"LAND OF THE KING" in the Wirksworth Wapentake:
"12 M. In MATLOCK (Bridge) King Edward had 2 caracutes of land without tax. Waste. meadow, 8 acres; 1 lead mine; woodland pasture in places, 3 leagues long and 2 wide.
To this manor are attached these outliers, MATLOCK, SNITTERTON, WENSLEY, BONSALL, IBLE, TANSLEY. In them 7 caracutes of land taxable. land for 7 ploughs.
11 villagers and 12 smallholders have ploughs.
Meadow, 22 acres; woodland pasture 2 leagues long and 1 league wide; underwood as much"^[2].

"15 M. ... These five manors, DARLEY, MATLOCK (Bridge), WIRKSWORTH, ASHBOURNE, AND PARWICH, with their outliers, paid £32 and 6½ sesters of honey 1066; now £40 of pure silver"^[2].

Matlock was anciently called Mestesford and was mentioned in the Domesday Survey, as already stated above. Writing in 1877, Cox said that Matlock was not a berewick [a demense farm] of Wirksworth. "Matlock and Darley were royal manors" at Domesday. He also pointed out that there was no church at Matlock mentioned at that time, though the fragments of Norman masonry outside the Church tower certainly indicate the existence of a church in the Norman period^[3].
Also see:
About St. Giles Church

"The manor belonged at an early period to the FERRERS family as part of the Wapentake of Wirksworth". It was, until 1628, "parcel of the earldom of the Duchy of Lancaster". It "was then granted to Edward DITCHFIELD and others, in trust for the Corporation of the City of London, by whom it was converted to three other persons, as trustees for the copyholders of the manor, and the rights have ever since been vested in the succession of such trustees^[4]".
Also see:
Charters and Early Deeds
Documents Relating to Matlock, 14th Century - Leases 1376-1377

Other significant dates in the history of the Manor were:^[5]

• 1628
  Letters patent granted to Edward DITCHFIELD (White's Directory records LICHFIELD), John HIGHLOW, Humphrey CLARKE and ffrancis MOSSE, citizens of the City of London
  
  
• 1629
  - by an indenture sold to John MIDDLETON Esq., of Wannesley, NTT, Arthur MOORE gent., of Milthorpe, DBY, Richard SENIOR of Cowley, DBY and George HEATHCOTE of Cutthorpe, DBY. This was in trust for the copyholders.
  
  
• 1629 (14 Jan)
  To make certain of the copyholders' rents, there was an agreement between the above trustees and:
  William WALKER, Adam WOLLEY and others (copyholders of the manor);
  Elizabeth, widow of the late Adam WOLLEY of Riber, Gent on behalf of William WOLLEY (her infant son).
  
  
• 1699
  Following the deaths of the original trustees, Mr Thomas STATHAM attempted to have new trustees appointed.
  
  
• 1700 (17 Oct)
  Indenture between John THORNHILL and Ann his wife (granddaughter and heir of William BOOTH, gent, Lord of the Manor) and Thomas STATHAM. Conveyed in trust for the copyholders to Michael BURTON, Arthur DAKEYNE, Exuperius TURNER gent., and William TURNER.
  
  
• 1700 - 1716
  Court of Chancery proceedings against the proprietors of the manor by Sir John STATHAM, knight.

Also see:
The Wolley Manuscripts, a major collection of pre 1828 documents for more information on the manor
Charities (below) for more on Anthony WOLLEY
Nineteenth Century Lists: Manorial Records, Extracts from 1851 A sample of what is available at the DRO.

1716 - John BERRESFORD, John CHAPPELL, Charles GREAVES
1738 - Bache THORNHILL and others.
1760 - Francis RADFORD and others
1769 - Alexander BARKER, Brooke BOOTHBY, Francis HURT, William MILNES, Bache THORNHILL
1785 - Brooke BOOTHBY, William MILNES, Bache THORNHILL
1798 - Philip GELL, John HOLLAND, Francis HURT, Bache THORNHILL, John TOPLIS
1830 - Bache THORNHILL
1871 - William Pole THORNHILL
1899 - John Gilbert CROMPTON Esq., Rev Fielding Arthur Wolfe Hamilton GELL
1903 - Mr. James POTTER, solicitor, was the Steward.

