Eckington

The Eckington Library on Market Street near Southgate is closed Wednesdays and Sundays. They have a Local Studies and Family History section to help you with your searches.

Troway hamlet is served by the Mobile Library on route N, which makes two stops in Rush Lane every fourth Monday in the early afternoon.

• The Eckington Cemetery was opened on the Sheffield Road in October, 1877, and covered about 6 acres.
   
• The cemetery is just north of the village on the B4084.
   
• There is a write-up on the Cemetery's history at the Parish Council website. You will note that that web page has a button regarding cemetery records. Please note that they are not free.
   
• Louis MILLS has provided an extract of Parish Register burials for this parish (so far, only for 1800). Your additions and corrections are welcomed.
   
• Alan HEARDMAN has a photograph of the Mortuary arch in the cemetery on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2009.

• The parish was in the Eckington sub-district of the Chesterfield Registration District.
   
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
   

• At the 1086 Domesday Survey there was a priest working here, but no church.
   
• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
   
• The church appears to date from the 12th century and parts have been dated to King Stephen's reign (1135 - 1154).
   
• The church has been through several restorations and alterations over the centuries.
   
• The church is a grade I listed building with British Heritage.
   
• The church seats 250.
   
• Bill HENDERSON has a photograph of St. Peter and St. Paul's Church on Geo-graph, taken in 2004.
   
• Steven RUFFLES also has a photograph of St. Peter and St. Paul's Church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2012.
   
• John SALMON has a photograph of the church interior on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2012.

• The church was in the rural deanery of Staveley.
   
• The Wesleyan Methodists built a chapel here in 1807.
   
• The Association Methodists built a chapel here in 1837.
   
• The Wesleyan Methodists also built a chapel in Mosborough in 1839.
   
• The Wesleyan Methodists also had a small chapel in Marsh Lane in Troway in 1912.
   
• The Primitive Methodists built a small chapel in Mosborough in 1830.
   
• The United Methodists built a small chapel in Troway prior to 1912.
   
• The Roman Catholics built a church in the hamlet of Spink Hill (in Renishaw) in 1845. This building is a Grade II listed structure with British Heritage.
   
• J. THOMAS has a photograph of the current Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall on High Street on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014.

• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
   
• The parish was in the Eckington sub-district of the Chesterfield Registration District.

• In 1852, a courthouse with a lock-up was built in the village near the White Hart Hotel. The author does not know what records may exist for this facility. Your most-likely source for information would be the local newspapers.

Don't overlook the Court Rolls for Eckington.

"ECKINGTON is a populous village and township, in the parish of its name, and hundred of Scarsdale; the village is situate seven miles N.E. from Chesterfield, the like distance S.E. from Sheffield, and three N. from Staveley. The lands of this parish are chiefly appropriated to agriculture; in some of the townships scythes and sickles are manufactured in considerable quantities, and nails, in the village, but not so extensively."

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

The parish covered 6,934 acres in 1857. The following places are in the parish:

1. The hamlet of Mosborough one mile north of Eckington village. It had been a Roman settlement.
2. The hamlet of Renishaw two miles east, across the river Rother. An Anglican church was built here in 1908
3. The hamlet of Spink Hill 2 miles east. A mission Catholic Chapel stood here, as did a Catholic Jesuit College.
4. The hamlet of Troway 2.5 miles west of Eckington village. Troway had a colliery in 1912.
    

Eckington has a "bus station" (a mild exaggeration) on Pinfold Street. Richard VINCE has a photograph of the Bus Station on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2017.

As further proof, Richard VINCE has a photograph of a Bus in Eckington bus station on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2017.

The parish is bounded on the east by the river Rother, with Yorkshire to the north.

• Geograph
• Flickr

• A Description of Eckington has been transcribed by Heather FAULKES from Pigot's Directory of 1828.
   
• Rosemary LOCKIE provides a transcription of the Eckington entry from Pigot & Co's Commercial Directory for Derbyshire (1835).
   
• Ann ANDREWS provides a transcription of the Eckington entry from Kelly's Directory of the Counties of Derby, Notts, Leicester and Rutland (1891).

• The transcription of the section for Eckington from the National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin HINSON.

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Eckington to another place.

Most of these contributed by Jane Taylor of Redcar:

The Derby Mercury of 19 June 1800 reports: MARRIED - A few days ago, at Eckington, Mr. Thomas MULLINS, of Manchester, to Miss TURNER of Ridgeway.

