Hide

Norbury

hide
Hide

NORBURY WITH ROSTON, a parish in the hundred of Appletree, county Derby, 5 miles S.W. of Ashbourne, its post town, and 2¾ from Rocester. It is a station on the North Staffordshire railway. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the river Dove, and is wholly agricultural. The living is a rectory* with the curacy of Snelston annexed, in the diocese of Lichfield.

The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient structure, with a tower containing three bells. The interior of the church contains several large windows filled with ancient stained glass, also monuments of the Fitzherberts, and a brass, bearing date 1538, of the Fitzherbert family. The church was restored in 1841. The parochial charities produce about £37 per annum, of which £17 goes to the free school, founded in 1678 by Thomas Williams. Thomas Fitzherbert, Esq., of Swinnerton, Staffordshire, is lord of the manor."

"ROSTON, a hamlet in the parish of Norbury with Roston, hundred of Appletree, county Derby, 5 miles S.W. of Ashbourne. It is in conjunction with Norbury to form a township”

from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

Hide
topup

Archives & Libraries

The Derbyshire Record Office holds a "Copy family settlement by Samuel William Clowes and Henry Arthur Clowes between S W Clowes of Norbury, H A Clowes of Norbury, H C Okeover and Alfred Charles Duncombe of Calwich Abbey", Document #D231M/F426, dated 1888.

We recommend the Ashbourne Public Library for research. This library has a Local Studies and Family History Section to assist in your research.

topup

Cemeteries

Alan WALKER has a photograph of the Churchyard Cemetery on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2004.

John SUTTON has a photograph of the tomb of Ralph Fitzherbert, d 1483 on Geo-graph, taken in August, 1997.

Mike SPENCER has provided a partial extract of burials found in the parish register. Your additions and correction are welcomed.

Alf BEARD has a transcription of churchyard memorials on Rosemary LOCKIE's website.

 

topup

Census

  • The parish was in the Uttoxeter sub-district of the Uttoxeter Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1851H.O. 107 / 2010
1861R.G. 9 / 1954
1891R.G. 12 / 2193
topup

Church History

  • There was a church here at the time of the 1086 Domesday Survey.
     
  • A second church was built circa 1179.
     
  • The current church started construction circa 1300-1310.
     
  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin and Saint Barlock.
     
  • In the centre of the chancel is the recumbent effigy of Sir Henry FITZHERBERT, knight, 5th lord of Norbury, who came into his inheritance in 1267 and rebuilt the manor house.
     
  • The church's south window commemorates the second marriage of Nicholas FITZHERBERT.
     
  • The church plate dates from 1773, and was presented by the Rev. S. MILLS, then rector.
     
  • The church was restored in 1841 at a considerable cost.
     
  • A clock was placed over the entrance to the South Porch in 1889 by S. W. CLOWES.
     
  • The church was restored again in 1899 by the CLOWES family.
     
  • Michael GARLICK has a photograph of an old Saxon cross shaft discovered in the 1899 restoration on Geograph, taken in October, 2021.
     
  • The church seats 200.
     
  • Alan WALKER has a photograph of the church at Geo-graph, taken in June, 2004.
     
  • David KELLY has a photograph of the church at Geo-graph, taken in August, 2018.
topup

Church Records

  • The parish registers begin in 1686 for all entrys.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Ashbourne.
     
  • In 1891 there were active Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist chapels here.
topup

Civil Registration

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

Description & Travel

"NORBURY WITH ROSTON, a parish in the hundred of Appletree, county Derby, 5 miles S.W. of Ashbourne, its post town, and 2¾ from Rocester. It is a station on the North Staffordshire railway. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the river Dove, and is wholly agricultural. The living is a rectory with the curacy of Snelston annexed, in the diocese of Lichfield."

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

Roston was a hamlet in this parish, just south of Norbury village. The River Dove forms the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire at this parish.

You can see pictures of Norbury which are provided by:

topup

Directories

topup

Gazetteers

topup

History

Roger W. HAYWORTH has a photograph of the Roston Inn on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2006.

topup

Manors

Norbury Old Hall, formerly the residence of the FITZHERBERTs, contains some good oak panelling and stained glass; it was unoccupied in 1891.

Jo TURNER has a photograph of the Old Manor House on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2016.

topup

Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK138413 (Lat/Lon: 52.969294, -1.796004), Norbury which are provided by:

topup

Military History

  • Lieut.-Col. Henry Arthur CLOWES of the Staffordshire Yeomanry resided in this parish. He was a Justice of the Peace here. He was appointed a magistrate for Derbyshire in 1898, and in 1908, he was appointed Sheriff of the County. He was killed in Egypt in August, 1916.
     