The Court Leet and view of Frankpledge - with the Great Court Baron - were held half yearly (alternately at Matlock and Matlock Bath).

The ecclesiastical parishes of Matlock in 1901 were recorded as - St. Giles (pop. 2,441) and Matlock Bank (3,276). There were 5,979 in Matlock civil parish and Urban District. Matlock Bath's civil parish and Urban District had a population of 1,819 and the ecclesiastical parish 1,550 (figures taken from Kelly's Directory^[1908]).

By 1911 there were 6,745 people in Matlock; the population was divided between the ecclesiastical parishes of St. Giles (2,510) and Matlock Bank (3,896 - including 431 in two of the hydros). Matlock Bath's population in 1911 was 1,802, although the population of the ecclesiastical parish was somewhat smaller at 1,551 (figures taken from Kelly's Directory^[1916]).

From 1894 Matlock and Matlock Bath had separate Urban District Councils. Matlock UDC met in the Town Hall and the UDC for Matlock Bath and Scarthin Nick held meetings in the Council Chamber, which was at first located in upper rooms on the Parade but later in the newly built Pavilion. The two joined together again in 1924 to form the Matlocks UDC.

See:
Local Boards, Magistrates and Public Officers of Matlock Bath and Matlock in 1891.
Officials etc in Kelly's 1908 Directory
Officials etc. in Kelly's 1916 Directory

If you'd like to have a rough idea about how the inhabitants came and went there are some very basic statistics about a few in 1901
See Did you know ...?
Histpop - The Online Historical Population Reports Website, providing access to hundreds of official documents relating to the history of civil registration and the taking of the censuses.

Thomas JOHNS (1667)^[7]
He gave four Bibles to the value of £1 [1 pound] and £2 p.a. [2 pounds per annum] to be paid out of lands called Janckin Flat, Causeway Meadow and Dick Lands, situated in Matlock. Bryan^[5] states that up to 1827 the two latter fields were in the occupation of Mr. Adam Woolley.

Anthony WO[O]LLEY (1668)^[7]
He left a further 5l. [£5] per annum towards the maintenance of the free school at Matlock, and directed that a piece of land should be set apart by his executors for that purpose. Whereupon two pieces of copyhold land were conveyed upon trust to Mr. John WO[O]LLEY and Mr. John SOWTER. In 1817, the Lyson's recorded there was an annual income of 43l. 14s [£43 14 shillings] and White's gives the annual income as £36 p.a. [£36 per annum] - £30 to the school master; £2 for incidental expenses; £4 to the poor.
Schools
About Riber
The Wolley Manuscripts, a major collection of pre 1828 documents

Daniel CLARK (1724)^[7]
He gave 10s [10 shillings] yearly for ever, to be paid out of his estate in the parish of Matlock. Bryan^[5] states that 'in 1828 this sum was paid in respect of lands held by Mr. Wigley Hayward HODGKINSON'.

Joshua BRADLEY (1738)^[7]
He left a rent charge of 10s [10 shillings] a year out of land called Allcock lying in Matlock Bank.

Thomas GARRETT, Esq. of Middlesex (1791)^[7]
He left £100 [100 pounds] to be invested in the Government funds, the dividends to be given to 20 poor housekeepers not receiving parish relief and to be distributed annually on St. Thomas's Day. In 1857 this bequest was standing in the names of the Reverend Philip GELL, Mr. Adam WOOLLEY and Mr. John NUTTALL. Bryan^[5] records GARRETT as "of Hornsey".

