AN ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT NOTEBOOK, DATED 1855, CONTAINING SEVERAL PAGES
OF SOCIAL 'OBSERVATIONS' ON PERSONS IN THE DALE AND GREENHILL AREA OF
DERBYSHIRE, WALNBROOK, AND 'ST JOHNS STREET AND COURTS'
A fascinating commentary made
(possibly as a Rate Book or Poor Law Union book)
which lists various families, their trades, number of children, and 'remarks'.
These remarks are in code, which is supplied on the front endpaper,
'A' for ablebodied, 'B' for beggar, 'C' for case of distress, 'D'
for drunkard, 'F' for fidelis, 'I' for infidels, dissent of any kind,
'L' for lunatic, 'S' for sick, 'R' for respectable, 'W' for worthy,
'O' for old, 'N' for nothingarian, 'U' for undecided, and 'P' for papist.
Family names mentioned include Else, Bough, Wilson, Thompson, Bunting,
Sims, Frith, Alsopp, Barker, Taylor, Gratton, Blackham, Bamford,
Godbeare, Ludlam, Macdonald, Woodhouse, Steer, Allen, Houghton, Pearson,
Marsh, Turner, Rose, Balens, Wigley, Holmes, Winson, Gaffany, Gibbons,
Mather, Poyser, and Clough, to name a few. Trades include labourers,
miners, butchers, weavers, midwifes, chimneysweeps, paupers, butter dealers,
masons, bakers, hucksters, postmen, shoemakers, lodging house owners
(who is A and P, making her an ablebodied Papist), tapeweavers, etc.
Typical entries include "Wm.Winson, Blacksmith Adulterer, 4 children,
a nothingarian drunkard", although comments improve when the author moves
to 'Walnbrook St John Street and Courts'. The only Dale and Greenhill
area I could locate is in the Wirksworth parish of Derbyshire, which also
has a St Johns Street. A fascinating piece of English social history.
Original leather covered notebook, spine chipped, otherwise in good
condition, with strong hinges. Measures 7 1/2" x 5", contents approx
70 pages, but mostly blank with 16 pages of handwritten text.
|
Kath Marvill sends these
two court cases possibly mentioning men from the Book
The Derby Mercury, Wed 19 Apr 1854
Before Mr Mander, Coroner
FATAL MINE ACCIDENT AT WIRKSWORTH - TWO MEN
KILLED - A serious accident occurred at the Ranter
Mine, Wirksworth, on Monday morning (last week), whereby
two men, named Allen, of Gorsey Bank, near Wirksworth,
and Swift, of cromford, lost their lives; another
of the name of Jacob Thompson had a very narrow
escape. Swift has left a widow and seven small children, and
Allen three children (who are now orphans). The particulars
of the accident will be found in the evidence, adduced at
the inquest of Allen (the bodies of the deceased having been
removed to their homes), before Mr Mander and a respectable
jury on the following day. The following evidence was
adduced - Jacob Thompson - I am a miner, residing at
Wirksworth; I worked with William Allen and Joseph Swift in the
Ranter Mine; we commenced by examining the roof of the
mine, and we all were of the opinion that it was safe, after which
we began working at the vein as usual; after a short time a
stone fell and caught Joseph Swift by the leg; he called for
Allen, who ran to his rescue, and whilst he was engaged in
removing the stone from Swift's leg, the roof of the mine fell
in on Allen, Swift, and myself. [This witness had a very
narrow escape from being killed, being caught on the side of
the head by a portion of the roof, the skin and hair being
grazed off. He gave his evidence with great difficulty, crying
the greater portion of the time] - George Thompson, of
Wirksworth, miner, corroborated the last witness. - Thomas
Brooks said - I am a miner, residing at Middleton; I work
at the Orchard Mine, it adjoins the Ranter; yesterday morning
(Monday), George Thompson, the last witness, came
running to me and asked me to go to the Ranter Mine, that
the roof had fallen in, and two men were killed; I ran with
Thompson to the mine, and found both Swift and Allen
covered with rock and rubbish; we commenced removing
the stone and rubbish, and after some time I heard Swift cry
out for help; we could not get at them without blasting the
stone, in consequence of the size - the stones were from 20 to
30 cwt; we reached them in about two hours, but they were
both dead; I helped to draw them up the mine. - The jury
returned a verdict of "Accidental death".
The Derby Mercury, Wed 24 Jan 1855
WIRKSWORTH - On Thursday last a man of the name
of John Clough, was brought before A Arkwright, Esq.,
at Wirksworth, charged with stealing on the same day a
gold watch, value £18, from the person of Mr samuel
Wilson. About eleven o'clock in the morning Mr wilson
was in the Dog and Partridge Inn, in Wirksworth, and
prisoner and a man named William Abbott, with other
persons, came into the room and had something to drink;
after some time Mr Wilson fell asleep, and while he was
asleep prisoner Clough took the watch out of his pocket.
Before he really took the watch out he put his hand up
to the pocket and drew it away again, but Abbott and
another man pointed to the watch, and said "go on".
Prisoner then drew the watch out of Mr Wilson's pocket
and broke the elastic guard by which it was secured.
Shortly after prisoner and a man named Wragg went out
at the back door, and hid the watch in the thatch of a
building, up the Dale, in Wirksworth. On their return
Mr Wilson woke up and missed his watch; he called out
his watch was gone, and the landlord came in and said
that he should fasten the the doors and send for the constable.
