Tissington

The Tissington Institute and Reading Room was erected in 1910 by Lady FitzHerbert.

The Wirksworth Library is an excellent resource with a Local History section and a Family History section.

Neil THEASBY has a photograph of the churchyard at St. Mary's Church on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2016.

Michael SPENCER has provided a partial extract of burials found in the parish register. You additions and corrections are welcomed.

• The parish was in the Calton sub-district of the Ashbourne Registration District until 1901.
   
• The parish was in the Brassington sub-district of the Ashbourne Registration District after 1901.
   
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
   

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary.
   
• The church dates from the Norman era.
   
• The north aisle was erected in 1854.
   
• The churchyard contains the remains of an ancient cross.
   
• Peter TARLETON has a photograph of St. Mary's Church on the Geo-graph website, taken in July, 2006.

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1658 for baptisms and marriages and 1659 for burials.
   
• The church was in the rural deanery of Ashbourne.
   
• There is a photograph of the tiny Methodist Chapel on the Geo-graph website, taken in September, 2008.
   
• David HILLAS also has a photograph of the Methodist Chapel on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2014.

• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
   
• The parish was in the Calton sub-district of the Ashbourne Registration District until 1901.
   
• The parish was in the Brassington sub-district of the Ashbourne Registration District after 1901.

"TISSINGTON is a small parish, in the hundred of Wirksworth. In the village, which is situate about 4 miles N. from Ashbourn, are five springs of the purest water, in connexion with which, a curious ancient custom, termed the 'Floralia', or 'well-dressing', prevails among the villagers, annually upon Ascension day, when these fountains are decorated with the choicest flowers, as offerings to the Naiads, which is thus executed - Blocks of wood are obtained (in) the required form, which are coated over with wet clay, into which the flowers are stuck, in various devices and inscriptions, so as completely to cover the bed and present a beautiful mass of flowers."

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

The parish sits roughly 5 miles north of the market town of Ashbourne at the southern tip of the Peak District and covers 2,307 acres.

Malcolm NEAL has a photograph of the village pond on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2018. In January, 1854, two children, Samuel TWIGGE and Francis SMITH were playing on the ice covering this pond, when the ice gave way and both drowned.

• Geograph
• Flickr

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

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

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

• The parish was the scene of a severe contest between Royalist and Parliamentary forces during the English Civil Wars.
   
• The parish was known for centuries for its cotton mill, the principle employer in the village.
   
• The village is known these days for its well dressings, but the practice dates back to the Black Death. Well Dressing traditionally was done on Holy Thursday, around April 18th.
   
• Railway service came to the village in 1899. Passenger service ceased in 1954, but freight service hung on for about another 9 years.
   
• The name "Tissington" has been given to a hand-knit sweater pattern designed by Marie WALLIN.
   
• Richard GRAVES wrote some of his novel "The Spiritual Quixote" whilst staying in Tissington.

• Tissington Hall was built in 1609 to replace an older manor house and was the seat of the FitzHerbert family since 1465.
   
• The Library Wing was added in 1910.
   
• Stephen G. TAYLOR has a photograph of Tissington Hall on Geo-Graph, taken in February, 2005.
   
• Mick LOBB has a photograph of the Gateway at Tissington Hall on Geo-Graph, taken in August, 2009.
   
• Tissington Hall is let out for accommodations, weddings and other functions.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK176523 (Lat/Lon: 53.067653, -1.738794), Tissington 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.

Tissington was the scene of a severe contest between Parliamentary and Royalist forces during the Civil War (1642–1651).

One can see some of the Civil War fortifications near Tissington Hall.

On the north wall of St. Mary's Church is a shield-shaped memorial to Major General William Reid MARTIN of the Indian Army who fought in the Indian Mutiny (1857-1858), China (19th and 20th Centuries), First and Second Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839-1842 and 1878-1880). He was buried in Tissington on 4 Jan 1893.

William Reid MARTIN is noted in the London Gazette of 17 Jan. 1878 as being in the Bengal Army, 43rd native Infantry battalion, and being promoted from Captain to Lieut-Colonel. In the 19th July, 1881 issue, he is brevet promoted to full Colonel.

Malcom NEAL has a photograph of Hand's Well on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2018. The well honors both the veterans of World War One, but also the rights of women to vote.

• There is a photograph of the War Memorial plaque in the church on the Roll of Honour site, along with a list of the names.

In the 1086 Domesday Book this place was "Tiscinctuna".

• This place was an ancient Chapelry in Derby county, but became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
   
• This parish was in the ancient Wirksworth Hundred (or Wapentake).
   
• You may contact the Tissington & Lea Hall Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to assist with family history searches.
   
• District governance is provided by the Derbyshire Dales District Council.

• Bastardy cases were heard at the Ashborne Petty Session Hearings every Saturday.
   
• With the passage of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, this parish became a member of the Ashbourne Poorlaw Union.

A Public Elementary School (mixed) was built here in 1837 for 50 children.

Jo TURNER has a photograph of the Old School House on Geo-graph, taken in July, 1999.