Edwardian Ashbourne - Copyright Alan Fernihough
Ashbourne also has a Heritage Society and a Heritage Centre both with websites.
(A caraucate is about 120 acres, this was based on the amount of land a team of 8 oxen could plough in a season.)
(For a good online source of Medieval English history book text try "The Internet Medieval Sourcebook" website)
It came to prominence in the 18th and 19th century as a way point at the meeting of six coaching roads. Bonny Prince Charlie proclaimed his father king of England when he was in Ashbourne on his abortive march on London, and Oliver Cromwell took a few pot shots with his artillery at St Oswald's Church but generally History, like the stage coaches of old, seems to have also treated Ashbourne as a way point. Many important people have stayed at Ashbourne, visited it or passed through it (and during the Napoleonic Wars - were imprisoned here) - but the major upheavals of the past seem to have left it untouched.
Some more paintings from the brush of Alan Fernihough (click to see larger image). To contact Alan tel. 01889 565620 or him.
Local historian Danny Wells organises talks, courses, day schools and guided walks and tours. For details off what is planned, or to arrange your own please visit his web site at www.history-talks.co.uk
For an excellent description of Ashbourne in the 18th/19th century - read these excerpt from the "Ashbourne Local History Group" book - Early Victorian Country Town - A Portrait Of Ashbourne in the Mid 19th Century.
Chapter 1 - Setting the Scene
Chapter 5 - Ashbourne At Work
Visit our historical map page - Ashbourne & Derbyshire Historical Maps to Download
Or want to see a zoomable map of modern Ashbourne then click here!
Extracts from historical directories, books etc. describing Ashbourne and surrounding villages:-
Pigots 1835 Description Of Ashbourne
list of Gentry, Shopkeepers, Coach timetable etc. also from Pigots Directory of 1835.
Full on-line version of "Pigot and Co's Commercial Directory for Derbyshire", 1835
Extract of Ashbourne Parish pages from "White's 1857 Directory of Derbyshire"
Full on-line version of "White's 1857 Directory of Derbyshire"
Extract from "The National Gazeeteer" 1868
Mr Shaw has written a number of pamphlets about Ashbourne :-
The Parish Church of St Oswald - Ashbourne (by George E. Shaw & Bishop Derek H. Buckley)
People of the Millennium in Ashbourne - from Cockayne to the Queen.
Past and Present Pubs of Ashbourne
These are available for sale from the Tourist Information Centre in Ashbourne (tel 01335 - 343666), or can be bought from St Oswalds Church.
One other pamphlet is no longer available in print, but Mr Shaw has kindly given permission to re-print it here.
This is "Matters Of Life and Death" - History in Baptism, Marriages and Burials as recorded in the Parish Register of St Oswald's Parish Church, Ashbourne 1539 - 1945). This is a selection of the most interesting entries in the registers. If you are looking for ancestors - try searching the document - you be surprised what you find!
This is also available as a small download - Zipped Word V2 file.
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