DESCRIPTION

Denby is an extensive scattered parish situated 3 miles south-east of Belper and 8 miles north of Derby. Part of the village lies along the busy Ripley to Derby road built in 1802, although the road is to some extent much quieter now, due to the building of the A38. The older part of the village in which the church is situated lies on an ancient road now cut off from the main stream of traffic.

To the west of the parish runs the old Roman Road, known as Riknild Street. This road passes through Bottle Brook, then through Smithy Houses and on to Street Lane which lies over the Ripley to Derby road. The name Denby means the village of the Danes and was regarded as a place of importance.

Denby was a coal mining area until recent years, the colliery being situated towards the Ripley to Derby road area. Denby was also a good agricultural area, with this occupation still in existence.

At the beginning of the 1800's, Joseph Bourne discovered a good bed of clay and began producing salt-glazed bottles and jars. The range of these products increased and is now known all over the world as 'Denby Ware'. One Denby industry which no longer exists is that of the brick and tile works of W.H. and J. Slater, who took over the works in 1874 from William Drury-Lowe, the local landowner. There was also a copperworks at Denby, which died out a couple of centuries ago. Here for smelting, was brought copper ore on the back of pack-horses, from the Duke of Devonshire's mines at Ecton in the Manifold Valley. The only clue to the whereabouts of this industry is the sign 'Copper Yard' at the entrance to the cricket ground.

Denby Free School, which nestles by the church, was founded by Jane Massie on the wishes of her husband's will in 1728. [Ed: see Note below.]

The church, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey, but was obviously built soon after that time as it contains two Norman arches. The greater part of the building dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. The registers, which date from 1577, are deposited in the County Record Office at Matlock and can be viewed on film there. A transcription was made in the early years of this century by Mark Fryar, a copy of which is held by DARG.

We will be happy to answer specific queries regarding the above transcription, which covers 1577-1812, and also supply details from the memorial inscriptions from the list of surnames below.

DARG Original Source Ends Here

Jane Massie's Legacy : Denby Free School
[Additional information kindly supplied by Caroline Densham]

The statement above - that "Denby Free School...was founded by Jane Massie on the wishes of her husband's will in 1728" - whilst essentially correct, suggests the school itself was founded in 1728, which is not in fact the case.

According to Jane Massie's Legacy, a book by Gillian Holmes, it was not until 1762 that the Reverend Matthew PILKINGTON (Jane Massie's nephew and executor of her will) bought 38 acres of land on the left hand side of Straight Lane (an old Roman road, now called Street Lane) . On this land was High Park farmhouse, where out-buildings were already in use as a school. Repairs had been carried out over the previous ten years, and the poor children of Denby village were taught to read and write by the resident school master, Patrick FLETCHER, for an annual salary of £35 14s.

In 1799 there were 25 free pupils at Denby Free School; seven of them girls and none over the age of nine. Children over the age of 9 years were expected to work, some in the mines but mostly as farm labourers or framework knitters.

Denby parish had 158 families (881 people) living in 154 tiny cottages and farms with no running water and lit by candles.

Reference: Holmes, Gillian - Jane Massie's Legacy : Denby Free School, three hundred years of education and family life in a Derbyshire village. Published by the author, 1993. (COPAC)

