DESCRIPTION

Parwich is a secluded village six miles north of Ashbourne. It lies amid green fields and hills, away from the busy highway, the nearest main road being the Ashbourne to Bakewell road over a mile away, the Ashbourne to Buxton road being more than two miles away. The houses are built of local limestone and stand mainly around an open green, through which runs a stream.

Parwich, mentioned in the Domesday Survey as Pevrewic, which probably means the dairy farm on the Pever, the above mentioned stream, formed part of the ancient Crown lands, and together with Ashbourne, was granted soon after the Conquest, to the Ferrers, Earls of Derby. Robert de Ferres, the grantee's son, took a prominent part in Montford's rebellion, and his lands were seized by the King. It was later held by the family of Cockayne after being conferred to the Duchy of Lancaster by Edward I. It was purchased in 1561 by Thomas Levinge, who built himself a manor house on Parwich Hill. Traces of this early house form the foundations of the present Parwich Hall built in 1747 and now a Residential Home. The Levinge family lived here until 1814, when it was sold to William Evans of Allestree Hall.

It was William Evans who paid for the demolition of the ancient church which had fallen into disrepair, and a chapelry of Ashbourne until 1866; and {who} erected in 1873, the new church of St. Peter. Some of the most in interesting tins features of the old church were preserved by being built into the new structure. The most interesting being the old Norman tympanum of incised figures unfolding the story of the Redemption which is to be found over the west door. The registers which begin in 1640, but with some gaps in the early years, have been deposited with the County Record Office at Matlock. They have been filmed for the years 1640-1680 for and marriages and from 1640-1899 for burials.

William Evans built the village school in 1861 at the far end of the cluster of houses. Around the end of the 19th century, the landowners were, Mrs. Curtis and Mrs. Lewis, relatives of William Evans, living at the Hall, Miss Brownson, S. Grindey of Mayfield, Staffs., Isaac Grindey of Gratton Dale, Mrs. Dale and Lord Hindlip (Henry Allsopp). About sixty acres of land were owned by the churchwardens and overseers of the poor.

This is mainly a dairy area, with some inhabitants working at the limestone quarries a short distance at Ballidon and Longcliffe. A number now work further afield at Ashbourne or the brickworks at Friden, or travel to Derby, Chesterfield and Matlock.

LIST of SURNAMES from the Inscriptions

ABELL	ADAMS	AL(L)SOP(P)	ALLEN	ALTON
APPLEBY	ARDRON	BAKER	BARKER	BEESTON
BENNINGTON	BERESFORD	BINCLIFF	BLACKWELL	BLO(O)RE
BOOTH	BOSWORTH	BOWER	BOWLER	BRADBURY
BRIDDON	BRINDLEY	BROOMFIELD	BROWNLEE	BROWNSON
BUNTING	BUTLER	CALLADINE	CAMPSIE	CARSON
CHADFIELD	CHADWICK	CLAYTON	COLE	CORDEN
COTTERILL	COULTON	CRABTREE	CRESSWELL	CRITCHLOW
CROMPTON	CROMPTON-INGLEFIELD	CUNDY	DAKEYNE	DAKIN
DALE	DAVIS	DEGG	DELVE	DODDS
DOUGHTY	DREAPER	DUCKERS	EDEN	EDGE
ELLIS	EVANS	FARNSWORTH	FEARN	FENTEM
FERNIHOUGH	FISHER	FITZ-JAMES	FLETCHER	FLINT
FLOWE	FOX	FRITH	GADSBY	GAIINSFORD
GERRARD	GIBBS	GOSLING	GOULD	GRAHAM
GREATOREX	GULL	HADFIELD	HAINCOCK	HALL
HAMPSON	HANSFORD	HARRIS	HARRISON	HEATHCOTE
HEATON	HOBDAY	HOLLAND	HOPKINSON	HOWE
INGLEFIELD-	JACKSON	JAMESON	JEROM	JOHN
JOHNSON	KEELING	KENDRICK	KINDER	KIRKHAM
KNIVETON	KRAMER	LEE	LEEDHAM	LEES
LEWIS	LOMAS	LORD	LOVE	LOWES
LOWNDES	LYON	MABSON	MACE	MASKERY
MASON	MATHER	MAY	MELLAND	MERCER
MILES	MILLWARD	MOORCROFT	MORGAN	MYCOCK
NAYLOR	NEWTON	NORCLIFFE	OLLERENSHAW	PHILIPS
PICHOTT	PLATTS	PRINCE	RASPIN	RATCLIFFE
RAWLINS	REDFERN	RICHARD	RIDER	RIDGARD
RILEY	ROBERTS	ROBINSON	ROBOTHAM	ROBY
ROE	ROGERS	ROUTLEDGE	RUSSELL	SAINT
SANDERS	SEALS	SHAW	SHERRATT	SHIPLEY
SIMS	SKELLERN	SLATER	SMITH	SPENCER
STATEY	STEELE	STEEPLES	SUTTON	SWINDELL
TANTUM	TAYLOR	THOMPSON	THORNTON	TOMLINSON
TOMSON	TUNNICLIFF	TWIGGE	UNWIN	WALKER
WARD	WARING	WATSON	WAYNE	WEBB
WEBSTER	WESTON	WHATMORE	WHILCOCK	WIBBERLEY
WOOD	WRAGG	WRIGHT	WRIGLEY

MONUMENTAL MASONS

COPE	COULSON	DAKIN	FOSTER	FRITH
GARRATT	GIBBS	GOODALL	HARDY	HILTON
HULME	JOHNSON	KAY	LIDSTER	MORIN
MOUNSEY	OWEN	PARSONS	PETTS	RENNIX
SMITH	STEELE	TINKLER	VERNON

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