Parishes: Newton-Solney - Mickleover

Newton-Solney

NEWTON-SOLNEY. See Repton.

Norbury

NORBURY, in the hundred of Appletree and deanery of Ashborne, lies about four miles from Ashborne. The parish contains the parochial chapelry of Snelston, and the villages of Darley-moor, Roston, and Birchwood.

The manors of Norbury (Nortberie) and Roston (Roschintone) are described in the Survey of Domesday, as held by one Henry, under Henry de Ferrars. Robert de Ferrars, son of Henry, gave the manor of Norbury to the prior and convent of Tutbury; who, in the year 1125, conveyed it to William Fitzherbert, in fee-farm, subject to a yearly rent of 100s. (fn. n1) Norbury was long the seat of the Fitzherberts, and the manor still continues to be their property; Thomas Fitzherbert, Esq., of Swinnerton in Staffordshire, being the present owner. The family have not resided here since the estate passed to the Staffordshire branch, and the manor-house has been long ago pulled down. Roston has passed with Norbury.

In the parish church, which has been already described (fn. n2), are several monuments of the Fitzherbert family, among which is a grave-stone with his effigies on a brass plate, of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert (fn. n3), the celebrated lawyer, author of the Abridgement of the Law, the Natura Brevium, and other works, who was a native of Norbury. On the death of an elder brother, he became possessed of the Norbury estate. Thomas Fitzherbert, his elder grandson, was a Jesuit; he was author of several controversial works, and died in 1640; his next brother, Nicholas, author of a description of the university of Oxford, the Life of Cardinal Alien, and other works, was drowned in Italy in 1612. In the chancel is an altar tomb, in memory of John Drope, who died in 1629.

The rectory is in the patronage of Thomas Mills, Esq., of Burlaston. The parochial chapelry of Snelston is annexed to it, and the present rector has for many years officiated at both.

Mr. Thomas Williams by his will, bearing date in January 1687-8, founded a free school for poor children, natives of Norbury and Sneslton, and resident, in those parishes, and endowed it with lands now let at 18l. per annum. The rector is trustee. The parochial chapel of Snelston is about two miles from Norbury. Snelston, was held by Walter de Montgomery, under the Earl of Lancaster, in the reign of Edward I. It appears that Robert Docksey, Esq., was Lord of the manor of Snelston in 1599. (fn. n4) A good estate and mansion were purchased in the year 1682, of the family of Bennet, by Ralph Docksey, by whose descendant the estate was sold, between 1770 and 1780, to Mr. William Bowyer. It is now the property of his daughter, relict of the late Reverend Thomas Langley, who, in 1797, published a History of the Hundred of Desborough in Buckinghamshire. Mr. Langley describes himself as resident at Snelston in 1799, in which year he published " a Serious Address to the Head and Heart of every unbiassed Christian." He died in 1804. (fn. n5)

There was formerly a congregation of Presbyterians at Snelston: the meeting-house is now occupied by the Independents.

South-Normanton

SOUTH-NORMANTON, in the hundred of Scarsdale and deanery of Chesterfield, lies about two miles and a quarter from Alfreton. The manor belonged at an early period to the family of De Alfreton, by whom it was granted, with Pinxton, to Ralph le Poer. The heiress of Poer brought it to Le Wyne. In or about 1343, Sir William le Wyne sold to Sir Alured de Sulney, or Solney. The coheiresses of Solney brought it in moieties to Sir Nicholas Longford and Sir Thomas Stafford. (fn. n6) Stafford's moiety, having been sold to the Babingtons, descended to the Sheffields, and was sold by John Lord Sheffield, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, to George Revel, Esq., of Carlingthwaite or Canfield-hall, in this parish. This moiety is now the property of John Eardly Wilmot, Esq., of Berkswell in Warwickshire, grandson of Sir John Eardly Wilmot, Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas, to whom the remainder was given by Francis Revel, Esq., subject to the lives of three of the family, who all died without lawful issue. The Chief Justice, when he came into possession of the estate, about the year 1770, gave it for life to Colonel Tristram Revel, a natural son of Edward Revel, Esq., who died in 1770, and on his death, in 1797, it devolved to the present proprietor.

