News and Events
Meetings in 2023
January - “Royal Crown Derby: 1750 to Today". A talk by Elizabeth Woledge, Curator of the Royal Crown Derby Museum.
Elizabeth, a professional educationalist, gave us a detailed and interesting account of the origin and development of the pottery industry in Derby. Rather than using slides, she illustrated her talk with real examples from the museum collection that were passed around and examined by the audience. Fortunately, there were no breakages!
Elizabeth told us there was no obvious reason why a world-famous porcelain industry should have developed in Derby where there was no prior expertise and none of the raw materials necessary. The story began in 1750 with two men. Andrew Planche, a gifted, local artist became interested in making white porcelain figures. He went into partnership with a local pipe maker whose name is not recorded in order to use the latter’s kiln. (The process of “slip-cast moulding” is common to both porcelain figures and clay pipes).
Planche’s figures came to the attention of William Deusbury, a professional enameller from London who invested his expected inheritance (before his father had died!) in a joint venture, together with a third partner, John Heath - a local earthenware manufacturer who provided land for the factory. The outcome was a resounding success and the factory soon moved from John Heath’s original site to a new factory on the Nottingham Road. This enabled far more intricate pieces to be developed and Derby ware became recognised for its fine quality and skilled decoration.
There soon followed a third factory in London together with a London showroom, as Duesbury acquired the famous Chelsea China Works. This allowed exposure to a wider, more affluent clientele including Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III who visited the Derby factory in 1773 and also gave permission to use the branding of “Crown Derby Porcelain”.
The thriving business in the latter half of the 18th century allowed the employment of more and more talented designers and artists. One of the most famous was William Billingsby who revolutionised the way flowers were portrayed in the painted motifs (introducing a ‘soft’ rather than a ‘hard’ edge to the designs), which produced a more life-like representation.
However, in the first decade of the 1800s, the country underwent a major recession. Although high-end commissions continued for fine pottery, the “middle market” collapsed and the company, then owned by descendants of William Deusbury, was bought out by Robert Blore, the company’s finance manager. He revolutionised working practices, employing women for the first time and attracting workers from the potteries in Staffordshire. Lower wages and faster work rates increased productivity but meant that the product was of a lower quality, although still of a relatively high standard.
Purist historians can be very critical of this period, but Blore’s changes saved the company over the next 40 years. Unfortunately, he began to suffer mental illness and was institutionalised. His family brought in a factory manager, Thomason, but the factory was struggling again by 1848. Six employees then staged a further buyout. They moved the work to a smaller factory on King Street and specialised in making fine copies of previous Crown Derby designs. This allowed the business to recover and introduce new lines, in particular very delicate flower baskets. (These were so fine, that Elizabeth could not show examples, as transport would have damaged them).
In 1875 two entrepreneurs, Phillips and Litherland acquired the site of the old workhouse on Osmaston Road and set up a rival company, “Derby Crown”. With significant investment and an expanding site, this company eventually bought out the artisan potters and the Osmaston Road site remains the home of Royal Crown Derby today; the term “Royal” being added on 1890 when the company was appointed as manufactures of porcelain to Queen Victoria.
Since then the company has had a number of owners, including Royal Doulton and Steelite International. The latter allied the traditional production of high-quality prestige pottery to supplying the hospitality industry and the company now supplies a number of prestigious hospitality brands around the world, including the Dorchester Hotel. The company was privately acquired by Kevin Oakes in 2016 (the, then, chief executive of Steelite) and is once more a family-run company.
Throughout her talk, Elizabeth showed us examples of the ware produced at each stage of the company’s history. She also related a number of interesting facts along the way, including that:
- There were no consistent company marks until the 1870s
- Unique “patch marks” can be found in the earliest examples of Derby flatware where individual pieces were supported by small balls of clay in the kilns during firing. (The balls were knocked off after firing and the plates smoothed). No other pottery used this technique.
- There is a tradition of adding special marks to the ware to commemorate particular events. For example a “zeppelin” mark was added to all ware produced on one day during WWI when there was a bombing raid on Derby. (In fact the raid was aimed at Liverpool but the bombers could not find it). Another example was to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. These pieces are not marketed nor sold at a premium price, but have become a tradition of the factory.
- The company have made pieces for every British Monarch since George III
- There was a major commission for the White Star Line to furnish first-class dining on the Titanic. This design is still available today (minus the White Star emblem).
- Other commissions include pieces for Salvador Dali (an example was shown) and, even today, private commissions form a major part of the business
- The company is responsible for some iconic designs, for example the ‘Old Imari’ pattern and a range of unique paperweights
After a lively question and answer session, Mike Holcombe proposed a vote of thanks and Elizabeth was warmly applauded.
February - “John Smedley - Amazing Victorian Entrepreneur”. - A talk by Jane Middleton-Smith.
Jane is the Senior Archivist at John Smedley, Ltd, a company world-famous in its field of woollen knitwear products, based at Lea Mills near Cromford and operating continuously since at least 1784. Jane was appointed in 2009 as the firm approached its 225th anniversary in order to catalogue and organise its extensive archive of clothes and paper documents with a view to opening a museum at the mill. In this talk, Jane described briefly the early history of the enterprise but then focused on the life and other interests of John Smedley (the third generation of the family), in particular, his interest in hydropathy and the development of the Matlock Hydropathic Establishment.
Jane explained that she had uncovered evidence that the company had been established earlier than once thought. Thomas Smedley, together with his son John (our John’s grandfather and father respectively), had moved from their work in lead mining to become wool combers in Wirksworth, setting up business in 1766. They began to make stockings and socks in silk or wool using framework knitting techniques and quickly acquired a reputation for high-quality goods sold through prominent wholesale distributors. Our John Smedley became apprenticed to his father and went into the family business.
