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History of the Village of Stoney Middleton
By Thomas E. Cowen (1910)

This transcription by Rosemary Lockie © 2003

 INDUSTRIES
Chapter XXIV
WALKS AROUND MIDDLETON
History of the Village of Stoney MiddletonINDUSTRIES

INDUSTRIES.

There is every evidence that the LEAD MINES were worked at the time the Romans had their station at Brough, and possibly the prisoners of war were obliged to work in the penal settlements. Roman coins, chiefly copper, but some with a thin silvery coating, were found as late as the summer of 1814, near where the road branches out of Middleton Dale. The coins bear the inscription of the Emperors Probus, Gallienus, etc., and of Victorinus (a successful usurper of imperial power). The chief lead _mines are the Deep Rake, Salad Hole, Little Pastures, Blagden, Gin, White Coe, and Wren Park. The Great Barmote Court is still held alternately at the Moon Inn, Stoney Middleton, and Bull's Head, Eyam. One Cupola or smelting house is still standing near the Ball Inn, and a huge heap of slag serves to "adorn the tale".

One of the PAINT MILLS is still to be seen in Middleton Dale, where the Cawk is washed, the lead sorted out and ground. The residue is then bleached by Vitrol, and Barytes prepared for the adulteration of paint. For many years the staple industry was QUARRYING, and the workman would sometimes come across a vein of lead that would be worth following. TALLOW CANDLE MAKING was also a busy trade, especially in the busy days of lead-mining. The Tallow Press used by Chandler Goddard, of the Bank, may still be

[Page 50]
seen at the Smithy. Thomas Furness was also a Chandler in 1857.

WEAVING LOOMS were once to be found in the cottages, and it would appear to have been a flourishing trade once. A cottage opposite Vicarage Lane has a large number of windows at the rear, and this was at one time a weaving shed.

THE CORN MILL has been utilized at various times by the families of Hinch and Booth. 'Miller Carter' is no longer employed at the Mill, and the great wheel and shuttle have long since passed into disuse. If some enterprising gentleman could be found with sufficient capital, the power otherwise running to waste at the Waterfall could be used for lighting the whole village with electric light.

Large quantities of grain were stored in sacks in the low rooms of the Malthouse on the Bank, and a Malting Tub once stood in the building. It is thought by some that the Smithy was formerly a Malthouse.

The old stable at the bottom of the Bank was once the workshop Benjamin Cooper - a Cooper by name and trade or tub-thumper. The wood was stored by the side of the Brook, and placed in a boiler when making hoops for Dolly Tubs, Churns, Buckets, etc.

BESOM MAKING was another pursuit. These were made in one part of the Smithy, now occupied by Mr. Charles Furness as a cottage. Mr, William Jupp also made besoms in the building now used by Messrs. F. and A. Cocker's as a store-room.

Besoms were also made in the chamber over the Smithy by Messrs. Daniel Jackson and Johnson, and the enclosed ground is still designated "the Besom Shop Yard".

The principal industry at the present time is the BOOT AND SHOE trade. The first factory was opened over 60 years ago by Mr. Thomas Ashton on the site of Mr. H. Heginbotham's shop. Afterwards Messrs. Benjamin Hallam and Archelaus Hancock went into the business, and for some time were very successful. The firm Heginbotham Bros. were the first to utilise power to work the machinery. Competition is now so keen that this industry is not so good as formerly.

Besides the SMITHY, is the Dale occupied by the veteran Blacksmith, William Barnes (83 years of age), who early in

[Page 51]
the fifties succeeded to the business of John Froggatt. There was once a Blacksmith's shop near the Toll Bar House occupied by George Marsden. Another Smithy stood in part of the cottage now occupied by Mr. Charles Furness. One hot May day the blacksmith, Benjamin Widdowson, was hooping by a heath fire, when a spark fired the thatched roof of John Wood's house opposite and destroyed it. Another house was afterwards found for them by Lord Denman.

A SADDLER'S Shop was formerly kept by Isaac Marples opposite Verandah Cottage.

Stoney Middleton is not so prosperous a village as it was in the palmy days of the mining, lead smelting, weaving, and lime burning industries, when it is often asserted there were about a thousand inhabitants in Stoney Middleton and the Bank.

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 WALKS
Chapter XV
MISCELLANEOUS


History of the Village of Stoney MiddletonWALKS AROUND MIDDLETON

WALKS AROUND MIDDLETON.

'Stoney Middleton is not likely to be a place for trade, but for many reasons it may be a place to visit, for health, for rest, for scenery, and for the study of Nature in hill and dale, mountain and moor in the district. So the antiquary may here have ample grounds for the study of prehistoric houses, and tors, and of Saxon haunts.

