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Pilsley by Clay Cross

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NOTE: This is PILSLEY near Clay Cross. There is another Pilsley (Chatsworth) near Edensor and southwest of Baslow. Be sure that you are researching in the correct place.

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"Pilsley.-- township and vil., North Wingfield par., Derbyshire - township (partly in town of Claycross), 1,594 ac., pop. 1,821; vil., 6 miles SE. of Chesterfield; P.O.; has collieries and ironworks."

John BARTHOLOMEW's Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)

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Archives & Libraries

Pilsley village is served by the Mobile Library on route N, which makes a stop at the Community Centre every fourth Friday at mid-day.

Alan WALKER has a photograph of the Village Hall and Mobile Library on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2007.

Alternatively, the Chesterfield Library is an excellent resource with a Local History section and a Family History section.

 

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Cemeteries

Alan HEARDMAN has a photograph of St Mary's churchyard and the Lych gate on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2007.

Neil THEASBY has a photograph of St Mary's churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2015.

Alan WALKER has a photograph of the Parish cemetery on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2007.

Alan WALKER also has a photograph of the Wesleyan Methodist Graveyard on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2007.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Ashover sub-district of the Chesterfield Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 196
1851H.O. 107 / 2147
1861R.G. 9 / 2526
1881R.G. 11 / 3428
1891R.G. 12 / 2758 & 2774
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary.
     
  • The church was built in 1875.
     
  • The ecclesiastical parish was created in January, 1874, out of North Wingfield.
     
  • The church seats 360.
     
  • Alan WALKER provides a photograph of St. Mary's Church Spire on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2007.
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1874.
     
  • A CD containing a transcription of The Parish Registers of St Lawrence's Church North Wingfield also includes Burials 1874-1900 for Pilsley (but not baptisms and marriages). It is available at various sources.
     
  • There are a number of Pilsley residents listed in the North Wingfield burial extraction file.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Chesterfield.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built of stone in 1843.
     
  • There were four other different Methodist chapels here by 1891.
     
  • David BEVIS has a photograph of the Wesley Methodist church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2015. The photograph includes part of this church's graveyard.
     
  • Alan WALKER provides a photograph of the Bridge Street Evangelical Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2007.
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Civil Registration

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

"PILSLEY, a township in the parish of North Wingfield, hundred of Scarsdale, county Derby, 4 miles N. of Alfreton."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin HINSON ©2003]

Pilsley is about six miles south of Chesterfield. In 1911 there were working collieries a half mile north of the village employing about 1,150 people. Nether Pilsley  is commonly called Lower Pilsley  and forms a part of the village of Pilsley.

Alan WALKER provides a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2007 Stop in and ask for a schedule of forth-coming events.

Neil Theasby has a photograph of the Bus stop on Rupert St., taken in September, 2015. This stop is at the northern end of the village.

Alan WALKER has a photograph of the Bus stop on Station Road, taken in January, 2007. This stop is at the eastern edge of the village.

You can see pictures of Pilsley by Clay Cross which are provided by:

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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Historical Geography

The River Rother rises in Pilsley. Nikki MAHADEVAN has a photograph of the nascent River Rother on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2006.

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History

Neil THEASBY has a photograph of Two pit wheels on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2015. Opened in 1866, at its peak Pilsley Colliery comprised six shafts, employed 945 men and produced 1,200 tons of coal per shift. The colliery was closed in 1957.

Neil THEASBY has a photograph of The Gladstone Arms on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2015.

Alan WALKER also has a photograph of the Gladstone Arms public house on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2007.

Anthony HAWES has a photograph of The Willow Tree Inn on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2007.

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK425622 (Lat/Lon: 53.155244, -1.365903), Pilsley by Clay Cross which are provided by:

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Military History

  • The War Memorial is a plaque built into the churchyard lychgate.
     
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Military Records

  • John William HARRISON, enlisted Barnsley, born Stonebroom. Private, 58967, 1st Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 151st Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division, killed in action on Friday, 8th November 1918. Age 26. Formerly of York & Lancaster Regiment, number 61082. Son of John and Mary HARRISON; husband of Nellie HARRISON, of Station Rd., Pilsley.
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Names, Geographical

The parish name is rendered in 1002 as "Pilleslege" and in the 1086 Domesday Book as "Pinnesle". The origin is uncertain.
A. D. MILLS, A Dictionary of English Place-Names, 1991, Oxford University Press.

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Newspapers

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar contributes this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 31 May 1804, MARRIED: "On Monday, at Nottingham, Mr. Joseph SMITH, late of Pilsley, in this county, to Miss Sarah Taylor, of Woodborough, Nottinghamshire"

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Obituaries

Stephen KIMBERLEY reports that the Derbyshire Times of 19th August 1999 has an obituary for: SCMIDT Margaret Emma 79 Lower Pilsley who died in Jisenburg, Germany.

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient hamlet and township in North Wingfield parish in county Derby.
     
  • The hamlet and township was formed as a modern Civil Parish in January, 1874.
     
  • This parish was partly in the ancient Scarsdale Hundred (or Wapentake).
     
  • You may contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they will NOT be able to help you with family history research.
     
  • District governance is provided by the North East Derbyshire District Council.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • In 1791, James HARRISON was removed from Kirk Ireton to Pilsley.
     
  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Alfreton petty session hearings.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poorlaw Amendment Act reforms, this parish became a member of the Chesterfield Poorlaw Union.
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Probate Records

Mentioned in a will in 1863:

  • William Henry WILSON Pilsley, farmer
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Schools

  • The schools here were managed by the Clay Lane local Education Subcommittee.
     
  • The Pilsley Public Elementary School was erected in 1875-76 and later enlarged to accommodate 190 boys, 190 girls and 160 infants.
     
  • Alan WALKER provides a photograph of Pilsley Primary School on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2007.
     
  • The Parkhouse (or Park House) Public Elementary School was erected in 1889 and enlarged in 1904 to accommodate 243 boys, 220 girls and 182 infants.
     
  • Nikki MAHADEVAN provides a photograph of Park House Primary School on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2006.