Glossop History

Here is a promising blog to follow. Glossop Tours : Glossop History features a growing number of articles about Glossop's past.  The latest post is a history of Dinting Station, part of a series on the local railway.

http://glossoptours.blogspot.com/

The Regimental mascot

Our local infantry regiment was The Sherwood Foresters(Notts and Derby Regiment). It was formed in1881 and continued qith its headquarters in Derby until 1970 when it became part of the Mercian Regiment. Most local recruits joined the Foresters and this postcard from 1911 was published by Raphael Tuck & Co.

At the Barmote Court in Wirksworth

When the Barmote Court sat at the Moot Hall in Wirksworth last April, they were asked to award lead mining rights to Castleton's Treak Cliff Cavern. Although a tourist attraction, this show cave is also the source of the rare blue john, a semi precious stone. Although lead is no longer mined, they needed to establish their rights and thus ensure that nobody else might make a claim. 65lbs of lead ore was presented to the court in a wooden "freeing dish"

The Court sits just once a year and is presided over by the Barmaster. In attendance is the Steward who is a local solicitor or barrister, and the Lord of the Fields who represents the Crown. A jury of 12 local citizens is appointed. Before proceedings begin, the officials sit down to a meal of bread and cheese and beer and are offered clay pipes and tobacco. A brass measuring dish is chained to the wall and is engraved with inscriptions ” This dish was made the iiij day of October iiij yere of the reigne of Kyng Henry the viij before George Erle of Shrowesbury Steward of the kyngs most Honourable household and allso Steward of all honour of Tutbury by the assent and consent as well of all the Mynours as of all the Brenners within and adioyning the Lordshyp of Wyrkysworth Percell of the said honour. This Dishe to Remayne In the Moot Hall at Wyrkysworth hanging by a cheyne so as the Merchauntes or Mynours may have resorte to the same at all tymes to make mesure at the same ”.

The Moot Hall, Wirksworth as re-built in 1814

The Barmote Court is an ancient institution first established over 700 years ago. Each lead mining district once had it's own court and that at Wirksworth is the last remaining. Their responsibilities include awarding mining rights, overseeing disputes and ensuring that royalties are paid to the Duchy of Lancaster. It is the oldest industrial court in the land.

The lead mining region of Derbyshire equates approximately to that known as "The White Peak". It is called the King's or Queen's Field, an area of 115 square miles and is divided between the High Peak Hundred in the north and the Soke of the Wapentake of Wirksworth in the south. Wapentake is a Norse word for hundred, this being a division of a county. Each division had it's own court. That of the High Peak sat at Monyash until 1994 when the two were merged.

Lead is no longer mined in Derbyshire and the role of the Barmote Court is now largely ceremonial. The Court will next meet on Wednesday April 15th 2015 at the Old Moot Hall in Chapel Lane. Although a private establishment, the public are allowed to view the proceedings.

The Wirksman, a depiction of a lead miner

Furness Vale in Colour

This photograph from our archives has been digitally coloured.

A Letter From Australia

 Geoff Baker, born in Furness Vale has written from Melbourne, Victoria

 

My grandfather Noel Baker and grandmother Winifred Baker lived at 200 Buxton Road Furness Vale, their son Walter Baker is my father, Noel was a traffic inspector working at Gowhole (what his duties were I do not know), Noel died on 16th August 1942 aged 55 years.(1887-1942) My father Walter served in the 8th army in Egypt during the war, on return from the war he courted and married my mother Alice Shepley of 17 Eaves Knoll Road New Mills who worked for the New Mills Co-op society, my father was employed on the railway at Gowhole as a goods guard, they both came to live with my widowed grandmother at 200 Buxton Road. I was born in the front room of that address on 4th May 1947. It must have been approximaetly 1950 my parents and I moved to 9 Hockerley Lane Whaley Bridge when my father became station master there, I do not remember how long we lived there, other than I do remember starting school there must have been around 1952 at Whaley Bridge primary school. My grandmother arranged to take in a boarder, Bill Bosten the local constable in Furness Vale, and 200 Buxton Road became  the local police station. Bill Bosten was there for many years I think until about 1962/3.

Approx 1953 my mother, father and I relocated again and took up residence in the station masters house at Hyde North, my father became station master there, and later station master at Pinxton although we still lived at Hyde North.

My grandmother Winifred Baker of 200 Buxton Road Furness Vale died in 1972 at Stepping Hill Hospital.

Approx 1957 my mother and father bought a bakery business and residence in Moss Street Blackburn and left the railways.

During I think 1966 my father again joined the railways in the district inspectors office based in Preston that's about the time I joined the merchant Navy as a Radio Officer, I stayed in the service for  years before emigrated to Melbourne Australia, where I lived until 2012 before I retired to live on Camiguin Island in the Philippines, I am currently back in Melbourne I have been here the whole of 2014 up to date, receiving cancer treatment, I hope to be able to return home to Camiguin in April or May this year.

My mother and father retired to Thornton Cleveley's around 1982, my father passed away 20th October 1996 in Blackpool (1917-1996) my mother came with me back to Australia, she passed away 19th May 1999 in Leongatha Victoria. (1909-1999).

During my whole school life, during school holidays I always stayed at my Grandmothers, and used to work on Longhurst farm helping in those days Joseph Barber, that was always a very happy time for me.

I had to come to England a number of time's after the death of my father, one trip in 1977, I did a tour of the places I used to live, I called in 200 Buxton Road, but no one was home, I looked at Gowhole, Longhurst farm which is living accomodation what was cow sheds, I even had a couple of pints at the Soldier Dick, checked out Hyde North, Blackburn, and returned to Blackpool with very mixed feelings for what I saw, I have no desire to return, but do love reading about the area which I miss, except the weather.

 

 

Longhurst Farm

Just another thing you might be interested in, in the early 1960's Jo Barber was quite severly injured, a cow jumped on him in the byre whilst he was feeding hay, I am not sure if Joe ever worked the farm again, I remember his daughter and son in  law came back from New Mills to run the place for a while, thats about the time when I moved on to other things.

regards

Geoff Baker