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ALFRETON, Derbyshire - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868
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The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868
"ALFRETON, a parish and market town in the hundred of Scarsdale, in the county of Derby, 13 miles to the N.N.E. of Derby, and 3½ N.W. from Pye Bridge railway station, on the Erewash Valley railway. A branch of the Midland railway, now constructing, will pass through the parish. The town is situated on a hill, and has two streets, with a market-place, where they cross each other. It is well paved, and lighted with gas.Its ancient name was Alfredinytune, which occurs in a charter granted to Burton Abbey by King Ethelred. From this name some infer that it was founded by Alfred, the traditional site of whose palace is still pointed out. It belonged at one time to Beauchief Abbey. It contains the chapelry of Riddings, with the hamlets of Greenhill-lane, Summercotes, Swanwick, Birchwood, Codnor Park, and some others.
The population has largely increased of late years, and find employment in the collieries and iron-works, the stone-quarries, and the manufactures of brown pottery and stockings. Some of the houses are ancient, and most of them are irregularly built. It is a polling place for the county. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Lichfield, value £150, in the patronage of W. P. Morewood, Esq.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Martin, has an embattled tower with pinnacles. It is partly in the early English, and partly in the decorated and later perpindicular style, and one portion of it was probably built before the reign of Henry II. Besides the parish church, there are three district churches; that at Riddings is a perpetual curacy*, value with the curacy of Somercotes, £150, in the patronage of the vicar of Alfreton; that at Ironville is also a perpetual curacy, value £150, in the patronage of F. Weight, Esq.; the other is at Swanwick.
There are chapels belonging to the Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists; and a handsome new chapel built by the Independents in 1850. A savings-bank and two other banks have been established here. There is a free school for 140 boys and girls of Swanwick and Greenhill-lane, founded in 1740 by Mrs. Eliza Turner, and endowed with 40 acres of land.
A county court and petty sessions are held in the town. A small prison has been recently erected. The market is held on Friday and Saturday, and fairs on the 26th January, Easter Tuesday, Whit Tuesday, 31st July, which is very large, 6th October, and the 24th November. Alfreton Hall is the seat of W. P. Morewood, Esq., lord of the manor, which has descended to him through the houses of the De Alfretons, Chaworths, Babingtons, and Zouches. Some Roman remains have been discovered in the parish."
"GREENHILL-LANE, a village and township in the parish of Alfreton, hundred of Scarsdale, county Derby, 2 miles S.E. of Alfreton. In 1749, several hundreds of Roman coins were found buried here."
"NETHER BIRCHWOOD, a hamlet in the parish of Alfreton, hundred of Scarsdale, in the county of Derby, 2 miles to the S.E. of Alfreton."
[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]