Tired of seeing ads? Click here to upgrade to Elite Membership!

Author

Message / Information

Jennypeg
Researcher

Codnor St James Church
replied on: 2/15/2006 9:16:21 PM

CODNOR & LOSCOE
SIXTY YEARS AGO
27TH FEBUARY 1959

How the life and character of Codnor and Loscoe have changed during the past sixty years may be gathered by a glimpse onto the “History of Derbyshire” for 1895. Gone are many of the old landmarks and personalities, which left their mark on the life of the district. Codnor and Loscoe were formed into an Ecclesiastical parish in 1844 from the parishes of Denby. Heanor and Pentrich. The Church was erected in that year at Crosshill, and cost about £2.000, exclusive of the stone, which was given by a Mr.. Wood. The style is described as Gothic, and the Tower contains on bell, brought from Eastwood old church, when that edifice was pulled down, and the bell bears the inscription “God save the Queen 1713.” The Chancel and vestry were added in 1890. The Vicar then was the Rev. W. Bates, with the Rev. I.P. Peile, curate. The first vicar at Crosshill, when the Church was erected, was the Rev. Henry Middleton. He died in 1884, and with his wife is buried in Crosshill Cemetery (a headstone, which was placed on the grave now lies flat on its back, and has done for the past ten years) Crosshill Cemetery itself was laid out as such in 1876, when a Burial Board formed in 1874,and bought 1 ½ acres of land adjoining the churchyard. The land, and laying out of same, cost £900.

The school adjoining the Church was also built in 1844, and in 1895, the headmaster was Mr William Floyde Pine, the late Mr. A. F. Pine’s father, while Mrs Harriett Pine was schoolmistress at Jessop Street School.

Nonconformists in those days, as now, were numerous in both villages. The Wesleyan Chapel, in Heanor Road was built in 1827, and enlarged in 1875 to sent 200. The U.M.F.C. was erected in 1854 by the secedes from, the Wesleyan Society and later enlarged to accommodate 750 people. The latter body also built a day school in Mill Lane in 1873 at a cost of £1,000, and in 1884 was extended at a further cost of £440. The Primitive Methodist first built in 1857, and in 1880 they erected the large building in Wright Street, costing £1,300, to seat 750. The only place of worship in Loscoe (previous to the building in recent years, of Loscoe Church) was the Baptist Chapel, built in 1848, costing about £500.

The main source of employment in the two villages was at Loscoe and Waingroves Collieries. Loscoe Colliery had two seams workable. The Hard Coal seam was 32 inches in thickness, and was 130 yards from the surface. The soft coal seam was only 12 inches thick, and obtained at a depth of 112 yards. The Butterley Company, who owed the pits, also had one at Bailey Brook, and in those days, employed about 700 men and boys. There is no mention of Ormonde Colliery. and now the other three collieries are closed down. When Waingroves pit was worked about 230 men found employment.

Codnor itself in 1895 was not the size it is now. Where Pinewood, Hollywell, Brookvale and Meadow Avenues now stand, were all open fields. There was no Hardy Crescent, and no prefabs, and there was not a single council house in Loscoe, either. The villages were then controlled, by a joint Parish Council, the members being in 1885, Thomas Brown F. G. Corfield, J.P., James Gent, William Hardy, Thomas Rowe, Nelson C. Sclater (Codnor’s Doctor) George Steeples, William Trevvett and Samuel Searson. Codnor postmaster was Mr Thomas Farnsworth, while at Loscoe Mr Samuel Allen filled a similar position.
There was the same number of licensed houses in both Codnor and Loscoe as exists today but the History names a public house in Loscoe named the Golden Ball. That seems to have disappeared. It was kept then by a Mr Thomas Roe.
The history gives a list of prominent residents at that time, many of whom will be remembered today. Several are described as being “Cow keepers” but others include James Byers (draper), Joseph Cox (amusement caterer). John Eyre (“getter out” whatever that was), Leonard Fowkes (builder). German Gill (hawker). David Gregory (cow keeper, bottom of Waingroves), John C. Holbrook (monumental mason), Samuel Peake (grocer), W Hy Peake (watchmaker). William H. Rooks (boot-maker). Thorpe Searson (art and science teacher for County Council). George Severn, Thomas Tagg (under-manager). W. J. Tanner (Crosshill station master). Chris Tate (carrier, no buses then). William Taylor (poor rate collector). Stephen Underwood (greengrocer and coal dealer). Thos H. Watson (butcher). William Simpson White (licensed Victualler), John Bingham (Waingroves Hall) and Wm. Bostock (farmer, road surveyor and cemetery keeper, etc.) The above are all of Codnor, while Loscoe lists William Hogg (under manager). Enoch Lockwood (head Banksman). John Shelton (miller). Owen Smedley (brick maker). Henry Watson (Loscoe Fields, Colliery manager). And J. J. A. Woolley J.P.
Waingroves Hall was built in 1671 and the small chapel in Church Street was erected in 1867. This was destroyed by fire in 1879 and an enlarged Chapel built on the same site in 1880. The first school on Waingroves was built in 1884 by the then existing school board.
To conclude, Codnor itself is of great antiquity. Its earliest mention is in the Doomsday Book, but it remained obscure until the 13th century, when it came into the possession of Henry de Grey. His son, Richard built Codnor Castle. Which was surrounded by a park of 2,000 acres. The Grey family lived there for nine generations until Henry de Grey, the last of the line, died in 1496 without issue. The last occupant of the castle was Sir S. Master in 1690. Since then it has fallen into decay and only ruins are to be seen today.

Tired of seeing ads? Click here to upgrade to Elite Membership!

ChatArea.com Help & News Forums | Terms of Use | Contact ChatArea.com | Advertising