 1601, was the architect. A ground plan by him of the grand building, different from that which was afterwards executed -, another plan of the offices; and a third of the little house as he calls it, meaning the structure we are here speaking of; came into the family of Coke, of Broke-hill, having been pur- chased by the Rev. D'Ewes Coke, at Lord Byron's sale, 1778, or 1779- This architect died at Bolsover, Anno 1648, and was buried in the chancel ; and, to judge from the first of the above plans, the grand building must have been intended, and perhaps by Sir Charles, many years before it was begun. Indeed there was reason sufficient for post- poning it till after the Restoration. See a further account of Smithson in Mr. Walpole's Anecdote*, vol. U, p. 59., ed. 3. He is there by mistake called John. 472 BOLSOVER. After the Restoration of Charles the Second to his throne, and himself to his shattered and broken fortunes, the Duke repaired Bolsover castle, and occasionally resided there during the latter part of his life. Henry, the second Duke of Newcastle, often resided at Bolsover ; and others of this branch of the noble family of Cavendish lived there. The estates have since devolved from that family, through those of Holies, and Harley, to the present noble owner, William Henry Cavendish Bentinck, Duke of Portland. The following memoir of this branch of the Cavendish family may prove acceptable to our readers. Sir Charles Cavendish, knight, was the third son of Sir William Cavendish, and Elizabeth of Hardwick. He was educated with the sons of George, Earl of Shrewsbury, and an intimate friendship subsisted between them during their lives. He went early into the service of his country, and had the command of a regiment in 1578. In 1582, he received the honor of knighthood, from Queen Elizabeth ; in the 35th, 39th, and 43rd years of her reign, he was member of parliament for the county of Nottingham. He was reputed to be the first master of the age, in the arts of horsemanship and weapons. He purchased the fee of Bolsover castle, in 1613, of the crown; and having rebuilt it, he made it his residence, and died there, April 4, 1617, two years after its completion. He married first, Margaret, eldest daughter and co-heir of Sir Thomas Kitson, of Hengrave, in Suffolk. His second wife was Catherine, daughter and co-heir of Cuthbert Lord Ogle, (who was de- clared in 1628, Baroness Ogle, in her own right) : by this marriage he had three sons, Charles, (who died an infant) ; William, who became Duke of Newcastle ; and Charles, who afterwards purchased Bolsover of the Commonwealth. William Cavendish was born in 1592. After his education, he en- tered a student at St. John's College, Cambridge ; but delighting more in sports, than in books, and being a man of the world, his father suffered him to follow his own genius, and had him instructed in the arts of horsemanship and weapons. He was made knight of the Bath, with Henry Vere, Earl of Oxford, at the creation of the Prince of Wales, in 1610. He set out on his travels soon after, under the care of Sir Henry Wotton, ambassador extraordinary to the Duke of Savoy. On his return to England, he was much favoured by Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury, who made him his executor, though at that time he was only twenty-three years of age. In 1619, King James honoured him with a visit at his seat at Welbeck, where he was entertained with the greatest magnificence. He was created a Baron of the realm, in 1620, by the title of Lord Ogle ; and subsequently made Viscount Mansfield, during the same reign. In the third year of Charles the First, his lord- BOLSOVER. 473 ship was advanced to the dignity of Baron Cavendish, of Bolsover, and Earl of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. In 1633, his Majesty, making his pro- gress into Scotland, to be solemnly crowned, did him the honour of calling at Welbeck,* where the King and court were received in such a * The first of the masques prepared by Ben Jonson, is entitled Love's Welcome. The King's Entertainment at Welbeck, in Nottinghamshire, a House of the Right Honourable William, Earl of Newcastle, Viscount Mansfield, Baron of Bothal and Bols- over, $c. at his going into Scotland, 1633. Gifford, in his edition of Jonson's Works, says, " The object was merely to introduce, in a kind of anti-masque, a course of Quintain, performed by the gentlemen of the county, neighbours to this great Earl, in the guise of rustics, in which much awkwardness was affected, and much real dexterity probably shown". The game or diversion of Quintain is thus described by Dr. Kennet: "They set up a post perpendicularly in the ground, and then placed a slender piece of timber on the top of it, on a spindle, with a board nailed to it on one end and a bag of sand on the other. Against this board they rode with spears. Dr. Plot writes that he sawitatDed- dington, in Oxfordshire, where only strong staves were used; which, violently bringing about the bag of sand, if they made not good speed away, it struck them on the neck and shoulders, and sometimes perhaps knocked them off their horses." The entertainment is, for the most part, quaint and ludicrous ; and the contest at Quintain is given in honour of the union of the Lord- Lieutenancy of the two counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, in the person of the Earl of Newcastle. This union is represented by a marriage, Bold Stub, of Sherwood, and Pern, the daughter of Father Fitz- Ale, herald of Derby. From the introductory part we quote the following verses : " We come with our peers, And crave your ears, To present a wedding, Intended a bedding Of both the shires. Father Fitz-Ale Hath a daughter stale In Derby town, Known up and down For a great antiquity : And Pern she hight, A solemn wight As you should meet In any street In that ubiquity. Her he hath brought, As having sought, By many a draught Of ale and craft, With skill to graft In some old stock Of the yeoman block, And forest blood Of old Sherwood. And he hath found Within the ground. At last, no shrimp, Whereon to imp His jolly club ; But a bold Stub O' the right wood, A champion good, Who here in place Presents himself, Like doughty elf Of Greenwood chase." The combatants, or rather, riders at the Quintain, are named Red-hood, Bltre-hood, Tawny-hood, Motley-hood, and Russet-hood. It is probable that in thee character* 60 474 BOLSOVER. manner, and with such excess of feasting, as had scarcely ever been known in England. In 1634, he made a grand entertainment at Bols- over, for the King and Queen, resigning Welbeck for their Majesties* lodgings. He spared neither industry nor cost, to add splendour to his entertainment, and employed Ben Jonson, the celebrated poet, in fitting such scenes and speeches as were proper for the occasion.* He also sent for all the gentry of the country to wait on their Majesties ; and omitted nothing that was worthy of their royal acceptance. The expense of this entertainment amounted to above 14,000 ; the table- linen on this occasion, is said to have cost 160. In the year 1638, his Majesty called him to court, and intrusted him with the government of his son Charles, then Prince of Wales ; and at the same time swore him of his privy council. In 1639, when an army was to be raised to reduce some general allusion was intended to the parties into which the politics of the state were then divided; but we will not pretend to decipher these mummeries, although we may venture to surmise, that by Tawny -hood is meant the Presbyterians, or the Puritans. Tawny -hood's course (at the Quintain.) Well run, Tawny, the abbot's churl, His jade gave him a jerk, As he would have his rider hurl His hood after the kirk. But he was wiser, and well beheft, For this is all that he hath left. The piece concludes with an eulogium on Charles, in blank- verse, from which we extract the following fine passage, the very flattery of which ought to have taught the unhappy monarch what he ought to have been. " such a king As men would wish, that knew not how to hope His like, but seeing him ! A prince, that's law Unto himself; is good for goodness' sake. '' ' T j And so becomes the rule unto his subjects ! That studies not to seem or to show great, But be : not drest for other's eyes and ears, With visors and false rumours, but make fame Wait on his actions, and thence speak his name.' Glover's History of Derbyshire. * The masque performed, the next year (30th July, I634J at Bolsover, at the grant! entertainment before King Charles and his Queen, was entitled Love's Welcome. This little piece seems to be given very imperfectly in the works of its eminent author. It commences with a piece, sung "by two tenors and a bass," while the king and queen sat at the banquet. After the banquet, their Majesties were entertained with dialogues and dances of mechanics, in which Ben Jonson vents his spleen against Inigo Jones, the architect, whom he introduces under the appellation of Colonel Vitruvius. A second banquet was then set down before the king and queen " from the clouds by two Loves, Eros and Anteros : one as the king's, the other as the queen's, differenced by their garlands only : his of white and red roses, the other of lilies interwoven, gold, silver, purple, &c. with a bough of palm in his hand, cleft a little at the top : they were both armed and and winged ; with bows and quivers, cassocks, breeches, buskins, gloves and perukes alike. They stood silent awhile, wondering at one another, till at last the lesser of them ( Eros) began to speak." Their conversation, which is fantastical and meta- physical, is in rhyme ; and is interrupted by Philalethes, who tells them, that should they swear to these refined reasons and proportions of the affections, they "would hardly get credit above a fable, here, in the edge of Derbyshire, the regions of ale." The same character concludes the masque with a complimentary address to their Majesties in prose, Glover's History of Derbyshire. BOLSOVER. 