'In fact, Stoney Middleton is a place well worthy of a visit, and a sojourn. Geologists know that well, for here is the first and oldest seam of coal known, betwixt two limestone beds. It occurs in a fault found near to the Ball Inn.'

The Village can be approached from Calver either through the leafy 'Middleton Avenue' or through the Meadows that enclose The Hall. A turn to the right in the third meadow, through the gorse, locally called 'Cobbler Patch', will bring the tourist to Knouchley Farm, from whence a good view of the surrounding country can be obtained. We may, however, continue our way through the meadows by the brook side, past the Roman Baths, and into the Nook, Another venue is from Eyam New Road via the Old Lane.

'COOMBES' DALE', a lovely valley, S.W. of the village, is the rendezvous of tourist and botanist in the Summer. It is approached by way of Vicarage Lane. A turn on the right near Dimple Pump leads through three fields, and the last stile opens out a pretty dale to our view. On the opposite side

[Page 52]
is Scotch Bank. We can descend the valley and proceed up the Dale to the Sandhills (the residue of the Salade Hole mine), or we can turn to the left and come down the lane, unfortunately cut up by carts, which have been removing sands for shipment to America. This lane leads into Calver Lane.

LONGSTONE MOOR is worthy of notice, and is approached by way of Highfields. We pass a Lime Kiln on the left, and there is abundant evidence of lead mining in the vicinity. A road on the right leads down Farnley Lane, which comes into the turnpike roan between Stoney Middleton and Tideswell. If, however, we continue the road by Longstone Edge we may reach Blakelow, Black Harry, Longstone, or Millers' Dale.

FROGGATT is worthy of a visit, and can be approached by way of the Old Lane, Cow Ease, and by Froggatt Lane. A walk by the side of the Derwent, across the bridge, through the fields and meadows brings the pedestrian back to Middleton. The tourist might continue his course along the Derwent side to Grindleford.

EYAM, historic through the plague of 1666, can be reached either uy way or a pass between the rocks in Middleton Dale, called 'the Grip', or over a small eminence on the Bank called `the Cliffe' and by Cliffe Stile. A large stone trough is supposed to have stood here for money, etc., to be deposited for purification during the time that Eyam was in quarantine. It can also be approached via Mill Lane, a road doubtless much traversed by carters desirous of avoiding the Toll Bar.

If the tourist, however, is in Middleton Dale, a turn on the right, called Eyam Dale, will lead to the same village.

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 MISCELLANEOUS
Index
INDEX


History of the Village of Stoney MiddletonMISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS.

The VILLAGE CROSS. In most villages the Cross was only a name, usually the place of public meetings. Many of the ancient crosses were swept away at the Reformation, and this may have been the case at Stoney Middleton. The older residents can recall the time when there was no top to the Cross only two circular stones. A garden once stood to the right near the Butcher's shop.

[Page 53]
In 1846 a plain Cross was erected probably on the site of an earlier one by Robert Pinder, through the benevolence of Robert Thompson. Whether the Cross was erected to commemorate the 'Repeal of the Corn Laws', which was passed in the same year, is not evident.

A UNITARIAN CHAPEL stood on the site of the Reading Room. The aged preacher came from Great Hucklow to Middleton every Sunday until the congregation gradually dwindled away. The building was then sold to Lord Denman. A private school was afterwards kept in the Chapel for a time by Mr. Dyer, one of the congregation, who was 'a Dyer by name and by trade.'

THE POST OFFICE was at one time located at Bank House. Mr. Peter Furness was the sub-postmaster, and also occupied the position of Relieving Officer. The letters were delivered by Samuel Marsden. At one time there was no Post Office at Calver, Curbar, and Froggatt, so letters were carried there from Middleton.

POOR HOUSES. Before the Bakewell Union was established the village looked after its own poor. Some years ago four poor houses stood up the Dale Mouth.

THE FIRST CLOCK AT STONEY MIDDLETON. At the beginning of last century household clocks were not known in small farmer's houses at Stoney Middleton. One of the farmers,* however, had purchased one. One day a neighbour's wife went in to ask what time it was by the new clock. The good wife of the house replied, "Well, I canna tell you correctly, for I dunna reightly underston the thing myself, but I'll tell you what, if you'll just sit you down a bit and wait till you hear it smite and then count, yell kno' t' reight time." (One of Old Butcher's Stories).

In the Religious Census of Derbyshire made in 1676 the number of Conformists at Stoney Middleton is given as 236 - of Papists as 3 - and of Nonconformists none.

[Page 54]
The following is a copy of an interesting document in the possession of Mrs. W. Mason, Nook House, Stoney Middleton.
Received the Eleventh Day of October, 1787, of Anthony Beeley*
 the Sum of Two Pounds fifteen shillings,
 being half a year's Rent due to the Right Honourable
 Lord George Henry Cavendish at Lady Day last.
£2 15s. 0d.A. L. Maynard.