By 1818, the company had outgrown its Wirksworth site and relocated to its present site at Lea Mills, originally leased from the Nightingale family. Unfortunately, trade worsened with greater competition, new products and failure to adapt old machinery. John’s father was made bankrupt twice and his health failed.
John was able to rescue the firm with the introduction of an innovative design, the “Star Seat” for underpants and drawers - fine-knitted, seamless underwear that used the finest possible yarn (Merino wool imported from Spain). These were the equivalent of what is now known as “Long Johns” but this term originated in World War I and has nothing to do with John Smedley. The turn-around was so successful that by the 1840s Smedley was rich enough to contemplate retirement, but was unable to get anyone else to take on the business.
In 1847 John married Miss Mary Camomile, a lady 20 years younger and went on honeymoon to Europe. In Switzerland he became ill with what might have been Typhus fever and was to suffer serious ill health for the next three years. Eventually he sought the water therapies available at Ben Rhydding, near Bradford, the first hydropathic establishment in England (and now replaced by a council estate). He found these treatments very harsh and uncomfortable but, eventually, felt cured of his illness. He later attributed this recovery solely to the effects of the water treatments.
Now in his 50s, John moved to Cheltenham where he had something of a religious conversion and resolved to devote himself to charitable work. He sold his Cheltenham house and built non-conformist chapels in Ashover and Holloway with endowments to many other local chapels. He was generally regarded as a good employer but now preached to his Lea Mills workforce at the start of each day. He continued to maintain an interest in the mill but left the running in the hands of very competent managers.
John became more and more interested in water-therapies and converted the top-floor of a row of workers cottages near the mill into a hospital for his workers where all treatments were by hydrotherapy. This was so successful that he soon attracted patients from all around the area. In 1852, he expanded this into a second profitable business, acquiring a massive Victorian building on Matlock Bank and converting it to the Matlock Hydropathic Establishment. Built to his own design and based on Ben Rhydding, this was essentially a luxury hotel with extensive grounds and recreational facilities but offering all types of water cures as well as Turkish and Seitz baths.
Jane explained that Smedley also published a successful book “Practical Hydrotherapy” setting out several hundred water treatments in meticulous detail and which ran to multiple editions. During this time, he lived in Riber Hall above Matlock Town and designed Riber Castle, which still dominates the landscape. Again designed by Smedley, this has been described as the “ugliest building in Derbyshire” (Pevsner). It was probably conceived as guest accommodation for VIPs coming for hydrotherapy, but Smedley himself was not resident there. John Smedley died in 1874 and although his wife Mary continued her involvement, he bequeathed the Hydro to established medical men.
After her talk, Jane answered many questions from the audience who were interested to learn that the clothing business is still owned by the Marsden-Smedleys with around 60 family shareholders. They started retailing their products in 1932 opening a store in Brook Street, London, which is still in operation.
In the absence of Mike Holcombe, David Dawson thanked Jane for her interesting and informative talk, noting that it had attracted a number of guests attending these meetings for the first time. She was warmly applauded.
March - “Boarding Schools for Girls in Victorian Derbyshire”: a talk by Liz Keeling, local historian.
Liz began by showing us a letter written to her parents in 1860 by one of her ancestors, when at school, demonstrating her progress in writing and hoping that her education had been satisfactory. This led to a quest to find out more about girl’s boarding schools at that time. Using record offices, census returns, directories, newspapers etc. a picture emerged of education in the 18th and 19th Century.
Few girls had opportunities for basic education unless their families were rich and had a governess. Some factories provided teaching, there were Sunday schools but many girls relied on their mothers for instruction in basic household tasks. However, slightly wealthier families could send their children to boarding schools. There were about 400 in Derbyshire, many very small and often run by widows or spinsters in their own home, usually the only way they had to earn money. Consequently, many only had a handful of pupils. Lessons were reading, writing, arithmetic, needlework and housework related.
We saw photos of some of the former schools in Buxton, Belper, Glossop, mostly small private houses. They advertised a homely, caring atmosphere and were particularly attractive to fairly well to do families where the mother had died or the parents were overseas in India etc. Usually, the lessons took place in one room where there were girls of all ages doing different subjects.
An interesting advert for Miss Parker’s School in Ashbourne in 1799 charged 18 guineas a year for full board and basic lessons, but tuition in French, Music, Geography etc. were extra. Tea was 10/6d per quarter. They had to bring one bed sheet! The reason for this is considered later. They also had to bring their own cutlery.
Gaining ‘accomplishments’ were important for middle class girls. It was the way to network with other similar families and ‘catch’ a husband. The merchant classes were greatly expanding during the industrial revolution with wealth ‘trickling down’ and this led to new opportunities in education for those not provided for. Girls were the principal focus but the schools founded for them did not provide an education in ‘hard’ subjects such as algebra, classics etc. since, since this was deemed inappropriate for girls. Women had smaller brains and ‘straining’ them with difficult thoughts could lead to disaster, interfere with pregnancy and producing handicapped offspring – a threat to civilisation and much warned about by the medical profession!
There was a girl’s boarding school in Bubnell Hall, a letter of 1862 illustrated some of the topics that were discussed: biographies of famous people, capitals of countries, historical dates etc. The emphasis, however, was on rote learning.
We saw a plaque on a house in Ashbourne commemorating the school Erasmus Darwin set up for two of his illegitimate daughters to run to provide their income. The 1861 census showed that one similar school in Ashbourne had 40 pupils.
Spa towns were popular places for these schools. Families often stayed for weeks ‘taking the waters’ and their daughters could attend these schools. Presumably, the boys were at the well-established boarding schools. These rich pupils attracted the presence of less well of families who sent their daughters to learn alongside them.
We saw adverts for cottages in pleasant areas suitable for using as a school. One had 6 bedrooms, 4 for pupils sharing with several to a bed – hence, possibly the need for only one sheet?
