Shirland

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Description of Shirland & St Leonard's Church

The first church in Shirland was built by Sir John de Grey, the Lord of the manor. The earliest reference to it is a record dated 22 September 1226, when Walter Deincourt agreed to release to John de Grey the presentation of the church. He had previously tried to stop this because he said the church was a chapel dependent of his church at Morton. However, A tradition current at the end of the eighteeth century was that the earliest church in the manor was situated in 'Church Field' between Shirland and Higham. The building was miraculously carried away in the night and deposited on its present site.

The present church was rebuilt after 1490 when the Earl of Shrewsbury acquired the estate and the advowson of the church from the Greys. It was restored in 1848 and again in 1885. In the church are memorials to the Greys. It also contains a tomb of John Revel of nearby Ogston Hall and his wife Margaret. By the end of the fifteenth century, the Revels were accepted as the local squires because of the absence of the Earls of Shewsbury (who by that time were the Lords of manor).

Shirland is two miles north of Alfreton on the main road to Chesterfield. The communities of Shirland, Higham, Mickley and Stonebroom were originally centred on the medieval manor of Shirland. Agriculture was the main occupation until the sinking of Shirland pit in the nineteenth century. Stonebroom grew as a result of the sinking of Morton pit nearby. Stonebroom now forms a separate parish, having been formed from the parishes of Shirland and Tibshelf.

Transcriptions of the registers for St. Leonard's of baptisms 1669-1843, marriages 1663-1836 and burials 1663-1866 are at our library at Birchwood Chapel.

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