Brailsford

Contents & Site Map

Description of Brailsford & All Saints Church

The village of Brailsford lies halfway between Derby and Ashbourne. Included within the parish are the hamlets of Ednaston, Burroughs and Culland. In the time of our ancestors the inhabitants were chiefly employed in agriculture and connected trades. Now the area has become a 'Dormitory' for commuters from Derby and Ashbourne. In the 1800's the lord of the manor was William Evans. Other landowners were John Rose Swindell, the Right Hon. Earl Ferrers, lord of the manor of Ednaston, Edward Soresby Cox, lord of the manor of Culland, John Harrison of Snelston Hall and Ednaston Hall farm, Miss Eliza Toplis of Wirksworth, John Boden, William Osborne of Burroughs Hall, Thomas Webster of Mercaston Hall, John Hulland, Henry Brough, Mr. Bowyer, surgeon, the Hayes family, the Rev. Joseph Sykes of Newark and the Glebe land of 60 acres, held by the Rector of Brailsford.

The manor of Brailsford was given to Henry de Ferrers at the time of the Conquest, under whom it was held by the ancestor of the family of Brailsford. The family of Shirley then obtained the manor through marriage to the heiress of Sir Henry de Brailsford. The manor remained in the hands of the Shirley family until the early 1800's when it was sold to John Webster who subsequently became bankrupt. It was then purchased by William Drury Lowe of Locko near Spondon and then passed to William Evans of Allestree Hall.

Culland Hall and the estate belonged to the Shaw family and afterwards to the Drapers and was later purchased by William Cox in 1794.

The manor of Ednaston has been held by the Ferrers family and the Shirleys into the late 1800's. The Burroughs (Burrows) belonged to the Bradbourne family and then passed to the Osborne family who held it for two centuries.

The church of All Saints lies surrounded by fields about half a mile from the village, towards Ednaston. There was a church here in Norman times, but rebuilding in later centuries destroyed most of the Norman architecture. A number of ancient memorial slabs have also disappeared through restoration. During a restoration in the 19th century the old pews were replaced, the new pews being beautifully carved at their ends with shields and animals.

In the churchyard is the shaft of a Saxon cross which was found buried many years ago and set upright once more. There is also an old yew tree spreading its branches. By the church gate is an old stable in which parishioners placed their horses whilst attending services.

The registers which begin in 1647 and also include Long Lane before 1860, are deposited at the County Record Office, Matlock and are available for research on film.

© Copyright Derbyshire Ancestral Research Group, GENUKI and Contributors 1999-2008, &c.
GENUKI is a registered trade mark of the charitable trust GENUKI, see About GENUKI as an Organisation

Are you lost in the Genuki hierarchy or arrived here from a Search Engine?
If so, use the up-arrow(s) at the top of the page to go up the hierarchy.

URL of this page: http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DBY/Brailsford/DARGNotes.html