  • There is a War Memorial cross just outside the Church.
     
  • Bill BOADEN has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2014.
topup

Military Records

These are the names of the fallen from World War One as listed on the Memorial:

  1. CLOWES Henry Lieutenant Colonel, 1st Staffordshire Yeomanry died 8th March 1916 aged 48. Husband of Louisa L of Norbury, Derbyshire. Buried in Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
  2. BOWLES Frederick Private, Royal Fusiliers (Unable to find the correct record listed with the CWGC)
  3. BLOOD Thomas Richard Private 268884m 16th Sherwood Foresters Notts and Derby Regiment killed in action 20th September 1917. He was born 1880 and was the son of Thomas and Charlotte of Snelston Derbyshire. In 1911 he resided New Close Cottage, Wellington Road, Etwall, Derbyshire with his wife Alice. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.
  4. DYCHE John Private 18141, 2nd East Yorkshire Regiment died 4th October 1915.Native of Roston near Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Commemorated on the Loos memorial, France.
  5. EVANS Fred Private 20316,4/3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade, New Zealand Force, died 7th June 1917. Commemorated on the New Zealand Memorial, Messines Ridge, Belgium.
  6. HAWKES Harold Private 66622, 26th Royal Fusiliers formerly 36120, South Staffordshire Regiment died of wounds 23rd September 1917. Native of Arrow, Worcestershire Buried in Westouter Churchyard, Belgium.
  7. RIDDLE Francis Malcolm Private 1925, 8th Royal Fusiliers, killed in action 7th July 1916 Native of Kilburn, Middlesex, enlisted at Rocester, Staffordshire (Memorial has Frank and rank as Drummer).
  8. SAMWAYS Charles Smith Private 1926, 8th Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) died 8th January 1916 aged 25. Husband of Effie Grocott, formerly Samways of The Avenue, Cheadle, Staffordshire. In 1911 he was residing with his parents, Sidney Smith and Rhoda Samways at Norbury. Native of Norbury and is buried in Browns Road Military Cemetery, festubert, France.
  9. WALKER Stephen Private 36156, 15th West Yorkshire Regiment. died 16th June 1917.Native of Roston, Derbyshire Buried Ste. Catherine British cemetery, France.
  10. YEOMANS Clement Private 267883, 1/5th Sherwood Foresters Notts and Derby Regiment died 18th October 1918. Buried in Premont British Cemetery, France.

And the men who fell in World War II:

  1. ATKIN Leslie Thomas Lieutenant 262471, Middlesex Regiment died 6th August 1941 aged 34. Son of Thomas and Mary, husband of Cornelia Ruth of Farnborough, Hampshire. Buried at St Charles De Percy War Cemetery, France.
  2. HAMMOND Reginald John Lance Corporal 13095559, 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, killed in action 28th October 1943 aged 29 in Italy son of John and Lucy, husband of Eliza Mary of Mackworth, Derbyshire. Commemorated on a family memorial at St Mary & St Barlock churchyard, Norbury and is buried at Sangro River Cemetery, Italy.
  3. VOSE P Petty Officer, Pilot, FAA/FX96203 Fleet Air Arm, on H.M.S. Wagtail, Royal Navy died 18th December 1944 aged 20. Son of John Joseph & Beatrice Vose of Roston, Derbyshire. Commemorated on the Lee On Solent, Memorial
topup

Names, Geographical

  • The parish is normally listed and referred to as: Norbury with Roston Civil Parish.
topup

Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish in county Derby and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • This parish was in the ancient Appletree Hundred (or Wapentake).
     
  • The parish name is officially "The Norbury and Roston Parish".
     
  • District governance is provided by the Derbyshire Dales District Council.
topup

Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • GREENSMITH's Charity provided a yearly sum of £2 for the poor, and was paid by the rector as being charged on property in Roston purchased by Samuel EVANS, by whom the sum was paid in 1786.
     
  • Bastardy cases were heard in the Sudbury petty session hearings on the last Monday of each month.
     
  • With the passage of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, this parish became a member of the Uttoxeter Poorlaw Union (Staffordshire).
topup

Schools

A Church of England Voluntary (mixed) School was opened here in 1894 for 96 students.

Mick MALPASS has a photograph of Norbury Primary School on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2012. The school is south of Norbury, closer to Roston hamlet.