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Staveley

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STAVELEY, a parish in the hundred of Scarsdale, county Derby, 4½ miles N.E. of Chesterfield, its post town, and 10 S.E. of Sheffield. It is a station on the Midland railway. The village, which is considerable, stands on an eminence overlooking the canal and river Rother, and comprises the chapelry of Great Barlow and the hamlet of Woodthorpe. The substratum is productive of coal and iron-stone. There is a brush manufactory and corn and bone mills.

The living is a rectory in the diocese of Lichfield, value £706. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is an ancient structure, with a square tower and eight bells, and contains monuments of the Frecheville family. There is also a district church at Barlow, the living of which is a perpetual curacy, value £95. The parochial charities produce about £80 per annum. There are National schools for both sexes, including a residence for the master, erected at the expense of the Duke of Devonshire, who is lord of the manor. There is a mechanics' institute. The Wesleyans have a place of worship.”

from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

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Archives & Libraries

The Staveley Library is on Hall Lane, west of Eckington Road. It is normally open six days a week and it has a Local Studies and Family History Section to help you with your searches.

Inkersall hamlet is served by the Mobile Library on route N, which makes two stops every fourth Friday in the late morning.

Barrow Hill hamlet is also served by the Mobile Library on route N, which makes a stop every fourth Wednesday at mid-day.

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Business & Commerce Records

Jon CANTRILL reports that the Liverpool Mercury of Monday, 4th February, 1867 reports Bankruptcy: DIXON, William, Staveley, Derbyshire, draper.

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Cemeteries

  • The cemetery of 3.5 acres opened in 1884 off Inkersall Road.
     
  • The cemetery contained two mortuary chapels.
     
  • Alan HEARDMAN has a photograph of a tree-lined path in the cemetery on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2009.
     
  • Ian S. has a photograph of a mortuary chapel (misidentified as a church) on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2018.
     
  • The cemetery is administered by the Chesterfield Rural District Council.
     
  • The Derbyshire Record Office has Staveley burials for 1884 through 1997.
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Census

  • The parish was in the Eckington sub-district of the Chesterfield Registration District.
     
  • Jayne McHUGH has census returns at Staveley one-site.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 196
1851H.O. 107 / 2148
1961R.G. 9 / 2536
1891R.G. 11 / 3443
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
     
  • The church seats 800.
     
  • Bill HENDERSON has a photograph of Staveley 's Anglican church on Geo-graph, taken in 2004.
     
  • Steven RUFFLES also has a photograph of St John the Baptist Church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2012.
     
  • Neil THEASBY also has a photograph of St John the Baptist Church on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2014.
     
  • The Church of St. Alban was built in Poolsbrook hamlet in 1905.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1557.
     
  • We have a pop-up window of Parish Register baptism extracted into a text file for your review. Your additions are welcomed.
     
  • Jayne McHUGH has even more baptisms at Staveley baptisms. At last check (2017) these pages were still in development.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Staveley.
     
  • The Methodists built a brick chapel here in 1826.
     
  • Andrew HILL has a photograph of the Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2011. This building replaced the old chapel in 1976.
     
  • Andrew HILL has another photograph of the new Methodist church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2011.
     
  • Alan HEARDMAN has a photograph of St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2008.
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Civil Registration

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

"STAVELEY is a parish, in the hundred of Scarsdale, the village being about five miles E.N.E. from Chesterfield, and three S.W. from Barlborough; situate near the banks of the river Rother, and the Chesterfield canal. In the neighbourhood are mines of coal and iron-stone, with furnaces for smelting the ore; and in the village is a manufactory for painting brushes of a superior description, and brushes for machinery, belonging to a Mr. Fletcher."

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

Woodthorpe is a hamlet about 1.5 miles from Staveley village.

Handley is a hamlet 3 miles north-west with a Chapel of Ease built in 1838.

Poolsbrook is a large hamlet one mile east, largely built by the Staveley Coal and Iron Company.

West Inkersall is a hamlet one mile south.

Barrow Hill is a hamlet one mile west-north-west, built largely by Richard BARROW, J. P. It had St. Andrew's Chapel of Ease built in 1895.

You can see pictures of Staveley which are provided by:

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Directories

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Encyclopaedias & Dictionaries

From: "A Topographical Dictionary of England", by Samuel LEWIS, 7th Edition, 1848, Vol 4, p.197:

"STAVELEY (St. John the Baptist), a parish in the union of Chesterfield, hundred of Scarsdale, northern division of the county of Derby, 4 3/4 miles north-east-by-east from Chesterfield; containing, with the chapelry of Barlow, 3,315 inhabitants [in 1848], of whom 2,688 are in Staveley township.

This place was for many generations the seat of the FRECHEVILLE family, of whom Sir John, an active Royalist in the reign of Charles I, strongly fortified his mansion, and, having raised a battery of twelve pieces of cannon, held it against the Parliamentarian forces for a considerable time, but in August 1644 was obliged to surrender by capitulation.

The parish comprises 6,827 acres. The soil is chiefly a loamy clay, with some earth of lighter quality in the higher land; the substratum abounds with ironstone and coal, of the former of which much is smelted. The village is pleasantly situated on the east bank of the river Rother; the Chesterfield canal runs through the village, and several tramroads have been formed in connection with the various collieries in the parish. The Staveley station of the Midland railway is 3 1/2 miles from the Chesterfield station, and 2 3/4 from that of Eckington.

The living is a rectory, valued in the King's Books at 12 pounds 7 shillings and 6 pence, and in the patronage of the duke of DEVONSHIRE; the tithes have been commuted for two rent-charges each of 605 pounds 9 shillings and 7 pence, payable respectively to the Rector and the Duke of DEVONSHIRE; the glebe consists of about 90 acres, and there is a good glebe-house.