Reverend Francis GISBORNE of Staveley (1818)^[7]
In his will written in 1818, confirming a deed of the previous year, he left £5 10s p.a. [5 pounds 10 shillings per annum] for warm clothing to be given to the poor of 100 parishes and chapelries in Derbyshire.
[Note: Bryan records the sum as £7 3s^[5]]

Robert CLAY (1874)^[8]
In his will signed on 14 May 1873 and proved at Derby the following year, he bequeathed "unto the Rector and Churchwardens of the parish of Matlock aforesaid the sum of One hundred and forty pounds Upon trust to invest the same in the Public funds of Great Britain and to apply and Expend the interest dividends and annual income thereof for ever thereafter in the purchase of bread or clothing or bread and clothing to be impartially distributed annually on New Years day among such of the poor and needy inhabitants of the said parish of Matlock as the Vicar and the Church wardens for the time being of the said parish shall select for that purpose".
Robert Clay was the 1C5R [first cousin five times removed] of the author of these pages and there is a little more information about him
See The Andrews Pages Picture Gallery (Derbyshire section), which includes several pages about Bonsall

ARKWRIGHT of Willersley-hall.^[7]
"The founder of this family was the late Sir Richard Arkwright, who, from an humble origin acquired opulence by the industrious application of his extraordinary mechanical talents, to the improvement of cotton manufacture".
Arms granted 1787 (from: The Gentry listed in 1817).
The following additional details are taken from Bryan^[5]:

ARMS: Argent on a mount in base a cotton tree, fructed Proper ; a chief, Azure, thereon between two besants, an inescutcheon of the first charged with a Bee volant erect, Proper.
CREST: An Eagle rising Or, having a shield Azure, charged with a cotton hank, Argent, suspended from its beak by a ribbon, Gules.
MOTTO : Multa, tuli fecique. (I have suffered and done many things)

DEANE, of Matlock^[7], afterwards of Beeley, descended from the Deanes, of Deane-hall, in Cheshire.
Five descents are described in the Visitation* of 1611.

ARMS: Or, a fesse dancettée ; in chief, three crescents, Gules.
(from: Families for whom it has not been ascertained whether they are or not extinct.)

LEACROFT^[5]

ARMS: Erm. a cross patée throughout, gules.
CREST: A hand erect vested azure in the hand proper, a chaplet gules.
MOTTO : Fari quæ sentiat.

NIGHTINGALE^[5]

ARMS: Per pale, ermine and gules, a rose countercharged.
CREST: An ibex, sejant, argent, tufted, armed, and maned, or.
These arms can be seen on Pedigree of Nightingale

SNITTERTON of Snitterton^[7], a branch of the Shirley family. The heiress married Sacheverell before the year 1500.
(From Lysons: Families extinct before the Time of the Herald's Visitations*.)

ARMS: Gules, a snipe, Argent, gorged with a crown, Or.

STEVENSON of Matlock^[7]
"The heiress, about the latter end of the seventeenth century, married Saville, whose heiress married Gilbert" (from Lysons, Families extinct or removed out of the County, since 1500).

WOLLEY of Riber and Allen-hall^[7]
Name occurs amongst gentry listed in the reign of Henry VI. (from Lysons, The Gentry listed in 1817.)
The following additional details are taken from Bryan^[5]

ARMS: Sable a Chevron vaire or and gules between three maidens' heads couped at the shoulder proper.
CREST: A man's head in profile covered with chain mail and couped at the shoulders proper.
MOTTO: Honeste Audax.
These arms can be seen in the pedigree of Wolley of Riber

*Visitation (Oxford English Dictionary ) :"A periodic visit made to a district by heralds to examine and enrol arms and pedigrees". The Visitation of Derbyshire 1662 - 1664 has been published by the Harleian Society - New Series Volume 8 (1988) and contains early Derbyshire pedigrees. You will also come across 'visitations' noted in parish records when a bishop or archdeacon will have visited the parish or religious institution to make sure that all was well.

Parliament passed the Reform Act on 7 June, 1832 and so more men in the country were eligible to vote for Members of Parliament. At that time Derbyshire was split into two Divisions - North and South - and Matlock (including Matlock Bath and Scarthin Nick) was in the Southern Division under the Wirksworth Polling District.