Longford's moiety of the manor was purchased about the year 1567, by the ancestor of D'Ewes Coke, Esq., the present proprietor.

In the parish church are monuments of the family of Revel. (fn. n7)

Mr. Wilmot is patron of the rectory. The advowson was purchased, in the reign of James I. of Sir Bryan Leigh.

When the common was inclosed by act of parliament, in 1798, a small piece of ground was allotted for the site of a school-house, which has since been built at the expence of the parish. The school is supported by the voluntary contributions of the rector and a few of the principal inhabitants and landholders.

Norton

NORTON, in the hundred of Scarsdale and deanery of Chesterfield, lies on the borders of Yorkshire, four miles from Sheffield, and eight from Chesterfield. The villages of Bole-hill, Greenhill, Hemsworth, Lightwood, Little-Norton, Norton-Leys, and Woodseats, are in this parish.

The manor of Norton (fn. n8), which had belonged, in the reign of Edward the Confessor, to Godeva and Bada, is described in the Domesday Survey as having been held, when that Survey was taken, under Roger de Busli, by Ingram, ancestor of Robert Fitz-Ralph, founder of Beauchief—Abbey, who was Lord of the manor of Norton in 1183: his great-grandson, Thomas Lord of Alfreton, dying without issue, this manor passed with one of his sisters and coheiresses, to William de Cadurcis or Chaworth. John Ormond, Esq., who married the heiress of Chaworth, died seised of it in 1487. Two of the coheiresses of Ormond married Dynham and Babington, who possessed this manor in moieties. Dynham's moiety passed by sale successively to Bullock, Eyre, and Blythe. Babington's moiety was sold to Blythe in 1587. In 1624, Charles Blythe sold the whole to John Bullock, Esq. Two years after the death of William Bullock, Esq., which happened in 1666, the manor of Norton was purchased by Cornelius Clarke, Esq., of Ashgate, who dying, in 1696, bequeathed it to his nephew, Mr. Robert Offley, of Norwich. Joseph Offley, Esq., who died in 1751, left a son, Edmund, who died in 1754, unmarried, and two daughters, the elder of whom, Urith, brought this manor to Samuel Shore, Esq., now of Mearsbrook in this parish, whose son, Samuel Shore, Esq., jun., is the present proprietor, and has lately rebuilt Norton-hall, where he resides. The two moieties of Norton-hall were purchased by the Bullocks, in 1572 and 1585, several years before they possessed the manor. The Chaworth family had a park at Norton in 1330. (fn. n9)

The inhabitants of the parish were obliged, so lately as the year 1599, to keep up two butts to shoot at, and to keep them in repair under certain penalties, and to provide their sons and men-servants with bows and arrows. Among the unlawful games is mentioned huddlings. (fn. n10)

Norton-house, now the residence of John Read, Esq., is supposed to have been built by the Morewoods. Samuel Hallowes, Esq., of Norton-house, was sheriff of the county in 1674; it was afterwards successively in the families of Radcliffe and Bramhall. Mr. John Bramhall sold it, about the year 1712, to Mr. John Wingfield. Robert Newton, Esq., whose mother was a Wingfield, died seised of it in 1789. Under his will, the life-interest is vested in William Cutliffe Shawe, Esq., Joseph Shawe, Esq., and Mrs. Orange, daughter of the late Wingfield Wildman, Esq. The reversion belongs to Robert Newton Shawe, Esq., son of the former.

