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Pinxton

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PINXTON, a parish in the hundred of Scarsdale, county Derby, 33 miles S.E. of Alfreton, its post town, and 6 S.W. of Mansfield. It has a station on the Erwash Valley railway. The village, which is of small extent, is situated at the conjunction of the Erwash and Cromford canals, near which a considerable village, called New Pinxton, has arisen. There are extensive collieries, also a nail manufactory. The land is chiefly in pasture. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £228, and the glebe comprises 40 acres.

The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Lichfield, value £293. The church, dedicated to St. Helena, has an ancient tower. The interior of the church contains tablets of the Coke family. The church stands on an eminence in the centre of the parish. The parochial charities produce about £5 per annum. There is a parochial school for both sexes. The Wesleyans have two places of worship. Brook Hill Hall, the principal residence, is situated in the midst of pleasure grounds. D'Ewes Coke, Esq., is lord of the manor.”

from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

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Archives & Libraries

The Pinxton Library on Kirkstead Road is normally open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and they have a Local Studies and Family History section to help you in your search.

The nearby Alfreton Library is also an excellent resource with a Local History section and a Family History section.

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Bibliography

  • SMITH, Frank - A Complete History of Pinxton. Self published, 1994 ISBN 10: 0952472007.
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Cemeteries

Michael SPENCER provides a partial extract of Parish Register burials for your review. Your additions and correction are welcomed.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Blackwell sub-district of the Mansfield Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 195
1861R.G. 9 / 2425
1881R.G. 11 / 3314
1891R.G. 12 / 2651
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Helen (or Helena).
     
  • The church was built in 1299 from the remains of a small Norman castle.
     
  • The church was rebuilt in 1790, saving the south tower and the old building as a transept. (One source gives the date as 1750,)
     
  • A new church porch and north aisle were added in 1939.
     
  • The church seats 180.
     
  • David KELLY has a photograph of St. Helen's Church on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2015.
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Church Records

  • Carol RYAN provides a transcription by of over 150 Pinxton Marriage 'Strays' - marriages of Pinxton residents which have taken place elsewhere. Added 5 Apr 2011.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Alfreton.
     
  • The parish, in 1912, had a Primitive Methodist chapel and two United Methodist chapels.
     
  • David BEVIS has a photograph of the Town Street Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2010.
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Civil Registration

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

"PINXTON, a township, parish, and scattered village, near the western verge of the county, 3¼ E. by S. from Alfreton. It contains 943 inhabitants. The church, dedicated to St. Helen, is a small edifice on an eminence in the centre of the parish. The living is a rectory, the Rev. Ellis Williams is the rector. Here is a new school. The Methodists have a chapel here. The Erewash Valley branch of the Midland Railway has a station here, and with the canal opens an extensive market for the coals of this neighbourhood to all parts of the kingdom."

[Description from Harrison, Harrop & Co.'s Directory & Gazetteer of Derbyshire, 1860]

The parish is 132 miles north of London and 6 miles south of Mansfield. In the late 1800s, this place was famous for its Porcelian, most of which was shipped via the Cromford Canal to various railheads. Coal travelled out from this parish via the same transports.

The Pinxton Arm of the Cromford Canal lies on the south side of the parish. Christine JOHNSTONE has a photograph of the Pinxton Wharf on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2017.

You can see pictures of Pinxton which are provided by:

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Directories

WHITE's 1857 Directory of Derbyshire reports:

PINXTON, a township, parish, and scattered village, near the western verge of the county, 3¼ miles E. by S. from Alfreton and 6 miles S.W. from Mansfield, extends partly into Nottinghamshire, which is rateable to the poor, but not titheable to the rector. It contains 1223A. of strong land, and in 1851 had 175 houses and 943 inhabitants, of whom 504 were males, and 439 females; rateable value £2,179 5s. 9d. The principal owners are Wm. S. Coke, Esq., Mr. John Coupe, Mr. John Coupe, jun., and Mr. Wm. Cutler, the former is lord of the manor, and patron of the living. The Church, dedicated to St. Helen, is a small edifice on an eminence in the centre of the parish. It was rebuilt about a century ago, and has a nave, chancel, and tower, with two bells. The tower, supposed to be 500 years old, is a distinct building on the south side the chancel, in which are monuments to the Coke and Lillyman families. The living is a rectory, valued in the King's book at £6 0s. 10d., now £280.