From 1860 bigger schools started to appear, often associated with churches. After emancipation some were Catholic convents. We heard the tale of an Anglican vicar from Derby who ‘transitioned’ to being a Roman Catholic and went to Rome, leaving his wife behind to set up such a convent before he transitioned back, causing all sorts of trouble!
These schools were still low key and the teachers unqualified. Some large Ladies colleges, eg. Cheltenham, North London, started pressing for examinations and qualifications for women. They convinced a Government enquiry into the state of boy’s education to expand the system. New elementary schools for poor children were set up but state funding for the education of rich children was not allowed.
The need to provide educated middle-class women for employment in the rapidly expanding economy led to the setting up of properly trained teachers in specialist training colleges. Properly funded schools were set up by committees that raised the money and used professional teachers. This happened in Derby where there was no Girl’s High School.
The introduction of these larger girl’s schools with qualified teachers led to the demise of the small private boarding schools. Some responded by calling themselves a ‘College” but the writing was on the wall. Some changed to coeducational prep schools and continued for many years.
In 1893 an education Act created local authorities with responsibilities foe education. Schools such as Heanor Hall were set up as grammar schools for girls and boys. Now we saw the introduction of sports, (and gym slips) as well as science lessons.
We finished with an example – Friargate House School in Derby, founded for girl boarders in 1883. It expanded to include a prep department and was thriving until 1950. It needed to expand to provide A Levels but couldn’t because of the building’s listed status. It soon closed.
Finally, Liz told us that she later discovered that her great, great, great Aunt did not go to a boarding school after all, it was a day school! The letter was in lieu of a school report.
As Chairman, Mike Holcombe offered a vote of thanks to Liz for her interesting and detailed talk.
April: "Bolsover Castle Through the Ages". A talk by Ian Morgan, local historian
Bolsover predates the Domesday Book, the name probably deriving from the Old English meaning Bull’s Ridge or Belesovre. The Anglo-Saxon landowner was dispossessed of his lands by the Normans who awarded it to William Peverel. There is some evidence that his son built a wall round an old temporary castle on the site. During the political violence of Henry II’s reign Peverel took refuge abroad and Henry confiscated the lands and built the first proper castle in 1153, about the same time as the castle at Castleton. The cost of both of these together was about £80 with Bolsover costing £45.
During King John’s reign there were three incidents with the third becoming a siege. It took 7 years to repair the damage. However, by the 16th Century the castle was derelict. Edward VI then gave it to the Talbot family and it ended up with William Cavendish. The castle was used as a hunting lodge.
In 1612 the old castle was demolished and William Cavendish supervised its replacement. It is quite small with only 4 main bedrooms and 4 servants rooms.
Cavendish was fascinated by the Ancient Greek character Heracles and there are many references to him and his feats in both painting and sculpture. Above the entrance is a balcony ‘held up’ by a sculpture of Heracles – this is thought to be a personification of Cavendish himself. In the entrance hall are paintings of four personalities. Further rooms are illustrated with other mysterious paintings and references to mythological concepts and characters. There were some of Heracles’ labours featured and an expensive Italian fireplace with the arms of the Talbot family. Cavendish was acutely conscious that he was not ‘real’ aristocracy so referring to his connection with the Talbot family was one way of gaining respectability!
Around the window were 16 pictures of saints that could be covered up by shutters if it was thought that their ‘Catholic’ connotations might offend visitors. Also, two mystery portraits can be seen. Their interpretation is open to question.
On the site of the planned chapel is now a marble closet. A private bedchamber and Heaven Room featuring putti holding up sheets of music which showed a drinking song. Further mythological scenes of Elysium feature and the phrase ‘All is but Vanity’ which again is open to interpretation. The top floor features aristocratic bedrooms a central atrium with octagonal lantern above. In the gardens there was an elaborate fountain which never worked due to incorrect plumbing!
In 1634 Cavendish decided the castle was too small and embarked on extensions, which were poorly designed initially, and architectural devices such as canon pilasters were added to distract from the basic appearance. Looking to impress the King (Charles I) he held a party at his other house Welbeck Abbey. The success of this forced him to repeat the exercise at Bolsover. This nearly bankrupted him!
He built a Riding School for riding displays – a manege – which was unique. It is still used today.
In the Civil War he led the Royalists’ northern troops and was badly beaten at Marston Moor. He fled to France. While in Paris he courted and eventually married a Maid of Honour, Margaret, much to the consternation of his children who feared disinheritance. He returned in 1660. His second wife took over the Castle, the other children inheriting other estates. They found that the parliamentarians had removed the roof of the castle’s extension.
His son, Henry, approached King Charles II for a Dukedom. Initially the King refused but Henry produced a contract signed by both their fathers which promised this. He was made Duke of Newcastle.
Following Margaret the Castle went through the female line until one married the Duke of Portland but eventually serious debts led to the Castle’s decline.
In 1818 it became the vicarage to a somewhat disreputable cleric and when he was removed the new curate’s wife restored the castle. It was gifted to the nation in 1946 and is managed by English Heritage.
May - "The History of the Blacksmith". - A talk by Andrew Renwick of Ridgeway Forge.
This talk covered the personal history of the speaker, the development of the blacksmith’s work and art and some of the work recently and currently undertaken by Ridgeway Forge.
Andrew explained that he was the son of a blacksmith, born in Ridgeway and educated at Birkdale School and Stowe College before training as an engineer at the, then, Sheffield Technical College with an apprenticeship at Forgemasters Steels. However, with the death of his father he was persuaded to take a short course in practical blacksmithing and took over the family firm. He has been doing this now for over 30 years.
