Whitwell Local History Site

Whitwell - A Parish History

Foreword

The writing of a Parish History is a simple enough concept, yet the seemingly endless research, continual enquiry, checking and rechecking of facts all contribute to the completeness of the final work. That this book has appeared in print is due in no small way to the enthusiasm of a dedicated group of helpers.

Mr. Malcolm Dolby sowed the first seeds with his classes on Local History, which were later continued by Mr. Derek Wordley. The contributions and comments of the members of the Whitwell Local History Group have proved invaluable - how else could so many facts and details have appeared in these pages - and in particular, thanks to Mr. Robert Ibberson for granting us permission to include his two interesting leaflets.

Thanks are due to British Coal for allowing access to colliery records, to The Steetley Company for information on quarries and for sending copies of their two excellent brochures, to Mr. E.P. Gallagher for permitting the use of the 'History of Whitwell' and his many articles as local correspondent to the Worksop Guardian. Reference to the articles by Miss May Lowe in the Parish Magazines is also acknowledged.

In any historical work, dates and other references have to be confirmed - a bibliography of references is included towards the rear of the book but the co-operation of the Public Libraries of Whitwell, Worksop, Retford, Staveley, Chesterfield and Derby is acknowledged with gratitude.

With the 'Whitwell 1000'celebrations as the target for publication, our thanks are due to the typesetter and printer for ensuring that the deadline was met. Finally, the financing of a publication of this size and quality is no small consideration; thanks are expressed for the grant aid which we have received through the Derbyshire County programme and to all who have kindly purchased a copy, thus helping us to defray our expenses.

Dedication

On Friday, 24th February 1989 the Whitwell Local History Group lost one of its founder members and Chairman. Before that sad day, the decision had already been taken to dedicate the 'Parish History of Whitwell" to Harold Middleton, in acknowledgement of the time and energy expended by him in ensuring the success of the Group.

As our weekly meetings continue, we are deeply conscious that Harold's enthusiasm and keen sense of humour can never be replaced. In his closing days, he became anxious that this book with all its imperfections' should be published in time for the 1,000 years celebrations - our humble duty and privilege has been to honour his request.

For as long as the Group continues to meet, Harold's spirit will provide the motivation and there can be no doubt that when certain subjects are raised, such as the Census Returns and the Charcoal Burners, his past work will be at the forefront of our minds.

"Tho' lost to sight, to mem'ry dear
Thou ever wilt remain".

Tribute

Every member of the Whitwell Local History Group would like to pay tribute to Les Yaw. Without the expertise, professionalism, dedication and endless hours of hard work devoted to the book by Les, this publication would not have been possible. Les is a man of many outstanding qualities, and as anyone who knows him will agree, modesty is not least among them.
In view of this, our tribute appears in this book without his knowledge or consent. We have no wish to cause him embarrassment but we could not let this book be published without showing our appreciation of the man who made it all possible.

Introduction

This book began as a series of notes made during the Local History classes first taken by Mr. Malcolm Dolby and later continued by Mr. Derek Wordley. Since the present Local History Group was formed in November 1986, interest has grown, membership has increased and the information generated would fill a number of books. Indeed one member has already drafted a comprehensive history of Whitwell Colliery, while another has prepared a book on the life and works of soldier-poet John William Streets.
This latest history is a successor to the souvenir booklet, 'Whitwell, Past and Present', published by Mr. E.P. Gallagher in 1951, to celebrate the Festival of Britain. Much of that information has been retained, although expanded into the greater detail made possible by a larger publication. The size of any book is essentially limited by production costs; this is the only defence we can offer against the reader who may be critical of any particular omissions. The intention of the Group is that, eventually, all the historical information, which they have collected, will be filed and deposited for future reference in the library at the Whitwell Community Centre.
The history begins with the Anglo-Saxon settlement, although the arrival of the 'Hunter-Gatherers' in Creswell Crags thousands of years earlier could also have been a suitable beginning. The Crags, however, with Ash Tree Cave and Markland Grips have been the subject of many written works, based on archaeological and geological survey and analysis, and are therefore excluded from a work which is essentially based on documentary evidence.
Any historical work can never be totally complete - there are always new facts waiting to be discovered. This is no less true of Whitwell than of any other place. Perhaps you may have interesting documents stored away - old letters, photographs, newspaper cuttings, inventories, title deeds or similar documents; or perhaps when reading this book you will be prompted to say 'I could have told them more than that about Old Whitwell'. If so, make contact with the Local History Group and maybe you will be sowing the seeds of an even more comprehensive history book for the future.
In historical documents, family names often appear with different spellings. Where family names in this book have been obtained from such documents, the reader should be aware that no attempt at consistency has been made and the spellings as originally printed have been retained; seemingly 'different' names may well refer to one and the same family.
L.T. Yaw
June, 1989