On Tuesday 18th December, 1832 and Wednesday, 19th December, 1832 the first elections took place. Voters were able to chose between three candidates to represent them:

The Hon. George John VERNON
Sir Roger GREISLEY, Bart
The Right Hon. Lord WATERPARK

Not all residents qualified to be a registered elector and some of the electors did not live within the parish. For example, T. WILSON's place of residence was given as Hulley-place, London but he was eligible because he held freehold property in Matlock Bath, though in the event he did not vote. Amongst other absent voters was John Charles MAYNARD of Harlsey Hall, Yorkshire who qualified because he held a one-eighth share of Matlock Old Bath, Matlock Bath. In total, 166 copyholders and freeholders in the parish were eligible to vote and many of those who did cast both of their votes. Abanathan DAFFIN of Starkholmes, with a freehold in Riber, voted for both VERNON and WATERPARK. In contrast, Joshua TOMISSON, a freeholder in Matlock Bath, voted for GREISLEY. So did Rev. H. SIM, living in Matlock Rectory, who was eligible because of his occupation.

If Matlock alone had elected the candidates, the outcome would have been somewhat different : WATERPARK was the favourite in the parish with 115 votes, VERNON polled 74 and GREISLEY trailed the field with a mere 30 votes. However, the final result for the Southern Division was:

VERNON - 3048
WATERPARK -2848
GREISLEY - 1957

Lists of the electors of Matlock, and whom they voted for in several elections in the nineteenth century, can be found in various Poll Books. If you are interested in an ancestor who may have been eligible to vote in Matlock in 1832, please email me, to find out if they did.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century there was a sergeant who had four police constables under his leadership at Matlock Bath Police Station. The police station was in a little house at the rear of the County and Station Hotel, at the bottom of Holme Road. As the photograph (right) shows, the big round archway on Holme Road led through to the police station where there was a small cell with iron bars. Matlock Police Station on Bank Road was built in 1893; it had three cells and a house for the inspector or sergeant, later for the divisional superintendent. The building was enlarged a few years later.			Matlock Bath's Former Police Station Photograph © Jim Phelan, published with kind permission
			See: Matlock Bath Today (1) - another picture of Holme Road Those with ancestors who were in the Police Force may be able to learn more through the records held at the Derbyshire Record Office Contacting Derbyshire Record Office Also see: Names in Nineteenth Century Lists : Keeping Law and Order
Matlock and District Operatic Society was founded in 1907. In 1908 they performed Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado" in the Victoria Hall, Matlock. The Victoria Hall was in 'grounds adjoining Smedley Street[1916]'. There are details of the 1908 programme on this website, including performers, officers and advertisers as well as a picture of the cover. The proceeds that year were for the benefit of local charities. The Society's papers (1907-75) are held by the Derbyshire Record Office Ref: D1572 There were other groups of people who enjoyed singing. Photographs of Matlock Ladies' Choir taken in 1959 and Matlock Choral Group at Tansley Methodist Church have been scanned, though are not on the website. Please contact the webmistress, who will forward your request to the owner (Bernard Gale) if you are interested in seeing the photos.			After 100 years as Matlock Amateur Operatic Society it was decided to change the Society's name to reflect what the group performs today. Matlock Musical Theatre, formerly Matlock Operatic Society, has a web site Matlock & District Amateur Operatic Society, 1930s Matlock Primitive Methodist Prize Choir of 1910/11
Matlock Brass Band was attached to the Volunteers when it started in the mid nineteenth century and the players wore uniforms. The cornettist, trainer and leader was John Naylor of Sutton-in-Ashfield and George Knowles gave considerable support and helped financially. By 1894 the bandmaster was H. Holmes. They won quite a few prizes in the 19th century. For example, in 1863 the Matlock Volunteer Band won the second prize at the Leamington Brass Band Concert[9]. They also performed at local events, such as the ceremony to "Turn the First Sod" for the Matlock Bath Pavilion and Gardens Company Limited project in 1882. The Matlock Volunteer Band appeared by kind permission of Captain Arkwright[10].			Matlock Brass Band is online
Matlock Cycle Club members used a cycle track in the latter part of the nineteenth century. It was supposedly in the grounds of the Olde Englishe Hotel, though the 1903 Ordnance Survey map of Matlock shows an oval, presumably the track, at the very end of Olde Englishe Road and seemingly not in the hotel's grounds by then. It was just behind the buildings at the end of Dale Road and on the opposite bank of the river to Knowlston Place.			Matlock Cycle Club is now online The original cycle track is shown on an early 20th century postcard Pic Tor, the Cycle Track and Matlock Green Matlock: Pic Tor, the Cycle Track and Matlock Green, 1909 Charles Colledge's card is a slightly earlier picture than the one above and shows more of the cycle track