The Ridgeway Forge started life as the village blacksmith making scythes and sickles for local use. Andrew explained that the art is far from dying but the work has changed to larger commissioned work with more artistic and decorative challenges. His team is relatively small but includes a retired worker over 80 who offered his services part-time twenty years ago and still does two days a week, together with half a dozen others. There are difficulties recruiting young apprentices who often find the work too heavy and resent the long time needed to achieve mastery of the craft. However, business is good and the size of commissions now is such that they will move to larger premises in Attercliffe in the near future. For most commissions, there is a need for close collaboration with architects, builders and sponsors. Andrew explained that early involvement of the blacksmith in these cases was absolutely crucial.
Andrew then quoted from a talk given by his father in the 1970s that he had come across whilst preparing for the present talk. This covered the origins of the trade in the Far East, probably in Chengdu where iron was first smelted from rocks rich in the ore. Temperatures obtainable at that time were too low to produce high-grade iron and the “bloom” that resulted needed to be improved by repeated hammering into “flats”. This heavy and repeated hammering is a characteristic of the trade, with reuse and refashioning of old iron producing stronger and stronger material (hence the re-forging of broken sword blades).
Horseshoes were used in Britain by the Roman army but with its withdrawal skills were lost until the Viking invasions. The first named blacksmith, Thomas of Leyton, appears in the 13th century but the Black Death in the 14th century again reduced skills. The 15th century saw major advances with the development of sheet metal, more sophisticated forging and shaping tools, and demand for decorative ironwork. By the 17th century village blacksmiths were widespread making a variety of household objects and intricate door locks and handles. In 1680 around 10,000 tons of iron were used in Britain but this had increased to 120,000 by 1720.
The reign of William and Mary produced another major development. On a visit to Versailles, they were very impressed by the intricate and ornate ironwork and began to commission similar pieces at home. They were patrons to Jean Tizou (b 1689), a French Huguenot ironworker who became famous in England for his work at St Paul’s Cathedral (which took 20 years) and many royal palaces and large country estates. His designs are still copied and sought-after today. This period led to a big demand for large gates, railings and staircases for the gentry.
From that peak, demand has steadily fallen with the gradual demise of stately homes and the introduction of more modern working of steel and aluminium alternatives. Unlike woodworking and stone masonry, blacksmiths have not been able to make best use of modern technology (for example laser-guided tools) because commissioning sponsors and architects insist on them using traditional techniques.
Moving on to the current work of the blacksmith, Andrew explained that a typical commission of, say, the gates to a large estate, might involve 2-3 years od discussions and research (into the style, previous history of the site, architects designs, etc), 6-9 months manufacture and 3-4 site visits for fitting. He then gave a lavishly illustrated presentation of the type of work currently being done, ranging from weather vanes, garden pergolas and furniture, through intricate designs for the Chelsea Flower Show gardens and clamps for the wooden beams on the Tower of London portcullis to complicated gates and railings for public spaces and stately homes. He also listed an impressive array of commissions, including for Woburn Abbey, Royal Hospital Chelsea, RAC Club in Pall Mall, Pembroke College Cambridge, Princess Diana Memorial Gardens, Charterhouse Square and multiple projects at Wentworth Woodhouse.
Much of the work is renovation and repair, rather than new. Andrew illustrated this by a detailed description of the work done at Chatsworth House in 2015 to refurbish the Golden Gates. These, along with a pair at the main Lodge of the House were once part of the screen and railings on the south side of the original house in the 1690s and were the work of Jean Tizou mentioned above. They were removed from their original position around 1730 and reappear in new positions 100 years later with no evidence of where they were in between. The gates at the Lodge were modified to fit the new positions, as evidenced by adaptations of the support screens and hinges, which clearly do not fit exactly.
The Golden Gates were severely damaged in 1949 by a runaway lorry whose brakes failed coming down the Sheffield Road. After repair they underwent further refurbishment in 1965. The 2015 refurbishment needed major repair to the original Tizou design, no two leaves of which were the same. 50% had been replaced in copper and their different methods of attachment reflected the work practices in vogue at the various times. The 2015 work also included refurbishment of other iron gates and balconies at Chatsworth.
Mike Holcombe thanked Andrew for this informative and well-illustrated talk on a subject of great local interest. There was a lively discussion afterwards and Andrew was warmly applauded.
June - Visit to Bolsover Castle
The visit took place on a hot sunny day. The approach is impressive being located on a hill above the River Doe Lea valley. We had had a talk about the Castle at a previous meeting and we were able to see many of the historical and unique features. Crossing the lawns at the entrance we came to the range of buildings that included the revolutionary horse riding arena where the Duke of Newcastle honed his equestrian skills and practised dressage. Across the quadrangle was a ruined range that was once lavish banqueting rooms together with the kitchens and stores. There were magnificent views of the valley.
There is a walk around the castle walls overlooking the gardens and historic water feature with fountain.
The entrance to the castle leads to many rooms with classic themed paintings and ceilings. The furniture has now gone but the rooms are atmospheric and show how this rich man’s fantasy retreat must have been like.
English Heritage have done a good job preserving the estate and presenting the history of the building in an accessible way. They run a pleasant cafe and shop and there is a programme about Bolsover Castle by Lucy Worsley on iPlayer.
The photographs below show the main Keep, the remains of the Great Hall, the Riding School and a view from the ramparts.
July - Visit to Repton
12 members of the group enjoyed this visit to the ancient capital of Mercia which was led by local historian, Andy Austin who also gave us a talk entitled Repton: From the Neolithic to the Founding of the School.
The visit began with a short tour to understand the orientation of the present school and church buildings in relation to the sites revealed over the last century from various archaeological digs. Then followed the talk inside the church (this came at exactly the right time to avoid a summer downpour!)
The main points were:
The group then a tour of the ancient crypt and further inspection of the site of the old monastery and the first buildings that formed Repton School.
Mike Holcombe offered a vote of thanks to Andy Austin for his comprehensive and entertaining tour and talk.
