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"STONEY MIDDLETON is a chapelry, in the parish of Hathersage and hundred of High Peak, five miles E. from Tideswell, and four and a half N. from Bakewell. The houses forming the village are singular in their appearance, being scarcely distinguishable from the grey rocks which impend over them, and from which they appear to have been hewn. The church here is a small edifice, of octagonal form, remarkable for its neatness, erected principally at the expense of the Duke of Devonshire. It is dedicated to St. Mark: [Ed: No! St. Martin] the living is a perpetual curacy, in the gift of the Vicar of Hathersage; the present incumbent is the Rev. Edward Parker. The lime works in this neighbourhood employ many of the inhabitants. The chapelry contained, in 1821, 635 inhabitants, but at the last census (1831) the number returned was only 479."
[Description from Pigot and Co's Commercial Directory for Derbyshire, 1835]
Early 20thC Map Click to view larger area. |
This superb work, modestly prefaced by Cowen, contains many names and much of interest about the village.
| CAUTION: Please note that what may today be considered part of the modern village of Stoney Middleton may in the above Censuses have been enumerated with Eyam, East of the Church (see Eyam, Census. The portion of the village on the Lover's Leap side of the brook didn't become part of the parish of Stoney Middleton officially until 1934. |
The nave of the Church is octagonal in plan, built in 1759 to replace the earlier nave which was destroyed by fire in 1757. Legend has it that the first Chapel at Stoney Middleton was founded in the 15th Century by Joan Eyre, formerly Joan Padley, heiress of Padley, and wife of Robert Eyre, a minor land owner, to give thanks for his safe return from the Battle of Agincourt (1415). This building was, apparently a normal church in plan, but now only the tower survives of that original building. If the legend is true, however, its founding predates 1463, the date recorded for Joan's death - she and husband Robert (d. 1459) are commemorated on a memorial brass inside Hathersage Church.
There are more details in J. C. Cox's Churches of Derbyshire : The Chapelry of Stoney Middleton.
Churches of a similar octagonal plan may be found in widely separated areas of the United Kingdom, for instance at Dreghorn, in Ayrshire (www.ayrshireroots.com), and Teignmouth in Devon (GENUKI/Devon). Dreghorn was built in 1780 for the Montgomeries of Eglinton, then eight years later another octagonal church was constructed at Eaglesham in Renfrewshire, based on a plan by the architect Robert McLachlane commissioned by the 11th Earl of Eglinton, but virtually a copy of the Dreghorn configuration. Eaglesham Church was later extended, so no longer retains the same basic plan, but Dreghorn retains its octagonal shape.
In Pigot's Directory for Devon, 1823-4 the one at Teighmouth was deemed to be in "bad taste" - q.v. Teignmouth. It also describes it then as a new church, so of these three, Stoney Middleton appears to be the oldest.
[Note: I am indebted to John Loney for the information on Dreghorn and Eaglesham Churches]
The original BTs are held at the Lichfield Joint Record Office, but have been microfilmed, so the film should be available on loan via your local Family History Center. There are two films - #0428943 (1663-1812), and #0498132 (1813-1864).
Alternatively, the same area from a slightly different viewpoint maybe seen on this Old Postcard of the Village Street, Stoney Middleton kindly contributed by Ilah Hockin.
| 1753-1764 | 1765-1776 | 1777-1809 | 1810-1821 | 1822-1827 |
In particular, the besom workshop is remembered from about 100 years ago, apparently above the smithy - for further information on besom making, see Peakland Heritage - use either the site "Search" or the 'Working Life' menu, selecting the 'A Skilled Trade' option.
In 1851, William JUPP aged 46 had arrived in Stoney Middleton from Slaugham in Sussex, having been preceded by other Broommakers - the JACKSONs (James, 50 and John, 45) and a William JOHNSON in 1841, coincidentally, or otherwise also originating from villages in Sussex.
"By 1901 William JUPP's old besom-making room was used
for storage by a firm of shoe makers."
[quote from Peakland Heritage item.]
See also Bygone Industries of the Peak: Besom Makers, article by Julie Bunting, reproduced from The Peak Advertiser.
| 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
| 404 | 513 | 635 | 479 | 532 | 593 | 608 | 521 | 354 | 423 |
| 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | |
| 478 | 508 | 532 | 513 | 527 | 531 | 495 | 483 | 515 |
A decrease in 1871 was due to stoppage of lead mines and diminution of employment at lime burning works.
The above census statistics have been contributed by Joseph Platt.
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."
"Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it."
is inscribed on stone tablets which date from the school's foundation. Over the years, the inscriptions have become eroded, but in the late 1980s the tablets were restored. On 23rd November 1990, a Double Celebration took place at the school to pay tribute to the retiring Head-Mistress (who had started teaching at the school in 1952), and to inaugurate the stone tablets after their restoration.
Mr. Thomas E. Cowen, who wrote the History of the village of Stoney Middleton (1910) mentioned in the Bibliography section above was an earlier headmaster of the school.
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[Last updated 10 Feb 2008 - 18:25 by Rosemary Lockie]