475 Ithe malcontents in Scotland, and, the treasury being exhausted, a supply was desired of the richest and noblest of his loyal subjects in England, his lordship lent his Majesty 10,000, and raised himself a volunteer troop of horse, of one hundred and twenty gentleman of quality, pos- sessing estates varying from 500 to 2,000 per annum. These gentlemen were all gallantly armed and mounted, and well attended with their own servants, without charge to the king,* In 1641, he was made steward and warden of the forest of Sherwood, and of the park of Folewood, in the county of Nottingham, for life. Having attended the Prince for three years, and finding that the house of commons were resolved to remove all persons who filled any office or place, which they designed for their own party, he determined to retire from court At the beginning of the contest between the King and parliament, his lordship fortified and garrisoned the town of Newcastle, Bolsover, and other places, for his majesty's service. Ever active in the cause of his sovereign, his lordship obtained considerable advantages over the parliamentary troops at Gainsborough, in Lincolnshire, and at Chester- field, besides numerous important successes at various places in York- shire; particularly at Bradford, where he discomfited the principal northern division of the enemy's forces, and took twenty-two great guns, and many stands of colours. On account of his eminent services, he was, by letters patent, bearing date at Oxford, October 27, in the 1 9th year of Charles the First, advanced to the dignity of Marquis of New- castle. "When the King's affairs had grown desperate, his lordship retired to the continent, and resided chiefly at Antwerp, till the Restoration; after which he returned to England, where, in 1665, he was created Earl of Ogle, and Duke of Newcastle. His Grace was dis- tinguished by the epithet of the Loyal Duke of Newcastle, and was privy councillor to both the Charleses. About this period he withdrew from public life, spending his time chiefly in the country, "pleasing himself," as the Duchess, in the Life of her husband, expresses herself, " in the management of some few horses, and exercising himself wilh the use of the sword, which two arts he hath brought, by his studious thoughts, rational experience, and industrious practice, to an absolute perfection." The noble Duke had been long celebrated for his eminent skill in the menage, in which, at the time that he was governor to Prince Charles, (afterwards Charles the Second,) he had instructed his royal pupil. During his residence in Antwerp, he published his celebrated work on horsemanship. A second edition was published in England, in 1667. When he had tried by a course of law to keep, or recover what had * This was called the Prince of Wales's troop. This body of horse having: been ordered into Scotland, his lordship sent Sir William Carneby, to the Earl of Holland, general of the horse, to know what appointment he had for his troop, requesting that it might have some precedence ; which being refused, as he thought it improper to dispute the affair at that time, he commanded his cornet to take his Prince's colours from the staff and march in the place appointed. The Earl of Holland having made complaint to the King, his Majesty commended his lordship's prudence ; and ordered that his troop should, \n future, be commanded by none but himself. 476 BOLSOVER. belonged to him before the civil war, he cast up the sum of his debts, set out several parts of his lands for the payment of them, and sold some in Derbyshire, to purchase the Castle of Nottingham, which was then nearly demolished ; but being a seat which his father was pleased with, he resolved to buy it, since it was to be sold. He commenced the rebuilding of it, when he was eighty-two years of age ; and lived to see it raised one yard from the ground. His two houses of Welbeck and Bolsover were much out of repair ; and of the latter, one half was pulled down. He was possessed of eight parks before the civil wars, all of which, excepting that of Welbeck, were quite destroyed. Yet he managed his affairs so prudently, that he not only paid his debts, and repaired his houses, but at length made some additional building to his seat at Bolsover, and stocked and paled a park belonging to the castle of Nottingham. By a particular of his estate surveyed in 1641, it appears that he had in Nottinghamshire, 6229?. 7*. lid. per annum; in Lincolnshire, lOOl. per annum; in Derbyshire, 6128?. 1 1 s. per annum ;* in Staffordshire, 2349?. 17*. 4e?. per annum ; in Gloucestershire, 1581?. 19*. 2d. per annum; in Somersetshire, 13031. 13*. lOd. per annum; in Yorkshire, IfOOl. per annum ; in Northumberland, the Baronies of Bothal, Ogle, and Happall, with the manor lands, &c., 30001. per annum ; total, 22,393?. 9*. 3d. His pecuniary losses are computed by his Duchess, at 941,303?., of which the following are the particulars : the loss of his estate in the civil wars, and of his banishment, amounted, with interest, to 403,083?; his lands lost, were 20 15?. per annum ; and those lost in reversion, were 3214?. per annum. For the payment of his debts, he sold to the value of 56,000?. ; and his woods which were cut down, were valued at 45,000?. Total, 941,303?. * The following is a rental of the Marquess of Newcastle's estates, in this county, in 1641. s. d. The barony of Bolsover and Woodthorpe 846 811 The manor of Chesterfield 378 The manor of Barlow 796 17 6 Tissington 159 11 Dronfield 486 15 10 The manor of Brampton 142 4 8 Little Longstone 87 2 o The manor of Stoke 212 3 o Birth Hall, and Peak Forest 131 8 o The manor of Grindlow 1 56 8 The manor of Hucklow 16210 8 The manor of Blackwall 306 4 Buxton and Tidshall 153 2 Mansfield Park 100 Mappleton and Thorpe 207 5 The manor of Windley-hill 23818 The manor of Litchurch and Mackworth 713 15 1 Church and Meynell Langley manor 850 1 11 The "Life of the Duke, by the Duchess, page 97, states the amount of all his estates, at that time, to be 22,393/., of which 6,229;. lay in the county of Nottingham : and 234Q/. in the county of Stafford. BOLSOVKR. 477 Both the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle found great resources in literary pursuits : they were both dramatic writers and poets. The Duchess's printed works, which were chiefly philosophical, fill ten folio volumes, and she left three more in manuscript ! Her printed works are become rare, and few of them would afford amusement to readers of the present day, except her Life of the Duke. His Grace passed twenty-six years in his retreats, in hospitality and splendour ; and having, by virtue and temperance, attained the great age of eighty-four, died full of honours, December 25, 1676. His Grace was twice married. His first wife was Elizabeth, the daughter and sole heiress of William Bassett, of Blore, in the county of Stafford, and of Langley, in the county of Derby, (relict of the Honourable Henry Howard, third son of the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire) by whom he had issue, four sons and three daughters. His second was Margaret, daughter of Sir Charles Lucas, one of the maids of honour to Henrietta, queen of England, whom she accompanied to Paris during the troubles in this country, where the Earl of Newcastle espoused her in 1645. She died three years before her illustrious consort, leaving among her works, as an authoress, many volumes of Poems and Plays, and the Life of the noble Duke. The second Duke of Newcastle was Henry Cavendish, the fourth, and only surviving son of his father. His Grace completed Nottingham Castle in 1679: he was a privy councillor to James the Second ; but on the accession of William the Third, disapproving of the principles of the Revo- lution, he retired from public life, and died at Welbeck in 1691. This noble- man married Frances, grand-daughter of the Earl of Kingston; but his only son dying during his life- time, the title became extinct. His third daughter, Margaret, had espoused John Holies, Earl of Clare, who was created Duke of Newcastle in 1694; and became possessed of Bolsover castle, &c. He died at Welbeck, in consequence of a fall from his horse, on the 15th of July, 1711, without male issue, and the title again became extinct. His Lordship left an only daughter and heiress, Lady Henrietta Cavendish Holies, who married Edward Harley, the second Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, whose only daughter and heiress, married William Bentinck, the second Duke of Portland, and brought Bolsover and other estates to that nobleman.