CRICH is an ancient town, a beautiful and extensive parish, one mile north-east from Whatstandwell station on the Manchester main line of the Midland railway, 4 west-by-south from Alfreton, 4½ north from Belper, and I44 from London, in the Mid division of the county, hundred of Morleston and Litchurch, Belper union and petty sessional division, Alfreton county court district and rural deanery, archdeaconry of Derby and diocese of Southwell. The railway and the Cromford canal pass along the south-western border of the parish, and the line from Ambergate to the north also bounds the parish on the south-east. The church of St. Michael, standing on a commanding height, is a building of stone, in mixed styles, partly Norman, and consists of chancel, clerestoried nave of three bays, aisles, and a western tower with spire, containing a clock and 5 bells, dating from 1620: the monuments include several to the Dixie family, and others to the Poles of Wakebridge, lords of the manor of that name, one of whom was falconer to Henry VII. there is also a memorial with a most curious epitaph to a member of the Clay family, and an inscribed stone slab to Anthony Babington esq. of Dethick, who, with 13 others, engaged in a conspiracy to assassinate Queen Elizabeth, and raise the country in favour of Mary Queen of Scots, then imprisoned in Wingfield Manor; but the plot being discovered, the conspirators were arrested and executed at Tyburn, 20 and 2I Sept. 1586: there are three memorial stained windows: the church plate is dated 17I2: the church affords about 500 sittings. The registers date from the year 1604. The living is a vicarage gross yearly value £244, net £227 with residence in the gift of five trustees, and held since 1875 by the Rev. William Acraman of St. Aidans, who is patron of the livings of the adjoining parishes of Tansley and Wessington. The mission church at Fritchley, one mile south-east, built in 1870, is also used as a day school; it was enlarged in 1874, and affords about 150 sittings. The Baptist chapel, a building of stone, with a clock, was erected in 1877, and has sittings for 300 persons The Free Methodist chapel was built in 1864, and there are also chapels belonging to this sect at Crich Carr and Wheatcroft, and Primitive Methodist chapels at Crich erected in 1853, Crich Carr, Fritchley, erected in 1852 and at Morewood Moor. There is a small Wesleyan chapel and a Congregational chapel at Fritchley, erected in 1841 , and the Society of Friends have a Meeting House here. In the village is an ancient stone market cross (restored in 1871), the upper part of which includes a group figure of St. Michael overcoming the Dragon. The market is held weekly on Friday. Fairs for sheep and cattle are held on the 6th of April and 11th of October. The inhabitants are principally employed in the adjacent quarries, which produce limestone and gritstone of a superior quality, a large quantity being sent to London and other parts. Lea mills and other industrial centres in the neighbourhood also give employment to many, and the manufacture of hosiery by hand is carried on to a very considerable extent. There is a small lead mine at Wakebridge; the Butterley Company have extensive quarries and lime kilns at Bull Bridge; at Ambergate are the limeworks of the Clay Cross Company, and at Whatstandwell are the gritstone quarries the property of the Duke of Devonshire K. G. At Crich is a reading room, a stone building, erected in 1887, at a cost of £300 Chase Cliffe, erected in 1859, is a handsome mansion of stone, pleasantly situate in grounds tastefully laid out, and is the property and residence of Miss Hurt. The yearly sum of £6 12s. 11d. from the Rev. Francis Gisborne's
Charity, is received by the vicar and church-wardens, and laid out in the purchase of flannel for the poor.
