ASHFORD in the WATER, Derbyshire

Census

• The parish was in the Bakewell sub-district of the Bakewell Registration District.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

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Church History

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
  
  
• A Cahntry was founded in this church in 1257.
  
  
• Portions of the church have been dated to the 12th century.
  
  
• The church tower dates from the 13th century.
  
  
• The church seats 300.

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1688.
  
  
• A CD containing a transcription of The Parish Registers of Holy Trinity Church is available for purchase from Valerie Neal.
  
  
• We have a pop-up window of Parish Register burials in a text file for your review. Your additions are welcomed.
  
  
• The church was in the rural deanery of Bakewell.
  
  
• Here is a list of Ashford Parish Registers available on Microfilm from LDS Family History Libraries. Film Numbers are reproduced on GENUKI by kind permission of the Genealogical Society of Utah.

  Parish registers, 1687-1959.	Microfilm Number
  Baptisms, 1687-1880 Marriages, 1692-1803, 1818-1881 Burials, 1688-1812	1041631
  Banns, 1875-1881 Burials, 1813-1881	1041677
  Baptisms, 1879-1901 Marriages, 1880-1902 Banns, 1880-1900	1751974
  Baptisms, 1899-1958 Marriages, 1899-1959	2081110
  Bishop's transcripts, 1669-1864.	Microfilm Number
  Baptisms, marriages, and burials, 1669-1812	0422180
  Baptisms, marriages, and burials, 1813-1864	0497375
  Transcripts
  Marriages, 1669-1767 / copied by the Society of Genealogists.	0823616

  
  
  
• The Baptists built a chapel in Ashford Lane prior to 1857, but it stood unused for several years.
  
  
• The Congregationalists built a chapel in 1700, later used by the Unitarians. This building was rebuilt in 1841, but disused by 1900.
  
  
• A Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built here in 1830 and was still in use in 1891.

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Civil Registration

• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
  
  
• The parish was in the Bakewell sub-district of the Bakewell Registration District.
  

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Description and Travel

"ASHFORD, or Ashford-in-the-Water, from being seated on the Wye, is a small village, and chapelry to Bakewell, about one mile from that town, on the road to Buxton. There are many lead mines in the neighbourhood, several of which are now working; and at the entrance of the village from Buxton are the marble-mills and show-rooms of Messrs. Oldfield & Co. established near a century ago, where the sawing of marble, by improved machinery is carried on in all its various branches, for chimney-pieces, monuments, tables, &c., from quarries on the estate of the Duke of Devonshire."

[Description from Pigot and Co's Commercial Directory for Derbyshire, 1835]

The parish covers just over 2,500 acres. The village is now bypassed by the A6 road. There is more about the village and parish at the Peak District site.

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Directories

• Ann Andrews provides a transcription of the Ashford entry from Kelly's Directory of the Counties of Derby, Notts, Leicester and Rutland (1891).

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Gazetteers

• The transcription of the section for Ashford from the National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

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History

• Ashford is well-known for the black marble quarried here over the centuries.
  
  
• Sheepwash Bridge over the River Wye is a former 17th century packhorse bridge.
  
  
• Transcription of section of Lysons' Topographical and Historical Account of Derbyshire, 1817, for Ashford by Barbarann Ayars.
  
  
• In the 1800s most of the parish land was given over to pasturage.
  
  
• The village held a traditional village feast on Trinity Sunday each year.
  
  
• The Ashford Female Friendly Society was founded here in June, 1788, at the house of William COCKAYNE, an innkeeper. Its aim was to help members who contributed money regularly to the club out of difficulties when sick or when a husband or wife died. It had various rules and regulations and it was possible to be excluded for not paying dues or having illegitimate children.
  
  
• The Ashford Mens Friendly Society also existed. This was similar to other "sick clubs" that were established in communities to aid residents who were sick or injured. I have no sources that tell me the dates that they were established or operated, but Mike Spenser has supplied these undated lists of members,

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Politics and Government

• This place was an ancient Chapelry in Bakewell parish in Derbyshire and became a separate modern Civil Parish in December, 1866.
  
  
• This parish was in the ancient High Peak Hundred (or Wapentake).
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• As a result of the 1834 Poorlaw Amendment Act this parish became part of the Bakewell Poolaw Union.
  

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