* * The following is the lineage of the Bentinck family, which we copy from Glovci's History of Derbyshire. " This family is of eminent Dutch descent, and possessed estates at Diepenham, in Over-Yssel. William Bentinck, the son of Henry Bentinck, Lord of Diepenham. attended William, Prince of Orange, to England, in 1668, as his first page of honour, and confi- dential secretary. On the accession of his royal master, he became privy-councillor, groom of the stole, and first gentleman of the bed-chamber. On the Qth of April, in the following year, he was called to the English House of Peers, by the titles of Baron Cii cester, Viscount Woodstock, and Earl of Portland. He commanded the Dutch icgimcnt of horse-guards, and was lieutenant-general at the battle of the Boyne. In ifxj; was honoured with the order of the garter. His lordship was a man of valour and talcn devoted to the principles and interests of the promoters of the great revolution, he himself attached to the liberties of the country that had adopted him. married first, Anne, daughter of Sir Edward Villicrs, knight marshal, and si; 478 BOLSOVER. " The best view of Bolsover castle" says Mr. Rhodes, in his Peak Scenery, " is from the road, on the north-east en- trance into the town, from a place called Iron Cliff. From the Chesterfield road below, a good view of the whole struc- ture may be obtained, but the almost total want of majestic trees and luxuriant foliage, renders it but an indifferent subject for the pencil". The most picturesque view of it which we have ever seen, is that of Mr. Radclyffe, which was expressly taken for this work. " A broad terrace commences at the northern extremity of Bolsover castle, and extends along the whole front of the building; it then sweeps round the southern side of the village, and inclines towards the east. On the right border of this terrace, four watch-towers yet remain ; they stand on the brow of a natural rocky rampart, that terminates against the ridge of hill, along which", says Mr. Rhodes, " we had just passed in our walk from Hardwick, through Glapwell and Palterton. Where this junction takes place, an artificial rampart, with a deep ditch commences; and Earl of Jersey, by whom he had three sons and five daughters; and secondly, Jane, Lady Dowager Berkeley, sixth daughter of Sir John Temple, bart., of East Sheen, by whom he had two sons and four daughters. The Earl was high in the favour, and con- stant in the service of king William, both in the council and in the field, and, after taking a leading part in all the wars at that time, closed an active and honourable life on the 23rd of November, 1709, and was succeeded by his eldest son. Henry, second Earl, was created Marquess of Tichfield, and Duke of Portland, on the 6th of July, 1716. His Grace married, in 1704, Lady Elizabeth Noel, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Wriothesley Baptist, Earl of Gainsborough, by whom he had issue William, second Duke, George, a colonel of foot, Anne, and Isabella. His Grace was captain-general and governor of the island of Jamaica, and died there on the 4th of July, 1726, in the 45th year of his age. The second Duke, William, eldest son of the former, added to the possessions of the family, the castle and lordship of Bolsover and other estates of Derbyshire, by his marriage with Lady Margaret Cavendish Harley, the daughter of Edward Harley, the second Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, and who was by her mother, Henrietta Cavendish Holies, the sole representative of the Newcastle branch of the Cavendish family, the titular honours of which had become extinct in 1711. The third Duke of Portland was also the eldest son of his father, to whose honours he succeeded in 1/62. His Grace took a considerable share in the political affairs during the long and interesting reign of George III., and was twice at the head of the administration. The present Duke, the fourth who has possessed the title, succeeded his father in 1809 : his name and titles are William Henry Cavendish Scott Bentinck, F. R. S. and S.A., Duke of Portland, Marquess of Tichfield, in the county of Southampton ; Earl of Portland, in the county of Dorset ; Viscount Woodstock, of Woodstock, in the county of Oxford ; and Baron Cirencester, of Cirencester, in the county of Gloucester. His Grace was born 24th of June, 1/68, and married 4th of August, 1/95. His Grace is Lord Lieutenant of the county of Middlesex, and one of the trustees of the British Museum. As an agriculturist his Grace has dis- tinguished himself by con verting wastes intofertile enclosures ; and by giving employment to the labourer, he has at once improved his estates and benefitted his country. William Henry, Marquis of Tichfield, his Grace's eldest son, died on the 4th of March, 1824, in the 28th year of his age, greatly lamented ; and William John, the second son is now Marquess of Tichfield." BOLSOVER. 479 spans the other half of Bolsover, from the south to the north-east." The castle is situated on the brow of a steep hill, at the north-west end of the town, and consists of two detached buildings ; one of these, which indeed may properly be called the castle, is a square castellated mansion, with turrets, and a tower of larger dimensions, at the north-east corner. From the great elevation of this building, it serves as a land-mark for the surrounding country, and commands a very extensive prospect. The foundation of the mansion was laid by Sir Charles Cavendish, in 1613. Huntingdon Smithson*, as we have already observed, (p. 471.) was the architect. The interior of this portion of Bolsover castle, exhibits a curious specimen of the domestic arrangements, and ac- commodations of the age when it was built. The rooms are small, and the walls are wainscotted, and fancifully inlaid and painted. The ceilings of the best apartments are carved and gilt, and the floors are, with only one exception, of plaster. Upon passing through some large gates, observes a writer in a work called the Topographer, " we soon enter upon the noble terrace, high raised by nature and by art, that forms the western side, and overlooking a fruitful valley, commands the park and seat of Sutton, and a rich circle of country. Along this terrace stands the range of building, now reduced to a shell, built by the Duke of Newcastle. Passing this, we come to the house built by his father. A broad flight of steps leads to the entrance, on each side of which are porters' lodges. Having passed these, we enter into a high enclosed paved court, where a regular front * It is understood that he furnished the designs for Bolsover castle, but did not live to witness its erection. He collected his materials from Italy, whither he was sent by the Duke of Newcastle, for the purpose. In the chancel of the church, there is a poetic inscription to his memory, in which his skill in architecture is a principal feature. Walpole says, that " many of his drawing? were purchased by the late Lord Byron, from his descendants, who lived at Bolsover:" hence it appears that he was a man of considerable eminence in his profession. The immense pile of building: that his genius contributed to produce, is gradually, though slowly, wearing: away. Trees now grow in some of the apartments, and the ivy creeps along the walls ; but there is nothing strikingly picturesque in any part of the structure, which is now in ruins. 480 BOLSOVER. presents itself, in the form somewhat of the letter E ; viz. two small wings, and a lesser in the centre ; in the latter is the porch, and over the door is a kneeling figure of a Hercules, who supports on his shoulders a heavy balcony ; two lions, sculptured in stone, stand by his side ; above are the arms of Cavendish, and a coronet; and through it a passage leads to the hall, which is not large, but perfectly consonant with the building, being supported in the centre by two pillars, from whence, and from brackets on the side of the wall, issue the ramifications of the ribbed roof. In the hall, there are some old portraits of little or no value, and the labours of Hercules are painted in different com- partments. Here is a polished marble slab, and an old oak table, with gilt edges ' Perforated sore, And drilled in holes, the solid oak is found, By worms voracious, eaten through and through.' From the hall, through an ante -room, is the entry into the dining room, now called the drawing room, a name it has recently assumed in place of the pillar parlour, by which designation it was formerly known. A circular column of stone, in the centre of the room, supports the ceiling, similar to that in the hall ; round this pillar is the dining-table ; the walls are wainscotted, and richly ornamented with many old- fashioned devices, partly gilt, in the manner of James the First's time. Emblematical representations of the five senses, all very indifferently painted, occupy various com- partments round the top part of the room. The windows are formed and fashioned to correspond with the interior decorations ; the views from the windows, are extensive and pleasing ; the chimney-piece of this room is very shewy and expensive, (as indeed are those in all the rooms, even the bed-chambers,) and as elegant as the ponderous, (yet surely magnificent ones,) in this reign could be. The staircase is of stone, somewhat in the castle style, though not circular. Above stairs is a noble room, called the star-chamber, rich in all the ornaments of the day, carved and gilt, with painted wainscot, a deep cornice adorned with arms, a rich chimney- piece, fine old furniture, and numerous windows, from whence are varied, and almost boundless prospects ; the walls BOLSOVER. 481 are decorated with the portraits of twelve Roman Emperors.