In the parish church is the monument (without inscription) of the father and mother of John Blythe,. Bishop of Salisbury, and Geffrey Blythe, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry; and the tomb of their elder brother, Richard, with a mutilated inscription, of which the name only remains. (fn. n11) These prelates appear to have been natives of Norton. The monument above-mentioned was put up by the survivor of the two brothers, Bishop Geffrey Blythe (fn. n12), who founded a chantry for the souls of his parents. In 1524, he agreed with the parish to give ten marks for the purpose of keeping up a stock of ten kine, in consideration of a little croft on the west-side of Norton-green, on which he built the chantry chapel. The vicar was bound to keep up the stock of kine, in default of which, he was to forfeit the corrody of nine gallons of ale and nine keyst of bread, which he received weekly from Beauchief-Abbey, till the stock was made good. This chantry chapel, which, after the Reformation, had been desecrated and converted into an ale-house, was pulled down by Mr. Joseph Offley.

In the parish church are monuments or other memorials of the families of Eyre of Brad way (fn. n13), Bullock (fn. n14), Morewood (fn. n15), Gill (fn. n16), Clarke (fn. n17), and Bagshaw. (fn. n18) Some memorials of the ancient family of Selioke are concealed under the Haselborow pew. (fn. n19) Bassano's volume of Church Notes describes other memorials of the family of Bullock (fn. n20), and some of the families of Parker (fn. n21), Barker (fn. n22) of Norton-Leys, Storye (fn. n23) of Haselborow, and Stones. (fn. n24)

The Church of Norton was given to the abbey of Beauchief by its founder Robert Fitz-Ralph, and was appropriated to that monastery. The present impropriator of the great tithes is Samuel Shore, Esq. The present incumbent, Henry Pearson, L.L.B., is patron of the vicarage. The impropriation has passed through several hands within the last century. Mr. John Storye, in 1674, gave by will, the sum of 400l., (with which a farm was purchased, now let at 120l. per annum,) for the augmentation of the vicarage. Mr. Nicholas Stones gave 5l. per annum to the vicar in 1676. Dr. Godolphin, Dean of St. Paul's, gave 100l., Mr. William Scriven, 100l. in 1724, and Sandford Neville, Esq., the same sum, in 1725, for procuring Queen Anne's bounty. Mr. Storie Wingfield, who died in 1727, founded a lectureship, to take place after the death of his widow, which happened in 1752. The endowment is now about 150l. per annum.

The Presbyterian dissenters had a congregation at Norton as early as the year 162. They met for many years either at the Oaks or Norton-hall. The congregation are now Unitarians, The present meeting-house was built in 1794.

Mr. Leonard Gill, who died in 1654, gave a school-house and some land (fn. n25) for the foundation of a grammar-school. Mr. Nicholas Stones, in 1676, gave 5l. per annum to the grammar-school; Mr. William Scriven gave 60l., in 1724, for teaching poor children. In 1725, Mr. Storie Wingfield gave 5l. per annum to the grammar-school. Richard Bagshaw, in 1720, gave 20l. for teaching poor children. In 1784, Robert Newton, Esq., gave the sum of 105l. to the school. The present value of the endowment is about 80l. per annum. It is not kept up as a grammar-school; the master is appointed by Sir W. C. Bagshaw.

Bradway-hall, sometime belonging to a branch of the Eyres, and afterwards to the Ashtons, is now a farm-house: it was part of the late Mr. Newton's estate, and has passed with Norton-house. The learned classical scholar and critic, Dr. Charles Ashton, Master of Jesus College in Cambridge, was born at Bradway, in the year 1665. (fn. n26) He died in 1752, and was buried in Jesus College chapel.

The manor of Greenhill was given to Beauchief Abbey, for the support of an additional canon, by Sir Thomas Chaworth, who died about the year 1314. (fn. n27) After the Reformation, it was granted to Sir William West, whose representative sold it to Bullock in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It is now esteemed parcel of the manor of Norton.

Haselborowe-hall was for many generations the seat of the ancient family of Selioke, who continued there as late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It was purchased of the Seliokes by the Stories, from whom it passed to the Wingfields. (fn. n28) Mr. Storie Wingfield died possessed of it in 1727; his sister brought it to Robert Newton, father of Robert Newton, Esq., who died in 1789. It has since passed with Norton-house; the hall is now occupied as a farm-house.

