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Ripley

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Note: There are several places named "Ripley" in the UK. Make sure you are researching the correct one!

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Archives & Libraries

The Ripley Library on Grosvenor Road (just off the B6179) is normally open six days a week and they have a Local Studies and Family History section to help you in your search.

Alternatively, the Library at Alfreton provides similar services.

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Cemeteries

Ripley Cemetery is on Cemetery Lane in Ripley. There is limited parking and only pedestrian access is normally allowed.

The cemetery opened for burials in 1858, covering 5 acres. The cemetery has a new extension of 2.5 acres to the east, added in 1898.

The Amber Valley Borough Council manages and maintains the cemetery.

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

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Census

The parish was the center of the Ripley sub-district of the Belper Registration District.

The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:

Census
Year
Piece No.
1861R.G. 9 / 2511 thru 2513
1881R.G. 11 / 3414
1891R.G. 12 / 2745 & 2746
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to All Saints.
     
  • The church was built in 1820 in the Decorated style and consecrated the next year in 1821.
     
  • The ecclesiastical parish was formed in 1855 from a portion of Pentrich ecclesiastical parish.
     
  • The church seats 600.
     
  • Rob HOWL has a photograph of All Saints Church on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2012.
     
  • Peter BARR also has a well-lit photograph of All Saints Church on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2010.
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Church Records

The General Baptists built a chapel here in Church Street in 1846.

The Wesleyan Methodists built a chapel here in Chapel Street in 1847.

The Primitive Methodists built a chapel here in Grosvenor Place in 1850.

The Wesleyan Reformists purchased the old Lecture Hall in Wood Street and converted it into a chapel in 1854.

The Unitarians had a chapel in Butterley Hill by 1857.

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Civil Registration

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

"RIPLEY is a township, in the parish of Pentrich, nearly 8 miles S.S.E. from Wirksworth, 5 N.E. from Belper, and nearly 4 S. by W. from Alfreton. Ripley was formerly a market town of some consequence, chartered about the reign of Henry III. The principal buildings of the place form a large quadrangle, consisting of several good shops and well built houses. The iron and coal works in the neighbourhood give employment to a considerable portion of the inhabitants."

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

Ripley is 10 miles north of Derby city and 5 miles north-east of Belper.  The parish covers 2,161 acres and includes the hamlets of Butterley, Green Hillocks, Greenwich, Hartshay, Marehay, Peasehill, Waingroves and Street Lane.

A branch line of the Midland Railway from Derby opened here in 1857.

There is bus service to and from Nottingham, via Heanor.

You can see pictures of Ripley which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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Genealogy

  • Major John JESSOP was a resident of this village in 1857 and died here in 1869. He had served as ADC to the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular War.
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History

  • Francis FRITH has a number of old photographs of Ripley on his website.
     
  • The Butterley Ironworks Company was established just north-west of the village in 1793.
     
  • Some of the township's citizens were involved in the "Pentrich Revolution" of 1817.
     
  • The Midland Railway came to this village on 1 September, 1856.
     
  • The Ripley Hippodrome opened in 1913 and later became known as the Oxford Hippodrome because it expanded onto Oxford Street.
     
  • The old Red Lion Inn was badly damaged by a lorry running into it and had to be demolished. Martin FROGGATT has a photograph of the new Red Lion Inn on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2017.
     
  • David BEVIS has a photograph of the Pear Tree Pub on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2008.
     
  • David BEVIS also has a photograph of The Generous Briton Pub on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2008.
     
  • Rob HOWELL has a photograph of the Cliff RICHARDS' first gig plaque on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2012.
     
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK398502 (Lat/Lon: 53.047207, -1.408232), Ripley which are provided by:

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Military History

  • The Territorial force stationed here in 1891 was both the E and F Companies of the 1st Volunteer battalion. Major CORFIELD, commanding; E company, Captain Albert Leslie WRIGHT; & F company, Captain J. B. WHEELER.
     
  • Albert Leslie WRIGHT is believed to be born in Osmaston, DBY, circa 1862, and was a managing director of the local coal company. He would die in 1938 in Dover, Kent.
     
  • J. B. WHEELER was born in London circa 1856 and can be found in Ripley in the 1881 census.
     
  • The Territorial force stationed here in 1899 was both the E and F Companies of the 1st Volunteer battalion. commanding; Captain Albert Leslie WRIGHT; & Lieut William J. MAYS-SMITH.
     