* The many bed-chambers, and other apartments, are all of the same date and taste, but few have any remaining furni- ture, -f- A long- and narrow flight of steps leads to the roof, which is of lead, from whence the view is nearly boundless. " From houses, singular like this, the mind is furnished with new ideas, the imagery and fashion of past ages crowd upon the fancy, and the most pleasing of our intellectual faculties are gratified with a delightful prospect. " At the head of the first staircase, a door opens to the garden wall, which is very broad. It is wide enough to allow three or four persons to walk a-breast." In the passage, on a pillar under the dome, are these lines, supposed, by Mr. Glover, to have been written by the Rev. W. Tinsley, the late vicar of Bolsover, who resided at the castle. " Let not each conceited fribble, Whose fingers itch his name to scribble, Dare to pollute these time-tried walls : Bethink thee, how have passed thy fleeting days ? If void of honour undeserving praise : On thee nor time, nor fame has calls ; Unnoticed mayst thou live unnoticed die, As weeds that spring, weeds only to supply, " But you ! ye nobly great ! ye truly wise ! Though virtue, and not fame, you prize, Find here fit tablet for a deathless name : This pile, like you, may well defy Each storm that howls along the sky : Its base remains the same, And proudly on its native rock Shall long resist the tempest's shock." The fountain at Bolsover is situated in a small garden adjoining the old house, or what used to be called "the little house," at Bolsover. It stands in an octagonal reservoir, six feet deep, which received the water from the images and heads, placed in the angles and sides. Four of these figures * The twelve Caesars. t A considerable change has taken place in the interior of the inhabited part of the castle, since it became the residence of the Kev. J. H. Gray, A.M., the present incumbent of Bolsover; who has fitted it up with great taste, and converted it into a commodious and comfortable habitation. % * ' 6l 482 BOLSOVER. represent griffins, standing upon semicircular pedestals : they are made of stone, and well executed. In the other four angles are figiircs of satyrs, sitting astride on birds, pro- bably eagles : but they are now so mutilated, that their pre- cise shape is not to be made out. On the sides are arched niches, in which are busts of eight of the Roman Emperors, made of alabaster. In the centre, is a square rusticated pedestal, with ornaments projecting from the angles. To- wards the middle, is a cistern which was to receive the water from the masks on the sides of the pedestals, through which pipes are conveyed : the sides of this cistern are ornamented with good sculpture : in the centre is a marquess's coronet, over the Cavendish crest : on each side of it hangs a bunch of fruit, at which two birds are picking : at the corners are heads of eagles, which formerly spouted out water : on the top of the pedestal is a statue of Venus, in alabaster ; she has wet drapery in her hand, with one foot on a kind of step, iu tbe act of getting out of a bath. The water that supplied this curious fountain, was brought by pipes from a spring, about two hundred yards north of the garden, which filled a leaden cistern adjoining to the garden wall, whence it was conveyed by pipes into the fountain. There have been various opinions concerning the date of tbe magnificent range of buildings, which extends along the grand terrace, and is now unroofed, and in a dilapidated state. Mr. Bray was of opinion, that tbe apartments in these buildings were fitted up for the royal visits before mentioned. Dr. Pegge, on the contrary, supposes this building to have been erected some time after the Restoration. Lord Orford, who was of the same opinion, with respect to its having been constructed after the Restoration, suggests that it might have been built from designs prepared before the civil war, by Smithson, who died in 1648. The date of Diepenbeck's view of Bolsover (1652) decides the point, that the building in question was erected before the Restoration. It is equally certain that it must have been erected before the civil wars, indeed before the royal visit already mentioned ; it being im- practicable, that the King and Queen, with their court, and " all the gentry of the country," could have been enter- tained in the mansion already described. Indeed, from the BOLSOVER. 483 cursory manner in which the Duchess, in the Life of her husband, speaks of the additions made by him to Bolsover castle, we think it a more probable conjecture, that the great range of building, now in ruins, was built, by his father, as well as the mansion which is still habitable. The Duke's additions probably consisted of the spacious riding- house ; the smithy ; and other appendages, connected with his favourite amusement. In confirmation of the opinion, that these magnificent buildings were erected before the commencement of the civil wars, it may be added, that upon a stone in the building, on. the west side, towards the end of the castellated mansion, is engraven, " H. S. 1629," meaning, no doubt, Huntingdon Smithson, the architect. On another stone near to this is also engraven, " G. D. 1629." These dates, not being in a conspicuous situation, have escaped general observation, They were pointed out to me, says the Rev. George Hall, by an old inhabitant of Bolsover. Now as King Charles's first visit to Bolsover, was in 1633, there can be little doubt but that he and the company were entertained in these build- ings ; but whether they were at that time perfectly com- pleted and furnished, is perhaps doubtful. This immense fabric is said never to have been entirely finished ; yet there are some appearances about it, which lead to a different conclusion. The interior walls, which now exhibit nothing but bare stones, have evidently been wain- scotted, in conformity with the prevailing taste of the times: and the iron hooks on which the huge shutters for the windows were suspended, are worn with frequent use. It does not, however, appear, that this edifice was ever long inhabited. The doors, the windows, and the different apartments about it, have all been designed on a scale of magnitude beyond what is common in such structures. Dr. Pegge supposes, that the great range of buildings was never completed. There can be little doubt, however, that it was completed and occupied, long before the time of the civil war. During the sequestration of the estates of its noble owner, Bolsover castle suffered much, both as to its buildings and furniture ; but these damages were repaired by the Duke, after the Restoration. It is certain that the state apartments 484 BOLSOVER. were not dismantled till after the year 1710, at which time, Bassano* speaks of them as furnished, and describes the pictures then in the several rooms, which are said to have been removed to Welbeck. The side-walls and floors of the apartments, which are entered from the terrace, by a grand flight of steps, are all that remain. The extent of this structure may be imagined from the dimensions of the gallery, which was two hundred and twenty feet in length, by twenty-eight feet wide. The dining-room was seventy-eight feet by thirty- three feet. In it was a picture of the Duke of Newcastle, on horseback. The withdrawing-room was thirty-nine feet by thirty-three feet. The lodging-room was thirty-six feet by thirty-three. In it were several portraits, viz. King Charles the Second, another of the same when a boy ; Sir Charles Cavendish, father of the first Duke of Newcastle; Henry, the second Duke of Newcastle ; Elizabeth Basset, daughter of William Basset, of Blore, mother of Henry, second Duke of Newcastle, and Charles, Lord Mansfield. There were two entrances into this noble range of buildings. Out of the great court, en- tering the dining-room, was a stately door-case. Over the door were cut three coats of arms, within the garter. In a scroll were underwritten the words, ' Cavendo Tutus.' The stables, riding-house, and smithy, form two sides of the outer court, and are very spacious. The whole range is two hundred and seventy-six feet, from the east corner of the house. Perhaps it is not possible now to ascertain the precise situation of the ancient castle, which was first built at Bolsover ; but it is probable, that it stood near the spot on which the present castle is erected, if it did not occupy exactly the same site. It has already been observed, that Bolsover Castle was taken by assault from the rebellious barons, in the reign of King John : whether much resistance was made, on this occasion, does not appear. It is, however, very probable that there was a sharp engagement near this fortress, at this or some other time ; for several human bones were found a bfTfi . *\ "' 4 ijj'irl ''>n/;(T! i'tjf i: * In his volume of Church Notts. BOLSOVER. 485 few years ago, on the north-east side of the town. There are also two crosses wrought into the wall, which supports the terrace on the west side, about five feet from the ground, and near the first gate-way. The larger is five feet long, and fifteen inches broad ; the other, three feet long, and fourteen inches broad. These once lay flat upon the ground as gravestones ; and it is more than probable that they were the sepulchral tokens of Christians, who, falling in action, were interred at the foot of the wall. Whether there was a chapel in the garrison at that time, as there was afterwards, is not known ; but supposing that there was, these parties, as assailants, were not likely to receive burial there. Both the crosses are evidently of the same form and style ; of a rude sculpture in relief; very ancient, and introduced into the wall at some later period. The small fastening stones, along the top of the longer one, prove this. On the slope of the hill to the south of the castle, are the ruins of four watch towers, distant about one hundred and fifty yards from each other, having small openings towards the west, and commanding a great extent of country. The roofs are circular, and in the middle of them is an aperture of about six inches square, as it were for a chimney ; but as the small size of these houses would not admit of a fire-place, being only four feet square, these openings must have been designed for some other purpose, probably for the conveyance of intelligence by signals. The height of these houses appears to be about nine feet. Over the door of one appears to have been the date of 1622, or 1642. Dr. Pegge states, that an old man informed him that these openings in the roofs of the watch towers, were conduits, to convey water to the castle, from a spring at Spital-green, about half a mile to the south of the castle ; and that his father took up some of the leaden pipes, in one of these small houses. Bolsover park, which was inclosed in the year 1200, has long ago been converted into tillage. The castle and manor held of the crown in capite, and had certain lands holding and depending upon them. But 486 BOLSOVER. the fabric can now be considered only as the capital mansion of a manor or barony, which together with Woodthorpe, was rated in the year 1641, at 846/. 