t'Owd Man of Bonsall
Anglo-Saxon brooch found in Bonsall.
More details in our publication
'Bonsall in the Dim and Distant Past'
by Bob Howie and Pam MacInally.
Token; John Dudley, Grocer
Token; Henry Hille, Butcher
Token; John Balme, Butcher
Read more about butchers' tokens in our publication 'Bonsall at Work' by Peter Fellows
Last edited 17 August 2006
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Photo Archive
The archive has grown to over 140 photos and documents of the village and its people - many of them never seen before. Many of the group photos are now enlarged and digitally enhanced as larger individual files.
New items Harold and Norman Land
NEW Publication
 | BONSALL - A VILLAGE AND ITS HISTORY Having produced a series of six booklets the book is now available. 381 pages and priced at £10 plus postage. Full details and how to order |
1844 sketch of St James Church.
About Bonsall
Bonsall is a village of 1000 inhabitants in the Derbyshire Dales on the edge of the Peak District. It is 5 miles from Matlock and 18 miles from Derby.Bonsall has a long history of lead mining, possibly going back to Roman times, and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Bonsall inhabitants have been involved in the textile industry, pre- and post-Arkwright. In early modern times it was on an important salters' route, and was a staging post on the road between Derby and Manchester. Bonsall is still a working village, involved in agriculture, heavy goods transport and a range of forms of information technology. A few years ago people in Bonsall produced an illustrated map of the village and, in summer 2002 completed the Village Design Statement.
The History Project
Beginning in July 2002 the Project's 26 members aim to produce a comprehensive history of the village; none exists at present. Project members are being trained in research techniques by a WEA (Workers' Education Association) Tutor and will work together towards eventual publication in autumn 2004. A wide range of topics is being covered:- Archaeology
- Domesday to 1660
- Censusses, 1841-1901
- Industry and work patterns
- Agriculture
- Maps
- Schooling and Education
- Buildings
- Changes in the Village within living memory, part of an oral history project
Archive Days
On two days in March 2003 people were invited to bring their own historic documents, family records and photographs to the village hall and see displays of the work done so far. People came from all over the area, old school friends met up, fascinating records were unearthed and brought in and many appointments were made for oral history interviews. Over 100 wonderful old photographs were scanned in and can be viewed in the Photo Archive.
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| Three generations of the Slack Family | High Street. (From Tony Holmes's collection) |
The 1415 Duchy of Lancaster returns
One of the most exciting things to emerge from the Project! A schedule of people who rented land in Bonsall from the Duchy of Lancaster - the lord of the manor and principal landowner for most of the Middle Ages and early modern times. Much work still needs to be done in evaluating the document, but already it has shed some light on the size of the village in the early fifteenth century, and on some of the people who lived in it. Read on ...
There is an old-world village,
High up among the hills,
Where many tinkling fountains
Flow into sparkling rills.
Read
the rest of this 1935 poem written by Charlotte Farnsworth of Matlock Bath
The Bonsall History Project has been supported by the
Local Heritage Initiative
which is developed and run by the Countryside Agency and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Nationwide Building Society.
This site was created and developed by Jacob and Pamela Butler www.owdman.co.uk and is now under the management of www.bonsallvillage.org
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