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Name
The county was first recorded in 1049 however it was formerly
known as Northworthy but was renamed by the Danes because of the large
concentration of deer in the region. The name of Derby comes from the
Danish 'deoraby' meaning 'the place of the deer'.
Topography
Derbyshire is bordered by the West Riding of Yorkshire in the
north, Leicestershire to the south, Staffordshire to the west and south,
Nottinghamshire in the east and Cheshire to the north-west. Hills
dominate the region and rise to The Peak at 2086ft. The county is
drained by the Derwent, Dove, Wye and Trent rivers. There are several
spectacular waterfalls in the county. With a drop of 400feet, the
highest is Kinder Downfall on Kinder Scout. The Pennine Way starts in
Derbyshire at Edale in the Hope Valley. Also in this part of the county
are a series of vast limestone caverns which are popular with serious
potholers and tourists alike. South Derbyshire is less rugged than the
Dales and the Peak District further north but is fine walking country.
History
Traces of early settlement have been found in many parts of the county,
particularly around the many iron-age hill forts. However, it was around
the 7th century that English settlers arrived in the region and became
known as Pec-setan, or Peak Dwellers. The district formed part of the
great kingdom of Mercia and later, on arrival of the Danes in the 9th
century, Derby was included in Danelaw, the confederacy of Lincoln,
Leicester, Stamford, Nottingham and Derby. The earliest important Norman
imprint on the county was at Castleton where William de Peveril, the son
of William the Conqueror, built Peak Castle. The castle's imposing keep
was erected much later by Henry II in 1176. Robert de Ferrers, Earl of
Derby, fought on the side of the Barons against Henry III. Mary Queen of
Scots was held prisoner at Chatsworth and Wingfield Manor. She also
visited Buxton for her health. William Cavendish, Earl of Devonshire,
was one of the Immortal Seven who invited William of Orange to England.
The Earl and his conspirators used to meet in the 'Plotting Parlours' of
an inn on Whittington Moor. Dr.Sacheverell preached his famous assize
sermon in Derby in 1710 attacking the Whig government with such rancour
that he was impeached. In 1745, the Young Pretender, Charles Edward
Stuart, was proclaimed King in Derby. Much of Derbyshire was involved in
the pioneering days of the industrial revolution and Derby, Belper and
Duffield became famous for the manufacture of silk.
Landmarks
Derbyshire has some of the most famous landmarks and includes The Peak
District, The Pennines, The Derbyshire Dales, Black Rock, Kinder Scout,
Mam Tor, High Tor, Creswell Crags, Dove Dale and, of course, it's
world-famous caverns.
Monuments
Bolsover Castle - a 17th century castle built by Sir Charles Cavendish,
Chatsworth House - a classical mansion built by William Talman between
1687 and 1707 for the 1st Duke of Devonshire, Haddon Hall - first built
by William de Peveril and now fully restored, Hardwick Hall - dating
from 1591 when Elizabeth of Shrewsbury wanted a retirement home,
Kedleston Hall - where the Curzon family lived for over 800 years,
Melbourne Hall - a Royal Manor until 1604 and later developed by Sir
John Coke, Cromford Old Mill - where, in 1771, Richard Arkwright first
used water power to drive a cotton mill.
Famous People born in
Derbyshire
John Hobson (1858-1940) the economist was born at Derby. An
opponent of orthodox economic theories, he believed 'under-consumption'
to be the main cause of unemployment. He wrote 'The Science of Wealth'
in 1911.
Thomas Cook was born in Melbourne in 1808. He revolutionised
modern tourism and invented the package tour. It evolved from his zeal
for the temperance movement. Wanting to get teetotallers from Leicester
to a rally in Loughborough, he hired and advertised a special train on
the Midland railway; 570 people responded and made the return journey
for a shilling on 5th July 1841. Within a few years Cook was organising
attractive holiday tours; 350 tourists, for example, paid a guinea to
travel by train and steamer to Glasgow, where they had vouchers for
their hotels and were greeted with brass bands and the firing of
cannons.
Robert Lindsay the actor was born in Ilkeston. The son of a
carpenter, he reportedly borrowed five pounds from a friend to travel to
London for an audition at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA)
after which he was subsequently accepted. It wasn't long before he
became a household name as Wolfie in the 1977 sitcom 'Citizen Smith.'
Since then, he has appeared in a diverse range of roles and parts in
television, films and stage productions in which he has won a large
number of acting awards on both sides of the Atlantic.
Famous People who lived in
Derbyshire
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) the political philosopher was tutor to the 2nd
and 3rd Earls of Devonshire at Chatsworth and Hardwick. Travelling with
the family, he made the acquaintance of many leading intellectual
figures including Galileo, Descartes, Bacon and Ben Jonson. He died at
Hardwick Hall aged 91. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) spent her early
childhood at Lea Hurst near Crich. Sir Osbert Sitwell (1892-1969)
author, and Dame Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) the poet, both lived at
Renishaw Hall to the south of Eckington.
Customs
On Shrove Tuesday there is a pancake race at Winster. At Ashbourne
Shrovetide football is played between two goals 3 miles apart. Well
dressing ceremonies take place at Tissington on Ascension Day, at
Wirkston at Whitsun, Youlgreave in June, Marsh Lane in July, and Bonsall
and Barlow in August. Matlock Baths has Illuminations and Venetian
Nights from the end of August to early October.
Folklore
It is claimed that the Devil once turned itself into a fiery dragon in
the north and moved south laying waste all in his path. On the hills
above Chesterfield he saw a man with bare feet and a tattered gown who
refused to run away. Instead he climbed on Winlatter Rock and spread his
arms wide to form a cross and fear struck the Devil who sent a tempest
to blow him away. He never moved. He stood so firm that his feet sunk
into the rock and held him up. The Devil fled to the north and the
priest went down into Chesterfield and told them how he had saved them
and the town.
Diary
In addition to the above customs, a plague memorial service is held at
Eyam in August. The Derbyshire County Show takes place in June and a
Festival of Music and Arts is staged in Buxton during July and August. |