8*. llrf. per annum. Bolsover Church, which is dedicated to Saint Mary, is a plain Norman structure, with a tower, terminated by a low spire. The living is a vicarage, and is stated by old writers to be of the clear value of 14?. and yearly tenths lls. llirf. It has been augmented by 200Z. subscribed, and 107. per annum rent charge, given by the Earl of Oxford in 1716; Queen Anne's bounty, 400/. in 1728, and a parlia- mentary grant of 200/. It is said to be now worth about 130/. per annum : but the return given, in the Liber Ecclesiasticus, is only 111/. There was a church at Bolsover in the reign of Henry the Second. It was then given by William Peverel, of Nottingham, to the Abbey of .Darley. The present patron is the Duke of Portland, and the incumbent is the Rev. J. Hamilton Gray. 'f.m *>0oi tni'io 3 -jiT-ii-mio - ,.;.'iuu2l The interior of this church is neat; and in a small chapel, about six yards by five, which has been added to the original building, as a burial place to the Cavendish family, there are some costly monuments. Over the door of this chapel is the date of its erection, A. D. 1618; above are the Caven- dish arms and crest. Within this chapel is the monument of Sir Charles Cavendish, who died in 1617. On an altar tomb is his effigy, in alabaster. He is represented in armour, recumbent on a mat, with his hands in the attitude of prayer. This figure is surmounted by a magnificent, and highly enriched Grecian arch or canopy, of white marble, supported by lofty Corin- thian columns. Over this canopy is a marble slab, on which is the following inscription. siad aJflsmifis s*aib n^ifw t ooiJ*mji^-> : *j/od -{v^i -^ ^otosqjra Charles Cavendish to Ms Sons. Sonnes, seek not me among these polish'd stones, These only hide part of my flesh and bones ; Which did they nere so neat or proudly dwell, Will all be dust, and may not make me swell. BOLSOVER. 487 Let such as have outliv'd all praise, Trust in the tombs their careful friends do raise; I made my life my monument, and yours, To which there's no material that endures ; Nor yet inscription like it. Write but that, And teache your Nephews it to emulate ; It will be matter loude enough to tell, Not when I died, but how I liv'd, farewell. Above, under a canopy, supported with pillars of blue and white marble, are six coats of arms quartered ; and in a large slab of blue marble, which is adorned on each side with curiously cut white marble, is this inscription. His Posteritie of Him to Strangers. Charles Cavendish was a man whom Knowledge, zeal, sincerity, made religious ; Experience, discretion, courage, made valiant ; Reading, conference, judgment, made learned ; Religion, valour, learning, made wise ; Birth, merit, favour, made noble ; Respect, means, charitie, made bountiful ; Equitie, conscience, office, made just ; Nobilitie, bountie, justice, made honourable ; Counsell, ayde, secrecie, made a trustie friend ; Love, truth, constancie, made a kind husband ; Affection, advice, care, made a loving father ; Friends, wife, sonnes, made content ; Wisdom, honour, content, made happy. His lady is represented recumbent, and in full pro- portion, with her hands in a praying posture. Between these two monuments is the following inscription on marble. From which happiness he was translated to the better, on the 4th April, 1617, yet not without the sad and weeping remembrance of his sorrowful lady, Katherine, second daughter to Cuthbert, late Lord Ogle, and sister to Jane, present Countess of Shrewsbury. She of her piety, with her two surviving sons, have dedicated this humble monument to his memory, and do all desire, in their time, to be gathered to his dust, expecting the happy hour of resurrection, when these garments here putting off, shall be put on glorified. Another monument to the menory of Henry Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, &c. is composed of different coloured marbles. In design it is architectural ; from the base rise 488 BOLSOVER. four columns, which support a magnificent pediment, orna- mented with two white marble figures. Emblematic devices, inscriptions, and a variety of decorative sculpture, are scat- tered about this splendid monument. To the memory of these, her ancestors and relations, this monument was erected by the direction of the Right Honourable the Lady Henrietta Cavendish Holies Harley, Countess of Oxford, and Countess Mortimer, 1726. In this vault underneath are deposited the remains of the Most Noble Henry Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, who died at Welbeck, 12th August, 1691, aged 60 years. Frances, his wife, died at London, 23rd September, 1695. Margaret, their daughter, and heir to the above, and wife to the Most Noble John Holies, Duke of Newcastle, was interred 5th January, 1716. In the same vault lyeth the body of Charles, Lord Viscount Mansfield, eldest son of William, Duke of Newcastle. Within this vault doth likewise lie the body of Sir Charles Cavendish, younger brother to the renowned William, Duke of Newcastle. In the chancel is the tomb of Huntingdon Smithson, architect, who died in 1648. The first four lines of the epitaph are, " Reader, beneath this plaine stone buried lie, Smithson's remainders of mortality, Whose skill in architecture did deserve, A fairer tomb his memory to preserve." On a brass in the chancel, are these arms, for Frances and Thomas Barker. Per pale 1 per chevron engrailed, Or and Sable, a lion rampant, counterchanged on a canton, Gules, a fleur-de-lys, Or (Barker) impal- ing quarterly 1 and 4, Parker, of Norton Lees, Gules, a chevron between three leopards' faces, Or, 2nd. Gotham, of Lees, per fesse, embattled Or and Sable, three goats trippant counterchanged. On Dame Barker's monument are the following, arms Quarterly 1 and 4, Barker, 2 and 3, Gules, a chevron between three besants, over all an escutcheon of pretence. Quarterly of the Arms of Hallowes and Woolhouse, of Glapwell, 1 and 4, Azure, on a fesse, between three crescents, Argent, as many torteaux's (Hallowes) 2 and 3 per pale, Azure and Sable, a chevron engrailed, Ermine, between three plates (Woolhouse). There are some memorials of the Woolhouse family, 16331667. In Bassano's Church Notes, taken in 1710, BOLSOVER. 48J) mention is made of a tomb of William Woolhouse, Esq., 1411, and others for the Barkers, of Norton Lees-hall, 1659, &c. Lady Barker, relict of the late Sir Robert Barker, Bart, the last of this family, and heiress of Brabazon Hallowes, Esq., was buried at Bolsover in 1806. Bassano mentions the monument of Anthony Lowe, who died 1643. He means Edward Lowe, son and heir of Edward Lowe, of Alderwasley, Esq.,* who was in the service of the king, and probably with the Earl of Newcastle's forces in 1643, when he died. In the church is an ancient sculpture, discovered about 120 years ago, which served as a step to the door at the north entrance. On the lower side of the stone was discovered an ancient rude sculpture, in very high relief, representing the nativity of our Saviour. The Virgin Mary appears to be sitting in a stable, with a mutilated figure of the infant Jesus in her lap, who seems to have had one hand on a dove. The three figures standing round the Virgin Mary are probably intended to represent the wise men of the east, when they fell down and worshipped the infant Jesus, and opened their treasures, presenting unto him gifts ; gold, frankincense and myrrh. The two camels' heads are looking over, or into the manger. The great projection of these heads is very singular. The stone is five feet by three, and appears, from the drapery and other parts of the sculpture, to be the work of the twelfth or thirteenth century. It was then probably held in high estimation ; and from the situation in which it was found, we are led to suppose, * This Edward, in the troubles between Charles I. and his parliament, was a sup- porter of the royal cause, and raised a troop of horse for the king, in which all hi* sons served. The eldest of them having the command of it, lost his life in the service, at Gainsborough, on the 30th of July, 1643, with Charles Cavendish (the Duke of New- castle's lieutenant general of horse) and was buried with him at Bolsover. We are not to be surprised that the part taken by this family brought upon it the displeasure of the parliamentarians, who were generally successful in Derbyshire, almost from the com- mencement of the troubles, and caused the Lowes to feel the weight of their resentment. Mr. Edwaid Lowe was soon driven to seek relief from the king, whose interests he had endeavoured to promote. He petitioned his majesty to punish his enemies by a seques- tration of their estates and lands : a request which those, who are acquainted with the history of the times, need not be informed was fruitless. Had it been in the power of the king, however, to punish the injuries complained of, there Is little rcatton to doubt that he would have had the inclination. Edward Lowe, of Alderwasley, Esq., and Ins sons, John and Arthur, after these troubles, compounded with the parliament for their estates, by the payment of 2211. 61 490 BOLSOVER. that it was put there, as a place of safety, during; the frequent attacks that were made on Bolsover castle. On the outside of the church, near the battlements, is the Cavendish family motto, CAVENDO TUTUS. On the dexter side are the Cavendish arms, three stags' heads caboshed, a crescent for difference. On the sinister side, the arms of Ogle, a fesse between three crescents, and above the last, on a wreath, a rose. The church-yard at Bolsover is kept remarkably clean and neat. The gravestones are placed in an upright position, at the bead of the grave ; and many of them contain devices and inscriptions which refer to the uncertainty of life, and the evanescent nature of all human enjoyments. This resting- place of the departed is capacious. The turf is but rarely disturbed, and when it is, the removal appears to be done with great care, and, as soon as the body is interred, the grass sod is again laid upon the place. It appears that there was, at an early period, a chapel in Bolsover castle. William de Ferrars, Earl of Derby, settled an annual rent charge of a mark of silver, upon the chaplain.