FOOLOW, township and small ancient village, chiefly inhabited by farmers and miners, 1½ miles W. from Eyam, 2¾ miles E. by N. from Tideswell, contains 950 acres of good pasture land, 62 houses, and 226 inhabitants, of whom 112 were males and 114 females; rateable value £748 3s. 10d. The Duke of Devonshire is principal owner and lord of the manor. William Wyatt, Esq., Eaglesfield Smith, Esq., Lord Denman, the Trustees of Major Carleill, and Peter Wright, Esq., are also owners, besides whom are several small freeholders. The tithes were commuted in 1839 for £34 to the rector, who has a small claim on all the lead ore obtained, but the mines are at present stopped working by water. The Methodists have a small chapel, built in 1810. Bretton, a few farms on a bold eminence, 1 mile N.E. from Foolow. Bretton Clough is partly in this and partly in Woodland Eyam township. Broster Field a district ¼ mile S. and the Water Grove lead mine, are in this township. Here is a sick society. [Ed: I think they mean the equivalent of BUPA - no social comment intended!] This place is supposed to have derived its name from one Godfrey Foolow, who settled here several generations back.

[PART OF EYAM PARISH: p.580-2]