THE SCHOOLS
THE HOSTELRIES
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| History of the Village of Stoney Middleton | THE SCHOOLS |
THE SCHOOLS.
Before Education received any national assistance the
village had several private or "Dame Schools". These were
kept by:-
- MR. BENJAMIN HALLAM, a Wesleyan preacher
(whose son was Mayor of Sheffield some years ago). This
was a day and night school, and was kept in a house in High
Street. There were different approaches for boys and girls.
The fees were 1d. per night and 1s. per session for coal.
- MISS JEMIMA WHITE kept a small or early
kindergarten school at what is now known as "Spa Cottage".
It was an infant school, and was attended by children of any
age. The fees were 2d. per week.
- MISS FURNESS came from Stanley Lodge, Hucklow,
and kept a school at Verandah Cottage. Afterwards she
married a Mr. Oldfield, and kept school at Brookside Cottage.
She was a good teacher, and a good needlewoman. Her fees
were 4d. and 6d. per week, and a quarterly account for fire,
books, etc.
- MISS SPINK kept a private school in a house below
the old Unitarian Chapel (since been converted into the
Reading Room).
- MRS. OLIVER kept a small school near the Post
Office. She was a victim of the Blakelow murder.
- MR. DYER kept a school in the Unitarian Chapel
for a short time. He was Dyer by name and dyer by trade.
In 1835 a NATIONAL SCHOOL was built on common
land by public subscription. This was only a small room
with a gallery at one end for the infants. In 1845 this room
was enlarged at a cost of £200. The room then would
accommodate about l00 children. There was a stone floor in
the school until 1887, and this had to be removed owing to
it being detrimental to the health of the children. In 1893 a
classroom and cloakroom and additional playground were
added to the school. This classroom was for the infants. The
school has now an accommodation for 120. The following are
the names of the school-masters: -William Birks, 1835-1848;
William Rawson, 1848-1853; Henry Jones, 1853-1864 (about);
Henry Aldridge, 1864-1865; James W. Elliot, 1865-1867;
Thos. J. Foster, 1867-1871; John R. Matthewman, 1872-1875;
John Mansell, 1875-1877; Henry P. Battersby, 1877-1879;
Henry J. Wadlow, 1879-1894; Henry Molineaux, 1894 (May 3rd,
Sept. 10th 1894; Thomas Shearer, 1894-1896; Arthur Saunders,
1896-1902; Thos. E. Cowen, 1903-present time.
An early school-master used to boast "I'm the master of
Middleton". A villager challenged
the truth of this, and asked how it was. The Pedagogue
answered, "I'm the master of the children, the children
are masters of their mothers, the mothers are masters
of the fathers, therefore I'm the master of Middleton".
The inscription on the Tahlets of 1835 and 1845 reveal
the high ideals of the founders of the School:-
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he
is old he will not depart from it."
"Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it."
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THE HOSTELRIES
THE DALE
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| History of the Village of Stoney Middleton | THE HOSTELRIES |
THE HOSTELRIES.
In a list of Alehouses, Innes, and Taverns of Derbyshire in
1577, made by Sir Frances Leek, Knight, Justice of Peace,
the names of Thomas Barber, William Hill, Uxor Nicholai
Haslam occur, and it is mentioned that there were two
ale-houses in Stoney Middleton.
THE OLD MOON INN stood near the Post Office premises.
In the old coaching days this inn was the principal
posting station, where horses were changed on the way
from Manchester to Sheffield. At one time there was no
station nearer than Whaley Bridge or Chesterfield, so a chaise
carriage with postillion was always available at this hostelry.
This was the chief inn where soldiers were billeted when on
the march to and from Manchester. The old bugle was
blown by a relative of the late Jonathan Hallam in the
stage coach days at Stoney Middleton. It was to be seen
recently at Mr. Froggatt's shop at Eyam. It was in the
out premises of this house that a Scotch pedlar was murdered,
unknown to the landlord, and afterwards taken on horseback
into the cavern at Cael's Wark, in Middleton Dale, where the
remains were found some 20 years lager, as stated in the
"Tales and Traditions of the Peak". At one time the house
was kept by George Booth who afterwards went up to Highfield
Farm. The license was transferred about 1842 to the
present MOON INN, and William Moseley was the first who
held the license. This was formerly the Dower House of the
Shuttleworth's, and the Rev. Urban Smith lived there before
the Vicarage was built in 1836.
THE SUN INN was a public-house opposite Verandah
Cottage in 1857, and kept by John Lancake, who was also a
silk weaver.
THE STAG'S HEAD once stood between Sharman's shop
and the Cross. The building was demolished when the new
road was made, and the license transferred to premises now
known as the Stag's Head up High Street. The old building
was kept by Mrs. Hallam, an ancestor of the present licensee.