The Church is an ancient structure, containing monuments of the FRECHEVILLE family; the east window exhibits some stained glass, presented by Lord FRECHEVILLE in 1676. The Wesleyans have a place of worship.

A free grammar school was founded at Netherthorpe, in 1537, by Judge RODES; in support of which, and of two scholarships in St John's College, Cambridge, he bequeathed 20 pounds per annum, since augmented to 30 pounds. Excellent schools have been lately built at a considerable expense by the Duke; and a chapel of ease and school-house have been erected at Handley, in the parish, about three miles distant from the village.

An hospital for four aged persons of each sex was erected at Woodthorpe, in 1632, by Sir Peter FRECHEVILLE, who assigned 4 pounds per annum to each inmate; and Richard ROBINSON, in 1777, augmented the endowment with 18 pounds per annum."
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Gazetteers

  • Colin HINSON provides the transcription of the section for Staveley from the National Gazetteer (1868).
     
  • John BARTHOLOMEW's "Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)" lists:.

Staveley.-- par. and township with ry. sta., Derbyshire, 4 miles NE. of Chesterfield - par., 10,793 ac., pop. 9114; township, 6872 ac., pop. 8194; P.O., T.O.; has extensive collieries and ironworks, corn mills and Done mills, and mfrs. of spades, shovels, and brushes.

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History

  • The parish had a feast on the Sunday before Midsummer's Day.
     
  • Stop by "The Pod" Public House and ask about the local history. This place used to be the Angel Hotel.
     
  • Tony BACON has a photograph of The Pod on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2007.
     
  • J. THOMAS has a photograph of the All Inn pub on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2014.
     
  • J. THOMAS also has a photograph of The Speedwell Inn on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2014.
     
  • David BEVIS has a photograph of The Elm Tree Inn on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2015.
     
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK434748 (Lat/Lon: 53.268423, -1.350736), Staveley which are provided by:

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Military History

  • Peter BARR has a photograph of the Derbyshire Army Cadet Force building on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2014. This used to be the Drill Hall for F Company, 6th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters.
     
  • In 1891 K Company of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment) was stationed here. Captain F. A. TURNER, commandant; Sergeant A. W. KEATS, drill instructor
     
  • In 1911 F Company of the 6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters was stationed here. Captain and Honourary Major J. K. GOODALL, commanding; Color-Sergt. W. J. KERRY, drill Instructor.
     
  • Alan HEARDMAN has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in 2008.
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Military Records

There are 25 Commonwealth War Graves in the parish cemetery from the two World Wars.

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Newspapers

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar provides this notice from the Derby Mercury of 1 August 1804: "MARRIED: A few days ago, at Stavely, near Chesterfield, James BLANCHARD, Esq. to Miss Ann Teresa BUTLER, both of Preston, Lancashire."

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Obituaries

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar contributes this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 26 August 1802: "DIED: On Thursday last, at Stavely (SIC), in this county, Mrs Ann BELL, aged 64. Her death was occasioned by falling into a tub of hot liquor, by which she was so dreadfully scalded as not to live 24 hours afterwards."

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar offers this tidbit from the Derby Mercury of 22 March 1804 "DIED: On Saturday the 17th inst. at Inkersall, in this county, Mr Paul BRIGHT, in the 58th year of his age. As the father of a numerous and very promising family he was a kind and affectionate parent, an indulgent and tender husband, a truly sincere and generous friend; The real benefactor of the poor and needy, with a disposition ever ready to mitigate the wants & differences of the unfortunate. To the highest integrity as a tradesman he united the conduct and deportment of the real gentleman; his pleasing and unaffected manners, the philosophy of his disposition and real goodness of heart endeared him to all his friends, and his loss is sincerely and generally lamented by all who had the pleasure of knowing so excellent a character."

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar contributes this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 5 April 1804: "DIED: On the 28th ult. very much lamented by all who knew him, J. M. PRIME, Esq; of Stavely (sic), near Chesterfield, aged 71 years."

Jon CANTRILL provides this extract from the Derby Mercury of 7th January 1829: "DEATHES: On Sunday se'nnight, ...at Handley, in the parish of Staveley, Mr. Thomas BARBER, blacksmith, of that place."

Rose KELLAND offers this notice from the Derbyshire Times & Chesterfield Herald of Wednesday, 18 November 1903: "Richard George FAREHAM a child of two and a half years, belonging to Poolsbrook died on Sunday from burns caused by his flannelette shirt being ignited by a candle."

Stephen KIMBERLEY reports that the Derbyshire Times of 19th August 1999 has an obituary for: HUDSON Celia Ann 56 Staveley.

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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).
     
  • You may contact the Staveley Town Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to assist with family history searches.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Chesterfield Borough Council.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Chesterfiel petty session hearings every Saturday at 11am.
     
  • As a result of the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became part of the Chesterfield Poorlaw Union.
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Probate Records

Mentioned in a c1795 Will of William WATERHOUSE:

  1. daughter Rachel SIDDALL
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Schools

  • A grammar school at Netherthorpe in Staveley was founded jointly in 1572 by the (de)Rodes, Sitwell, Frecheville and Cavendish families, although it is understood the Cavendish family later withdrew from this partnership.
    (Ref: A History of Derbyshire, Gladwyn TURBUTT, 1999, et al)
     
  • The Staveley Childrens Centre is at 47 High Street. The Derbyshire County Council has promoted these childhood learning centers for early education, family support, childhood healthcare, and even job centres for the parents.
     
  • David BEVIS has a photograph of the Children's Centre Gatehouse on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2015.