Author Topic: New early Derbyshire records on TNA  (Read 1864 times)

Offline goldie61

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New early Derbyshire records on TNA
« on: Friday 22 February 19 02:12 GMT (UK) »
I have just found some really interesting documents on TNA Discovery catalogue, from the late 1500s and early 1600s, which others might be interested in.
Part of the Duchy of Lancaster records in DL 4.

Some academics have been using them for research, and have very kindly put very detailed transcriptions, with a great deal of the information contained in them, as the ‘precis’ on the relevant page on TNA. (It says they were researching 2017/2018, so I assume they have not been on Discovery for very long).

Seemingly mostly concerned with the commons enclosures, the ‘perambulations’ of the bounds, and mining rights.

Places I have seen mentioned are Hartington; Earl Sterndale; Wirksworth; Taddington and Priestcliff; Eyam; Stoney Middleton; Hope; Monyash; Youlgreave and Stanton; Little Longstone; Brushfield; Longnor.
I have found some 10 documents so far - there may be more I’ve not found yet. Unfortunately the numbering of the documents I have found is of little help, the reference numbers are fairly randon within DL 4,

What is really great about them is all the dozens of names of the people involved - men called to give their ‘depositions’.
But not only do they give the names of lots of the locals, but also their ages, and often their place of residence.
And it’s not just miners that are mentioned. All my ancestors were farmers or yeomen, but I’ve found at least half a dozen of their names mentioned so far, (which has given me a better idea of when they were born - all those missing baptisms.)

Here’s an example from 1584:
D4 /26/33
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5916012
memory goes back 50 years [to 1534]; William Fletcher of Longnor, Staffordhsire, husbandman, aged 86, whose memory goes back 60 years or more [to 1524]; George Stadon of Hartington, webster, aged 72, whose memory goes back 40 years or more 'as long as he can remember' [to 1544]; Raphe Bradbury of Hawkesyore [Staffordshire], husbandman, aged 75, whose memory goes back 40 years or more 'as long as he can remember' [to 1544]; Nicholas Chadwick of Leelowe, Staffordshire, husbandman, aged 66, whose memory goes back 50 years [to 1534]; Robert Bradbury of Boothesley, Staffordshire, husbandman, aged 70 whose memory goes back 40 years or more [to 1544]; Hugh Manyfold of Watterhouses, Staffordshire, husbandman, aged 66, whose memory goes back 50 years [to 1534]; Henry Kyley of Bohesley, Staffordshire, husbandman, aged 60, whose memory goes back 40 years [to 1544]; James Buxton of Kingssterndale, husbandman, aged 74, whose memory goes back 'always' [to 1510]; John Oliver alias Smith of Longnore, Staffordshire, husbandman, aged 84, whose memory goes back 'always' [to 1500]; Edward Fox of Longnor, Staffordshire, webster, aged 80

What strikes me is what great ages a lot of these people reached!

Apart from the names, ages and places contained in them,  it’s all great background stuff if you had any ancestors in that part of Derbyshire at that time.
Lane, Burgess: Cheshire. Finney, Rogers, Gilman:Derbys
Cochran, Nicol, Paton, Bruce:Scotland. Bertolle:London
Bainbridge, Christman, Jeffs: Staffs

Offline goldie61

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Re: New early Derbyshire records on TNA
« Reply #1 on: Friday 22 February 19 02:26 GMT (UK) »
Ha! It would seem I have only found the tip of the iceberg!  :)

There are 210 of these records !

If you put 'Hannah Robb' - (she is one of the academics doing the research), in the 'exact word of phrase' box on advanced search, and then 'DL 4' in the 'any of these references' box, you get 210 hits.
I haven't looked at all of them, but obviously they have spread the net much wider than I had first seen.

No doubt you can reduce the number of hits again by putting in,say, the name of the place you are interested in, or specific names.

