CRICH PARISH

which consists of the villages of Crich, Fritchley and Whatstandwell

TANSLEY in White's Directory (1857)

CRICH, is an extensive parish containing the township of CRICH, in the Morleston and Litchurch Hundred; the township of WESSINGTON, in Scarsdale Hundred; and the township and chapelry of TANSLEY, in the Wirksworth Hundred. The entire parish contains 5,772A. 3R. 0P. of land, rich in minerals and every variety of soil, and in 1851, had 832 houses, and 3,670 inhabitants, of whom 1,861 were males and 1,809 females, rateable value £7,898 9s. 6d. This is a picturesque district of lofty hills and deep valleys. At the Norman survey, the manor belonged to Ralph Fitzhubert, from whom it passed to the Frechvilles; Sir Roger Belers, who died seized of it in 1380, left two daughters, who possessed it in moieties, but the whole ultimately devolved to the descendants of Sir Robert de Swillington, who married the elder; it afterwards passed to Ralph, Lord Cromwell, who, in the reign of Henry VI., sold the reversion to John Talbot, second Earl of Shrewsbury. On the death of Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury, in 1616, it was divided between his daughters and co-heiresses, the Countesses of Kent, Pembroke, and Arundel, since which time it has been sold to various persons.

TANSLEY, a township, chapelry, and scattered village in the parish of Crich and in the Wirksworth Hundred, 1½ miles E. from Matlock, 5 miles N.N.E. from Crich, in the Bakewell Union, contains 1155 acres of land, 126 houses, and 593 inhabitants, of whom 306 were males, and 287 females; rateable value, £1500. A cotton mill was erected here at an early period, and here is now an extensive smallware manufactory, and one for candlewicks. This place is noted for the extensive and thriving nursery of Mr. Joseph Smith, and for a superior grit stone for building purposes. The Duke of Portland is lord of the manor. Heathcote Unwin, Esq., Edward Radford, Esq., and the Rev John Woolley, are owners; a district Church was erected here in 1839, and opened for divine worship in 1840. It is a neat stone structure with a tower and pinnacles, contains 300 sittings, of which 120 are free. The living, a perpetual curacy, of the value of £100, having been endowed, and received a parliamentary grant. The vicar of Crich is the patron; and the Rev. Melville Holmes is the incumbent. A handsome parsonage was erected in 1847 near the church, at a coat of £1,000, of which sum £500 was furnished by the commissioners for building parsonage houses, and £200 by the society for the same purpose, the remainder was raised by subscription. A handsome Gothic National school, with a house for the master, was erected (through the exertions of E. Radford, Esq.) by the incorporated society for establishing schools, and opened in 1843; since which an Infant school has been added. The money for their erection was raised by subscription, aided by grants from government of £121. It is principally supported by the children, who pay from 2d. to 8d. per week, of whom about 85 attend, with occasionally small grants from the society. The Wesleyan Methodists have a neat chapel here. The Manor of Tansley, which belonged to the Knights Templars, and afterwards to the Hospitallers, is supposed to have been granted to George or Francis Earl of Shrewsbury. William Earl of Pembroke, who married one of the co-heiresses of Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury, sold to William Earl of Newcastle, from whom it passed, with Bolsover and other estates, to his Grace the Duke of Portland.

TANSLEY TOWNSHIP

Post Office, at John Thatcher’s. Letters arrive by foot post from Matlock Bath, at 10 a.m., and are despatched at 4 30 p.m

Allott Joseph and Jane, National School

Radford Edward, cotton spinner, Tansley Wood

Bobanks James, grocer and chandler

Radford & Sons, cotton spinners, Lumsdale

Bown William, vict., Gate

Smith Jph. Snr, nurseryman, Lick Penny

Calow Francis, wood turner

Smith Joseph & Stephen, nurserymen

Calow William, shoemaker

Smith Samuel, dyer

Farnsworth John, bleacher, Lumsdale

Spencer William, shoemaker

Fox James and Joseph, corn millers

Staley George, gent

Garton John, bleacher and paint works, Lumsdale

Taylor Timothy, vict., George & Dragon

Hackett Thomas, smallware manufacturer

Thatcher John, grocer

Holmes Rev. Melville, incumbent, Parsonage

Whittaker William, shopkeeper

Potter John, stonemason

White George, blacksmith

 

FARMERS

 

Blackwell Joseph

Spencer Thomas

Bown William

Spendlove Job

Cook John

Twigg Benjamin

Eaton Ann

Watts Grace

Hicklin William

Wetton Elizbeth

 

This was from a printed transcript, author unknown.

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