She had to cross the yard to supply customers with refreshment,
and needed a lantern on a dark night. George Gregory
borrowed the lantern, but forgot to return it. At night Mrs.
Hallam sent the following note to the offender:-
"Joshua Gregory my old friend, to thee a lantern I did lend.
Ou' the d---l dost thou think that I can go afilling drink,
For neets are dark and roads are bad, I really think thou
must be mad."
THE ROYAL OAK INN formerly stood in the portion at
present occupied by the kitchen end.
About the middle of April, A.D. 1758, the villagers were
surprised very early in the morning by the arrival apparently
in great speed of a tall young man and a fair damsel, richly
attired. They dismounted, and the young man performed the
office of hostler, and then went in to breakfast.
The adopted names of the visitors were "Allan" and
"Clara". The hostess discovered that they were lovers intent
on reaching the Peak Forest, there to tie the nuptial knot.
After luncheon they remounted their horses, and were quickly
out of sight. They were murdered by five miners in the
Winnats, near Castleton. The saddle belonging to the horse
ridden by Clara was kept for many years in the Royal Oak.
It was bought at a sale of articles from the museum of the
late Thomas Bateman, Middleton, near Youlgreave, and is
now to be found in the Peak Cavern Museum. This is given
in detail in "Tales and Traditions of the Peak".
There was formerly bull baiting and bear baiting in the
Royal Oak yard, and some of the older residents remember
seeing the ring about a yard or so from the corner of the
present premises. Mr W. Birks, the first school-master of the
National School, lived in a house at the front of this licensed
house, and his wife kept a small girls' school there.
THE MINERS' ARMS stood back from the road near
the present police station. It was kept by Joseph Pursglove
in 1857.
THE LOVERS' LEAP INN is a neat and commodious
house closely nestling under the rock of the same name, and
renowned for the exploits of Hannah Baddeley in 1762. It
was kept for many years by Mr. Samuel Mason, who in
conversation told many stories of bye-gone days. When all the
lime-kilns were in full swing, day after day
40 or 50 carters were to be seen waiting their turn
to be supplied, as early as four and five o'clock in the
morning. The carts came down from a wide district, Barlow,
Brampton, Chesterfield, and Holymoorside being always
represented. Many a battle royal was fought by the carters
during their long wait. All this has changed, and the
industry has disappeared with the exception of Mr. Henry
Goddard's kiln.
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THE DALE
THE LOVERS LEAP
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| History of the Village of Stoney Middleton | THE DALE |
THE DALE
On passing the last house in the village a deep ravine
opens to Middleton Dale, which in savage grandeur is inferior
to few of the valleys of Derbyshire. The crags on the right
of the Dale are boldly featured. Half-way up they are much
broken, and present many projections and recesses having
turrets and buttresses named Castle, High Tor, and Steeple
Rocks. Above rise a lofty range of perpendicular rocks
"On whose veteran fronts
The storms that come at winter's stern behest
Have beat for ages."
The wild scenery of Middleton Dale was greatly enhanced
by the fires of the many lime-kilns.
Meandering through the Dale is a brook that flows from
Water Grove Mine. Some part of the course lies underground.
In the distance is the chasm through which the road winds
to Tideswell and Buxton.
There were two cupolas for smelting lead ore, but they
are now in ruins.
Whilst Lord Duncannon was riding in 1743 through Middleton
Dale his horse stumbled against a piece of spar. He
picked it up, and thought it a pretty ornament. He after
wards sent it to Mr. H. Watson, the Bakewell statuary,
suggesting it should be turned into a vase. Thus originated the
manufacture of that beautiful fluor provincially known by
the name of Blue John, into columns, vases, urns, and
obelisks frequently to adorn the houses and the palaces of the
wealthy.
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THE LOVER'S LEAP
THE CAEL'S WARK OR GAEL'S WARK CAVERN
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| History of the Village of Stoney Middleton | THE LOVER'S LEAP |
THE LOVER''S LEAP
Immediately on entering the Dale from the village on the
right is a perpendicular rock, the "Lovers' Leap". From
the summit of this precipice, about the year 1760 a
love-stricken maiden, named Hannah Baddeley threw herself into
the chasm below, but sustained little injury. Her face was
slightly disfigrred and her body bruised by the brambles and
rocky projections that interrupted her fall, but she was able
to get home with little assistance. Her bonnet and 'kerchief
were left on the top of the rock, and some fragments of her
torn garments marked the course of her descent. Her miraculous
escape made an impression on her mind. Her fit of love
subsided, and she died unmarried. The young man, whose
heartlessness was the cause of this suicidal attempt, was
William Barnsley. Hannah Baddeley, daughter of William and
Joan Baddeley, baptized Feb. 22nd, 1738, buried Dec. 12th,
1764. - Parish Register, Stoney Middleton.