* There has been, for many years, a Dissenting meeting- bouse at Bolsover, an account of which is given in page 120 of this work. This meeting-house, after having been long shut up, was re-opened in 1813 : the congregation are now Independents. The following account of the Charities in the parish of Bolsover, is abridged from the Report of the Commissioners for inquiring into Charities : No. 18. pp. 118 122. Cliarities of Richard Youle and others. Richard Youle, by his will, bearing date June 30, 1699, gave to the poor of Bolsover, 20s. yearly, to be bestowed in bread, and given to them every December 24 or 25, at the discretion of the overseers, and the nearest of his re- lations, that should inhabit there. **rt ,l>>ii bJuorfc ^frofto^-'ticiA 9Viia isd * Register of Darley Abbey, in the British Musenm, . 151. BOLSOVER, 491 This annual sum of 205., is now paid by the owner and occupier of certain closes in Bolsover, purchased of Thomas Brailsford, the nephew of Thomas Brailsford, who appears, from the Parliamentary Returns of 1786, to have paid the annuity to the poor at that time. It is paid to the churchwardens, as are also the sums of 65. Sd. arising from Wilksons charity; 205. from Tompkin's charity ; 20s. from Johnson's charity ; 105. from Stones's charity ; and 10s. from Dowker's charity ; amounting- in the whole to 4L 6s. Sd. From this fund, when the Charity Commissioners visited Bolsover, bread to the value of I/. 10s. was given in three- penny and fourpenny loaves, on Christmas day (old style) ; and 105. worth of bread was also given in twopenny loaves, in respect of Dowker's charity, on New Years' day, (old style) by the minister, churchwardens and overseers, amongst poor widows, and others of the parish, who assembled at the church at an early hour in the morning, to receive the same. Of the residue, 1Z. 16s. Sd, had annually been given by the churchwardens in small sums, varying from 4d. to 15., on some day between the two distributions of bread, amongst poor persons of Bolsover ; and the remaining 10s. in respect of the moiety of Tompkin's charity, amongst poor persons of Whalley, a hamlet in this parish, containing only a small number of poor, in sums of 15. or 25. Leach's Charity. An annual sum of 3s. Gd. is paid, in respect of a farm at Bolsover Woodhouse. In consequence of the smallness of its amount, it is usually received once in five or six years. Smithsons Charity. Isabella SmitJison, by her will, bearing date April 14, 1659, and proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, gave the sum of 2000/. to be disposed of in such manner as her niece, Ann Norton, should judge most proper and ne- cessary, for the benefit of the poor of Bolsover ; and she 492 BOLSOVER. appointed her said niece, Ann Norton, and Margaret Gill, the executrixes of her will. The will of the testatrix was not complied with ; and in 1771, an information was filed in the Court of Chancery, by the attorney general, at the re- lation of the Rev. William Armstrong, and John Carter, on behalf of themselves and the rest of the inhabitants and parishioners of Bolsover, against the said Ann Norton, and Margaret Gill, for the recovery of the legacy given by the will of the said Isabella Smithson* It was ordered, that the produce of the legacy, together with 956Z. 14s. 4d. interest, should be invested in the three per cent, annuities, in the name of the accountant general, and that the produce of the said three per cent, annuities, should be disposed of as follows, viz. ; that the sum of 251. should be paid to every woman, who, being a daughter of a poor farmer, or inhabitant of the said parish, and not at that time receiving alms of the said parish, should marry and settle in the said parish, and should produce to the said trustees, or such of them as should attend their first meeting, held after her marriage, a proper certificate of the same, and also a certificate, that her age, at the time of her marriage, did not exceed 35 years ; provided that her character should be approved of by the trustees, or the majority of those present at such first meeting, after the said marriage, and provided that no more than five women should be entitled to receive the benefit of the charity, in any one year : and that in case, in any one year, there should be more than five who should claim the benefit of the said charity, the trustees should, at their discretion, choose to which of them the said sum should be paid : and in case, in any one year, a suf- ficient number of women should not marry, so as to exhaust the whole of the said dividends, that then the sum remaining, after deducting the salary of 61., thereinafter mentioned, should be annually distributed by the trustees, among poor persons belonging to the said parish, who should be either of the age of 55 years, or upwards, or who should be disabled by sickness, or suffering from accident or calamity, and who should not receive alms from the said parish, in such pro- portions, and for such purposes, as the trustees, or the major part of them should think proper. BOLSOVER. 493 Trustees have been appointed for this charity from time to time, as vacancies have occurred by death, and entries of such appointments have been made in the book relating to the charity. The sum of 3308/. 4s. 3c?., three per cent, consols, on account of this charity, still stands in the name of the ac- countant general. Out of the dividends, amounting to 99/. 5s. the following expenses have been paid annually. d. . . To Mr. Charge, for his trouble iu receiving the dividends .... 2 2 Fees at the accountant general's office .................... 7 To the clerk, for giving notice of the meetings of the trustees 010 For the expenses of the two meetings of the trustees, about . . 3 O No applicationshaving been made for marriage portions by persons properly qualified, within the time specified in the above mentioned scheme, the dividends, subject to these deduc- tions, are now distributed amongst poor persons of Bolsover, at the meetings of the trustees, held on the day after Christ- mas day, and on Easter Tuesday, of which notice is given in the church. A list of them is kept, and applications are made to the trustees at their meetings, by persons desirous of having their names inserted therein. This list consists of persons belonging to the parish, whether residing in it or not, being 55 years of age, and not receiving relief from the parish. When persons are once placed on the list, they continue to partake of the charity during life, unless they receive parish relief, in which case their names are struck out. Persons, when first placed on the list, usually receive smaller sums than the rest ; and their allowances are increased, according to their age and circumstances. When the Com- missioners visited Bolsover, most of the persons whose names had been for some years on the list, received II. lls. Grf., at each meeting of the trustees. At Easter, 1826, there was a balance in the hands of Mr. Ludlam, the treasurer, of 271. Is. &/. The reason assigned for reserving a balance was, that there might be sufficient to defray the expenses to be incurred, 494 BOLSOVER. whenever an appointment of another treasurer should become necessary. This parish partakes of the Rev. Francis Gisborne's Charity. The charity-school at Bolsover, is endowed with 61. per annum, said to have been given by the Countess of Oxford. The school-house was built in 1756. The manor of Glapwdl was held with Bolsover, at the time of the Domesday survey. During the whole, or the greater part, of the thirteenth century, it was in the family of De Glapwell. It is probable, that the heiress brought it to the Woolhouses. William Woolhouse, Esq., died seised of it in 1411. The heiress of Woolhouse, about the middle of the seventeenth century, married the ancestor of Thomas Hallowes, Esq., the present proprietor, who resides at Glapwell Hall. There was formerly a chapel at Glapwell. In the re- gister of Darley Abbey,* is an agreement made about the year 1260, between the abbot and his parishioners, of the vill of Glapwell, about roofing the chapel. They agreed to give five acres of land for the purpose of repairing, or, if necessary, of rebuilding the chapel. There was for many years a Presbyterian congregation at Glapwell. William Woolhouse, Esq., who died in 1667, gave a rent charge of 207. per annum to the minister. We have not been able to ascertain, in what manner this rent charge is now appropriated. Oxcroft, which had before belonged to the Peverell's, was in the reign of Henry the Third, in the family of Heriz. It was, at a later period, in the family of Rodes, of whom it was purchased, in or about the year 1599, by the Countess of Shrewsbury. It passed, with Hardwick and other estates, to the Duke of Devonshire. ^Ot - I..r, tfl.Tj'm; jcV.,-", ..r * In the British Museum, fol. 116. FINIS. 495 INDEX. AGRICULTURAL society .. .. .. .. .. .. 199 Alan of Cumberland, lord of the manor of Chesterfield. . . . 14 Allwood's (John) charity . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Antiquity of the town . . . . . . . . . . . . i Arion, the fable of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 Arminian Methodist chapel .. .. .. .. .. .. 145 Ash tree, large weeping, removed to Chatsworth . . . . 404 Ashe, Rev. John .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 192 Assemblies held at Chesterfield . . . . . . . . . . 