The photographs below show:
Top : Interior of the church and the Crypt
Middle: The original school building (part of the monastery)
Bottom: The Rectory garden and a recent excavation showing nine graves
12 members of the group enjoyed this visit to the ancient capital of Mercia which was led by local historian, Andy Austin who also gave us a talk entitled Repton: From the Neolithic to the Founding of the School.
The visit began with a short tour to understand the orientation of the present school and church buildings in relation to the sites revealed over the last century from various archaeological digs. Then followed the talk inside the church (this came at exactly the right time to avoid a summer downpour!)
The main points were:
- Archaeology carried out when a new science block was erected at the school showed clear evidence of both Roman and Anglo-Saxon field boundaries with carbon dating of grain found in the ditches giving a time of around 300 AD. However, the dig also found evidence of Neolithic flint working from a much earlier period.
- Settlement at Repton was almost certainly because it is situated on sandy land elevated alongside the River Trent, giving a site for a secure settlement with easy access to the transport offered by a major river. (It is worth noting that the course of the river has shifted much further away in more recent times).
- There is little detail of the Roman occupation but the evidence suggests a substantial Anglo-Saxon settlement with, perhaps, 30-40 dwellings. Because of its position at the centre of the Mercian kingdom, it became regarded as the Capital until King Offa moved this further south to Tamworth.
- The crypt of the original Anglo-Saxon church survives almost intact and is one of the most important examples of AS architecture in the country It was constructed in the first half of the 8th Century during the reign of Aethelbald, perhaps originally as a baptistery outside the church itself. (It is partially underground and sited above a spring with a water-drainage channel). It was later converted to a mausoleum and became the final resting place of Mercian Kings. There is evidence that Aethelblad (d 757) and King Wiglaf (d 840) were both interred there as well as Wiglaf’s grandson, Wystan who was murdered in 849.
- By this time, the inhabitants had likely converted to Christianity and a double monastery was established at Repton with the monks controlling the lucrative mining, trading and transporting the local lead.
- The Vilings settled at Repton in 873 (although there may have been earlier raids from the late 700s) probably because of the lead mining. Recent research suggests that the invasion force was much larger than once imagined with between 3-5,000 men and upwards of 300 ships. There was little resistance as the Capital of Mercia was now at Tamworth where the main conflict took place. There is evidence that Repton became the local headquarters with the main camp further downriver at Foremark.
- Recent excavations in the gardens of the Rectory have discovered graves with hundreds of skeletons. Careful excavation and research suggests that the site was originally Anglo-Saxon but was later reused by the Vikings.
- The monastery was destroyed by the Vikings, but Repton was the last battle fought by the entire invading army which subsequently split into three sections as they spread throughout the country until their final defeat.
- The Repton church was rebuilt around 900. Domesday Book records 37 villagers, 3 smallholders and two priests and a Motte and Bailey castle was built by the Earl of Chester
- In 1173 money was donated for an Augustinian Priory and a new church was completed in 1254.
- In 1438, Overton’s Tower was completed and this still stands incorporated into a larger school building but its outline is still clearly visible.
- With the dissolution of the monasteries, the buildings were largely demolished in 1548 but in 1557 a few of the remaining buildings were used to found the Repton School. We heard that this had a very variable history with at one time having a school roll of just one pupil. Nevertheless, it has survived and prospered with large expansion and a number of notable alumni. But that’s another story.
The group then a tour of the ancient crypt and further inspection of the site of the old monastery and the first buildings that formed Repton School.
Mike Holcombe offered a vote of thanks to Andy Austin for his comprehensive and entertaining tour and talk.
The photographs below show:
Top : Interior of the church and the Crypt
Middle: The original school building (part of the monastery)
Bottom: The Rectory garden and a recent excavation showing nine graves
August - No Meeting
September - Visit to Wirksworth Heritage Centre
We visited the Wirksworth Heritage Centre which included a visit round the museum and a talk by one of the Trustees.
The Heritage Centre is an impressive facility with a museum over 2 floors, a shop, a cafe and a lecture room which provides a detailed picture of Wirksworth’s history as a major lead mining town and regional centre dating back to before the Roman era. At times lead mining was second as an industry in the country only to wool. The exhibits cover a wide selection of artifacts and cover not only lead mining but also other industries such as textiles including silk weaving and the large scale manufacture of red tape!
Following our tour of the museum we had a talk from one of the Centre’s Trustees, Since its regeneration over the last few decades Wirksworth has become a centre of the arts including films, ceramics and other arts. There is a thriving arts festival and a Wizarding event for children. We also heard about some of the customs of lead mining. Miners could dig a mine on open land but they had to work it continuously. An inspector would make unheralded inspections and if they were not working would cut a notch (strike) on the miner’s stow, part of the windlass support for pulling the ore out of the mineshaft. If a miner received three such strikes they lost the mine - the origin of “three strikes and you’re out”.
The talk was followed by tea and cakes.
After the visit we went round the Parish Church. This is an ancient building, possibly Romano-Christian, and has some famous stone carvings including the top of a stone coffin excavated from beneath the altar. It is at least Saxon and could be earlier, the iconography might be pre-Saxon. It is likely to be from the tomb of an eminent churchman. Some believe that the church was a Minster with a bishop and was the principal church of the Peak District.
There are also images of lead miners which are all inserted into the church walls.
September - Visit to Wirksworth Heritage Centre
We visited the Wirksworth Heritage Centre which included a visit round the museum and a talk by one of the Trustees.
The Heritage Centre is an impressive facility with a museum over 2 floors, a shop, a cafe and a lecture room which provides a detailed picture of Wirksworth’s history as a major lead mining town and regional centre dating back to before the Roman era. At times lead mining was second as an industry in the country only to wool. The exhibits cover a wide selection of artifacts and cover not only lead mining but also other industries such as textiles including silk weaving and the large scale manufacture of red tape!
