DESCRIPTION

The first church in Shirland was built by Sir John de Grey, the Lord of the manor. The earliest reference to it is a record dated 22 September 1226, when Walter Deincourt agreed to release to John de Grey the presentation of the church. He had previously tried to stop this because he said the church was a chapel dependent of his church at Morton. However, A tradition current at the end of the eighteeth century was that the earliest church in the manor was situated in 'Church Field' between Shirland and Higham. The building was miraculously carried away in the night and deposited on its present site.

The present church was rebuilt after 1490 when the Earl of Shrewsbury acquired the estate and the advowson of the church from the Greys. It was restored in 1848 and again in 1885. In the church are memorials to the Greys. It also contains a tomb of John Revel of nearby Ogston Hall and his wife Margaret. By the end of the fifteenth century, the Revels were accepted as the local squires because of the absence of the Earls of Shewsbury (who by that time were the Lords of manor).

Shirland is two miles north of Alfreton on the main road to Chesterfield. The communities of Shirland, Higham, Mickley and Stonebroom were originally centred on the medieval manor of Shirland. Agriculture was the main occupation until the sinking of Shirland pit in the nineteenth century. Stonebroom grew as a result of the sinking of Morton pit nearby. Stonebroom now forms a separate parish, having been formed from the parishes of Shirland and Tibshelf.

Transcriptions of the registers for St. Leonard's of baptisms 1669-1843, marriages 1663-1836 and burials 1663-1866 are at our library at Birchwood Chapel.

