Tideswell

The Tideswell Library 

Alternatively, the Chapel-en-le-Frith Library is an excellent resource with a Local History section and a Family History section.

• HEAF, Eric - Tideswell Tracks. Pamphlet published 2000. Sadly, out of print. A copy may be in the local library.
   
• HILL, Tony - Tideswell Traders. Ashridge Press/Country Books, 2008. ISBN 01298 871428.
   
• HILL, Tony & BLACK, Paul - The Spirit of Tideswell. Landmark, 2001. ISBN 1-84306-010-8.

• There is a relatively modern cemetery northwest of the village, just across the A623, but the web author could not find details on it. There is a photograph in Geo-graph, and indications that the cemetery was created in the 1940s.
   
• Michael SPENCER provides a partially extracted Tideswell burials list for your review. Your additions and corections are welcomed.
   
• Search the Find a Grave site, which reported in 2022 that it had 952 interments recorded.
   
• Basher EYRE also has a photograph of the Parish Churchyard burial sites on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2015.

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

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
   
• The church was built in the latter-half of the 14th century.
   
• The church is a Grade I listed building with British Heritage.
   
• The church is popularly known as "The Cathedral of the Peak".
   
• The church seats 800.
   
• David BUTLIN has a photograph of St John the Baptist Church on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2003.
   
• Peter SKYNNER has a photograph of St John's tower on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014.

• The church was in the rural deanery of Buxton.
   

• Here is a list of Tideswell Parish Registers available on Microfilm from LDS Family History Libraries. Film Numbers are reproduced on GENUKI by kind permission of the Genealogical Society of Utah.
   

  Parish registers, 1635-1934.	Microfilm Number
  Baptisms, 1635-1663, 1675-1794 Marriages, 1635-1663, 1675-1754 Burials, 1635-1663, 1675-1794	1041014
  Baptisms, 1794-1908 Marriages, 1754-1837 Burials, 1794-1812	1041015
  Marriages, 1837-1903 Burials, 1813-1896 Banns, 1869-1881	1041016
  Burials, 1896-1934	1752120
  Marriages, 1903-1930	2081966
  Bishop's transcripts, 1671-1871.	Microfilm Number
  Baptisms, marriages, and burials, 1671-1812	0428947
  Baptisms, marriages, and burials, 1813-1871	0498137

  
  
  Please note there are gaps in the Bishops Transcripts between 1730 and 1760 which are covered in the Parish Register, so the PR would be the preferable option if you are looking for events during that period. Note also that since entries in the IGI are generally speaking culled from the BTs, IGI (Family Search) coverage is similarly patchy. So if you haven't yet found that elusive event in the IGI do not assume it's not there!
   

• A Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built here in 1889.
   
• The Primitive Methodists had a chapel here prior to 1912.
   
• Alan HEARDMAN has a photograph of the Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2008.
   
• A Congregational chapel was built here in 1888, replacing a smaller chapel built in 1830.
   
• Alan HEARDMAN has a photograph of the small Catholic Church on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2008. This church is dedicated to "The Immaculate Heart of St. Mary".
   
• David SMITH also has a photograph of the Catholic Church on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2017.

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

From 1812 to 1828, Tideswell had a House of Correction on Commercial Road. In 1823 it held 26 prisoners.

"TIDESWELL is a small market-town, in the parish of its name, in the hundred of High Peak, 160 miles from London, 32 N.N.W. from Derby, 25 S.E. from Manchester, 17 E. by S. from Sheffield, 6 W. by N. from Buxton, and 5 S. from Castleton. Tideswell was formerly celebrated for its ebbing and flowing well, from which it is asserted by some authorities to have derived its name; but the first account of the place is in Domesday book, in which, under the name Tiddeswall, it is mentioned as a royal demesne, having a chapel, which in 1215 was given by King John to the canons of Lichfield."

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

• Geograph
• Flickr

• Rosemary LOCKIE provides a transcription of the Tideswell entry from Pigot & Co's Commercial Directory for Derbyshire (1835).
   
• Ann ANDREWS provides a transcription of the Tideswell entry from Kelly's Directory of the Counties of Derby, Notts, Leicester and Rutland (1891).

From: "A Topographical Dictionary of England", by Samuel LEWIS, 7th Edition, 1848, Vol 4, p. 358:

"TIDESWELL (St John the Baptist), a market-town and parish, in the union of Bakewell, hundred of High Peak, northern division of the county of Derby; containing, with the chapelry of Wormhill, and the hamlets of Litton and Whetstone, 3,043 inhabitants [in 1848], of which number 1,777 are in Tideswell township, 33 miles north-north-west from Derby, and 160 north-west-by-north from London.

The first account of this place is in Doomsday Book, in which it is described under the name "Tideswall" as a royal demesne having a chapel, which later was given by King John to the canons of Lichfield.

The TOWN is situated in a valley, surrounded by some of the most barren lands in the county, on the road from Chesterfield to Manchester; the houses in general are of mean appearance. The inhabitants are supplied with good water from a small stream which flows through the town.

The chief branches of trade are calico-weaving and mining. A market and two fairs were granted by Henry III, and confirmed by subsequent sovereigns; the market is on Wednesday, and fairs are held on March 24th, May 15th, the last Wednesday in July, the second Wednesday in September, and October 19th, for cattle and sheep.

The LIVING is a discharged vicarage, in the patronage of the Dean and chapter of Lichfield (the appropriators of the tithes), valued in the King's Books at 7 pounds and 7 1/2 pence; net income, 150 pounds. The great tithes of Tideswell township have been commuted for 189 pounds, and the small for 14 pounds : the vicar has a glebe of 5 acres.