In 1562* John Kirkland left £2 yearly to the poor of this parish for ever, which is distributed on St. Thomas' day.{* NB this date is incorrect it should be 1652} Sim's Charity, a benefaction of recent date, amounts to about £50, and is distributed so as to promote religious education. Emma Hurt's charity amounts to about £43 yearly; Cornthwaite's charity left in 1838, amounts to £4 1s. 8d. yearly for clothing; Cooper's, of £1 38. 8d. left in 1853, is distributed in money; Wright's charity amounts to £16 5s. 8d. yearly, and is given to regular attendants at church. The charities for the township of Wessington amount to about £7 yearly. Miss Elizabeth Hurt left £1,000, invested in Consols, the interest of which is to augment the living of the vicar; also £1,000 invested in Consols, the interest of which is to be distributed by the vicar and churchwardens to 4 old parishioners, each to receive 2s. 6d. a week; and £1,000 invested, in Consols, the interest of which is to go towards the support of a trained parish nurse. On Crich Stand, which has an elevation of upwards of 950 feet above the level of the sea, is a circular tower, 50 feet in height, erected in 1851, on the site of a former tower by the late Francis Hurt esq. of Alderwasley. On July 6th, 1882, a considerable landslip occurred which reached nearly to the base of the tower and demolished four houses. The principal landowners are Lieut.-CoI. Albert Frederick Hurt D.L., J.P. of Alderwasley, and W. Shore-SmIth esq. of Embley Park, Romsey, and there are several smaller freeholders. The Duke of Devonshire K.G. is also a landowner. The soil is loamy; subsoil, gritstone. The land is chiefly in pasturage. The acreage of the township is 3,750; rateable value £14,073; the population in 1891 was 3,070.
FRITCHLEY is a village 1 mile south-east, with a mission church; CODDINGTON, half a mile west ; BULL BRIDGE, 1½ miles south; PLAISTOW GREEN, 1 mile north; and WHEATCROFT 2½ miles north, are hamlets. Crich Carr and Whatstandwell are also places here. Crich Carr is that portion of the parish near Whatstandwell railway station and is increasing in population.
Post, M 0., & T. 0., S. B., Express DelIvery & Insurance & Annuity. Office. John Hlgton, Sub-postmaster Letters arrive through Matlock Bath at 6,45 a.m. & 3·45 p.m.; dispatched at 6,40 p.m. week days only
Post, M. 0., Insurance & Annuity Office, Whatstandwell Bridge. John Bowmer, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive from Matlock Bath at 6.20 a.m. & 2.59 p.m. ; dispatched at 11.30 a.m. & 7 p.m. The nearest telegraph office is at Whatstandwell railway station.
Post Office, Fritchley, Thomas Davidson, Sub-postmaster. Letters through Derby, via Ambergate, arrive at 7.30 a.m. 4·45 p.m.; dispatched at 9·45 a.m. & 6.20 p.m. Postal orders are issued here, but not paid. The nearest money order & telegraph office is at Crich
Wall Letter Boxes.-Bull Bridge, cleared at 10 a.m. & 6.40 p.m. week days only; Crich Carr, cleared· at 6 p.m. week days only; &; Whatstandwell Bridge, cleared at II. 15 a.m. & 7 p.m.; sun. 6.5 p.m
Schools.Crich is a contributory district to Dethick Lea & Holloway School Board, sending one member.
Parochial (mixed) (Crich), erected in 1848, for 300 children; average attendance 125 boys & girls, 50 infants; Alfred Moody, master; Miss Ada Figgins, infants mistress
National (Crlch Carr), erected in 1884 enlarged in 1894 for 120 children: average attendance 95;. Charles Williams, master; Mrs. Fances Hawkes mistress
National (Fritchley) erected in 1870 as a mission church & school & enlarged m 1874 by the addition of an infant school room, &; again enlarged in 1894; It will hold 190 chIldren; average attendance, 152; - Collington master
BrItIsh (CrIch), erected in1884-5, .for 260 children; average attendance (mIxed 165), Infants, 49; Heyworth Dyson, master.
Friends (FrItchley); Miss Jane Sadler, mistress
Railway Station, Whatstandwell, Charles Whitmore, station master
CRICH. Acraman Rev. William, Vicarage COMMERCIAL |
Mason Henry, saddler CODDINGTON, CRICH CARR Alsop James, Derwent house COMMERCIAL |
Caudwell Wlm. farmer, Thurlow booth FRlTCHLEY &; BULL BRIDGE COMMERCIAL |
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