283 Assizes held at Chesterfield . . . . . . . . . . ' .' ' 59 Aspland, Rev. Robert, minister at Norton chapel .. .. 132 Astley, Rev. Thomas .. .. .. .. .. .. 122 Bagshaw's (Elizabeth) charity . . . . . . . . . . 256 Banks, origin of, at Chesterfield .. .. .. .. .. 174 Banking Company, North Derbyshire .. .. .. .. 175 Baptisms, table of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Baptist chapel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Baths, corporation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 190 Beetwell-street, origin of the name . . . . . . . . 274 Bells, the new 67, 68 , inscriptions on the old . . . . . . . . . . 69 , prohibited from being rung at the races . . . . . . 72 Benevolent society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Bentinck family, account of. . . . . . . . . . . . 477 Beresford's troop of horse .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 Berwick, derivation of the word . . . . . . . . . . 351 Billingsley, Rev. John 63, 115 Bolsover, the township of . . . . . . . . 459 , the population of . . . . . . . . . . 459 , the customary of, curious document relating to . . 459 , manufacture of buckles, &c. at . . . . . . 465 castle, and its ancient proprietors and castellans . . 467 the present . . . . . . 470 -, Huntingdon Smithson, the architect of, 471, 479,483 -, memoirs of the Newcastle family, its former owners 472 its present proprietor . . . . 477 496 INDEX. Bolsover Castle, grand entertainment at . . . . . . . . 474 masque performed at . . . . . . . . 474 , situation of . . . . . . . . . . 479 , description of the interior of . . . . . . 479 , the fountain at .. .. .. .. 481 , supposed erection of the new part of. . . . 482 , engagement at . . . . . . . . . . 484 watch-towers at . . . . . . . . . . . . 485 church, its value, &c . . . . . . . . 485 , monuments in . . . . . . . . . . 486 ancient sculpture in . . . . . . . 489 , the charities of . . . . . . . . . , . . 490 Bone, supposed of a cow, in Chesterfield church . . . . . . 83 Bordar, derivation of the word . . . . . . . . . . 353 Boundary bill, the proposed . . . . . . . . . . 152 Brailsford's (Jacob) charity . . . . . . . . . . 242, 247 Brampton, account of "'.- " " ' " 313 church, its erection .. .. .. .. .. 315 , ancient monument in .. . .. .. 315 , St. Thomas's 322 , , its district . . . . . . 324 national school . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 Wesleyan Methodist chapel . . . . . . . . 325 Independent chapel .. f '," " 32 ^ Primitive Methodist chapel . . . . . . . . 325 , the charities of . . . . . . . . . . . . 325 -, the population of . . . . . . '. . . . 328 Brights' charity . . . . . . J . . . . . . . . 223 Brimington, the chapelry of '. . . . . . . . . . 340 , the charities of ... "... . ,./ .. .. 340 , the population of .. .. .. .. .. 342 , the plague at . . . . . . . . ""'. 342 Briwere, William, obtained a grant of Chesterfield . . . . 13 Bull-baiting, ancient bye-law respecting .. ",. t .. .. 275 Burgess, Rev. W., Independent minister . . . . . . 138 Bye-laws, old, of Chesterfield corporation _ . ,' . . . . 37 , new, of ditto .. .. .. ".'"'.. .. 44 Calow, the manor of . . . . ..'"'.... . . 345 , the charities of . . . . JV . . . . 345 Calvert, Rev. J., Independent minister .. .. .. .. 138 Canal, the Chesterfield .. .. .. .. -* 156 Carucate, derivation of the word .. . .. .. .. 351 Cavendish, William, Earl of Newcastle, purchased Chesterfield 1 4 , memoirs of the family of . . . . . . . . 376 , Thomas, the celebrated navigator . . . . . . 377 , Henry, the philosopher . . . . ... . . 399 Charles. Rev. Samuel, memoir of . . . . . . 63 INDEX. 497 Charities, municipal . . . . ^ , appointment of the trustees of .. .. 46, 210 , general ' 213 , church 243 , miscellaneous . . . . . . 250 Charter of Chesterfield corporation . . jo Chatsworth, the situation of . . . 375 , account of the ancient mansion of . . . . 394 , Mary Queen of Scots confined at . . 395 , the present mansion of . . . . 397 , artists employed at . . . . . . . . 393 , architecture of . . . . . . 400 , the great north wing described . . . . . . 402 , description of the interior the entrance or great hall 405 > description of the south gallery and the chapel . . 406 > music, billiard, and drawing rooms 407 , great library . . . . . . 408 , ; anti-library, cabinet library, and dining room. . . . . . . . . . . . 409 , sculpture gallery .. .. .. 410 , orangery, baths, and banquetting hall 413 , state apartments .. .. .. 414 , 1 Bolton Abbey, the picture of, at. . 41g the Duke's sitting and breakfast rooms at . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 , pleasure grounds, gardens, &c.. . 418 , stables, and waterworks .. .. 419 hunting tower, conservatory, &c. 421 Chesterfield, situation of the town of . . . . . . . . 2 , castle at. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 a Roman station . . . . . . . . . . 10 at the Conquest . . . . . . . . . . 12 , battle at 15 described by Camden. . .. .. . .. 17 first chartered .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 , chantries at . . . . . . . . . . 48 , ancient chapels at . . . . . . . . . . 48 , chalybeate spring at .. .. .. .. .. 173 Church, the time of its erection .. .. .. ,. .. 51 , its value in the king's books . . . . . . . . 52 , Mathew Hathersage's bequest to the . . . . . . 52 , description of the . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 , dimensions of the . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 , the singular appearance of its spire . . . . . . 54 , supposed danger of the spire of the . . . . . . 56 , a list of the vicars of the . . . . . . . . . . 61 , a list of the fees payable at the . . . . . . . . 67 63 498 INDEX. Page Church, the organ at the . . . . . . . . 67 - , chancel of, enlarged . . . . . . . . 67 - , skeleton found in the . . . . . . . . 69 - , monumental inscriptions in . . . . . . 77 - , Trinity, the erection of . . . . . . . . 267 - clock, the new, description of . . . . . . 70 - yard enlarged . . . . . . . . . . 68, 69 Churchwardens, a list of, and their expenditure ~H " ~ 65 Clarke's (Cornelius) charity ,. .. .. .. 213 Clarke and Taylors' charity .. .. .. .. 223 - , Offley, and Shore, connexion of the families of .. 139 Clegg, Dr. his sermon . . . . . . . . . . 131 Coinage, ancient, of tokens at Chesterfield !i * c *. ' '' .. 180 Congregationalists, first hody of, at Chesterfield . . , . 133 Corporation, remarks on the Chesterfield -.V"- 3 :i?l! . . 5S 41 -- , a list of the members of the old and new . . 42 Correction, house of .. .. .. .. *. .- 188 Crich Cornelius .. .. .. - :1 V. 'V 28 9 Cromwell, Thomas, letters of .. .. .. . .; 348 Dane's or Danes' yard .. .. .. Hr* 1 276 Darwin, Dr. .. .. .. .. ".-."" 193 Deanery of Chesterfield . . . . . . ,<~ 307 -- , value of the livings in '" .*. - " " ..~ 308 Deaths, table of .. .. .. ~*\? "^ '; .<, 60 Devonshire, the Duke of, lord of the manor fii^" ' ' '' .'-."~ 15 Devonshire's (Earl of) charity . . . . . . : : .-."" 226 Dispensary, Chesterfield .. .. rw?q^ ^ 205 Dissenters' marriage act, allusion to the . . : ' T '.-?*"' . . 145 Distances on the ancient Roman road . . . . . . 8 District visiting society . . . . . . . . . . 206 Dorcas society, Wesleyan . . . . . . . . 206 Ducking stool . . . . . . ^^ f f 280 Durant hall . . . . ' li: .V; . . . . 273 Easter offerings, a list of .. .. .. '" .\ 66 Ejected ministers, some account of .. .. ra*i'f gj Election, result of the first, for North Derbyshire . . ~~ 293 Elston, Rev. Thomas .. .. ~~77"~ "77" 118 Extent of the parish of Chesterfield ' ! V.'" j ''^^ 150 aiu .k- .jii/otj a! i. ^Joodjj-iFl Factories, the new, in Chesterfield i;j .X" Ji ' / ',.~~ 174 Fairfax, General Sir Thomas, marched into Chesterfield ! '.V 03 17 Farey's, Mr. suggestion fora geological and mineralogical society 198 Farnesworth, Rev. Ellis .. J **l. "'^. Jl1 '.. 192 Fees payable at Chesterfield church, a list of '^"^ " Feme, Rev. Robert .. .. ^ ^]>*\ ";:*' 11 Ferrers, Earl, concealed in the church at Chesterfield *' INDEX. 499 Field, Rev. Thomas .. .. .. Jg Foljambe's, the family of the ' W fr< jf \ i ' ' J4 (Godfrey) charity .. .. p< 21g ( ) Attenborough charity . . 250 Foolow, Rev. Joseph .. .. ,,* Ford, Rev. James .. .. 64 115 Free grammar school, Chesterfield .. ' IOQ charity . . . 214 Gas works . . . . . . jaq Gell, Sir John, recruiting at Chesterfield . . 17 Gill's (Leonard) charity . . . . 2 60 Gisborne's (Rev. Francis) charity . . 257 Glueman-gate, origin of the name . . 275 Guild at Chesterfield . . . . . . 4 g Hadfield, Rev. Thomas . . . . 288 Halliday, Rev. Thomas . . . . . . . . 132 Hallifax, Dr. Samuel .. .. .. .. 193 Harding' s (Mary) charity .. .. 264 Hardwick, the manor of . . . . . . . , 425 , the ancient hall of . . . . . . 425 , Elizabeth, a memoir of . . . . . . 427 , Arabella Stuart, educated at . . . . . . 429 , Mary Queen of Scots not confined at . . . . 433 , the present new hall, its architecture . . . . 440 , Hobbes, Thomas, domesticated at, his memoir . . 441 , description of the interior the entrance hall, chapel and dining room . . . . . . . . 445 , description of bed rooms and drawing room . . 446 , description of state room, or presence chamber . . 447 , description of library, red room, and Mary Queen of Scots' room . . . . . . . . 448 , description of picture gallery . . . . 449 , road between Chatsworth and . . . . . . 455 , tradition at . . . . . . . . 455 Hasland and Boythorpe, the manor of . . . . . . 346 , their population . . . . . . 347 , the charities of . . . . . . 347 Hathersage's, Matthew, bequest to the church . . . . 52 Heathcote, the family of, their lineage, &c. .. .. 271 . (Anne and others) charity of . . . . . . 235 Heathcote's (Francis) charity .. .. .. ..258 (Godfrey) charity .. .. .. ..261 Henry the Second seized Chesterfield .. .. .. 