The CHURCH is a remarkably fine cruciform structure, principally in the decorated English style, having an embattled tower at the west end with crocketed pinnacles. The chancel is separated from the nave by a light screen of carved oak, and from the vestry-room by an embattled stone screen enriched with tracery. In the south transept is a tomb-stone to the memory of John FOLJAMBE, who contributed largely to the erection of the church, in 1358. In the chancel is an altar-tomb, ornamented with brasses, to the memory of Sampson MEVERELL, who served under the Duke of BEDFORD in France, and was knighted upon the field at St Luce. Another altar-tomb records the death of Robert PURSGLOVE, a native of this town, Prior of Gisburn Abbey, and Bishop of Hull, who died May 2nd, 1579.

At Wormhill is a separate incumbency. There are places of worship for Wesleyans and Roman Catholics : also a free grammar school founded in 1560, under letters-patent from Queen Elizabeth, by the above-mentioned Robert PURSGLOVE, and endowed with land producing 227 pounds per annum, one-fourth of which has generally been distributed among the poor."

• Mel LOCKIE provides a transcription of the Tideswell entry from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England, 1831.
   
• Colin HINSON provides the transcription of the section for Tideswell from the National Gazetteer (1868).

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

• N. CHADWICK has a photograph of the George Inn on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2015.
   
• The George Inn has its own web site for information and reservations.
   
• Three Catholic priests (or Catholic recursants) were executed in July 1588 in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. These are called the Padley Martyrs. Nicholas GARLICK was a schoolmaster here in Tideswell. Peter SKYNNER has a photograph of St John's Entrance Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK152756 (Lat/Lon: 53.277166, -1.773511), Tideswell 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.

• Colin SMITH has a photograph of the War Memorial on the B6409 (High Street) on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2009.
   
• Basher EYRE also has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2015.
   
• David SMITH also has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2017.
   
• Ian S. has a photograph of the War Memorial in snow on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2015.
   
• Basher EYRE has a photograph of the Great War Memorial plaque in the parish church on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2015.

• There is a list of the names on the War Memorial in Market Square on the Roll of Honour site.
   
• Basher EYRE has a photograph of the Sergeant Robert HUNSTONE Memorial plaque on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2015. Robert was born in Tideswell circa 1853, the son of William and Mary Ann HUNSTONE. He died 23 March 1908.
   
• Basher EYRE also has a photograph of the World War Two Memorial plaque in the parish church on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2015.

These are the Commonwealth War Graves in St. John the Baptist's churchyard (All WWI):

1. G. BOWLES, pte., 2nd. btln., Sherwood Foresters, died 31 Jan. 1919.
2. John James Hubert BRIERLEY, Ord. seaman, Royal Naval VR, died 10 Oct 1918.
3. J. Lomas FLETCHER, driver, Army Service Corps, died 23 Apr. 1917.
4. John HOWARTH, 2nd Lt., Royal Engineers, died 10 Sep. 1916.
5. Thomas William LOMAS, pte. Lincolnshire Regt., died 25 Nov. 1918.
6. Lawrene MILLWARD, pte. 4th Btln. Durham Light Infantry, died 3 June 1917.
7. Laurence TATTERSALL, pte., 1/4 Seaforth Highlanders, died 20 Nov. 1918.

These are the WWII Casualties:

Jane TAYLOR provides this clipping from the Derby Mercury of 19 July, 1804: MARRIED: "Friday, at the Collegiate Church, Manchester, Mr. Randle TAYLOR, of Tideswell, to Miss Ann BRADBURN, of the former place."

Jane TAYLOR provides this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 7 Feb, 1805: MISC: "On Saturday night as George SHELDON, keeper of the house of correction at Tideswell, in this county, was returning from Peak forest, he was unfortunately starved to death in the snow upon Tideswell common." "Starved" at this time also meant death from exposure.

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar provides this announcement from the Derby Mercury of 30 June, 1803: DIED: "On Friday last, at Wormhill, Mr. John SMITH, of Tideswell, in this county, brazier and tinman, aged 40."

Jane TAYLOR offers this extract from the Derby Mercury of 27 Dec 1804: DIED: "Lately, at Tideswell, in this county, Mr. Martin CONDLIFFE, formerly of Sheffield, clock maker."

• This place was an ancient parish in Derby county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
   
• This parish was in the ancient High Peak Hundred (or Wapentake).
   
• You may contact the local Tideswell Parish Council concerning civic or political issues. They cannot help you with family history searches.
   
• District governance is provided by the Derbyshire Dales District Council.
   

• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Bakewell petty session hearings each Friday.
   
• As a result of the 1834 Poorlaw Amendment Act reforms, this parish became a member of the Bakewell Poorlaw Union.

• "The Grammar School, founded by Bishop Pursglove in 1560, continued its good work until 1930; and during the 370 years that it existed, many boys from the neighbourhood have received their education here, whilst it has attracted some number of boarders from more distant parts. But, amongst other things, the school buildings (the lower part of which were erected in 1742 and the upper storey in 1824) are hardly suitable premises for an up-to-date education at the present day. In another form, however, the good Bishop's work still goes on - for the 'Robert Pursglove Educational Foundation' will provide a Central School in Tideswell for boys and girls over 11 years of age:- to the building of which £3,500 comes from the Grammar School Funds: in addition to which it will provide Scholarships to Secondary Schools to the amount of from £100 to £150 a year. And the Pursglove Dole, or 'Grammar School Dole' as it is locally called, will still continue to help many of the poor of the district."
  
  [Ref: A Guide to Tideswell and its Church, compiled by Rev. J. M. J. FLETCHER, MS FR Hist Soc.; Canon of Salisbury, (Formerly Vicar of Tideswell). The price was "One Shilling": no date of publication is available.]
   
• Nicholas GARLICK (1555-1588) was appointed schoolmaster here and was a noted educator. He was a Catholic martyr in 1588.