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Derbyshire Record Office

@derbyshiredro.bsky.social

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Free access to 900 years of history - Derbyshire, Britain and beyond: books, archives, maps, prints and photographs. Explore online or visit us in Matlock. Website: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/recordoffice

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · Nov 15

Hello Bluesky 😀
We're the record office for Derbyshire, meaning we hold all the historic archives for the county of #Derbyshire and the city of #Derby. We're delighted to join everyone here! Follow us if you're interested in #history, #archives, old #recipes, historic #fashion and lots more...

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 2h

#OnThisDay in 1915, Frederick George Alleyne Arkwright died in a plane crash at Glamis Castle in Scotland, whilst serving in the Royal Flying Corps. Find out more about him and his wartime service in this latest blog: https://recordoffice.wordpress.com/2025/10/14/frederick-george-alleyne-arkwright/

Frederick George Alleyne Arkwright

Today sadly marks the 110th anniversary of the death of Frederic George Alleyne Arkwright of Cromford in a plane accident in Scotland during the First World War. In commemoration, I have decided to…

recordoffice.wordpress.com

Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 4h

Our #ArchiveOfTheWeek is this example of gorgeous calligraphy. Benjamin Wilson was only 15 when he made this in 1736 and was largely self-taught. He later moved to London and became a painter, theatre manager and scientist!

#calligraphy #18thCentury

A sheet of paper, beautifully caligraphed, stating 'The Art of Writing in all the hands with variety of ornament… Benjamin Wilson, Leeds July ye 8th day Anno Domini 1736'. Around the text are drawings of animals including a squirrel, monkey, dog, snail, butterfly, birds and a dragon.

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks to the school log, or diary, for Hamlet Lane School in South Normanton, now known as the Glebe Junior School, we know that #OnThisDay in 1911, they had issues with attendance. The reasons given were the Pinxton Feast and Sanger's Circus visiting Alfreton.

#1910s #history

A handwritten diary entry for 13th October 1911: 'Pinxton Feast and the visit of Sanger's Circus to Alfreton have interfered with the attendance. Two families excluded by Dr. for scabies. Medical inspection.

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 1d

Have you ridden the Peak Rail steam train from Matlock to Darley Dale and wondered what it was like when it was a working through line? Then have a look at 'Halcyon Days' in our #LocalStudies library, a book full of recollections of life at Rowsley Railway station.

#LocalHistory #Railway200

A white book cover titled Halcyon Days, Personal recollections and anecdotes of life at Rowsley Loco by J.F. Morton. It has a black and white photograph of a steam train moving along railway lines, passed some buildings, with steam coming out of it.

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 4d

On #WorldEggDay meet Mary Ward busy at Thornhill and Sons, Great Longstone in 1955. She checks egg quality by using a bright light to illuminate the egg's interior, making the shell transparent. Of course nowadays all done by automated machines.
#PhotoFriday

A woman with neat short brown hair, wearing a white overall with the words Derbyshire Egg Station embroidered on it, holds white eggs against a light. There are trays of eggs behind her.

Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 5d

The Did You Know series of Francis Frith’s photographs presents ‘Derby a Miscellany.’ This compendium of landmarks, facts and anecdotes provides wonderful insights into the history of the city. Find a copy in our #LocalStudies library.

Front cover of the book 'Did you know? Derby. A Miscellany.' Underneath are the words such as 'Fascinating facts', 'Historical photographs' and 'Ghost stories' all surrounding a photograph of The Cornmarket in Derby in 1896.

Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 5d

Railway plans can be fantastic sources of capturing a place at a particular moment in time in great detail, such as here with Swanwick in 1901.

#Railway200 #LocalHistory

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 6d

This delightful #NewAccession, including oil paintings, woodcuts and sketchbooks, is an addition to our existing John R Biggs archive. Biggs was an illustrator and printer, born in Derby in 1909, who worked in the UK, Russia and Jamaica.

#Art #ArtHistory

Artwork, framed oil paintings, diaries, prints and sketchbooks laying on a table.