Following our tour of the museum we had a talk from one of the Centre’s Trustees, Since its regeneration over the last few decades Wirksworth has become a centre of the arts including films, ceramics and other arts. There is a thriving arts festival and a Wizarding event for children. We also heard about some of the customs of lead mining. Miners could dig a mine on open land but they had to work it continuously. An inspector would make unheralded inspections and if they were not working would cut a notch (strike) on the miner’s stow, part of the windlass support for pulling the ore out of the mineshaft. If a miner received three such strikes they lost the mine - the origin of “three strikes and you’re out”.
The talk was followed by tea and cakes.
After the visit we went round the Parish Church. This is an ancient building, possibly Romano-Christian, and has some famous stone carvings including the top of a stone coffin excavated from beneath the altar. It is at least Saxon and could be earlier, the iconography might be pre-Saxon. It is likely to be from the tomb of an eminent churchman. Some believe that the church was a Minster with a bishop and was the principal church of the Peak District.
There are also images of lead miners which are all inserted into the church walls.
Mike Holcombe, Baslow History Group.
October - AGM followed by “The Vanished Baslow Grand Hotel & Hydo” - a talk by Mike Woffenden
After the usual business of an AGM, Mike Woffenden, member and past chairman of the Group, gave an update of a talk first presented in 2017.
Mike first examined the background and context to the strange institutions called “hydros”, tracing their origin (with due acknowledgement to Roman Baths) to the Georgians, and the Victorians, who were preoccupied with the alleged therapeutic properties of mineral-rich thermal spring water. In the Derbyshire area, a number of places developed as Spa Towns, such as Buxton and Matlock. However, what is not now so widely known, is that Baslow also was the site of a magnificent Hydro Hotel. The Baslow “Grand Hotel and Hydro” was completed and opened in 1881.
Baslow was then a minor tourist resort, with visitors coming from Sheffield and Manchester to view Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall and the wild moorlands, to fish in the River Derwent and to shoot on the Eastern Moors. The local public houses, the Devonshire Arms, the Cavendish Hotel (then known as the Peacock), and the Wheatsheaf, provided adequate, but not top class, accommodation.The well-to-do who visited Baslow felt the need for a more up-market place to stay, especially the business men from nearby Sheffield.
With Smedley`s Hydro in nearby Matlock one of the most successful, largest, and best-appointed spas in the whole of England, it is not surprising that, in order to cash in on this popular vogue, those contemplating a new large hotel in Baslow definitely felt the need for it to be a “Hydro”. The company formed to promote the new hotel was thus named The Baslow “Hydropathic” Company Limited, despite the fact that Baslow’s waters were not really suitable.
The prime movers were a Mr Henry Pawson, a prominent Sheffield business man (whose firm of Pawson & Brailsford, continued in Sheffield to the 1950`s), and the Duke of Rutland, who of course had an eye for a profitable venture in his estate village. There was no shortage of original subscribers to the company, as 2,000 shares were quickly sold at £10 each, giving it a share capital of £20,000, which in those days was a considerable sum.
The site chosen for the hotel was a plateau of land lying between the foot of Yeld Wood and Eaton Hill, then known as Tithe Barn Lane, acquired from the Duke of Rutland. It extended to 12 acres, affording splendid views out over the Chatsworth Estate to the south. The architect, a Mr S L Swann, proposed a magnificent Tudor style building, with extensive pleasure grounds.
Mike then described in some detail the layout of the building with accommodation for 150 guests, an opulent dining room, private lounges, ballroom and billiard room, and, of course segregated bathing pools for gentlemen and ladies.
The grounds too were extensive. Entrance was through two ornate gate posts (still standing as the frontage to a 1960`s bungalow at the top of Eaton Hill). There was a fountain (still visible in the garden of Fountain House at the end of Hydro Close off Bar Road), accompanied by a pond and waterfall. There was a croquet lawn, bowling greens, tennis courts, and a nine-hole golf course. The less energetic could walk around the flower gardens, a fruit garden, an orchard, and a one-and-a-half acre kitchen garden. There was even a run of pig sties to provide home reared bacon, a glass house, and a laundry within the grounds. Finally, there were stables, which would ultimately become garages.
Guest excursions were provided by horse and carriage, which was also used to collect guests from the three local railway stations. When in due course the horse and carriage was replaced by a hotel motor car, the chauffeur in charge of it was a Mr Henry Hulley, who later founded the eponymous local bus company still ion existence.
Once built, the enterprise provided the local council with one third of its rates, and gave much employment to local people. Such was the initial success that in the 1890`s a wooden annexe was added to provide an additional 20 bedrooms. And the flood of guests was wealthy, tariffs being the equivalent of a modern in five star luxury hotel.
Most village festivities between 1881 and 1913 were also hosted in the Hydro grounds, notably Queen Victoria`s Golden Jubilee in 1887, and the Queen`s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. In that twelve months, the hotel gave accommodation to no less than 3,640 guests, with a number even coming from the United States. By 1900, matters were going sufficiently well for the hotel to make a new and better Golf Course, this time over on the east side of the Sheffield Road, as opposed to the original course on the west side of the road.
Then however came the Great War of 1914 to 1918. The Hydro was used, to enlist local men in the Derbyshire Volunteer Regiment of Home Guards in 1915. and later that year, Mr Mabbott the hotel manager, set apart the ball room for a Thursday evening concert to raise funds for the Red Cross and the Comforts for Servicemen`s Fund. Also, the hotel was frequently used to billet officers, some from Canada, to enable them to practice on a Rifle Range set up in Chatsworth Park.
However, after World War I, the Hydro never managed to recover its former glory. The owners during the profitable times had not put aside sufficient monies to provide for repairs, renovations, and modernisation, now much needed, as the soldiers billeted there during the war had knocked the place about badly. Funds had been withdrawn from the business to instead provide dividends for the shareholders.