• Matlock Golf Club opened in 1907. The course was opened at Cuckostone Grange, Matlock Moor. Henry TOWLE was Hon. Sec. in 1916¹⁹¹⁶.
  See Newspaper Cuttings
  
  
• Matlock Bath Golf Club opened in 1902, so pre dated the one at Matlock. The course of nine holes was on land between Upperwood and Ember Lane. Teas were served in a lean to erected on the side of the clubhouse.
  
  
• Matlock & District Rifle Club started in 1900. The branches were initially at Matlock, Matlock Bath, Tansley, Cromford, Darley Dale, Lea and Holloway. In 1903 the president was Mr. F.C. ARKWRIGHT and the secretary Mr. W. JAFFREY. The ranges were on Cuckoostone Moor.
  
  
• National Reserve (Matlock Branch) was formed in 1912. In 1914 Captain F. C. ARKWRIGHT was Commanding Officer and the Secretary was Quartermaster H. CLAY.
  There is a report of those participating in the Empire Day Parade 1914 and other details elsewhere on this site
  
  
• Matlock Town Football Club - 'The Gladiators' - started in the nineteenth century and they originally played on the Hall Leys
  In 1901 they played Grimsby, and the visiting football team were staying at Jeff's Poplar Hydro

The photograph (above) shows a traffic free Causeway Lane in the 1950's, with the football ground on the left hand side of the road, behind the hedge. In 1916 Matlock Cricket, Football & Athletic Club (Alfred WRIGLEY, hon. sec.) was based at the grounds (Kelly's Directory). The Hall Leys Recreation Grounds are on the right, with Riber Castle dominating the skyline. The image was kindly provided by Bernard Gale.
About Riber Castle

References (coloured hyperlinks are to transcripts elsewhere on this website):

^[1] "The High Peak News", 18 August 1906. Article about the Matlock coat-of-arms or 'seal' which had been designed after much thought by Robert Hall who had also registered the design to himself. Researched by Colin Goodwyn.
^[2] The Domesday volumes are held by the Public Record Office, Kew.
The translation quoted above, referring to Matlock (MESTESFORDE), is from:
"Domesday Book Series: 27 Derbyshire" ed. Philip Morton from a draft translation prepared by Sara Wood (1978), Phillimore & Co. Ltd., London and Chichester © Mrs. Susan Morris, 1978, ISBN 0 85033 165X (case) - ISBN 0 85033 166 8 (limp)
^[3] Cox, J Charles (1877) "Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire Vol II" Chesterfield: Palmer and Edmunds, London: Bemrose and Sons, 10 Paternoster Buildings; and Derby, p.518.
^[4] White, Francis (1857) "Directory of Derbyshire" (Matlock names onsite)
^[5] Bryan, Benjamin (1903) "History of Matlock - Matlock, Manor and Parish" London by Bemrose & Sons, Limited
^[6] Figures from "The Victoria History of the English Counties. A History of Derbyshire Vol. II", p. 204. Constable & Co., Pall Mall, London (1907) : (Ed. 1970) University of London. ISBN 0 7129 0447 6
^[7] Lysons, Rev Daniel and Samuel Lysons Esq. (1817) "Topographical and Historical Account of Derbyshire" London: Printed for T. Cadell, Strand; and G. and A. Greenland, Poultry
^[8] Information extracted from personal papers of webmistress
^[9] "The Derby Mercury", Wednesday, 15 July, 1863
^[10] "The Derby Mercury", Wednesday, 12 July, 1882