Happy hunting!  :)
Lane, Burgess: Cheshire. Finney, Rogers, Gilman:Derbys
Cochran, Nicol, Paton, Bruce:Scotland. Bertolle:London
Bainbridge, Christman, Jeffs: Staffs

Offline GLC

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Re: New early Derbyshire records on TNA
« Reply #2 on: Friday 22 February 19 04:51 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for posting this.  :)
BRICK WALL: GG Grandad George HARWOOD / HORWOOD - bn c1815 Somerset ENG (possibly Thorne Coffin) - mar 1837 Brympton, Somerset - emigrated to NZL 1841.
Father James, mother Sarah who? siblings?

CURRY / CURREY:  in Derbyshire ENG; to AUS c1840; to NZL 1905
with
WELLS:  in Kent ENG; to NZL 1855

KIRK / KIRKE:  in Lancashire ENG; to AUS c1882 & to NZL 1854
with  
HENLEY:  in Kent ENG; to NZL 1875

HARWOOD / HORWOOD:  in Somerset ENG; to NZL 1841
with 
WINTER:  in Hampshire ENG; to NZL 1842

Offline ALewis

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Re: New early Derbyshire records on TNA
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 23 February 19 15:19 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for posting information about this great resource! I have ancestors from around this part of Derbyshire, so will definitely have to look them up! :)


Offline StevieSteve

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Re: New early Derbyshire records on TNA
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 31 March 19 04:34 BST (UK) »
Just a caution to those who want to pop down to TNA, have a quick gander at these documents and move on, they're not easy.

They're depositions at the Duchy of Lancaster Court, so if you ordered the example given, you get a box of all the cases (say 40) in DL 4/26 which looked as though it refers to a year.

So you find the one you're interested in and you get about a dozen pages of vellum of densely written C16th script which is what is being precis-ed in the Discovery listing.

So unless you're a whizz with the old Elizabethan script with, I'm sure, some Latin in there, any one of these documents is going to take a good amount of your time, it's not a quick win.

Good luck to those that have a go!
Middlesex: KING,  MUMFORD, COOK, ROUSE, GOODALL, BROWN
Oxford: MATTHEWS, MOSS
Kent: SPOONER, THOMAS, KILLICK, COLLINS
Cambs: PRIGG, LEACH
Hants: FOSTER
Montgomery: BREES
Surrey: REEVE

Offline marp

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Re: New early Derbyshire records on TNA
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 09 April 19 05:05 BST (UK) »
Forgive my ignorance but what is TNA?  Is this part of the National Archives Collection? 
 I am interested in areas in Derbyshire such as North Wingfield, Ashover, Denby and Pentrich. Are these records digitised?
Sorry to be so ignorant - blame it on living in Oz for so long!

marp

Offline goldie61

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Re: New early Derbyshire records on TNA
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 09 April 19 05:35 BST (UK) »
Yes, sorry, TNA is The National Archives at Kew, London.

Their catalogue, called 'DIscovery', is a treasure trove of all sorts of things.
It is an umbrella site for many of the other depositories of old documents in England too - such as the County Record Offices, City libraries, special libraries, and many other places . It always astounds me just how many places there are in England with fantastic resources hidden away in dusty vaults and storerooms! (Besides things actually at Kew, I have found Derbyshire records at Derby Record Office,  Nottingham University Special Collections library; William Salt Library Stafford, Staffordshire Record Office, Chatsworth house, Keele University Special Collection library, Birmingham Central library, ................ and who knows where else!)
 Pretty tricky if you live over this side if the world as you and I do!  :)


This is the page you need to start search. Who knows what you might find!
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/advanced-search

Happy hunting!  :)
Lane, Burgess: Cheshire. Finney, Rogers, Gilman:Derbys
Cochran, Nicol, Paton, Bruce:Scotland. Bertolle:London
Bainbridge, Christman, Jeffs: Staffs

Offline marp

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Re: New early Derbyshire records on TNA
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 09 April 19 07:55 BST (UK) »
Many thanks!   I will have a good browse!

marp