Chapel en le Frith

The Chapel en le Frith Library at the Town Hall on Market Square is closed Wednesdays and Sundays. They have a Local Studies and Family History section to help you with your search.

Dove Holes hamlet is served by the Mobile Library on route N which makes a stop at the Meadows every fourth Thursday at mid-day.

• SMITH, Mike - The Book of Chapel en le Frith : A Community History of the Parish. Halsgrove, 2003.
  ISBN 1-84114-234-4
   
• A companion volume to The Book of Bakewell Show and The Book of Edale, for which Reviews are available.

Gerald ENGLAND has a photograph of the church burial ground on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2016.

Basher EYRE has a photograph of part of the churchyard burial ground on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2015.

We have a pop-up window of Parish Register burials in a text file for your review. Your additions are welcomed.

• The parish was in the Chapel en le Frith sub-district of the Chapel en le Frith Registration District.
   
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
   

• The first chapel in the town was originally built by the Normans, but was replaced with a larger church only 100 years later.
   
• Buried in the churchyard are soldiers of the Scottish army of the Duke of Hamilton who marched south in support of Charles I in 1648. After their defeat at Preston, they were marched to Chapel and imprisoned in the church for sixteen days in such squalid conditions that forty died; a further ten died when they were marched towards Cheshire.
   
• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Thomas a Becket.
   
• This church was restored in 1886, 1890, 1894 and again during the period 1895-1898.
   
• This church seats 750.
   
• Neil THEASBY has a photograph of St Thomas Becket Church on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2017.
   
• Christ Church was a mission church erected in the extreme north-east of the parish near Whaley Bridge. It was served by the clergy of the parish church.
   

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1620 and is in good condition.
   
• Marriages at Chapel-en-le-Frith, 1621-1837 are available in Nigel BATTY-SMITH's database of scanned images of Phillimore's Parish Registers.
   
• The church was in the rural deanery of Buxton.
   
• David DIXON has a photograph of the Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2012.
   
• The Primitive Methodists built their chapel in 1852. The chapel closed in 1977.
   
• Neil THEASBY has a photograph of the Primitive Methodist Chapel on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2017.
   

• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
   
• The parish was in the Chapel en le Frith sub-district of the Chapel en le Frith Registration District.

Neil THEASBY has a photograph of the old stocks on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2017.

"CHAPEL-EN-LE-FRITH is a market-town and parish, in the hundred of High Peak, 167 miles from London, 20 S.E. from Manchester, 21 N.W. from Sheffield, 23 W. by N. from Chesterfield, and 6 N. from Buxton. Its name signifies the 'Chapel-in-the-Forest; from the Saxon word frith, a forest or wood - the church or chapel, which originated the town, having been built within the forest of the High Peak. The town is neat and pleasantly situate on the declivity of a hill, rising from an extensive and fertile vale, surrounded by an amphitheatre of lofty eminences that bound this extremity of the county."

[Description from Pigot and Co's Commercial Directory for Derbyshire, 1835]

Peter McDERMOTT has a photograph of Chapel-en-le-Frith on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2015.

Neil THEASBY has a photograph of "Approaching Chapel-en-le-Frith from the east" on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2012.

The Dore and Chinley branch of the Midland Railway opened here in 1894.

Dove Holes, some three miles south of Chapel-en-le-Frith village, is a hamlet that actually covers parts of three parishes, but most of it is in this parish. The other parishes are Peak Forest and Wormhill. The A6 trunk road passes through Dove Holes. St. Paul's Church was built in Dove Holes in 1878-79 as a chapel of ease to Chapel-en-le-Frith. The hamlet also had a Primitive Methodist Chapel in 1911 and several lime works.

Eccles and Eccles Pike are both areas west-northwest of Chapel-en-le-Frith.

• Geograph
• Flickr

• A Description of Chapel en le Frith has been transcribed by Heather FAULKES from Pigot's Directory of 1828.
   
• Rosemary LOCKIE provides a transcription of the Chapel en le Frith entry from Pigot & Co's Commercial Directory for Derbyshire (1835).
   
• Ann ANDREWS provides a transcription of the Chapel en le Frith entry from Kelly's Directory of the Counties of Derby, Notts, Leicester and Rutland (1891).

• The transcription of the section for Chapel en le Frith from the National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin HINSON.

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Chapel en le Frith to another place.

Jane TAYLOR reports that the parish register for St Peter at Gowts, Lincoln, has this entry:
8 Dec 1859: John BEARD 22 bachelor, Railway Porter, 143 High Street, Lincoln. Groom’s father William BEARD farmer. Ann HOWE 21 spinster, Chapel en le Frith. Bride’s father Abraham HOWE, farmer. Witnesses George SCOTT, Elizabeth SCOTT by Licence.

Gerald ENGLAND has a photograph of the Market Cross on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2016.

David DIXON has a photograph of a Gold Postbox on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2012. These are rare and will disappear over time.

David DIXON also has a photograph of the Shoulder of Mutton Pub on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2012.

David DIXON also has a photograph of the Old Pack Horse Pub on Market Street on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2012.

David DIXON also has a photograph of The Fallow Deer pub on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2013.

And Al PARTINGTON has a photograph of The Jolly Carter pub. on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2008.

Gerald ENGLAND has a photograph of The New Inn on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2016. Good Lord, have they run out of pub names?