LIST of SURNAMES from the Inscriptions

ABEL	ALLDRE(A)D	ALLSOP(P)	ALLWOOD	ANDREW
ANNABLE	ARCHBOLD	ARCHER	ARNOLD	ASHLEY
ASKEY	ATKINSON	BAKER	BALDON	BALL
BARBER	BARDELL(ELL)	BARKER	BARLOW	BATEMAN
BATES	BAXTER	BEARD	BEARDMORE	BEECH
BELL	BENNETT	BERESFORD	BESTWICK	BINKS
BINNS	BIRD	BLADEN	BLATHERWICK	BOFFEY
BOISSIER	BOLTON	BOSSINGHAM	BOTELER	BOULTON
BOURNE	BOURNE-WHEELER	BOWLER	BRACE	BRADGATE
BRADLEY	BRADSHAW	BRAMWELL	BRENTNALL	BRIDGE
BRIDGER	BRIGGS	BRIGHTON	BROWN	BRYAN
BULLOCK	BURDETT	BURGIN	BURGOYNE	BUTLER
BUXTON	BYARD	CALLADINE	CAMPBELL	CARR
CARTER	CARTWRIGHT	CASE	CAULTON	CHAMBERLAIN
CHAMBERS	CHESLIN	CHURCHMAN	CLAYTON	CLIFFORD
CLUSKEY	COCKAYNE	COE	COOKE	COOPE
COOPER	COPE	COTTAM	COULTON	COWLEY
CRESSWELL	CROFTS	CROOKS	CUBLEY	DALE
DARBY	DAVISON	DAWES	DAY	DENNING
DEWANCE	DIX	DODDS	DOWN	DRURY-LOWE
DUNN	DYKE	EARNSHAW	EASTER	EATON
ECKERSLEY	EDWARDS	EL(E)Y	ELLIM	ELSE
EVANS	EVENDEN	EYRE	FAKE	FAULKNER
FEARN	FEATHERSTONE	FEBEY	FIDLER	FITZGERALD
FLETCHER	FLOWER	FODEN	FOLEY	FORD
FOTHERGILL	FOULKE	FRETWELL	FRYAR	FUTTER
GALE	GARRATT	GIBBES	GIBBONS	GIBSON
GILBERT	GODBER	GOODMAN	GOODWIN	GORDON
GRACE	GRAHAME	GRAMMER	GRANGER	GREATORIX
GREEN	GREGORY	GRIFFIN	GUILLEBAND	GUYLER
HALL	HALLAM	HAMILTON	HAMPSON	HANCOCK
HANDRICK	HANKINSON	HARCOCK	HARRIS	HARRISON
HARTSHORNE	HAWKINS	HAWLEY	HAYNES	HEATH
HEATHERINGTON	HEATON	HEMSTOCK	HEWITT	HIGTON
HILL	HOGG	HOLDEN	HOLGATE	HOLLAND
HOLLINGSWORTH	HOLMES	HORSLEY	HOUSDEN	HOWE
HUBBALL	HUGHES-HAZELL	HUNT	HUNTER	HURST
ILIFF	IRELAND	JARVIS	JEFFREY	JEROME
JOHNS	JOHNSON	JUKES	KEATINGE	KEMP
KEMPSTON	KERRY	KEY	KINGSTON	KNIGHTON
KNIVETON	KNOWLES	LABAN	LAMB	LAMIN
LANCASHIRE	LAND	LEESON	LILLEY	LOMAX
LOOMES	LOWE	LUKER	MACKENZIE	MANFULL
MANNING	MANSFIELD	MARR	MARRIOT(T)	MARSHALL
MARSHALL-CLARKE	MARTIN	MATLEY	MAW	MAYCOCK
MEACHAM	MEAKIN	MEE	MELBOURNE	MELROSE
MILLHOUSE	MILLINGTON	MILLS	MO(O)RLEY	MOCKLER
MOON	MOORE	MORRELL	MORRIS	MOSS
MURF(PH)IN	MUSSON	McARTHUR	NAYLOR	NEEDHAM
NORTH	NORTHAM	OGDEN	ORME	ORRELL
OSBORNE	OUTRAM	PACK-DRURY-LOWE	PAGE	PALFREM
PALMER	PARKER	PARKES	PARKIN	PARR
PARRENT	PATTISON	PEACH	PEACOCK	PEGG
PERKINS	PETERSON	PETTITT	PHILLIPS	PICKSLEY
PIERCE	PILKINGTON	PLEMING	PLEWS	POLE
PORTER	POUNDALL	POVEY	POYSER	PRICE
PRIESTMAN	PRINCE	PYE	PYKETT	PYM
RADFORD	RAYNES	REDSHAW	REEVE	REGAN
RHODES	RICE	RICHARDSON	RICHMOND	RILEY
ROBERTS	ROBINSON	ROD(G)ERS	ROSTRON	SALMON
SALT	SARGENT	SARSON	SAVERY	SCHLIGHTING
SEAL	SEVERN	SHARPE	SHAW	SHELDON
SIMMS	SIMPSON	SINKER	SLATER	SMEDLEY
SMITH	SNAPE	SOOBELL	SPALTON	SPENCE
SPENCER	SPENDLOVE	SQUIRES	STAFFORD	STENSON
STEPHENSON	STEWART	STIRLAND	STOCKLEY	STOKES
STONE	STRELLEY	STRINGFELLOW	STRONG	SWAIN
TAGGART	TAYLOR	THIEROFF	THOMAS	THOMASON
THOMPSON	THORLEY	THORPE	TOMLINSON	TRANTER
TURNER	TUSTAIN	WAINWRIGHT	WALKER	WALL
WARING	WATERALL	WATERFALL	WATHALL	WATSON
WATTS	WEBB	WEBSIER	WESTON	WHEATCROFT
WHEATLEY	WHEELER	WHITE	WHITEMAN	WHYSALL
WIGHTMAN	WILBRAHAM	WILLIAMS	WILLSON	WINFIELD
WINTER	WITHAM	WOOD	WOODHOUSE	WOOLLEY
WRIGHT	WYLES	YARDLEY	YATES

MONUMENTAL MASONS

BAGNALL	BAILEY	BERESFORD	BRADDOW	BROWN
BURGIN	CAMM	CARRINGTON	COPE	COULSON
CRESSWELL	DERBY CO-OP	DOBBS	DRAYCOTT	GARRATT
HALL	HALLAM	HAWLEY	HICKINGBOTHAM	HOLBROOK
KERRY	LOMAS	NOTTS. CO-OP	PARKIN	PARSONS
REDFEARN	RIPLEY CO-OP	ROBINSON	ROE	SEAROY
TAYLOR	TINKLER	WARRINGTON	WILMOT

Contacting Derbyshire Ancestral Research Group

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