Clough then said, if he "wouldn't split to the constable"
he would tell him all about it. He had taken the watch,
and would go and fetch it back. The landlord went with
him up the Dale, to an outhouse in Clough's occupation,
and Clough pulled the watch out of the thatch and gave
it to the landlord, who then gave him in custody. Afterwards
Mr Smith, the superintendant constable, apprehended
William Abbott, the man who had told Clough to
"go on", for aiding and abetting him in the felony, and a
young lad of the name of Higton, who was with them in
the room, gave evidence as to Abbott, and another man
not now in custody, having incited Clough to take the
watch. Abbott was remanded till saturday, when he was
fully committed to the assizes for trial.
|
Susan Sylke writes:
John
I wanted to thank you ever so much for putting the information about
that leather book on line. Most of the people mentioned with relatives
to me. One particular one was poor Margaret Mascree. She was the 2nd
wife to my ancestor William Maskrey. I think I was related to 3/4s of
the people mentioned. Thank you for all the things you do regarding
Wirksworth. I just got back from England. Unfortunately I do not think
Wirksworth keeps up with its heritage. I appreciate all that you do.
Warmest regards
Susan Sylke.
Proud to have relatives from Wirksworth and around the world
page 1 222 William and Martha Gratton
Page 3 George & Susan Turner
Page 6 Greenhill
292 Jacob and Mary Thomson
276 Jacob and Charlotte Thompson
XXX Jos and Elizabeth Brooks
page 7 Greenhill
307 Charles & Mary Gratton
115 Margaret Mascre
222 Martha Gratton
309 Benjamin and Sarah Greatorex
205 Henry Spencer
454 Thomas and Elizabeth Seeds
page 8 Greenhill John and Harriett Mascre
Page 13 Warmbrook and St. John St
under 438 Joseph and Sarah Breardmore there is
XXX ?Seeds Labourer
This is Luke Seeds he is my direct ancestor
XXX Peter? & Harried Gold (is actually Gould)
that is Lukes daughter
Page 14 St. John St. & Courts
|
These are directs but I have a lot of collateral lines.
Thank you so much for doing all you do with the Wirksworth group.
I just was at Gorsey Bank a couple of weeks ago and I was in
Wirksworth proper for pictures last year so if you need any pictures let
me know
I am also researching WIGLEY (early ones) GRATTON MASKREY (my primary)
and SEEDS (primary) so if you need anything with any of those lines let
me know
With warmest regards and sincere thanks
Susan Sylke
Richard H Turner writes:
John - my guess off the cuff is that it was the vicar/rector of Wirksworth,
or his curate at his direction. I'd check who the incumbent was, his dates,
and check his handwriting from registers or other documentation at Matlock,
Lichfield or elsewhere. He was prob. sussing out his flock - the 'Fidelis'
obviously means 'one of ours', 'infidelis' and 'papist' the
opposition/people to be worked on, who wld have included the 'undecided';
also some of the codes represent those in need of charity/ a kick up the
*rse. You cld check whether at that time there was particular activity
going on in noncomformist or Catholic quarters which might have got his back
up. Are the various streets within the parish boundaries? On p. 1, Mrs
Alsop has T as well as P: that doesn't seem to be in the code list.
At Old Whittington nr Chesterfield the 1831 census notes survive, and it's
clear to me that they were retained by the incumbent there: he has annotated
them in pencil with a running log of what has happened to people over the
next 20 yrs or so - those who had died, emigrated, killed by accident or
intemperance, and so on.
Let me know what you think.
All good wishes
Richard Turner
Wingerworth
Mike Spencer writes:
Hi John,
Checked the Tithe and there is no way they are the same tenants of one landlord unfortunately.
Phineas Peat was landlord to both George Bunting and Thomas Turner. No 59 on Tithe
William Holmes was owner occupier, house ,garden, shop. No. 82 on Tithe.
Rev Nathan Hubbersty was landlord of William Woodhouse
The Tithe commences in this area as most of the tithe numbers for the parcels are all low.
The Hubbersty one is number 19 on the map. Obviously I think he held other property but not
on the scale we maybe had hoped for this to be an Estate survey.
If not for Rates, I wonder if it was compiled for Charitable purposes ? Was December 1855 a
particularly bad winter I wonder, when the ground froze miners couldn't work.
Will keep looking for answers
mike
Hi John,
I still wonder if is is a pre assessment for the Rates, not the actual Rate book.
As if a survey of the populace is being made, an evaluating what each could pay
towards the rates, based on job and circumstances.
The final rate book may have been made on this assessment.
The finished Rate books have the acreage and type of abode or property a person
either owned or rented plus rate in pound payable.
If not Rate books there must be a reason these people are listed, for some form of assessment.
It can't be for Election purposes because women did not have a vote, neither for Jury Service
( Jurors Lists). The upper age was 60 I think around this time.
I don't think it is a Survey for an Estate, although I don't think Gell had had this much property
I may be wrong. I can't think of any other landowners, unless Arkwright had lots of houses here.
I haven't been to DRO, so can't add from there.
mike
Hi John,
Very interesting. I will have to think about it some more, but what is the fourth column
heading? The one with numbers, it can't be ages as they dont tally with the census ages.
Does it have any other names at the end which might suggest who wrote and is the date listed
in it, the actual date of the entries.
If it was 1835 not 1853 I would suggest Poor Law, but the Union came into existence mid 1830's.
And it would be the Union that would keep records whilst this look more parish.
From what I can make out all the people are born in Wirksworth and not elsewhere, is that right?
As I have only the one page linked I can't tell more, but this is what makes it more of a parish document.
Is everyone on the streets listed in line with cenus records, or does it only list various families
and not all.
I have seen one something similar for Hartington I think, giving details of the character of people.
Not as well constructed as this book, I can't remember the date and it may have had militia links but
I can't be certain.
Let me know about column four.
Mike
|
|
All Rights Reserved.