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Duffield

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Wikipedia tell us:

"Duffield is a village in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Derby. It is centred on the western bank of the River Derwent at the mouth of the River Ecclesbourne."

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Archives & Libraries

The Duffield Branch Library on Wirksworth Road near Ecclesbourne Close is normally open four days a week, but are closed on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays. They do have a Local Studies and Family History section to help you with your research.

Peter BARR has a photograph of the Library on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2010.

Alternatiely, the Library at Belper is an excellent resource with a Local History section and a Family History section.

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Bibliography

  • WILTSHIRE, Mary (and others) - Duffield Firth. Landmark, 2005. ISBN 1-84306-191-0.
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Cemeteries

  • Duffield opened a cemetery of 3.5 acres in March, 1880, with 2 mortuary chapels, shared with Milford parish.
     
  • The Duffield Parish Council website has a good description and short history of the cemetery.
     
  • Michael 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 centre of the Duffield sub-district of the Belper Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1851H.O. 107 / 2144
1861R.G. 9 / 2507 thru 2510 & 2513 & 2518
1891R.G. 12 / 2741
1901R.G. 13 / 3226
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Church History

  • This place had a Saxon church at the time of the 1086 Domesday Book.
     
  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Alkmund.
     
  • No trace remains of the early Saxon church dedicated to Saint Alkmund.
     
  • The church was extensively restored in 1847.
     
  • The church seats 578.
     
  • A fine Yew tree of great age stands in the churchyard.
     
  • Michael BARDILL has a photograph of St Alkmund's Church and the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2006.
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish registers date from 1598 and is generally in very good condition.
     
  • Marriages at Duffield, 1598-1812 are available in Nigel BATTY-SMITH's database of scanned images of Phillimore's Parish Registers.
     
  • The church used to have a handout for visitors telling where to find families in the church graveyard.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Duffield.
     
  • Available at the Derbyshire Record Office, Matlock (original registers):
  1. Baptisms 1598-1980
  2. Marriages 1598-1980
  3. Banns 1754-1773, 1880-1962
  4. Burials 1598-1960
     
  • The records above are on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
     
  • The Baptist chapel was built here in 1830, only 20 years after the Baptist community was formed here.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built on King Street in 1777, rebuilt in 1855 and replaced by a new chapel in 1904.
     
  • David LALLY has a photograph of the King Street Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2011.
     
  • The Methodist Free (later "United Methodist") chapel was built in 1843 on Town Street.
     
  • David BEVIS has a photograph of the Evangelical Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2006.
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Civil Registration

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

"DUFFIELD is a large and pleasant village, in the populous parish of its name, in the hundred of Appletree: the village is situate on a fine plain, over which the main road passes, leading from Derby to Belper, Matlock, and Sheffield; about four and a half miles north from Derby, and three and a half south from Belper. It has long been esteemed a favourite residence of persons enjoying a respectable competence, who prefer retirement and quiet to the bustle of larger towns."

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

This village, township and parish sit in a valley on the banks of the Derwent River 5 miles north of Derby city, 3 miles south of Belper and 132 miles north of London.

Windley Township is 2.5 miles north-west of Duffield village. Flaxholme is a hamlet due south of Duffield on the Derby Road. Makeney is a hamlet due north of the village of Duffield,

Richard LAW has a photograph of the Duffield (west) milepost on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2010. The mileage to London, Wirksworth and Derby are shown.

Nigel THOMPSON provides a photograph of the Duffield RR Station on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2011.

David LALLY provides a photograph of A swan on the Derwent on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2011.

You can see pictures of Duffield which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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History

  • The Romans had a station here.
     
  • The Normans made pottery here.
     
  • Duffield Castle used to stand in this parish on Castle Hill. The castle was burned down by the Royal Army in 1266 in retribution for an act of treason.
     
  • J. THOMAS has a photograph of Duffield Castle remains on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2005.
     
  • Stephen McKAY has a photograph of The Pattenmakers Arms on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2015. He even provides a bit of history in his photo caption.
     
  • David LALLY also has a photograph of The Pattenmakers Arms on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2011
     
  • Ian S. has a photograph of The Kings Head pub. on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2015.
     
  • The Kings Head Public Houses had the following proprietors listed in Directories:
 YearProprietor
1831George MILLWARD
1857John STANESBY
1891Vincent SHEPHERD
1895Henry WILD
1912Mrs. Sarah FLANDERS

 

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Manors

In 1912, Colonel Granville Roland Francis SMITH, C.V.O., resided in Duffield Hall. He served in the Coldstream Guards and was to die on 4 March, 1917, in France.

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Maps

Francis FRITH offers a number of maps that cover the area of Duffield.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK349427 (Lat/Lon: 52.980515, -1.481657), Duffield which are provided by:

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Military History

  • During World War I the Red Cross established a VAD Auxiliary Hospital here.
     
  • John M. has a photograph of The Pastures on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2017. This was the building used as an Auxiliary Hospital during the Great War.
     
  • The War Memorial is a tall cross on a three-step base next to Saint Alkmund's Church.
     
