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Shirley

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SHIRLEY, a parish in the hundred of Appletree, county Derby, 4½ miles S.E. of Ashbourne, its post town, and 10 N.W. of Derby. The village, which is of small extent, is wholly agricultural. The parish includes the township of Yeaveley and Stydd. It was formerly the property of the Shirley family, Earls Ferrers, whose ancient seat is now converted into a farmhouse. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £153 179., and the glebe comprises 9 acres.

The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Lichfield, value £179. The church, dedicated to St. Michael, was thoroughly restored in 1842. There is also a district church at Yeaveley, erected in 1840, the living of which is a perpetual curacy, value £65. The parochial charities produce about £3 per annum. There is a National school, built in 1844 by voluntary contributions. The Primitive Methodists have a place of worship. Shirley Park is a meet for the Hoar Cross hounds."

"STYDD, a township in the parish of Shirley, hundred of Appletree, county Derby, 4½ miles S.W. of Ashbourne.”

from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

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Archives & Libraries

The Ashbourne Library is an excellent resource with a Local History section and a Family History section.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Ashbourne sub-district of the Ashbourne Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1851H.O. 107 / 2146
1861R.G. 9 / 2519
1891R.G. 12 / 2751
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Church History

  • There was a church here at the time of the Norman Conquest.
     
  • The present edifice was built in the 11th century and has a 14th century chancel and south aisle.
     
  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Michael.
     
  • The church tower was rebuilt in 1832. It was again taken down and rebuilt in 1861 on a new fouindation.
     
  • The church was extensively repaired in 1842.
     
  • The church went through a major restoration in 1990.
     
  • The church seats 200.
     
  • Martyn GLOVER provides a photo of Saint Michael's Church on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2010.
     
  • John SUTTON has a photograph of Saint Michael's Tower on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2014.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1658 and is in good condition.
     
  • The Family History Library has the parish registers for 1773 through 1981 on microfilm.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Ashborne.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel here built in 1855.
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Civil Registration

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

"SHIRLEY, with the townships of STYDD and YEAVELEY, forming a parish, in the same hundred as Brailsford, is about 3 miles W. from that village, 9 N.W. from Derby, and 5 S. by E. from Ashbourn. The habitations are so scattered over the parish, that the features of a village are not to be recognised. The church, dedicated to St. Michael, is a small building, with a tower of wood. Shirley park, in this parish, occupies upwards of two hundred acres, and at one time was a noted cover for foxes. Part of the old manor house of the Shirleys, who settled here in the reign of Henry II, still exists attached to a farm house. The parish contained, at the last census, 602 inhabitants."

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

Explore the Shirley village website before you visit.

Hollington is just southeast of Shirley along Marsh Hollow road.

You can see pictures of Shirley which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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History

  • The Saracen's Head is a good spot for catching up on local news and events.
     
  • The Saracen's Head was built in 1791 and has changed little since then.
     
  • David STOWELL has a photo of the Saracen's Head on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2009.
     
  • John SUTTON has a photograph of the Saracen's Head on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2014.
     
  • These are the proprietors listed in various directories for The Saracen's Head:
 YearPerson
1835Robert GOODALL
1842Robert GOODALL
1857William RIX, vict.
1870William TWIGG
1874Wm. TWIGG, v. and farmer
1891Mrs. Elizabeth MELLOR
1912Mrs. Isabella MELLOR
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK218416 (Lat/Lon: 52.971317, -1.676834), Shirley which are provided by:

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Military History

Above the font in the church is a framed European War Roll of Honour.

At the Church of St Michael there is a small garden of remembrance with a railing and two plaques bearing inscriptions in upright capital block lettering.

"IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO
SERVED AND FOR THOSE WHO
GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN ALL WARS

TO COMMEMORATE
THE CENTENARY OF
THE START OF THE
FIRST WORLD WAR 1914"

 

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Military Records

There is one Commonwealth War Grave from World War II in St. Michael's cemetery:

  1. Jeremy Michael Camerson HARVEY, trooper, Royal Armoured Corps, age 18, died 23 Apr. 1946. Son of Brigadier Charles B. HARVEY, Royal Engineers, and Iris D. HARVEY.
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Newspapers

Jane TAYLOR of Redcar provides this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 2 August 1804. "MARRIED: On Wednesday, at Shirley, in this county, Mr. Smith KEMPSON, surgeon of Willenham. To Mrs. ALLEN, of Hales Green, near Ashborne."

Jane TAYLOR of Redcar has this announcement from the Derby Mercury of 27 September 1804. "MARRIED: On Thursday last, at Shirley, in this county, Mr. P. C. Wood, of Leicester, to Miss S. GOODWIN, of the former place." That would be Peter Cranke WOOD and Sarah Martha GOODWIN. Sarah was born in 1783.

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient township and parish in Derby county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • This parish was in the ancient Appletree Hundred (or Wapentake).
     
  • You may contact the Shirley Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to do family history lookups for you.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Derbyshire Dales District Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases were heard at the Ashbourn Petty Session hearings every Saturday.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poorlaw Amendment Act, this parish became a member of the Ashbourne Poorlaw Union.
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Probate Records

Mentioned in a Will of 1869 (made in 1864) by Susan Jane BROWN of Shirley Vicarage:

  1. sister Mary Ann BROWN
  2. E. W. MICHELL Shirley Vicarage Clerk witness
  3. C. S. MICHELL Shirley Vicarage witness
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Schools

A Public Elementary School (mixed) was built in 1844 and enlarged in 1893.

Martyn GLOVER has a photograph of a Wintry School Scene on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2010.

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Societies

Be sure to check in with the Shirley History Club.