Artwork, prints, open pages of an artists sketch book containing drawings, and other items from an artists collection laying on a table.

Open art box belonging to J R Biggs containing a used pallette, brushes, pallette knives and oil paints, along with a small oil painting. The inside of the lid of the box has old layers of paint on it.

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 7d

Blacksmith Herbert Walter Turner, born 1856, was very active in his community in Brimington and Chesterfield until his death in 1919, as recorded in his detailed, thoughtful and quirky diaries. This gem of late Victorian #LocalHistory is our #ArchiveOfTheWeek.

Page from Herbert Turner's diary, headed "List of Tools etc."

Extract from Herbert Turner's diary "Tuesday January 18th… Charley and Thomas began at quarter time. I went to a lottery, for Gold watch put up by George Bunting, it was held at the Crown Inn, Lordsmith St and won by a Mr Gillyalt at Brills' Ironmonger. Weather very mild the last two or three days, like spring."

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 8d

"Quaint" is an over-used word in an archive, but this inside cover for a list of the graves in Hayfield parish church from 1848 probably meets the bar.

#history #19thCentury #LocalHistory

Small page with text in several decorative and plain fonts and two angels with chalices either side of the words "Book of". Reading: Book of reference to the graves and vaults in Hayfield Church and Burial Ground. Revd S. wasse, Minister. Geo. Eyre, Levi Hall, Churchwardens. Hayfield. William Henry Rapier, Surveyor. 1848"

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 8d

Notice of a proposed new railway line affecting a house at Melbourne, sent by the Midland Railway to the trustee of the late Mr Samuel Mills (William Banton) on 2nd December 1863.

#Railway200

Printed black text with title 'Midland Railway (New lines and additonal powers)'.

Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 11d

On #PhotoFriday we visit Ripley in 1932 when you might have been surprised to see the Loch Ness monster taking a stroll along Cromford Road. But don’t worry, this magnificent beast was taking part in Ripley Carnival and definitely friendly!

#EYAMonsters #1930s

The Loch Ness Monster made from a long length of fabric and a papier mache head. You can see children’s legs underneath and standing alongside is a man dressed in a kilt and sporran, and a child carrying a sign reading 'Loch Ness Monster Beware Do Not Touch'.
Image courtesy of www.picturethepast.org.uk

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 11d

For #NationalPoetryDay here's a satirical poetic essay from 1681 entitled 'The Wonders of the Peake' by Charles Cotton . Written in heroic couplets, it humorously describes the "seven wonders" of the Peak District, such as Poole's Cavern and Chatsworth House.

Title page of 'The Wonders of the Peake' by Charles Cotton, printed in London in 1681 with classic serif typography

Description of the moorlands and river Dove in printed verse on a page from 'The Wonders of the Peak'

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 12d

This #WorldFarmAnimalsDay we have been enjoying our #LocalStudies library's children’s book 'Farm Animals' by the Duchess of Devonshire. Based on Chatsworth Farmyard and illustrated with specially commissioned paintings and photos, it shows what happens during daily life on a farm today.

Colourful hand drawn and painted watercolour picture of the Chatsworth House parkland showing black and white cows and calves and also sheep in the foreground. The landscape behind the farm animals shows the river, Chatsworth House and tree lined slopes rising up behind the house to a blue sky with clouds.

Open double-page with the title 'Wool'. It features a large watercolour of a colourful woolly jumper, as well as photos of sheep, and diagrams showing the difference between knitting and weaving.

Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 12d

This fabulous photograph from 1936 shows a group of men re-laying railway track at Barrow Hill.

#Railway200 #1930s

A black and white photograph of eight men standing on a railway track line using equipment to re-lay railway sleepers onto the track.

Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 12d

Thank you for letting us know (we don't have a subscription to check service records). He did have siblings, so we'll do some more digging...

Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 13d

I'm afraid we don't have any other information about Charles Coupe's military service, other than that he joined the ASC in December 1915 and was killed in action on 9 October 1917.