  • Eamon CURRY has a photograph of the Duffield War Memorial next to the church on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2010.
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Military Records

The nine Commonwealth War Graves in Duffield Cemetery (data from the CWGC site) are for:

NameRankUnitDiedOther info.
John Philip Wilfred Henry DAVISsecond lieutenantRoyal Corps of Signals14 June 1942Chr. on 18 Jun 1921, son of Wilfrid Henry and Julia DAVIS.
Sam EYREprivateK coy., Army Service Corps13 Feb. 1917Age 36, son of George Augustus and Millicent EYRE
John Rainsford HASLAMgunner439 Indep. H.A.A. Bty., Royal Artillery3 Oct. 1944Age 28, son of John William and Edith Annie RAINSFORD of Milford.
Kenneth Arthur HILLmajor501 Coast Regt., Royal Artillery16 Feb. 1943Age 43, husband of Kathleen M. HILL of Mablethorpe, LIN.
Charles Melville JONESco. quartermaster serjeant10th Btln., Sherwood Foresters15 Feb. 1919Age 31, husband of Ann JONES of Milford.
Reginald KINDERsapperRoyal Engineers13 May 1941Age 26, son of Violet Lilian KINDER
Wingfield LANDprivate2/4 Yorkshire Regt.23 Nov. 1918Age 39, husband of Susan LAND of Milford
Norman SMITHlance serjeant155 Rly. Works coy., Royal Engineers23 Dec. 1943Age 43, husband of Ethel Lillian SMITH
Maurice STONEsapper297 Rly. coy., Royal Engineers15 Dec. 1919Age 31, husband of Violet Lilian STONE

William WASS was born 1884 in Windley, died 20 July 1916 Fromelles, France. He was a srgt. in the 54th Bn. Australian Infantry. Marg O'Leary believes him to be one of the soldiers exhumed from a mass grave in 2008. His parents were Germain WASS and Harriet MELLOR of Windley.

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Newspapers

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar gives us this notice from the Derby Mercury of 8 July 1802: "MARRIED: Monday se'nnight, at Duffield, Mr. MELBOURN, to Miss LANE, both of Belper, in this county."

Jane TAYLOR provides this announcement from the Derby Mercury of 2 December, 1802: "MARRIED: At Duffield on Wednesday 27th ult. Mr. William WALKER, to Miss Mary SPENDLOVE, both of Belper, in this county."

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar offers this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 5 April 1804 "MARRIED: On Monday last, at Duffield, Mr. William BROCKLEBANK, of Liverpool, merchant, to Miss Pyarea MILNES, eldest daughter of Mr. MILNES, of Turnditch, in this county."

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar contributes this entry from the Derby Mercury of 20 December, 1804: "MARRIED: On the 4th inst. at Duffield, Mr Samuel HARRISON, to Miss Ellen LICHFIELD, both of Belper, in this county."

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Obituaries

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar contributes this announcement from the Derby Mercury of 22 September, 1803: DIED: "A few days since. Thomas SIMES, an insane pauper, drowned himself at Duffield, near this place."

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar contributes this article from the Derby Mercury of 22 December, 1803: DIED: "Thursday last, at Duffield, in this county, aged 65, Mrs. ROE, relict of the late Mr. Joseph ROE, of this place."

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar has this announcement from the Derby Mercury of 31 October, 1804: DIED: "On Monday last, aged 61, Mr. WINROW, of Duffield, in this county."

Jane TAYLOR of Redcar provides this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 13 December, 1804. DIED: "On the 29th ult. universally respected, Mr. Richard FRIGNALL, of Duffield, in this county, aged 83."

Jane TAYLOR of Redcar give us this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 20 June, 1805. DIED: "On Monday evening, Miss Margaret WINROW, aged 22, second daughter of the late Mr WINROW, of Duffield, in this county."

Jon CANTRILL contributes this entry from the Derby Mercury of 7th January 1829: DEATHES: "Yesterday morning, in this town, after a long and painful illness, which she bore with Christian patience and resignation, sincerely regretted by her family, Mrs. Hannah LANGTON, relict of Mr. Thos. LANGTON, late of Duffield, in this county."

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient 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 Duffield Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to assist with family history searches.
     
  • 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 Belper petty session hearings every other Wednesday.
     
  • There is an index of about ten Duffield Bastardy Papers held at the DRO on the Yesterdays Journey website. Select "Bastardy Papers" on the left side, then "Duffield" from the list of parishes displayed.
     
  • In 1667, an endowment left by Edward POTTERELL was used to build an almshouse for two poor people of the parish.
     
  • The Common Land was enclosed here in 1791.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poorlaw Amendment Act reforms, this parish became part of the Belper Poorlaw Union.
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Schools

  • A grammar school at Duffield was founded in 1565 by William GILBERT.
    (Ref: A History of Derbyshire, Gladwyn TURBUTT, 1999)
     
  • A Boys' Endowed School was erected here in 1869, partly funded by William GILBERT's charity. It was enlarged in 1907 to hold 180 boys.
     
  • A National Church of England Girls' School was erected here in 1870 for 100 girls. Average attendance in 1895 was 90 girls.
     
  • An Infants' School was erected here in 1896 for 110 children.