The Derby Mercury of 25 June 1801 reports: MARRIED - At Eckington, in this county, on Sunday se'nnight, Mr. W JESSOP, of Sheffield, to Miss JERMYN, of Drake House, near Eckington.

The Derby Mercury of 13 May 1802 reports: MARRIED - On Monday se'nnight, at Eckington, in this county, Mr. William MULLINS, to Miss Sarah GRAY, daughter of Mr. John GRAY, both of Mosbro', in the said parish.

The Derby Mercury of 7 October 1802 reports: MARRIED - On Sunday, Mr. John HARRISON, of Eckington, grocer, to Miss Elizabeth ROBINSON, of that place.

The Derby Mercury of 13 October 1803 reports: MARRIED - At Eckington, on Friday, Mr. John ROTHERHAM, farmer, of Mosbro' to Miss COOPER, daughter of Mr. COOPER, of the same place.

The Derby Mercury of 6 September 1804 reports: MARRIED - On Wednesday last, at Eckington, in this county, Mr. I COUPE, of Dronfield, to Miss COX, second daughter of Mr. COX, of Litfield.

The Derby Mercury of 11 October 1804 reports: MARRIED - On Sunday, Mr. George AUTY, of Sheffield Park, corndealer, to Miss Julia ROTHERHAM, of Eckington, in this county.

The Derby Mercury of 13 December, 1804 reports: MARRIED - On Friday se'nnight, Mr. Harding GRANT, of Eckington, in this county, to Miss Mary THORPE, of Sheffield.

The Derby Mercury 25 April 1805 reports: MARRIED - On Wednesday last, Mr. John BAGSHAW, of Eckington, in this county, to Miss Elizabeth CADMAN, of Sheffield.

Rosemarie LOCKIE provides a trascription of a page from LEWIS's 1831 "Topographical Dictionary of England".

• Francis FIRTH has historic photographs of Eckington Village on his website, along with some personal memories others have contributed.
   
• John SLATER has a photograph of the Mossbrook public house on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2013.
   
• Graham HOGG has a photograph of The Fox and Hounds at Marsh Lane on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2013.
   
• Neil THEASBY has a photograph of The Royal Hotel on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2012.
   
• Neil THEASBY also has a photograph of The Butcher's Arms in marsh Lane on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2015.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK432797 (Lat/Lon: 53.312482, -1.35307), Eckington which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

• J. THOMAS has a photograph of the Eckington War Memorial at Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014.
   
• The Marsh Lane War Memorial is in the heart of the hamlet near the Butcher's Arms public house. It is a dressed Cornish granite wheel cross on a pedestal, plinth and base.
   
• Neli THEASBY has a photograph of the War Memorial in Mill Road in Marsh Lane at Geo-graph, taken in October, 2010.
   
• J. THOMAS also has a photograph of the War Memorial in Mill Road in Marsh Lane at Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014.
   
• Neli THEASBY has a photograph of the War Memorial in Marsh Lane, west of Eckington, at Geo-graph, taken in February, 2015.
   
• Colonel Reginald Walkelyne CHANDOS-POLE of the Derbyshire Imperial Yeomanry, born in Dalbury Lees, DBY, in 1853, lived in Spink Hill in 1912. The Colonel had married Inez ARENT in Radbourne in October, 1896. In the 1911 census, he and his family are found in Barlborough, Derbyshire.
   
• Marg O'LEARY in Australia reports:

"My missing WW1 soldier from Derbyshire: Arthur George SMITH was born 1894 to parents Abram SMITH and Charlotte KNOWLES in Eckington, Derbyshire. He found his way to Australia, joined the Army and died at Fromelles. Body never found. He was however one of those whose tags were returned by the Germans."

Wikipedia tells us that "The battle (of Fromelles in 1916) caused one of the greatest numbers of Australian deaths in action in 24 hours, surpassed only at the Battle of Bullecourt in 1917."

• There is a War Memorial at Spinkhill.
   
