Derbyshire part one

After our time in the North, we decided to travel south by taking a “short cut” west, through the North Pennines and Cumbria--so, more spectacular scenery!

We arrived many hours (and 250 miles) later in Claycross, Derbyshire, where our B&B for the next few days was located. This establishment was so immaculate and competently run it deserves its own mention. Named Blanche’s Guesthouse (after the much beloved Westie of one of the owners), it was well appointed, conveniently placed (within reasonable striking distance of all of our destinations) and owned by two very friendly and sympathetic hosts. You can find it at www.blanchesguesthouse.co.uk
if you are interested in staying at a well-appointed guesthouse in Derbyshire.

The next day, fuelled by an excellent breakfast, we set out for Youlgrave All Saints church (pictured below), again in search of ancestors.

Elizabeth’s mother’s family (the Lowes) originated in Derbyshire, and the area seems to have been thick with them. Youlgrave church contains the marble tomb of Thomas Cokayne, Elizabeth’s 13th great grandfather.

Despite his pious appearance (see above), he was killed in a duel in 1488, apparently after quarrelling over a marriage settlement (or, as some of the locals believe, after indiscreetly fancying the wife of his protagonist). At the church we met with the vicar, Rev. Ossy Post:

as well as with Margaret, one of the parishioners, both who were very interested in the history of the Cokaynes and in meeting a live descendant of the miniature Thomas (as he died before his father, his effigy is half size).

Apparently his tomb went missing at some point, was found in a barn, and restored to the church. The descendants of the family who restored it in the 1880s must have had influence and money, because it was placed somewhat inconveniently in the middle of the chancel, rather than its original place at the side.

Youlgrave church is very old, and a place filled with much history. Its stained glass windows were beautiful – here are the south window

and that of the east window, above the altar.

Elizabeth was presented with a DVD of a recent church play, which included a reenactment of the murder of the said Thomas. His death at the time was deemed an accident, and the young man who killed him escaped prosecution.

Our next stop was the parish of Wirksworth, where a branch of the Lowe family was known to have lived. Our original idea was to look around the village, and photograph the church of St Mary.

We do this in places we visit where we know we have ancestors, as often the church is the only known ancestral point of contact. Wirksworth was a pleasant town, with much of its mediaeval heritage still evident in its buildings.

Below is a photograph of a cruck frame house, a building style quite common in the Tudor period.

We then went to the church, to look around the graveyard for tombstones, when we realized that it was open to visitors. Wirksworth was built in the 13th century, though has had many additions since.

Built on the site of an earlier Saxon church, part of the stones from this time still exist. This is called the Wirksworth Stone.

The mediaeval baptismal font is also still in the church.

Inside we found a great surprise - the tomb of Anthony Lowe of Alderwasley, who was Elizabeth’s 11th great grandfather.

Anthony Lowe died in1555, and had a tomb complete with effigy and epitaph waiting for us in the chancel. He seems to have led a charmed life, as his epitaph reads:

Here lyethe Antonye Lowe esquyer servante to Kynge Henry the vij Kynge Henry the viii kynge Edward vi et quene marie j buried mj of deceb a d 1555. (You can see it running underneath the painted scene on the tomb below.)

The parish booklet says he was Gentleman of the Bedchamber to these Monarchs (though perhaps not Mary!) and standard bearer for all of them. Elizabeth was very impressed by his ability to serve four very different monarchs through some turbulent times in this rather intimate capacity, and not lose his head, and she spent some time contemplating her diplomatic ancestor .

A large history of Derbyshire we later consulted said that he died content with his service to all four – and his effigy certainly looks serene enough.

He is represented in full armour, his feet on a skull.

This grisly decoration was often used to symbolize the mortality of all life. Above his tomb are the arms of Henry VIII. At the base he had his own choir of angels, presumably there to pray for his soul.

His wife, Bridget Lowe (née Fogge), was Maid of Honour to Catherine of Aragon.

We later drove around Alderwasley, a pretty part of the countryside.

Though the manor house which Anthony occupied has long been demolished, a painting still exists of it.

We did find an Alderwasley Lodge, which may have been part of the original manor.

Around the corner awaited another surprise, as there lurked a second tomb of a set of great greats, also Elizabeth’s 11th great grandfather and grandmother, Ralph and Emma Gell of Hopton Hall.

These two were the parents of Lucy Gell who married Edward Lowe, Anthony Lowe's son.

Ralph Gell was buried with both his wives,

and all three are represented on the tomb. There was also a ring of carvings around the base:

This carving represents all of the children – his first wife had 3 sons and 5 daughters; his second wife had one son and 5 daughters. His epitaph reads:

Here lyeth RAFF GELL of Hopton sun[sic]of JOHN GELL of Hopton and GODYTHE and EMME his wyffes,which RAFF deceased ye VIIth day of June Anno Dmi M'V'LXIIII/THis body whych of kynde we have ----- to earth it must/A gostly bodye shall at length be raised out of dust/What harm at all recyveth man by yeldyne uppe his brethe/Synce he unto a dyryng lyffe hath passage throughe dethe/God of His mercy meer us those in a lyves booke us writ/Dy must thou onced then yelde thyselfe and dred not deathe a wyt.



Next to this tomb was a much more elaborate one, that of his eldest son Anthony Gell.

Anthony was a legal representative at the Inner Temple of London, and established a free grammar school and almshouse in the area. We managed later to obtain the will of Ralph Gell, and found he was quite wealthy, as his house attests. (It is still standing, as this photo shows.)

Alas, none of this wealth has trickled down to Elizabeth!


[in the next post we will follow the trail of the Cockaynes, a medieval line related to the Lowes, this time at Ashbourne]