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 13d

Our latest #NewAccession are the regimental badge and dog tag of Charles William Coupe of Higham. Marrying Ann Bunting in June 1915, he enlisted into #WW1 on 8 December 1915. He was killed in action in October 1917.

#MilitaryHistory

Photo of two items. On the left, an oval metal dog tag with a short chain, the engraving reads: C W Coupe; M2/193508; M T A.S.C. C.E. On the right ia a regimental badge; the lettering reads T R E N MIDLAND.

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 14d

Our #ArchiveOfTheWeek is a plan of an extension to Wirksworth Infant National School. Erected in 1851, fees were £4 pa for the upper room, £2 for the lower. Free places limited to 12, but trustees could admit more giving due regard to the character of the school.

#EYAEducation #LocalHistory

The plan shows two images. The top image shows the extension on the left hand side, measuring 17.6 by 16 yards. The extension and the desks on the right hand side, are coloured in yellow. The second image is a sketch of the front of the school. The roof and three windows are coloured blue.

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 15d

One of our cataloguing volunteers recently came across this plan of King Street #Belper, produced during a court case in February 1926 after Elsie May Litchfield was knocked down the previous April by a car swerving to avoid a bus.

#LocalHistory #1920s

Plan on light blue showing King Street between Bridge Street and the route of the railway, listing the shops and traders, with heading reading "Litchfield v Chapman & Grant".

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 15d

In our #LocalStudies library is this fascinating book about the Melbourne Military Railway. This was a training centre used between 1939-1945 by the British Army and Allied engineers to prepare them for the invasion of Europe.

#Railway200 #trains #LocalHistory

Published by The Oakwood Press. Titled 'The Melbourne Military Railway. A History of the Railway Training Centre at Melbourne and King's Newton 1939-1945' by Alan Cooper, Peter Leggott, Cyril Sprenger. On the cover of the book is a black and white photograph of an engine with steam coming out of it on a steel bridge. At the front of the photograph are eleven soldiers in uniform.

Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 17d

Happy Anniversary to the Stockton and Darlington Railway which opened 200 years ago today 🥳 It was the world's first public railway to use steam locomotives. This photograph shows the Ashover Light Railway opening ceremony nearly a 100 years later.
#Railway200

Black and white photograph. In the foreground there are the four engine drivers: Miss Turbutt, Mrs John Jackson, Mrs Johnson, Mr W.T.H Jackson. To the right of them is a train with flags on it, pulling a carriage. To the left is a wooden waiting room. Behind them is a crowd of people, two men in uniform in the engine cab and more crowds of people stood on the bank of a hill on the left handside.

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 18d

Do you remember acting in a school play? We bet few had such grand costumes and scenery as this by pupils of Derby Grammar School in the #1930s. Can we even see real chainmail?

#PhotoFriday #EYAEducation

A scene from a school play on a stage. Everyone is in very detailed costumes. There is a king on a throne surrounded by courtiers, dignitaries and a bishop. A knight wearing chainmail kneels before the king. The set is dressed with banners with what look like gold coats of arms.
Image courtesy of www.picturethepast.org.uk

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Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 18d

Now in our #LocalStudies library, ‘Animal Life at No 37 Corve Way’ by Susan María Rodriguez is a collection of illustrated short stories inspired by the wildlife that visited her twin sister’s garden in Chesterfield in the summer of 2023.

#LocalHistory

Front cover of the book ‘Animal Life at No 37 Corve Way’ by Susan María Rodríguez, with illustrations by Eulalia Rodríguez Palomino. It features colour drawings of the various animals involved, such as a squirrel, a fox and a badger.

Derbyshire Record Office @derbyshiredro.bsky.social · 19d

On #WorldDreamDay, here are pupils from the Bakewell Highfield Girls Secondary School, together with boys from the local Boy's School, performing A Midsommer Night's Dream in the 1950s. We wonder what part the dog played…

#EYAEducation #1950s #theatre

A black and white photograph of two teenagers dressed as Titania and Oberon, posing from a scene in the play.

A black and white photograph of Titania with her fairies, all dressed in white dresses with capes for wings.

A black and white photograph of the entire cast of the school production.

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