• World War One names from the memorial:

1. WILLIAM ANDRESS
2. SIDNEY ARTHURTON
3. JOSEPH ASKEW
4. ALBERT BARBER
5. JAMES T. BARKER
6. HENRY BRISTOW
7. JOHN BROWN
8. LEONARD BUTLER
9. HERBERT CLAYTON
10. FREDERICK CROUCH
11. A. PARKS DALE
12. RICHARD DAVIS
13. JOHN E. DAVISON
14. H. COLIN KITCHER
15. ISAAC M. DOXEY
16. FRANCIS W. ELLCOCK
17. THOMAS FARRELL
18. JOHN FENTON
19. HERBERT FERGUSON
20. EDWIN FIDLER
21. CHARLES FISHER
22. GEORGE B. FRITH
23. ALFRED GREAVES
24. GEORGE W. GREAVES
25. WILLIAM C.. GREAVES
26. ALFRED J. HADDOCK
27. ALFRED HADFIELD
28. FRED HADFIELD
29. HAROLD HARDWICK
30. JAMES F. HARPER
31. WILLIAM H. HARRISON
32. GEORGE W. HARTLEY
33. JAMES A. HERRING
34. E. BRUCE HOLLINGWORTH
35. HERBERT HOLMES
36. LEONARD HOLMES
37. DAVID HOPKINSON
38. FRANK HUMPHRIES
39. ERNEST HUTCHINSON
40. GEORGE HUTCHINSON
41. ENOCH JONES
42. WILFRED KIRBY
43. G. WINFREY KIRK
44. HARRY LUND
45. SIDNEY MILNER
46. WILLIAM MUNDAY
47. ARTHUR NETTLESHIP
48. JOHN W. NICHOLSON
49. ARTHUR NIGHTINGALE
50. EDGAR NIGHTINGALE
51. JAMES OATES
52. FRED PARTRIDGE
53. ERNEST PATTISON
54. JOSEPH PATTISON
55. GEORGE H. PEARSON
56. PERCY PRICE
57. CHARLES E. PRIDAY
58. LANCELOT RAMSDEN
59. ALBERT T. RHODES
60. ARTHUR RILEY
61. ALBERT RIPPON
62. ARTHUR H. ROBINSON
63. SIMEON ROBINSON
64. BEJAMIN RUSSON
65. HENRY SHAW
66. JOSEPH W. SHAW
67. JAMES SILVERS
68. REUBEN SILVERS
69. EDWIN SIMMONDS
70. GEORGE SMITH
71. JOHN T. SMITH
72. SAMUEL G. SMEDLEY
73. RICHARD STATE
74. B. HAYDN TAGG
75. WILFRED TAYLOR
76. WILFRED TOMLINSON
77. HAROLD TURNER
78. FREDERICK VICKERS
79. JAMES H. WADDINGHAM
80. REGINALD WARD
81. WILLIAM WARING
82. DOUGLAS WELLS
83. JAMES WHITE
84. WILLIAM WOODTHORPE
85. ALBERT P. YORKE

"IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN 1939 - 1945."

1. HENRY ARCHER
2. ERNEST BAKER
3. CLIFFORD BATTERSBY
4. GEORGE BENTON
5. THOMAS H. BINGHAM
6. EDWARD COLE
7. FRANK R. CROOKES
8. JAMES R. DYER
9. BROMLEY GILBERT
10. ALFRED F. HARRIS
11. FRANK HILL
12. HENRY HUNT
13. FRANK LEE
14. RHEDGE H. D. MORGAN
15. ARTHUR MOXON
16. FRED SMEDLEY
17. LESLIE SMITH
18. TREVOR STANLEY
19. AUBREY STOKES
20. COLIN THORPE
21. PHILIP YOUNG

FALKLANDS CAMPAIGN 1982

1. JOHN PASHLEY
2. STEPHEN TONKIN

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar provides this announcement from the Derby Mercury of 7 October, 1802: MARRIED: "On Sunday, Mr. John HARRISON, of Eckington, grocer, to Miss Elizabeth ROBINSON, of that place."

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar contributes this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 13 October, 1803, MARRIED: "At Eckington, on Friday, Mr. John ROTHERHAM, farmer, of Mosbro' to Miss COOPER, daughter of Mr. COOPER, of the same place."

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar has this announcement from the Derby Mercury of 10 October, 1804: MARRIED: "On Sunday, Mr. George AUTY, of Sheffield Park, corndealer, to Miss Julia ROTHERHAM, of Eckington, in this county."

John BURGESS contributes this extract from The Derby Mercury of Wednesday, August 27, 1845: "Edward LEE of Eckington committed to prison for 6 months, for want of sureties to keep the peace, he having threatened to shoot Wm. JOHNSON."

Shootings were always a possibility. John BURGESS contributes this extract from The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent; Saturday April 11, 1846.