  • The Territorial force stationed here in 1912 was E Company of the 5th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. They met at the Armoury in Moseley Street. Captain B. H. CHECKLAND, commanding; Sergt. George NEWCOMB, drill instructor.
     
  • The War Memorial is in the grounds to the south of the church.
     
  • J. THOMAS has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2005.
     
  • There is also the Ripley War Memorial on Military Images  
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Military Records

  • Andy MICKLETHWAITE provides a list of names from the Ripley War Memorial.
     
  • Eric Benjamin WOOLIS, age 24, was a leading telegrapher on HMS MTB 417 when it was sunk off Calais by German warships on 16 March 1944. He was the son of Benjamin and Hilda WOOLIS of Ripley.
     

There are the nine Commonwealth War Grave burials in Ripley's Cemetery from World War I:

  1. E. ANTHONY, priv. Sherwood Foresters, died 4 Jan 1916, age 20
  2. John BAMFORD, rifleman, KRRC died 6 Oct 1916, age 41
  3. Bernard BATTY, corp. Sherwood Foresters, died 9 May 1917, age 25
  4. C. H. HEAD, serjeant, South Notts Hussars, died 22 Feb 19196, age 32
  5. Arthur MURFIN, priv. Worces. Regt., died 30 Apr 1918
  6. E. PARSONS, priv. Durham Light Inf., died 15 Mar 1917, age 34
  7. Fred ROE, driver. RFA, died 12 Mar 1915, age 25
  8. George Alfred TAYLOR, priv.. Northumberland Fusliliers, died 26 Nov 1918, age 23
  9. William WOOLLINS, priv. Sherwood Foresters, died 19 Nov 1916, age 19
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Newspapers

The town supported two newspapers in 1912 (and both were around in 1895):

  • Ripley Advertiser, published every Thursday, by John Samuel REYNOLDS on Church St.
     
  • Ripley & Heanor News, published every Friday, by G. C. BRITTAIN & Sons, on Church St.
     
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Obituaries

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar contributes this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 12 April 1804 DIED:"On the 4th instant, a poor man was unfortunately killed at Ripley, in this county, by falling into one of the pits belonging to Messrs. OUTRAM and Co.-"

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar provides this notice from the Derby Mercury of 20 June 1804: "DIED: At Ripley, Charles GRATIAN, a workman employed in one of the ironstone pits, was killed by the fall of a quantity of earth."

Jane TAYLOR provides this entry from the Derby Mercury of 17 Jan 1805: DIED: "A few days ago, of the hydrocephalus, in his 27th year of his age, Mr. Joseph WOOLLEY, of Hartshay, in this county, sincerely, and deservedly regretted, by an extended and genteel circle of acquaintance. He bore his affliction (which was long and severe) with that composure and firmness of mind which did honour to his fortitude as a man and his piety as a Christian. His many amiable, and praise=worthy qualities were so well known to his friends and acquaintance, that they need not the aid of panegyric."

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient Chapelry in Pentrich parish in the county of Derby and it became a separate, modern Civil parish in December, 1866.
     
  • This parish was in the ancient Morleston and Litchurch Hundred (or Wapentake).
     
  • The town of Ridley was placed under an Urban District Council under the "Local Government Act" of 1894.
     
  • David BEVIS provides a photograph of the Town Hall on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2008.
     
  • Ripley is governed by a Town Council. Please do NOT ask them for family history assistance.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Amber Valley Borough Council.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Ilkeston (Ripley Court) petty session hearings at the Town Hall every other Monday at 11:30am.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poorlaw Amendment Act reforms, this parish became part of the Belper Poorlaw Union.
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Probate Records

An 1871 Will by Thomas Hutton COX, grocer, Ripley, mentions:

  1. brother Henry Frederick COX, hosier, Nottingham
  2. un-named children
  3. W. B. BEMBRIDGE witness
  4. S. N. JACKSON witness
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Schools

Hartshay Public Elementary School (mixed) was built in 1884 and enlarged in 1894 and again in 1901 for 138 children.

Street Lane Public Elementary School (mixed and infants) was built in 1887 for 250 children.

All Saints School was erected in 1819, but had to be rebuilt some years later by the Butterley Company. It held 340 boys, 300 girls and 272 infants.

St. John's School at Green Hillocks was built by the Butterley Company in 1865 and was enlarged by them in 1871, 1887 and finally in 1897 to hold 436 children and 368 infants.

The Waingroves Public Elementary School (mixed and infants) was built in 1884 and enlarged in 1894 for 182 children.