Deaths from accident were not infrequent. The following have been extracted from Eyam Parish Registers:

Buried Feb. 28th, 1686, Thomas Carnal, killed from a rock in the Dale.
Buried May 16th, 1748, Hannah Milward, killed from a rock in the Dale.
Buried Oct. 14th, 1784, Joseph Archer, drowned in Middleton Mill Dam.

STONEY MIDDLETON READING ROOM began its existence thirty years ago in an inconvenient room at the bottom of the village Eventually this room was closed, and efforts were made to erect a building suitable for the requirements. Subscriptions were solicited, and together with the proceeds of a Bazaar held in Derby, a larger room was erected on the site of the old Unitarian Chapel. Unfortunately this room is not in the Parish of Stoney Middleton.

The Tablet in the front of the Reading Room is inscribed:

In Loving Memory
of the
2nd Baron Denman
of Dovedale.

The building was in the hands of the Southwell Diocesan Finance Association. Mainly through the interest of the present Lord Denman the room was transferred to the Charity Commissioners, who appointed "the Vicar of the Parish and the Members of the Parish Council" trustees. In October, 1909, a Bazaar was opened by Lady Denman, and the building

[Page 55]
is now being re-roofed and enlarged on land given by Lord Denman, who also gave a donation of £100 towards this worthy object.

THE WESLEYAN REFORM CHAPEL.

Nonconformity in the early part of the 19th century had to run the gauntlet of insult and personal violence.

The Wesleyans formerly held their meetings in a cottage at the Dale Bottom, where the ruffians of the village frequently interrupted their devotions, at one time building up the chimney and at another dropping stones down.

A plot of ground near Cliff Bottom was generously given by Mr. Furness of High Wycombe, and with a number of worshippers, who rallied round Mr. Benjamin Hallam (grand-father of Mr. Joseph Bradshaw), a new Chapel was built a little below the old Unitarian Chapel.

Dr. Joseph Denman (uncle of the first baron) wrote in answer to a letter he had received that he was surprised to find anyone staying in Stoney Middleton after he could indite a letter, and offered to assist the writer to become a Minister of the Church of England. His lordship was subsequently informed that the writer wished one day to become a Wesleyan Minister.

Much of the land in the vicinity once belonged to the Morewoods of Alfreton, and in connection with the sale there was an endowment of £3 per annum to be paid to the nearest place of worship. This Charity was received for many years by the Unitarian body, who held a service annually in the ruined building, and so the Charity was paid to them.

The Unitarian Chapel was subsequently sold to Lord Denman, and for a time nothing was heard of the endowment, until his Lordship kindly informed the officials of the Wesleyan body of it, and generously assisted them to obtain the Charity and also the arrears.

THE MOSELEYS OF STONEY MIDDLETON.

The Moseley Family has been resident in Eyam, Grindleford, and Stoney Middleton for the last three centuries. They, are a branch of the Moseleys of Manchester and Rolleston, and are descended from the Moseleys of Moseley, near Wolverhampton, Staffs.

The original arms of the Moseley family were described as "Sable a chevron between three mill picks argent".

[Page 56]
Nicholas Moseley was Lord Mayor of London in 1599 at the time of a threatened Spanish invasion, and for his services Queen Elizabeth conferred upon him the honour of knighthood, and he was granted a crest described as "An eagle displayed ermynes mantiled gules, doubled silver". In the patent it is described as "1st and 4th sables a chevron between three battleaxed silver; 2nd and 3rd Gold a fesse between three eaglets displayed sables".

The motto was assumed as a compliment to the son of Sir Nicholas Moseley, who was a rising barrister.

"Mos Legem regit" (custom governs the law).

The Macclesfield Moseleys are a branch of the Stoney Middleton family.

BULL PARK WALL was the name of a wall erected round the Old Moon Inn.

The VILLAGE CONSTABLE was an officer charged with the preservation of the peace. He was appointed annually, and received a Staff stamped with the Crown - the emblem of his office.

In the Overseers' Account, dated 29th Sept., 1868, the following entry occurs:-

"Constable's appointment, 17s. 0d.; Constable's expenses per order, 9s. 6d." The last entry was dated 1872.

The author has had given to him a doggerel rhyme, which probably refers to several public houses at one time situated in Middleton Dale.

"The BALL and the BARREL, they each had a quarrel, And fought with the BOOT AND THE SHOE."

The former is still a licensed house, while the latter have fallen into disuse.


* We are informed that this incident occurred at the house of Anthony Beeley, grandfather of Mrs. W. Mason, Nook House.

* The author is informed that this Anthony Beeley was formerly the Barmaster.

End of Text: => INDEX

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[OCR/transcript by Rosemary Lockie in February 2003,
from a copy of a History of Stoney Middleton acquired on Inter-Library Loan]


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