"SHOOTING A GAMEKEEPER AT ECKINGTON

  It is with feelings of regret that we this week record another of those dreadful outrages committed by poachers, when interrupted in their nocturnal depredations, by meeting with gamekeepers, and which in one or two previous instances in the neighbourhood of Eckington have terminated in the death of some of the parties. Between nine and ten o'clock on Tuesday night, the servants at Renishaw Hall, the seat of Sir George SITWELL, Bart., were sitting round the hall fire, when they heard the firing of two guns, apparently at no great distance from the hall.

  Sir George's head keeper, Henry JACKSON, immediately summoned to his assistance another of the keepers, and a man employed in the stables, and they three unarmed went out to give the parties a meeting. When in the park, Jackson, for the greater certainty of coming up with the poachers, sent the other two men to take another direction, and to meet him near the lodge, in which direction he himself went direct. After having passed the east end of the Hall, and when between it and Renishaw Lodge, he suddenly came upon a party of four men, two of whom were armed with guns. Placing themselves in front of him, one of them called to him to stand back, or take the consequences, and said if he advanced another step towards them, they would shoot him.

  The blaze from the furnaces belonging to the Renishaw Works, enabled him to see the men distinctly, and though unarmed, he proceeded, notwithstanding the threat which had been used, to advance slowly towards them, when one of them fixing his gun to his shoulder, pulled the trigger twice, but failed in discharging the contents, the gun missing fire. Jackson finding, from the desperate threats of the men, that it would be running heedlessly into danger to enter into a conflict with them alone, and unarmed, was turning to walk back, when one of the guns was fired, and the greater part of the charge was lodged in the back of his thighs and legs. The poachers, seeing Jackson fall, ran away before any assistance could arrive. Jackson's calls for help were so loud that they were heard by the watchman on duty at the Railway Station, and also at Renishaw Hall, where, in consequence of hearing the second report of fire arms, a second lot of the servants were assembled to go to the keeper's assistance. They went as quickly as possible in the direction of the cries, and found Jackson insensible on the grass and weltering in blood. He was carried to the stables, and the assistance of Mr. ASKHAM, surgeon, immediately procured, and after every attention had been paid to the wounded man, Sir George Sitwell sent an express to Sheffield for some of the police force, and an officer having a knowledge of the locality, was promptly dispatched to apprehend the offending parties, two of whom the wounded man spoke to by name. This officer (police constable Black) arrived before two o'clock, after having an interview with Sir Geo. Sitwell, he called in the assistance of HEALD, one of the constables of the village.

  The officer proceeded to make minute inquiries into the circumstances, and the result was that he and Heald at once proceeded to apprehend four persons for the offence. One of them they succeeded in capturing before six o'clock in the morning, after the perpetration of the outrage, and the other three were also taken a few hours after. The names of the parties apprehended are Edward LEE, a brickmaker, residing with his father at Bole hill; John MARPLES, of Eckington, employed as a labourer by Lee; Andrew CARTLEDGE, of Mosbrough, sickle grinder; and George HOLY, of Eckington, wood turner. In the course of the day, they were taken before Henry Bowden, Esq., and by him remanded until the keeper should be so far recovered to be able to give evidence, and for safe custody, were the same night brought to Sheffield, and lodged in the Town Hall. The prisoners are well known as inveterate poachers, two of them having been convicted for it. Lee had only been out of Derby gaol about seven weeks, where he had been imprisoned six months, for having on another occasion, when met by one of the keepers, when out poaching, shot a valuable deer hound, which the keeper had with him, and also pointed his gun at the keeper and threatened to shoot him. So far as the evidence against the prisoners goes, it appears that in addition to Jackson's identifying two of them by name, they were all four traced to be in company together at several public-houses, at Barlbrough, during the morning before the occurrence, and at one of these places, they produced two guns, and intimated that they were going out at night. One of them observed that they intended to put a few shots through any one who attempted to stop them. They also, whilst at Barlbrough, purchased a quantity of caps, shot and powder, and after leaving Barlbrough, were traced to Spink hill, where they were also drinking together. After leaving there, they appeared to have got at night to the New Inn, near the Railway Station at Eckington and close by Renishaw Lodge, where they remained until within half an hour of the time that Jackson was wounded, when they all four went away together, and had two guns with them.

