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Morley

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MORLEY, a parish in the hundred of Morleston, county Derby, 4 miles N.E. of Derby, its post town. There are traces of an old Roman road which passed through the parish. A portion of the inhabitants are engaged in the collieries, and others in weaving silk stockings. There are quarries of good building-stone; and a fine gritstone, used for scythe stones, is found. The living is a rectory* with the curacy of Smalley annexed, in the diocese of Lichfield, value £648.

The church, dedicated to St. Matthew, is a spacious structure of the 14th century, with a tower surmounted by a lofty spire and containing three bells. The church has some stained windows, said to have been brought from Dale Abbey, which were restored in 1847, also five brasses bearing date from 1454. The parochial charities produce about £163 per annum, besides six almshouses founded and endowed with an annuity of £5 each by Jacinth Sachevrel. There is a National school for both sexes, supported by voluntary contributions. At Smalley in this parish is a chapel-of-ease.”

from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

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Archives & Libraries

Morley village is served by the Mobile Library on route 5, which stops at Brick Kiln Lane every fourth Thursday around Noon.

Alternatively, the Library at Ilkeston would be an excellent resource with a Local History section and a Family History section.

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Cemeteries

Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of a portion of the churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2017.

pMichael SPENCER has created a list of extracted Morley Parish Register Burials in a file for your review. This list is NOT complete. Your additions and corrections are welcomed.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Horsley sub-district of the Belper Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1861R.G. 9 / 2508
1891R.G. 12 / 2742
1911R.G. 14 / 29
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Matthew.
     
  • The early church was built in Saxon or early Norman times just east of the village.
     
  • Parts of the church are pieces of Dale Abbey, brought here when the abbey was dissolved.
     
  • The Tower clock was added in 1887.
     
  • The church seats 160.
     
  • Jonathan BILLINGER has a photograph of St. Matthew's Church on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2008.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of the Village Cross at the edge of the churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2011. This was apparently a "preaching cross" used by dissidents and others.
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1540 for baptisms and 1544 for marriages and burials.
     
  • Transcription by Carol RYAN of Marriages 1800-1860 at Morley.
     
  • Marriages at Morley, 1540-1837 are available in Nigel BATTY-SMITH's database of scanned images of Phillimore's Parish Registers.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Ilkeston.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel here in 1902.
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Horsley sub-district of the Belper Registration District.
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Description & Travel

"MORLEY, a parish in the hundred of Morleston, county Derby, 4 miles N.E. of Derby, its post town."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin HINSON ©2003]

Morely is a village, a township and a parish sitting just north of Breadsall. The parish covers 1,853 acres.

You can see pictures of Morley which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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History

  • There is a pre-Roman mound at Morley which has been partially excavated by archaeologists. Peter BARR has a photograph of The Morley Mound on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2011.
     
  • Traces of a Roman road from Tynemouth can still be seen in the parish.
     
  • Most of the residents of this parish were farmers in the 19th and 20th centuries.
     
  • J. THOMAS has a photograph of The Three Horse Shoes In the Main Road on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2019.
     
  • Propietors of the Three Horse Shoes Pub:
 YearProprietor
1912Thomas WOOLLEY
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK396411 (Lat/Lon: 52.966216, -1.411304), Morley which are provided by:

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Memorial Inscriptions

A stained-glass east window in the church is dedicated to the SITWELL family.

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Military History

Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the War Memorial cross and plynth aside the church on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2017.

There is a World War I Memorial Plaque in St. Matthew's Church.

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Military Records

These are the people commemorated on the St Matthew's Church War Memorial:

  1. 2nd Lt. Henry A. Cecil TOPHAM
  2. Ronald GREENFIELD
  3. Kenneth HASLAM
  4. Frederick LEGGE
  5. Pte. George R. CLOWES
  1. John ALLSOP
  2. Gnr. John SKEVINGTON
  3. Charles HUNT
  4. William RADFORD
  1. Rfl. Frank DAWS
  2. Harry (Henry) PEPPER
  3. William T. CLOWES
  4. Percy LOWE
  5. William HUNT
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Obituaries

Jon CANTRILL provides this entry from the Derby Mercury for 7th January 1829: DEATHES: "On Sunday last, at her house in Bath Mrs. WILMOT, relict of the late rev. Robert WILMOT, Rector of Morley, in this county."

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish in Derby county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • This parish was in the ancient Morleston and Litchurch Hundred (or Wapentake).
     
  • You may contact the Morley Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to assist with family history searches.
     
  • This parish was in the Belper Rural District from 1894 to 1934.
     
  • This parish was then in the Shardlow Rural District from 1934 to 1959.
     
  • This parish was then in the South East Derbyshire Rural District from 1959 to 1974.
     
  • District governance is now provided by the Erewash Borough Council.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Jacinth SACHEVERELL established six almshouse here in 1656.
     
  • Jonathan CLITHEROE has a photograph of the Almshouses at the west side of the village on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2012.
     
  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Smalley petty session hearings.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poorlaw Amendment Act reforms, this parish became part of the Belper Poorlaw Union.
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Schools

A School Board was formed here in 1878.

A Board School (mixed) was erected in 1880 for 70 children.

J. THOMAS has a photograph of the Morley Primary School on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2019.