DESCRIPTION

The scattered village of Morley lies approximately 5 miles north east of Derby. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book and at that time formed part of the estates of Henry de Ferrers. There is no mention of a church at this time, but it is quite probable that there was one.

The list of Rectors begins in 1334 with Robert de Heyford, Patron, Abbey of St. Werburgh, Chester.

At the dissolution of the Abbey, the manor of Morley, along with Smalley, passed through various hands and finally to the family of Sacheverell, who inherited it from the Stathums. In about 1378 Ralph Stathum married Goditha, heiress of the Morley lands and they lived in the manor house adjacent to the Church. Ralph and Goditha Stathum enlarged church and their descendants continued to be benefactors.

Sir Henry Sacheverell had stone framework and glass from Dale Abbey placed in the north chapel of Morley church. There are five windows, each consisting of four lights. Four are placed in the north wall and the fifth at the east end of the chapel. Sadly, little is left of the original glass as visitors to the church in the nineteenth century used to pull pieces of the stained glass out of the windows to take home with them. The windows were restored in 1847 by W. Warrington of London.

There are several fine memorials and brasses to the Stathams, Sacheverells and to the families with whom they married.

In the churchyard stands the mausoleum chapel of the Bateman family and next to this is a Gothic doorway, all that remains of the old Morley Hall. In the driveway to the church stands the old 'Butter' or 'Barter Cross' which was restored and the figures of Our Lady and Child placed on top of the shaft. Behind the church stands a seventeenth century barn which is now a private house.

LIST of SURNAMES from the Inscriptions

ABBOTT	ALLEN	ALLESTREE	ALLSOP	ARKWRIGHT
ATKINSON	BABYNGTON	BAILEY	BAILEY/BELEY	BARTRAM
BATEMAN	BATTERSBY	BEARDSLEY	BEARDSMOORE	BEDFORD
BENSON	BLEGGE	BODEN	BORROW	BOSWELL
BOTHE	BRADBOURNE	BRADSHAW	BRENTNALL	BROWN
BULL	BURNINGHAM	BURROWS	CALLADINE	CARTER
CHAMBERS	CHAPMAN	CHILTON	CHOLERTON	CLARKE(E)
CLOWES	COMPTON	COMPTON-BRACEBRIDGE	COPE	COULSON
CROMPTON	CURRIE	CURSON	DAKIN	DAWS
DAY	DEGGE	DEPPER	DERBY	DIGBY
DISNEY	DOAR	DRINKWATER	ERRINGTON	FINNEY
FISHER	FITZHERBERT	FLETCHER	FOSBROOK	FOX
FROST	GARDNER	GARRATT	GISBORNE	GOODALE
GREAVES	GREEN	GREENFIELD	GREGORY	HAMMERSLEY
HANBURY	HANDS	HARDY	HARPER/UR	HASLAM
HAWKESWORTH	HIBBERT	HILL	HILLERT	HIND(S)
HODGKINSON	HOLCOMBE	HOLLAND	HOLLINGWORTH	HOOD
HOPKINSON	HUDSON	HUNT	IBBOTSON	JAMES
JERVIS	JOHNSON	KAYE	KEEN	KIDD
KING	KIRK	KNAPTON	KYTE	LACEY
LAKIN	LANE	LANGLEY	LEESON	LEGGE
LEWIS	LISTER-KAYE	LOCKSLEY	LOWE	LUARD
MAPP	MAPPLES	MARTIN	MASON	MAYER
MAYNARD	MEADOWS	MILLWARD	MOORLEY	MOSLEY
McAUSLAND	NEEDHAM	NEWNHAM	NEWTON	NICHOLS
NICKLESS	NUNN	OGDEN	OLDERSHAW	OSBORNE
OXLEY	PAGE	PARKER	PARKES	PARKINSON
PEACH	PEGG	PEPPER	PLANT	POLE
PORTER	POTTER	POYSER	RADFORD	REDFERN
RIDLEY	ROE	ROOME	ROULSTONE	ROWLEY
RYLEY	SACHEVERELL	SALISBURY	SCHWIND	SCOTT
SEALE	SELBY	SENCLOW	SHAW	SHEPHERD
SITWELL	SKEVINGTON	SLACK	SLATER	SLEIGH
SMEDLEY	SMITH	SOAR	SPENCER	STABLES
STANHOPE	STANLEY	STANSBY	STATHUM	STAUNTON
STENNET(T)	STIVEN	STONE	SWINDELL	TAYLOR
TEMPLETON	THOMAS	THOMPSON	THORLEY	TOPHAM
TWIGGE	WADDY	WALKER	WARING	WASLEY
WEBSTER	WHEATCROFT	WHEELDON	WHELER	WHITAKER
WHITCROFT	WHITE	WHITTAKER	WIGLEY	WILLETTS
WILLIAMS	WILLIAMSON	WILMOT	WILMOT-SITWELL	WILSON
WISEMAN	WOODWARD	WOOLLEY	WRIGHT

MONUMENTAL MASONS

BALL	BATEMAN	BERESFORD	BRADDOW	COULSON
DOBBS	GARRATT	HALL	HOROBIN	JEE
JOHNSON	KERRY	LANG	MORIN	OSBORNE
PARSONS	ROBINSON	ROTHERHAM	SHENTON	SMITH
TINKLER	WARRINGTON	WAUTHIER	WHITEHURST

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