The Oaks belonged formerly to the Morewoods, who in the seventeenth century were succeeded by the Gills. The daughter of Henry Gill, Esq., who died in 1715, brought it to the Bagshaws. It is now the property and seat of Sir William Chambers Bagshaw (fn. n29), who is also owner of Hemsworth, sometime the property and residence of the family of Stones. Hemsworth-hall was pulled down by Sir W. C. Bagshaw, in 1802.

Norton-Leys hall belonged to the ancient family of Gotham, whose heiress brought it to the Parkers. This ancient family possessed and resided at the hall for about nine generations. Anne, sole heiress of John Parker, of Norton-Leys, married Francis Barker, Esq., who possessed and resided at the hall in 1664. This estate is now vested in the trustees of a minor of the name of Marshall; it was some time ago in the family of Hatfield. Mr. Shore, of Mearsbrook, is proprietor of the estate at Norton-Leys, which belonged to the Blythes.

Adjoining to the parish of Norton, is the extra-parochial district of Beauchief. (fn. n30) The Abbey of Beauchief was founded for an Abbot and Premonstratensian canons from Welbeck, between the years 1172 and 1176, by Robert Fitz-Ralph, Lord of Alfreton and Norton. Dr. Pegge has successfully refuted the erroneous opinion that he was one of the assassins of Thomas-á-Becket, and that it was founded in expiation of his guilt. The founder gave to the Abbey the churches of Alfreton, Norton, and Elvaston, in Derbyshire, Wymewould in Leicestershire, and lands in Norton and elsewhere. Sir Thomas Chaworth gave Greenhill in Norton, for the support of an additional canon as before-mentioned. The Abbot of Beauchief was summoned to Parliament in the reign of Edward I., but not afterwards. The revenues of this monastery were valued at the time of its suppression, in 1536, at 126l. 3s. 4d. clear yearly income. There were then an Abbot (Sheffield) and 12 canons. (fn. n31) The site was granted in 1537, for 223l., to Sir Nicholas Strelley. The only daughter and heir of William Strelley, Esq., brought this estate to Edward Pegge, Esq., who died in 1679. The abbey estate is now the property of his descendant, Peter Pegge Burnell, Esq., who has assumed the latter name. Beau chief-hall, built by Mr. Pegge in the reign of Charles II., at a little distance from the Abbey, is at present in the occupation of Broughton Stead, Esq. It is probable that the Strelleys, who were of Beauchief Abbey, resided in a mansion fitted up out of the Abbey, or built on its site.

There are now no remains of the monastic buildings except a part of the chapel, which was fitted up as such for the district by Mr. Pegge, in the reign of Charles II. (fn. n32) In this chapel are memorials of the families of Strelley and Pegge. (fn. n33) On the floor are memorials of the Jacksons, (1666, 1667.) The benefice is a donative, with no settled income. There was a chantry of eight priests at Beauchief, besides the canons of the convent.

Ockbrook

OCKBROOK, in the hundred of Morleston and Litchurch and in the deanery of Derby, lies about five miles and a half from Derby. The village of Shacklecross is in this parish, and part of Burrow-ash.

The manor of Ockbrook belonged, when the Survey of Domesday was taken, to Geoffrey Alselin. The heiress of the baronial family of Alselin, or Hanselyn, brought this manor, with their barony of Shelford, to the Bardolfs of Wormegay, by whom it was sold to Sir Godfrey Foljambe, in 1358. (fn. n34) The heiress of Foljambe brought it to Robert Plumpton, whose son, Sir William Plumpton died seised of it in 1480. (fn. n35) Sir Thomas Seymour being possessed of the manor of Ockbrook, sold it to Sir Andrews Windsor: whose descendant, Frederick Lord Windsor, in 1583, conveyed it to the principal freeholders, namely, John Piggin, Thomas Battell, the elder, Thomas Fowke, William Colubell, Richard Saunderson, Thomas Adams, Edward Adams, Richard Cowper, William Windley, the younger, and William Hibbard. The lands were divided, but the manor continued in undivided shares, two of which are in the immediate descendants of the original purchasers, and belong now to Mr. Battell, of Derby, and Mr. Windley; Thomas Pares, Esq., of Hopwell, has three shares; and the Earl of Harrington, William Drury Lowe, Esq., William Dalby, Esq., Mr. Mark Porter, and Mr. Edward Hunt, have one share each.