  When the prisoners were apprehended, a strict search was made for any fire arms that might be in their possession, and in Marples's workshop, his coat was found on the work bench quite wet, and inside it were wrapped up the barrels and stocks of two guns, one of which was loaded, and in the pocket of the coat a quantity of gun wadding. Two of the prisoners admitted to the constables, when told what they were apprehended for, that they were present in the Park, but denied that they were the persons who fired, each of them endeavouring to turn it off his own back upon his companions. When searched at the Town Hall, a quantity of caps were found in Cartledge's pocket. Jackson, who has a wife and six children, the eldest of whom is not more than eleven years of age, is from Wales, and has not been in Sir Geo. Sitwell's service more than six or seven weeks. The four prisoners will be detained at Sheffield, until the keeper may have so far recovered as to be able to give evidence.

The April 18, 1846, edition of the Sheffield & Rotherham Independent reports that: "Cartledge was acquitted; the others were found guilty and sentenced to be transported for 15 years.

Jon CANTRILL reports from the Derbyshire Times of May 28th, 1921:

"Prefers Quarter Sessions: Eckington Miner Charged With Fowl Stealing
When Alfred LEVICK, miner, of Eckington, was charged at Eckington on Monday with stealing two fowls, the property of William METCALFE, 21, Pinfold Street, Eckington, he elected to be tried at the Quarter Sessions.
Wm.. METCLAFE, a miner, said that on May 18th he went into the garden to feed the fowls. He found that the door of the hen cote had been broken open and that two fowls were missing. Police evidence was given to the effect that feathers were found in the couch in the house where accused lived, a blood stain being noticed on one feather. A feather and a bloodstain were found on accused’s coat."

Most of these contributed by Jane Taylor of Redcar:

The Derby Mercury of 27 March 1800 reports: "DIED - On Sunday se'nnight, Mrs. MASSEY, wife of Mr. Frank MASSEY, of Eckington."

The Derby Mercury of 8 July 1802 reports: "DIED - At Eckington, in this county, Mr. George HARDY, plumber and glazier, aged 29."

The Derby Mercury of 27 March 1800 reports: DIED - On Sunday se'nnight, Mrs. MASSEY, wife of Mr. Frank MASSEY, of Eckington."

The Derby Mercury of 7 June 1804 reports: "DIED - A few days since, Mrs. HARRISON, wife of Mr. HARRISON, of Eckington, and formerly of Sheffield."

The Derby Mercury of 2 August 1804 reports: "DIED - At Eckington, on Sunday se'nnight, Mrs. Elizabeth GLOSSOP, aged 82."

The Derby Mercury of November 8, 1804 reports: "DIED - At Eckington, in this county, a few days ago, Mrs. TURNER, wife of Mr. James TURNER, of that place."

We report from the Worcester and Sherwood Forest Regimental Association:

18th November 2018

It is with sadness that we inform you that 24134213 Pte Terence “Terry” PLATTS, of Eckington, Derbyshire died on 9 November 2018 aged 66. Terry joined the Mercian Pln as a junior soldier in September 1967 at Sir John Moore Bks. He served with the Sherwood Foresters and then the Worcestershire & Sherwood Foresters upon amalgamation. During service in Berlin he left the Army on 29 November 1973. He then remained living in Germany for over 20 years prior to his return to the UK.

• This place was an ancient parish in county Derby and it became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
   
• This parish was in the ancient Scarsdale Hundred (or Wapentake).
   
• You may contact the Eckington Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they will NOT be able to assist you with family history searches.
   
• District governance is provided by the North East Derbyshire District Council.
   

• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Eckington petty session hearings every other Monday at 11am in the local Court House (alternating with Dronfield's Court House).
   
• There is an index of over a dozen Eckington Bastardy Papers held at the DRO on the Yesterdays Journey website. Select "Bastardy Papers" on the left side, then "Eckington" from the list of parishes displayed.
   
• The Common Land was enclosed here in 1795.
   
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment reforms, this parish became part of the Chesterfield Poor Law Uniom.

Eckington Public Elementary School was built in 1874 for 264 boys, 220 girls and 236 infants.

Camm's Endowed (mixed and infants) School was built in 1832 and later enlarged to hold 237 mixed and 115 infants.

Mosborough's Endowed Public Elementary School was built in 1823 and enlarged in 1872, 1907 and again in 1912 to hold 320 mixed and 140 infants.

The Half-Way Mosborough Public Elementary School was built in 1877 for 191 mixed and 89 infants.

Renishaw Public Elementary School was built in 1873 for 182 boys and girls and 75 infants.

The Marsh Lane Public Elementary School was built in 1873 for 148 boys and girls and 92 infants.

A Catholic (mixed and infants) school was built in Spink Hill in 1853 for 218 boys and girls and 160 infants.