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THE CAEL'S WARK
THE WAKES
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| History of the Village of Stoney Middleton | THE CAEL'S WARK OR GAEL'S WARK CAVERN |
THE CAEL'S WARK OR GAEL'S WARK CAVERN.
Near this rock is the Cael's or Gael's Wark Cavern, in
which the body of the Scotch pedlar who was murdered in
the Old Moon Inn yard was found about 1763. His clothes,
shoes, and buckles assisted the work of identifying the
decomposed remains. The bones, etc., were deposited in a large
box, which stood in a corner of the north aisle of Eyam
Church, in view of a more certain identification, later,
however the bones were interred, but Matthew Hall, king of
Eyam ringers, wore the shoes to the last. A woman, the
principal of this dark deed, died miserably of cancer.
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"For now the Scotchman issued from the cave
Of Caelswark dark, his sepulchre and grave,
Throat cut and gory, gaping, ghastly corse
Which passed him dangling on the murderer's horse." | |
| | R. Furness. |
It has been explored to the extent of about 200 paces,
when a deep water prevented further progress. The roof is
in some places so low that the cavern cannot be penetrated in
an erect position; in others the passage is of considerable
capacity, and it furnishes many beautiful crystalizations. It
is a dreary hole, and the entrance into it is now nearly
closed up by the falling of a mass of rubbish from above.
"About 44 years ago some workmen were clearing the
rubbish from the rock near the noted cavern of Caelswark, in
Middleton Dale. They discovered a pair of bracelets or
Armillæ made of base silver covered with at least 8 feet of
gravel. On examination they were found to be a very good
base silver alloyed with copper, etc., and appeared to have
been much worn, for a portion of the pattern is obliterated.
Each termination of the bracelet has the same rude attempt
at snake head ornamentation. We may safely assign these
relics to the 2nd or 3rd centuries. Mr. Bagshaw purchased
them, and doubtless presented them to Lomber Dale Museum,
;near Youlgreave". - "The Reliquary," 1867-8.
[Ed: A sketch of the Armillæ is reproduced
opposite Page 50]
The Merlin Cavern is situated near Middleton Dale in
Rock Gardens. This cavern, which is rich in stalacites and
stalagmites. was re-opened a few years ago, but the roof has
now fallen in places.
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"Where Merlin's Cave beneath a hanging shade
Stalagmi graced the encrusted marble roof,
Form'd here a prison, and here a crystal cone,
There bees impendent, round a hive of stone." | |
| | R. Furness. |
Charleswark (Gaels Wark) is at the foot of a rock 93 yards yards
high. The entrance is 6 yards high and 8 yards wide. The
pedestrian can walk on 5½ yards and arrives at an impassable
deep stagnant pool or lake, which opens into Eyam Dale,
about half a mile distant. By another grotto it opens near
Foolow about a mile and half away and passes under Eyam
Church.
The highest rock is called Windy Torr, from the top of
which, to the Mouth of BOSSEN HOLE (Bossen in this Country
Dialect means Badger) is 55 yards in height, and
from the Hole to the Brookside the distance is 30 yards. The
entrance to the cavern is by a small foot road about a yard
broad like a walk in the Middle of the Rock.. The entrance
in is of the same breadth but 5 feet higher. This would form
an excellent shelter for sheep.
Dr. Short, writing in 1734, says:
BAMFORTH HOLE (or the "Wonders") is 49 yards
from the, top of the rock. The entrance is 5 feet high, and
the pedestrian goes on shoulder foremost for 40 yards, and
then comes a rise of 13 yards (in all the way it is not a yard
wide). Then there is a step to climb, 6 feet high, when the
traveller enters the middle of a large cave, in which are vast
stalacititious petrefactions. Leaving the Cave, go 25 yards
forwards, you see a magnificent subterranean State Room, 9
yards wide and 2 yards high, the most stately and awful Dome
I ever saw. There are numbers of various kinds of beautiful
transparent statues with several regular ranks of fine
pyramids and other curious figures, some on pedestals and others
reaching the roof, as though wishing to support this 'Reproach
of Art'.
In the middle of this room is a basin 3 yards long and 2
wide. On each side of this is a statuary pillar of stalactites
on finely polished marble, and another in the middle upon a
pedestal. There is a small passage, a few feet down, leading
to several eaves underneath. The roof is adorned with shells
here generated and generating sundry colours.
I went 364 yards into the cave and saw no end, but the
passages are going on under the whole mountain like coney
burrows.
Next Chapter: THE WAKES
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[Created 19 Feb 2003. Last updated 20 Nov 2008 - 08:10 by Rosemary Lockie]