The Bardolfs had an ancient park at Ockbrook, and the Abbot of Dale had another, which had been made by the Grendons, in the early part of the thirteenth century. (fn. n36) The estate which belonged to the Abbey of Dale, and which was given to that monastery by the Grendons, belonged to Ralph Fitz-Germund, who, in the History of the Foundation of Dale-Abbey, is called Lord of half the Manor of Ockbrook. In a deed of one of the Grendons it is called totam terram meam; and it appears that it was not held under the Hanselyns or Bardolfs, but under the Fitz-Ralphs. (fn. n37) This estate was granted by King Henry VIII., in 1543, to Francis Pole, Esq. (fn. n38)

The church of Ockbrook was appropriated to the Priory of Shelford; and there can be little doubt that it was one of the churches given to that monastery by the founder, Ralph Hanselyn. (fn. n39) Thomas Pares, Esq., is the present impropriator, and patron of the donative curacy.

There is a considerable establishment of the Moravians, or " United Brethren," in this parish. This establishment was formed in the year 1750. (fn. n40) The principal buildings are placed in a regular line, at a short distance from Ockbrook, and about a mile from Burrow-Ash, a village on the high road from Derby to Nottingham. At one end of the terrace is the house for single women, who live together in community, under a superior or warden. Their continuance is voluntary: their principal employ is fine work in muslin, each sister earning her own livelihood, and paying a certain sum for board and lodging. The number of the sisterhood is about 20. At the other end of the terrace is a similar house for single men, but on a smaller scale; and between them are the chapel, the minister's house, and a girls' boarding-school. The congregation meet for service every evening. Behind the chapel is the burial ground, divided into squares; the gravestones all small, flat and uniform, inscribed only with names and dates, as in other cemeteries belonging to the brethren. In front of the chapel, beyond the gardens, are houses for families, and a boarding-school for boys. The inhabitants are chiefly supported by stocking-weaving.

The Brethren of St. Lazarus had a considerable estate at Burrow-Ash. (fn. n41)

Mickle-Over

MICKLE-OVER, in the hundred of Morleston and Litchurch, and in the deanery of Derby, lies about three miles from Derby. This parish comprises the chapelries of Finderne and Little-Over.

The manor of Mickle-Over was given, with Finderne, Little-Over, and Potlac, by William the Conqueror to Burton-Abbey. (fn. n42) King Henry VIII. granted them to Sir William Paget. Thomas Lord Paget sold these manors (fn. n43) to Sir Thomas Gresham. Having been settled by Sir Thomas on Lady Gresham, they devolved to Sir William Reade, her son by a second husband. Sir William had a daughter and heir, married to Sir Michael Stanhope, who had three daughters, coheirs. Bridget, Countess of Desmond, one of the coheiresses, being possessed of two shares of these manors, (one of which had been purchased, in 1640, of Lady Berkeley, another of the coheiresses,) sold them, in 1648, to Edward Wilmot, Esq.; of whose descendant, Sir Robert Wilmot, Bart., of Chaddesden, they were purchased, in 1801, by the late Edward Sacheverell Chandos Pole, Esq.; whose son, of the same name, is the present proprietor. Mr. Pole has a manor or farm in this parish also, called Rough-Heanor. The remaining third of these manors was sold, in 1648, by the heiress (fn. n44) of Sir William Withepol, who married the elder of Sir William Reade's grand—daughters, to Sir John Curzon. It is now the property of John Leaper Newton, Esq. In consequence of a division of the manors, Mr. Newton has Mickle-Over, and Mr. Pole Little-Over and Finderne.