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Gazetteers

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Genealogy

Thomas CALADINE of Pinxton married Mary RUMLEY in Pinxton on 18 May 1769. They reportedly had 13 children, apparently having settled in Heanor parish.

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History

  • The "mine cage safety detaching hook" was invented here by a Mr. John KING.
     
  • Jonathan CLITHEROE has a photograph of the John King Workshop Museum on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2013.
     
  • Nick LEVERTON has a photograph of Pinxton Wharf on Geo-graph, taken in 2002. The Wharf, along with the rail line, brought a great deal of commerce to the parish from shipping coal that came from surrounding locations.
     
  • David BEVIS has a photograph of the George Inn on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2009.
     
  • David BEVIS has a photograph of the Sun Inn on Town Street on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2010.
     
  • Neil THEASBY has a phoograph of The Three Horseshoes Pub. on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2018.
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK457553 (Lat/Lon: 53.09296, -1.319034), Pinxton which are provided by:

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Military History

  • Aileen HOWARD recounts that her mother witnessed a Zeppelin passing over their house in Pinxton during WWI. It dropped no bombs on the village, but may have been heading to Derby to do so. It is assumed that this was one of the Zeppelins form the January 1916 Midlands Zeppelin Raid.
     
  • David BEVIS has a photograph of the War Memorial in the churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2010.
     
  • The Traces of War website tells us that St. Helen's churchyard has one Commonwealth War Grave from World War I and three from World War II.
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Military Records

Major Walter SALMOND and his wife, Mary A. C., resided in Longwood Hall in 1891. Walter was born in Mansfield Woodhouse and Mary was born in Wales.

Colonel William Langston COKE of the Derby Militia resided in this parish in Brookhill Hall in 1912.

The one World War I casualty buried in St. Helen's Churchyard:

  1. G. GILBOURNE, priv., King's Own Yorks Light Inf., age 18, died 20 Nov. 1918.
     

The three World War II casualties buried in St. Helen's Churchyard:

  1. Ernest MILLINGTON, srgt., RAF Vol. Rsv., died 9 March 1942.
  2. Francis V. M. SLATER, flight srgt., RAF Vol. Rsv., age 32, died 28 Nov. 1943.
  3. Ernest Reader SMITH, priv., Corps of Military Police, died 27 March 1941.
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Names, Geographical

The name is first recorded as Penkenson in 1208, probably from the Old English "Farmstead of a man called Penec".
A. D. MILLS, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991.

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Obituaries

Jane TAYLOR offers this tidbit from the Derby Mercury of 14 Feb 1805: DIED: "John OAKLEY an infant about 6 years old, was on Saturday last, found drowned in the river Erewash at Pinxton, 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 partly in the ancient Scarsdale Hundred (or Wapentake).
     
  • In 1894, this Civil Parish was brought wholly into Derbyshire.
     
  • This Civil Parish is a member of the Bolsover District Council. Note: They can NOT assist you with family history searches.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Alfreton petty session hearings.
     
  • The Common Lands were enclosed here around 1813.
     
  • In 1818, the Rev. Francis GISBORNE left to this parish the sum of £6 15s. yearly for flannel for the poor.
     
  • After the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, this parish became part of the Mansfield Poor Law Union.
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Probate Records

Mary WOODHEAD of Summercoates Wharf wife of Thomas of Chesterfield late Mary CREE, left a will in 1858 which mentions (among others):

  • William CREE of Pinxton.
     

George RHODES of Summercoates Wharf, left a will in 1860 which mentions:

  • Wm STANILAND schoolmaster, Pinxton.
     

William HOUGHTON, collier of Pinxton, left a will in 1872 which mentions:

  • wife Mary
  • son Israel
  • brother George
  • Becket Freman CHADBORN Esq farmer, colliery manager
  • Samuel ALSOP witness
  • George HOUGHTON witness (probably the brother mentioned above)
     

Harriet CLAYTON of Pinxton 1873 Will mentions Henry CLAYTON Nottingham.

Thomas EVANS, farmer of Pinxton, left a will in 1877 which mentions:

  • son Frank
  • dau. Fanny
  • son Stephen
  • John Bingham ELLIOTT cordwainer
  • Jno. RADFORD Clerk to Mr. HANDLEY Solr Mansfield.
     

John SMITH of Pinxton wife Eliza, left a will in 1911 which mentions:

  • first wife Rebecca
  • un-named first wife's children
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Schools

David BEVIS has a photograph of the Longwood Infants School on the south end of town, on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2009.