LIST of SURNAMES from the Inscriptions

ABBOTT	ALLEN	ALLSEBROOK	ALSOP	ANDREWS
ARMISHAW	ARMITAGE	ASKEW	ATTENBOROUGH	BABBS
BACKHOUSE	BACON	BAGGALEY	BAGSHAW	BAILEY
BAIN(E)S	BALL	BANNER	BANSALL(E)	BARBER
BARKER	BARLOW	BARRATT	BARSON	BARTON
BATES	BATTY	BEARDALL	BEARDMORE	BEASTALL
BEIGHTON	BENNETT	BERESFORD	BESTWICK	BETTISON
BINGHAM	BIRKIN	BIRKS	BLACKNALL	BLACKTON
BLOUNT	BODEN	BOOT	BOOTH	BOWER
BOWLER	BOWLEY	BOWN	BRADBURY	BRADLEY
BRADSHAW	BRAILSFORD	BRAMLEY	BRASSINGTON	BRAY
BREFFITT	BRIDDON	BRIERLEY	BRITTON	BROCKLEHURST
BROMLEY	BROOM	BROOMHEAD	BROTHWELL	BROWN(E)
BRYAN	BUCKLESS	BUCKLEY	BUCKSTON	BUDDRY
BUGGINS	BULLARD	BULPITT	BUNTING	BURNHAM
BURROWS	BURTON	BUSHNELL	BUST	BUTTERWORTH
BUXTON	CALLADINE	CALOW	CARLIN	CARTER
CARTHWAITE	CAUDWELL	CHATER	CHECKLIN	CHEETHAM
CHISMON	CHURM	CLARK(E)	CLARKSON	CLAY
CLAYTON	CLEMENTS	CLEMINSON	CLERK	CLIFTON
COATRILL	COBLEY	COCKINGS	CODLING	COLBORN
COLLIN(G)S	CONNELL	COOK	COOPER	COPLEY
COPSON	COTTON	COUPE	CRABTREE	CRESSWELL
CUPIT	CURLEY	CUTTS	DABEL	DALBY
DARBY	DAVENPORT	DAVIS	DAVISON	DAWES
DAWSON	DAY	DEAVILLE	DEGG(E)	DENEFORD
DICKEN	DODSLEY	DOLE	DOLEMAN	DONCASTER
DOOLEY	DRAYCOTT	DREWETT	DUNCANSON	DUNN
EATON	EATON	EDWARDS	ELLIOTT	ELSE
EMERTON	EMERY	EVANS	EVERITT	FANTOM
FARNSWORTH	FAWBERT	FEARN	FEATHERSTONE	FELLOWS
FELOWE	FIDDLER	FIELDER	FINNEY	FISHER
FLETCHER	FLINT	FOSTER	FOX	FRADRICK
FRISBY	FRITCHLEY	FROGGATT	FROST	GABBETAS
GAINES	GENT	GIGG	GILKUS	GITTINS
GLASBY	GLOVER	GOODWIN	GOWN	GRASAR
GREATOREX	GREAVES	GREEN	GREENAWAY	GREENWOOD
GRENHOUGH	GREY	GRIFFITHS	GRINFIELD	HADFIELD
HADLEY	HAG(U)E	HALL	HALLAM	HALLOWES
HANCOCK	HANSTOCK	HARDISTY	HARDWICK	HARDY
HARLOW	HARPHAM	HARRISON	HASLAM	HASTON
HATTON	HAWKINS	HAWKSLEY	HAYES	HAYNES
HAYWOOD	HEARNSHAW	HEMPSALL	HENSON	HENSTOCK
HEWITT	HILL	HITCHCOCK	HOBSON	HOGGARD
HOLDEN	HOLLINGWORTH	HOLMES	HOOLEY	HOPE
HOPKINSON	HORNE	HORWOOD	HOYLAND	HOYLE
HUDSON	HUDSON	HUGHES	HUISH	HUNT
HURT	HUTCHINSON	ILIFF(E)	JAMES	JARVIS
JEFFREYS	JENNINGS	JENNISON	JEPSON	JOHNSON
JONES	KEETON	KELLY	KENNEDY	KERRY
KEY	KINDER	KNOTT	KOZLOWSKI	LAMB
LAMMIN	LANCASTER	LANGFORD	LASS	LATHE
LAVERACK	LAWRENCE	LAWTON	LEAH	LEE
LEIVERS	LITTLEWOOD	LODGE	LOMAS	LOOS
LOVE	LOWE	LUDLAM	LYNAM	MADELEY
MAINWARING	MANNING	MARRIOTT	MARSDEN	MARSH
MARSHALL	MARSON	MASKERY	MASON	MASSEY
MATTHEWS	MATUSIAK	MELLORMERRY	MILLINGTON	MILLWARD
MOORE	MORGAN	MORLEY	MORRIS	MORTIMER
MORTON	MUGGLESTONE	MYCROFT	McCARTHY	McNALLY
NEALE	NEWBITT	NEWBOROUGH	NEWELL	NEWMAN
NOON	NORTH	NORTHEDGE	OGDEN	OLDHAM
OLGATHORPE	ORME	OSBORNE	OTTEWELL	OVER
OWEN	PAGE	PAINE/PAYNE	PALMER	PARKES
PARKIN	PARNHAM	PARRY	PATILLA	PATRICK
PAYTON	PEACOCK	PEARSON	PENYALE	PERKINS
PERKS	PETT	PHEASANT	PHIPPS	PICKBURN
PICKERING	PITT	PLATT	POLLARD	POOLE
PORTER	PRESCOTT	PUGH	PURDY	RADFORD
RANDLE	RANSFORD	RAWLINGS	RAWSON	RAYNOR
RAYWORTH	READER	REDDINGTON	REDFERN	REEVE
REPTON	REVELL/ILL	RHODES	RICHARDS	RICHARDSON
RIGGOTT	RILEY	ROBERTS	ROBINS	ROBINSON
ROCK	RODGERS	ROE	ROEBUCK	ROOTH
ROPER	ROSLING	ROWLAND	ROWLEY	SADLER
SAINT	SALE	SALMON	SANDERS	SANDHAM
SAUNDERS	SAWER	SAWYER	SAXTON	SCARBOROUGH
SCOTT	SELF	SEREDYNSKI	SHAKESPEARE	SHARDLOW
SHARMAN	SHARPE	SHARRATT	SHAW	SHELTON
SHEMWELL	SHEPHARD	SHEPPERSON	SHORE	SIDDALL
SILKSTONE	SILVESTER	SIMPKIN	SIMPSON	SINFIELD
SKULL	SLEATH	SLEIGH	SMEDLEY	SMITH
SMITHURST	SOAMES	SOUTH	SOUTHEY	SPARHAM
SPELMAN	SPENCER	SPITTLEHOUSE	STAMPER	STANLEY
STAPLETON	STARBUCK	STARR	STATON	STERLAND
STEVENS	STOCKS	STONE(S)	STONEY	STRAW
STREET	SUMMERS	SWAIN	SWIFT	SYKES
TAGG	TALKES	TAYLOR	TERRY	THOMPSON
THORPE	THURMAN	TITMUS	TOMLINSON	TOPHAM
TOWNDROW	TOWNSON	TRUMBLE	TUPLING	TURBUTT
TURNER	TURTON	TYE	UNWIN	VICKERS
VICKERSTAFF	WADDEN	WAINWRIGHT	WALKER	WALL
WALLER	WALLIS	WALTERS	WARD	WARNER
WARRINER	WATKIN	WATKINSON	WATSON	WATTS
WEBSTER	WELCH	WELLS	WEST	WESTWOOD
WETTON	WHARTON	WHEATCROFT	WHILEMAN	WHITE
WHITEHEAD	WHITMORE	WHITTAKER	WILDE/WYLD	WILLAN
WILLIAMS	WILLIAMSON	WILMOT(T)	WILSON	WILSON
WOMBELL	WOOD	WOODHEAD	WOOLLEY	WORSEY
WRAGG	WRIGHT	YOUNG

MONUMENTAL MASONS

ALLSOP	BERESFORD	BINGHAM	BRAILSFORD	BRAMLEY
COPE	DAKIN	FISHER	HARDY	HOLBROOK
HOLMES	HOPKINSON	HUTCHINSON	JACKSON	LIDSTER
LIMB	MORLEY	MOUNSEY	PETTS	SEARGY
SKANTA	SQUIRES	STAFFORD	THOMAS	TINKLER
WAINWRIGHT	WALKER	WILKINSON	WRIGHT

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