The manor-house of Mickle-Over was sold by Sir Thomas Gresham to William Gilbert, Esq., a younger son of the Lockoe family, whose heiress brought it to Robert Newton, Esq. Mr. Newton died in 1619; his descendant and namesake, the last heir male of the family, who died in 1789, bequeathed this mansion, with the third of the manor which he had acquired by purchase, to Mr. John Leaper, of Derby, now John Leaper Newton, Esq., who was sheriff of the county in 1798. The house is occupied by the tenant of the farm.

The church of Mickle-Over, with the chapels of Little-Over, Finderne, and Potlac, were given to the abbey of Burton-on-Trent, by William the Conqueror, and became appropriated to that monastery. Mr. Pole and Lord Scarsdale are impropriators and patrons of the vicarage; Mr. Pole having two thirds of the impropriation, and two turns out of three in the presentation. The vicarage is endowed with a third part of the great tithes.

John Alsop, in 1765, founded a school at Mickle-Over, for children of this village and Finderne, and endowed it with lands, now let at about 6ol. per annum. John Erpe gave il. per annum for teaching children. The late Robert Newton, Esq., who died in 1789, gave the sum of 200l. for the endowment of a school at Mickle-Over. A school-house has been built by the contributions of the vicar and principal inhabitants.

The parochial chapel of Finderne is about two miles and a half from Mickle-Over, and about five from Derby. Finderne was the seat of a very ancient family, who held a capital messuage and lands by a chief-rent under the Abbot of Burton. Thomas Finderne, the last of the family, died seised of this estate in 1558; when it passed to his sister and heir, who married Richard Harpur, one of the Justices of the Common Pleas, immediate ancestor of Sir Henry Crewe, Bart., the present proprietor.

In the parochial chapel is an ancient monument, most probably for one of the Finderne family; and memorials for Samuel Doughty, M.D., 1765, Snowdon White, M.D., 1791; &c.

The Register at Finderne records a remarkable circumstance of a husband and wife, John and Sarah Woollet, who lived together upwards of sixty years and were buried in one grave on the 14th of January, 1747 ; he being in the 92d, and she in the 93d year of her age.

The Unitarians and Wesleyan Methodists have meeting—houses at Finderne. At this place was a celebrated dissenting academy, over which the learned Dr. Ebenezer Latham (buried at Finderne in 1754) presided for many years. This academy seems to have originated in a grammar—school, set up in 1693, by Mr. Benjamin Robinson, a native of Derby, and author of some controversial tracts, sermons (fn. n45), &c. Among Dr. Latham's pupils were, Ferdinando Warner, author of a History of Ireland, and other works, who conformed to the church of England, and became Rector of Barnes, in Surrey; John Taylor, author of a Paraphrase on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, the Hebrew Concordance, &c.; William Turner, minister of Wakefield, and John Ward, minister of the congregation in Maid-lane, London, both writers of some note in their day.

The parochial chapel of Little-Over is about two miles from Mickle-Over, and about the same distance from Derby. In the chapel is the monument of Sir Richard Harpur, who died in 1635.

A good old mansion at Little-Over was the seat of a branch of the Harpur family; the last of which, John Harpur, Esq., died in 1754. It is now the property and residence of Bache Heathcote, Esq., whose father, Samuel Heathcote, Esq., married the sister of John Harpur, Esq., above mentioned.

Two parts of the manor of Potlac or Potlock, which by the description seem to have been on the Repton side of the river, belonged to Repton Priory, to which they were conveyed in the reign of Edward III., by Henry de Bakewell, and others. That part of the manor of Potlock which is on the north side of the Trent was held under the abbot and convent of Burton by the Findernes, who afterwards became possessed of the fee of it. On this estate, which is now, by inheritance from the Findernes, the property of Sir Henry Crewe, Bart., was an ancient mansion, and the chapel mentioned below. The part of the manor of Potlock which lies on the south side of the Trent has passed with the priory estate, and is now the property of Sir Francis Burdett, Bart.

The ancient chapel at Potlock, within the parish of Finderne, was dedicated to St. Leonard. To the support of this chapel, of which there are now no remains, John de Toke or Touke (whose family resided at Potlock for several generations) gave 14 acres of meadow, and 6os. rent, in 1327.