13 Heywood, Rev. James .. .. .. .. .. 121 Highway rates in Chesterfield .. .. .. .. 152 Holland, Sir Thomas, lord of the manor of Chesterfield .. 14 500 INDEX. Holland, Rev. John, ordination of .. .. .. 130 Holywell street, origin of its name . . . . . 273 Hooper's (Hannah) charity . . . . . . 255 Hospital for lepers . . . . . . . . . . 47 Hunloke, some account of the family of . . . . 331 , license of Sir Henry, to travel . . . . . . 334 Hutchinson, Rev. Cuthbert, burial of .. .. ..6 1,286 Introductory account of Chesterfield . . . . . 1 Independent chapel, Froggatt's yard .. v . ,vrt, .. 138 , Soresby street .. .. .. 139 , Calow .. .. .. ..140 Jebb, Dr. John .. .. .. .. .. 193 Joan of Kent . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Kenrick, Rev. George .. .. .. . .;i. 123 Knifesmith-gate, origin of the name . . . . . . 274 Of.!' - i '- L,-.-t1 :'!- V' '!'. 1"! .).'* .. 220 Literary and philosophical society . . . . , i,..- ,>, . . 197 Lord of the rectorial manor . . . . . . . . 52 Lordsmill street, origin of the name .. -1i.,c 271 Lowe, Mr., chaplain at Norton hall . . . . . . 130 Mahone, burial place of . . . . . . . . 276 Mail communication j;l.;., .. .. .. .. 153 Manley, Mr. William, death of .. .. .. .. Ill Manufactures of Chesterfield .. .. ,!fv:^ r;i.is 165 Markets and fairs .. . .. .. 18, 181 Market house, ancient, at Chesterfield . . . . . . 182 Marriages, table of . . . . . . . . . 60 Mercator's letter on manufacturing advantages of Chesterfield . . 167 Milnes's (James) charity . . . . . . . . 259 Milward's (George) charity . . . . . . . . 240 Mineral productions of Chesterfield .. .. .. 165 Moduses, ancient, list of . . . . . 69 Monumental inscriptions, &c. in the church . . . . 77 Moore's (Francis) charity . . . . . . . ,> 231 Naylor's (Ralph) charity .. .. .. VJ 261 Neville, Richard, lord of the manor of Chesterfield . . . . 14 Newcastle forces came to Chesterfield .. **-.* .. 17 Newbold, the manor of, and its description . . . . 351 , catholic chapel at .. >;,?& .' .- . .<- f f. .* 354 , memoir of the family of Browne, of . . . . 354 INDEX. 501 ifcv Newbold, memoir of the family of Eyre, of ! "Y.' : i. : . 356 , school at .. .. .. .. ''.'.'' 357 > its charities .. . . .. .. ;."' 353 , its population . . . . . . . . 353 Norton, Rev. James Wood and others preached at . . .. 129 hall, religious worship performed in .. .. 130 chapel, its first minister .. .. .. .. 132 Oaks, dissenting worship conducted at the .. .. .. 129 Offerings, Easter, a list of . . . . . . . . 66 Offley, Edmund, and his sisters, some account of ... . . 320 Ogle, Rev. Thomas .. .. . .. ..116 Oldfield, Rev. John . . . . . . . . . . 62 Packers'-row, origin of the name . . . . . . . . 273 Pegge, Rev. Dr., some account of the . . . . . . 359 , , epitaph of . . . . . . . . 359 Pegge's, Dr., list of Presbyterian ministers .. .. .. 136 Persecution of Christians in Britain . . . . . . 11 Piper, Rev. Henry Hunt, minister at Norton chapel . . . 132 Plague at Chesterfield . . . . . . . . . 59 Plantagenet, Edmund, possessed Chesterfield . . . . 14 Poor-rates, amount of . . . . . . . . 151 Poor house .. .. .. .. .. .. 188 Poor-law union, the proposed .. .. .. .. 151 , copy of the precept establishing the . . . . 297 , its districts . . . . . . . . 303 , its officers . . . . . . . . 304 Population, extent, and relative situation of Chesterfield . . 149 Portland, Duke of, held Chesterfield . . . . 14 Potters' lane, origin of the name . . . . . . . . 273 Public buildings. . .. .. .. . 185 amusements .. .. .. 281 Quakers' meeting-house . . . . . . 144 Races at Chesterfield . . . . 282 Rail-road, north midland. ... . . 161 Rectorial manor of Chesterfield _ , the ancient proprietors of . . . . . . 311 Registers of the church, extracts from 17, 59, 81 Relative situation of the town Rental of the corporation . . Revolution, the, of 1688, plotted at Whittington , account of the first centenary of the , ode composed in commemoration of the . . Rivers the Hipper and Rother . . Roman road .. .. 1, 64 502 INDEX. Roman pigs of lead . . . . . . , . . . 3 coins . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Rose's (Sarah) charity . . . . . . . . . 227 Salisbury, countess of, held Chesterfield . . . . . . 14 Salter gate, origin of the name . . . . . . . . 275 Sandemanian chapel . . . . . . . . . . 145 Savings' bank .. .. .. .. .. j<>i.. 180 School, national. . . . . . . . . . . . 200 of industry .. .. .. run.- 1 .. 202 , infant . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Schools and scholars, return of the number of, in 1819 . . 204 Seal, ancient . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 of the corporation . . . . . . . . . . is Seeker, archbishop .. .. .. 'r.#. 119, 192, 288 Sessions, petty .. .. .. .. .. . 185 , removal of, to Derby . . . . . . . . 186 , midsummer, held at Chesterfield . . . . . . 286 Shambles, description of . . . . . . . . . . 276 Shipstone, Rev. Joseph .. .. .. t -iU f .. 193 Shoes, Indian, an interesting anecdote respecting a pair of . . 328 Shrewsbury, Earl of, held Chesterfield . . . . . . 14 , , his monumental inscription at Sheffield . . 435 Shrewsbury's, , charity . . . . . . . . 224 Situation of the town of Chesterfield . . . . . . 2, 153 Skeleton found in the church . . . . . . . . 69 Skrymsher, or Scrimshire, Sir Charles, the family of . . 273 Sleigh's (Samuel) charity . . . . . . . . 242 Smalley, Rev. Christopher .. .. .. .. 121 Smithson, Huntingdon . . . . . . . . 471, 479, 483 , , his epitaph . . . . . . 488 Soresby street, origin of the name . . . . . . . . 274 Spa-lane, the chalybeate spring in . . . . ;'.'*' . . 173 Spire, descriptions of the crooked . . . . . . . . 54 Stanedge cliff, near Wingerworth . . . . . . . . 335 Stanhopes, the family of, their title from Chesterfield . . 18 Star-chamber, decree of the court of .. .. 312, 337 Storm at Chesterfield . . . . % . . . . 291 St. Loe, Sir William .. .. % .. .. 395,431 St. Mary's-gate, origin of the name .. .. .. 271 Stubbing court . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 Strata, the, of Chesterfield and its neighbourhood . . . . 165 Streets of Chesterfield, the names and origin of the . . . . 271 Strelley's (Philip) charity . . . . . . 265 Subscription library and news room . . . . . . 198 Summary of facts and events . . . . . . . . 283 Sunday scholars, number of, in Chesterfield . . . . 204 Survey of the borough .. .. .. .. >:'- k- ! 152 INDEX. 503 Piure Tapton, the manor of . . . . . . 343 , its charities q.., or , its population . . . . . . , t 344 Taylor's (George) charity . . . . 228 245 Temple Normanton, the manor of . . . . . . 345 , its population . . . . , . . . 345 , its charity .. .. .. ..345 Terrier, copy of the . . . . . . . . . . 333 Theatre .. .. .. . . 281 Thomas, Rev. John .. .. .. lig Tithes in kind, a list of . . . . . . . 67 Tokens, a list of, coined in Chesterfield .. .. .. 181 Town hall .. .. .. .. .. 185 -, by whom built . . . . . . . . 289 Trade and manufactures .. .. .. , . 165 Trinity church, its erection . . . . . . . 267 , its trustees . . . . . . . . 270 Turnpike roads .. .. .. .. . . 154 Uleyate's (Ann Dean) charity . . . . . . . . 262 Unitarian chapel . . . . . . . . . . 1 16 ministers .. .. .. .. .. 116 chapel, burial ground of .. .. .. 124 Vaccine institution . . . . . . . . . . 206 Value of land, &c., in Chesterfield .. .. .. 151 Verdon, Rev. John . . . . . . . . . . 69 Verrio, the celebrated painter, anecdote of . . . . 405 Vicars of Chesterfield, a list of . . . . . . 61 Villane, derivation of the word . . . . . . . . 352 Wake, John de, obtained Chesterfield . . . . . 14 Wallace, Rev. Robert .. .. .. .. .. 123 Walton, the manor of . . . . . . . . 347 , the family of the Foljambes', at . . . . 348 , its population . . . . . . . . . . 351 , its charities .. .. .. .. .. 351 Warren, Rev. Mr., chaplain at Norton hall . . . . 130 Watson, Samuel, agreements with . . . . . . 401 , , epitaph of, in Heanor church . . . . 403 Waterworks .. .. .. .. 189 Webster's (Sir Godfrey) charity . . . . . . 243 Wesley, Rev. John, preached in Chesterfield . . . . 141 Wesleyan chapel . . . . . . . 141 ministers, a list of . . . . . 143 Dorcas society . . . . . . 204 West bars, origin of the name Whittington, the chapelry of . . . . 358 504 INDEX. Page Whittington church, inscriptions in . . . . . . 355 , remarkable entry in the parish register of. . 359 , its charities . . . . . . . . 360 , Katherme Wright, of . . . . . . 362 , chalybeate spring at . . . . . . 362 , the Revolution of 1688, plotted at . . . . 362 , its Revolution house . . . . . . . . 366 , the centenary of the Revolution at . . . . 366 , subscriptions for monument at. . . . . . 371 Wilkinson, Benjamin, preacher of methodism .. .. 141 Wilkinson's (Joseph) charity . . . . . . . . 264 Williamson, Rev. John, minister at Norton chapel . . . . 132 Williamson's (John and others) charity .. .. .. 247 Winchester's (Theodosia) charity . . . . . . . . 254 Wingerworth . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 church, monument in, to General Gladwin . . 329 , inscription in the church yard at . . . . 330 Hall, description of .. .. .. 331 , account of the ancient family of Hunloke, of . . 331 , whimsical inscription in the park at , . 334 , licence to travel, of Sir Henry Hunloke, of . . 334 , its charities . . . . . . . . 336 , its population . . . . . . . . 336 Wolsey, Cardinal, . . . . . . . . 379, 429 Wolstenholme's (Godfrey) charity . . . . . . 231 Wood, Rev. John, ejected minister . . . . . . 61 , -, chaplain at Norton hall . . . . 130 Wood's (Richard) charity . . . . . . . . 258 Wren, Sir Christopher .. .. .. .. \''- 397 Youle's (Richard and George) charity . . . . . 232 Youle's (Nicholas) charity . . . . . , , , 233 CHESTERFIELD : Printed by Thomas Ford, Bookbinder and Stationer, Irongatc. 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