We have started to add some draft text to our website, starting with Whittington (and Brampton), both near Chesterfield.

The former township and later civil parish of Whittington, Chesterfield, is a diverse one of some 1,581 acres. The former township of Brampton occupied about 7,900 acres. They are very much work in progress, but take a look here https://derbyshirevch.org/draft-text/. We’d be grateful for comments, additions or corrections.

For Whittington you’ll find information on manorial history, education and some of the economic history chapter. The Albion Pottery (as advertised here in about 1938) is covered, but the larger Pearson’s Pottery isn’t. It is actually in Newbold parish – as we explain. We also include an account of Frith’s works at New Whittington, responsible for a fair part of the growth of this community. Other industry, including mining, is also covered. Representing text to come is a contemporary photograph of the devastation caused to the 1863 parish church, in a January 1895 fire. It was rebuilt – the new 1896 building still stands today.

We are back to Chesterfield for this posting – more from our ‘Chesterfield Streets and Houses’ book.

Time for a game of bowls? It’s often been said (and written) that the bowling green off South Place and New Beetwell Street, Chesterfield, dates from 1294, but there’s no evidence for this. It is, though, one of the oldest in the country still in use – it was first mentioned in 1651. It’s seen here in an engraving from Ford’s 1839 ‘History of Chesterfield…’ The building behind is the old Guild Hall, demolished and replaced in the late 1840s, by a new building – itself now demolished.

Our second illustration shows the Chesterfield Borough Police Force on the bowling green, outside the 1840s replacement Municipal Hall, for the annual inspection of equipment. At one time the hall acted as offices, courthouse and police station.

Posted 26 January 2021

For the start of this new year and new decade we have now made our first foray into the world of online; previously we have been happy to be hosted under the umbrella of the IHR website, in turn managed by the School of Advanced Study, part of the University of London. However, recent changes to that arrangement have meant that we have lost the ability to manage and maintain our own area on that site. Hence, now we find ourselves here with a brand new website.

The added complications of the Covid-19 Pandemic have meant that our regular classes and meetings have had to be suspended, so, like so many other societies and local history groups, we have had to move online to keep in touch with our loyal supporters.