Gerald ENGLAND also has a photograph of The Royal Oak pub on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2017.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK058807 (Lat/Lon: 53.323192, -1.914388), Chapel en le Frith which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

• In 1912, Col. Edward V. D. HALL of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion resided here in Horwich House. He can be found in the village in the 1901 census with his wife Sarah Ann. The Colonel was born at Whaley Bridge in Hope parish around 1841.
   
• In 1912, Col. Charles Richard WAINWRIGHT resided here in Brabyns House.
   
• In 1912, B Company of the 6th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters Regt. was quartered here on Market St. Captain H. WELCH commanding; color-sergt. William L. JACKSON, drill Instructor.
   
• During World War One, there was a Frith Knoll Red Cross Hospital here.
   
• During World War Two, a Prisoner of War Camp (#248) was at Dove Holes. It held both German and Italian personnel.
   
• David DIXON has a photograph of the War Memorial in the Market Place on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2012.
   
• And John M. also has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2017.
   
• And Gerald ENGLAND also has a photograph of the War Memorial in the Market Place on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2016. His photo caption includes the inscription on the memorial (no names).
   
• Chris MORGAN has a photograph of the Arch at entrance to War Memorial Park on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2013.
   

• There is a War Memorial in the Market Place. A photograph and the list of names are at the Roll of Honour site.
   
• Basher EYRE has a photograph of the Memorial to Lieut. William Murray Caldwell GREAVES-BAGSHAW or the Derbyshire Yeomanry inside the church on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2015.
   
• Basher EYRE has a photograph of the WW II Memorial board in the church on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2015.
   
• Please see the parish profile of Wormhill for information on the Dove Holes War Memorial.
   

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar provides this notice from the Derby Mercury of 10 March 1803: "MARRIED: On Monday se'nnight, at Chapel en le Frith, in this county, Mr. T. GASKELL, to Miss MERILL, both of that place."

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar has this announcement from the Derby Mercury of 10 October, 1804: "MARRIED: On Thursday se'nnight, at Chapel-en-le-Frith, Mr. J. BRADBURY, to Miss LINGARD, daughter of the late Rev. John LINGARD, of Edale, both in this county."

Jane TAYLOR provides this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 20 December, 1804 : "MARRIED: On Thursday at Chapel-en-le-Frith, in this county, Mr. UNWIN, of Sheffield, to Miss ORGILL, of the former place."

Jane TAYLOR also provides this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 31 Jan 1805 : "MARRIED: On Wednesday, Mr. Wm Calcroft TINSLEY, of Chapel-en-le-Frith, in this county, to Miss Sarah FRITH, of Sheffield."

Jane TAYLOR of Redcar offers this clipping from the Derby Mercury of 19 May 1803: "DIED: On the 25th April, at her brother's house at Eccles, near Chapel en le Frith, in this county, of a consumption, Miss GOODMAN, daughter of the late George GOODMAN, of that place, gentleman."

Also in that issue: "On Friday the 6th instant, at Stoddard, Mr Joseph BENNET, Surgeon, near Chapel en le Frith."

Jane TAYLOR of Redcar provides this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 15 December, 1803: "DIED: At Chapel-en-le-Frith, in this county, the 2nd instant, Mr. John McKNAUGHT, in the 19th year of his age; universally beloved by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance."

Rose KELLAND provides this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 4 September 1844: "DEATHES: On the 20th ult., at his residence, High Hall, Chapel-en-le-Frith, in this county, in his 59th year, PETER BOOTH, Esq., surgeon, to the inexpressible grief of his family, friends and the whole district. Mr. Booth lost his wife a few months ago by sudden death, and never appeared afterwards to recover his health or spirits: he leaves one son and two daughters to lament their loss. The deepest gloom overspreads the neighbourhood. It may be remembered that a few years ago Mr. Booth's life was in peril, being nearly lost on the Derbyshire mountains whilst in course of discharging his professional duties, and compelled to remain out all night in the snow from four in the afternoon till past eight next morning."

• This place was an ancient parish in Derby county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
   
• This parish was in the ancient High Peak Hundred (or Wapentake).
   
• You may contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are Not funded to provide you with family history search assistance.
   
• District governance is provided by the High Peak Borough Council.
   

• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Chapel-en-le-Frith petty session hearings monthly in the Town Hall.
   
• There is an index of Chapel en le Frith Bastardy Papers held at the DRO on the Yesterdays Journey website. Select "Bastardy Papers" on the left side, then "Chapel en le Frith" from the list of parishes displayed.
   
• As a result of the Poorlaw Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became the center of the Chapel en le Frith Poorlaw Union.
   
• The union workhouse was built c.1840 on the Whaley Bridge road (grid reference SK051805). It consisted of an entrance range and an accommodation block of three wings centred on an octagonal hub, an infirmary and an isolation hospital.

Year	Inhabitants
1801	2,507
1821	3,234
1831	3,220
1851	3,214
1851	3,214
1871	3,718
1891	4,647
1911	5,140

In a Will proved in 1875 (made in 1868), Harriet POLLARD of Chapel en le Frith spinster mentions:

1. brother John and his son Joseph
2. Thos. D. GOODMAN Solr. Chapel en le Frith witness
3. Jas. S. PARTINGTON his articled Clerk, witness

A Public Elementary School (boys and girls) was built here in 1883 and enlarged in 1894, 1903 and 1911 to hold 350 children. Average attendance in 1911 was 240.

Peter McDERMOTT has a photograph of a school at Chaple-en-le-Frith on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2015.