The wooden annexe was sold off to raise funds in 1920 but former guests now defected to Harrogate, Scarborough, or even Switzerland. Then came the Great Depression, which further ate into takings, with a further drop in guest numbers. The management resorted to providing a venue for local village meetings, dances, and whist-drives, to supplement the low guest numbers. However, this tended to put off the few remaining well-to-do guests who still patronised the Hydro for old times` sake.
So, the Grand Hotel and Hydro finally had to close its door as unprofitable in 1930. In 1936, a Mr White of Darley Dale ultimately paid £3,000 for the right to demolish the empty building and take away the stone for use elsewhere. The land was then sold off for 1930`s residential development, such as the houses on Hydro Close.
Mike Holcombe, current chairman of there History Group then led a question and answer session which ended with a gracious vote of thanks to Mike Woffenden for this interesting and stimulating talk.
NOTE: A fuller, illustrated account of this talk has now been published as a monograph by the History Group. It is available from the Village Store and Post Office (SPAR), priced £2.50.
November - “Derbyshire Centenarians”. A talk by Tim Knebel of Peak in the Past.
The speaker explained that he works in the Sheffield Archives but also acts a Projects Officer for Peak in the Past a community heritage group dedicated to exploring and sharing peak district history through the provision of documentary film footage, historical images and information resources and conducting reminiscence and educational activities. He became interested in this particular topic when he came across newspaper articles that the Peak District had a particularly high proportion of its population living beyond 100 years of age and had done so for many centuries. In this talk he intended to review some of the recorded Derbyshire Centenarians with the aim of examining if the claims were true, how their study revealed aspects of Derbyshire life over the centuries and whether or not any secrets of long-life might be revealed.
Tim began in the Taddington area in the early 18th century. Anne Howson, died aged 123 (b1703, d1826); William Howard, died aged 118 (1718) and buried in St Michael’s and All Angels churchyard; and Alice Bailey, died age 107 (and reputed to have had a mother who lived to 108) were all Taddington residents reported in newspapers of the time. The difficulty lies in evaluating any such reports as there was no reliable system for recording births and deaths. Many newspapers carried articles without a great deal of verification.
Bradwell: Ancient and Modern, a book by Seth Evans written in 1912, describes a John Barsley as “The Peak Centenarian” who died in Netherwater in 1787 at the age of 101. Again there is little supporting evidence of the age.
There is more information about George Wainwright of Bamford who died in the Stuart period, aged 107. He achieved some prominence as a pioneer of the Methodist movement and his portrait was commissioned for the Cutler’s Hall in Sheffield (although it was never displayed). He is known to have lived variously in Dronfield, Totley and Whiteley Woods and was reportedly working as a weaver in Dore when over 100 years old. He left 113 living descendants over 4 generations. The Totley Historical Society have done some research into his age at death and are sceptical of the claims.
Another centenarian leaving many living descendants (214) and outliving many others (>50) was Sarah Rose of Hope (1713-1819). Born in Glossop, as a child she snared field fares for sale at one farthing each - enough to pay her father’s rent! She later obtained a position as a domestic servant at Portwood Hall in Stockport where she was left alone as her masters fled, to contend with the army of Bonnie Prince Charlie as they passed through the town during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. Newspaper articles suggest that the army took supplies but otherwise treated her with respect. When asked about the secrets of her long life she commented that she enjoyed pipe-smoking and knitting stockings.
The Jacobite theme continued with John Fox (1722-1825), a hard-working farmer who enlisted with the King’s Troops at the time but lived to work beyond the age of 100.
And the military theme recurred with Aaron Ashton (Heyfield 1731-1835), a shepherd’s son who was wounded at the battle of Bunkers Hill in the War of American Independence. He attributed his long life to respecting the legend of the Mermaid’s Pool on Kinder Scout, where, on Easter Eve, the mermaid was said to confer either long-life or doom. Apparently, Aaron went there every year - but never saw the mermaid!
Just across the county border in Alstonefield, Staffs, Anthony Beresford (1772-1874) survived into old age despite being blinded in a shooting accident in 1819. Unusually in this list of centenarians, he came from a wealthy, land-owning family.
There are two interesting incidents linked to the life of Ann Brightmore (nee Ball) who lived at the Red Lion in Litton (b.1826 or 1829; d.1930). She worked as a seamstress for the local vicar and, on her wedding day, signalled using a broom for her husband-to-be, who was a stonemason, to come down from the church tower for the wedding ceremony. They were married with him still holding his trowel and he immediately re-ascended the tower to continue his work. The other incident related to an unusual death at Wormhill Hall where her father worked. The son of the hall’s owner (WLG Bagshawe) was killed in a confrontation with a gang of poachers at Chee Tor - a great scandal of the day and widely reported.
Jane Somner (1832-1933) was known as “The Great Little Lady of Edale”, although she moved there only late in life. Her early life was spent in extreme poverty in Newbury, Hampshire but she later was in service at Windsor Castle. In 1932 she was able still to vividly describe the events of the Crimean War and had many gripes about modern life -“too fast, too many games, too much dancing, too much science and not enough hard work”. She felt that a daily glass of beer, plain food, early nights and fresh air were the secrets of her long life. At the time of her death she was an expert on the Yo-Yo.
The last centenarian that Tim reviewed was Sarah Anne Taylor, nee Bradwell, (1853-1957). She was related to the ice-cream family but her father was a lead miner. Tim reflected that her life spanned a huge range of events from the Crimean War to the Elvis Presley and Sputnik era. In 1861, aged 8, she started work in a shoe factory. The 1871 census has her working in a cotton factory and in 1874 she married John Taylor, a carter and farmer. She died in Fir Vale Hospital in Sheffield. During her life she was called as a witness at a murder/coroner’s investigation known now as “The Bradwell Mystery”. James Buttery (or Buttress) was a farmer/stonewaller who committed suicide after the suspicious disappearance of his wife. Sarah attested to knowledge of a poor relationship between the two but, although strongly suspected, a murder-suicide was never established. The mystery remains to this day.
Tim then summarised his conclusions. Most of the centenarians described had been hardworking, ordinary people either of humble origin or who had overcame adversity or both. Their long lives make them noteworthy in themselves, but also give them a wider voice in revealing a window on the world of their time whether this be local events and scandals or national or international events. Their accounts also give many, but sometimes questionable, hints to the secrets of a long-life.
Is the Peak District conducive to a long-life? There are obvious advantages of fresh air and exercise with the absence of the overcrowding and infections of city life, but also disadvantages of isolation and limited opportunities for development. An important factor might be the sense of community and companionship of the area.
After a number of questions and answers, Mike Holcombe offered a vote of thanks to Tim on behalf of the Group.
December - “What do we Know about Packhorse Routes in Britain?”. A talk by Alastair Clark.
Alastair began by explaining his background in adult education and teaching French. He also works as a guide for HF holidays and teaches map-reading. As a keen walker he developed an interest in walking routes, their significance and their history.
During a visit to Walsall Leather Museum (Walsall being the historic centre of saddle-making and leather goods in the Black Country) he sought to combine the visit with his interest in long-distance routes and asked if they had any information about packhorse routes. Not only had they no information about routes, the only artefact they had, a saddle from a packhorse, was of Guatemalan origin.
This stimulated further research. Alastair enquired of local museums and history groups. Bakewell, Eyam and Castleton had no information whilst Buxton were able to produce a single pony bell! A literature search via Google showed over 100,000 entries related to routes on roads, 80,000 on railways, 20,000 on canals but only 93 on packhorses and most of those related to a “Packhorse Inn” as the start of a walking route. So what do we know about the subject?
Alastair suggested that evidence could be obtained from documents, oral histories, physical artefacts and the landscape. He then used this evidence to discuss the horses, the routes, the cargoes and the people involved in packhorse transport in Britain.
As for the horses, they were first domesticated in Kazakhstan around 8000 years ago. There are images of horses in Mesopotamia and Egypt from 2000 BCE and 100BCE and “white horses” in flatlands of Britain (for example at Uffington) date from the bronze age. The horse was especially suited for use as a pack animal because of its size, strength and useful life (around 20 years). Alastair introduces the term “sumpter” as a general word for pack animals including horses, mules and donkeys. The literature refers to several breeds but the most commonly referred to is the Galloway pony which is now bred out. There is mention of this animal in Shakespeare where Pistol in Henry IV Part 2 refers to “packhorses and Galloway Nags”. The use of the term “Gals” for packhorses derives from this name, not from the term girls.
Alastair devoted a major part of his talk to discussing the routes. The literature historically refers to street, path, way and gate as terms for routes. “Road” appears very late. It was once assumed that packhorse routes stuck to higher land to avoid heavily wooded and marshy valleys. However, more recent research suggests that this is because lower routes have been largely obscured by later land development. Some experts believe some routes date back over 10,000 years.
Much information can be gained by studying old Roman roads and ancient maps of major routes. Alastair reviewed evidence from Roman Britain and the Matthew Paris and the Gough maps of circa 1200. He concluded that packhorse routes were more likely to have been used in areas away from these main “arterial” routes. In Tudor times, with routes often becoming impassable because of erosion and increasing use, Justices of the Peace were charged with responsibility for road and bridge repairs in their area. In 1555, all households had to provide 4 days work per year on the roads.
The first turnpike was the Great North Road where tolls were introduced on sections north of London in 1663. By 1840, 20,000 miles of road were covered by 1000 Turnpike Trusts. Adjacent routes were often blocked by landowners to force use of the turnpike and there were toll exemptions for farmers carrying fertiliser, mail coaches, soldiers, voters on polling day, those visiting the sick and attendees at church on Sundays and at funerals. There were many attempts to avoid the tolls and, as wheeled vehicles increasingly used the turnpikes, pack horses continued to be used on narrower paths elsewhere.
Turnpikes declined after 1850 with the increasing use of rail transport.
Away from the turnpikes, “stoops” were introduced on many of the less well-marked routes as guides to way-marking. Many can still be seen today and there are many good examples locally including on Big Moor, Kinder and the Edale Cross. A traveller today might need to be wary as many have been moved by farmers or by the Home Guard in WWII and may have not been repositioned correctly.
Alastair finished this section of his talk by describing features of the “Portway” running between London and Dorchester, and the Derbyshire Portway between Nottingham and Mam Tor. It is worth noting that “port” in this sense has nothing to do with shipping but derives from the French word “porte” meaning market and the routes perhaps link ancient market places.
Moving on to the cargoes carried, they tended to focus on high-value items such as lead, coal, iron, salt and cutlery but were also used for many other varied items. The packhorses were the equivalent of today’s “white vans” and were considered ubiquitous. That they were so commonplace and everyday, might be one explanation of why little was recorded about them at the time. One exception was Pickfords, the removal company. Their website maintains that the firm started out by using packhorses for carrying goods before switching later to movement by canal. There is some historical challenge to this and it may or may not be true.
Alastair finished by speaking a little about the people involved. Generic terms are commonly associated with the routes. “Salter” clearly refers to salt workers and “Jagger” derives from the German term “Jaeger” meaning hunter. The packhorse traders were also a social resource as they spread news and stories around the land. “Alice O’Fussers” (Mary Alice Hartley of Shawforth) is recorded as the last owner and user of packhorse transport in Britain. She died in 1879, but packhorses continue to be used in many parts of the world today.
After questions and some discussion, Mike Holcombe thanked Alastair for his entertaining and informative talk.