In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Dronfield like this:
DRONFIELD, a village, a township, and a sub-district in Chesterfield district, Derby; and a parish partly also in Ecclesall-Bierlow district. The village stands on a branch of the river Rother, 5½ miles W of Eckington r. station, and 6 NNW of Chesterfield; is a neat place, with many respectable houses; was known at Domesday as Dranefield; has a post office‡ under Sheffield, and fairs on the Wednesday after 12 March, 25 April, 11 Aug., and the Thursday after 12 Oct.; and was formerly a market-town. ...
The township includes the village, and extends into the country. Real property, £10, 940; of which £2, 184 are in mines. Pop., 2, 998. Houses, 641.—The sub-district contains also four other. townships of Dronfield parish, and a chapelry in Stavely parish. Acres, 19, 340. Pop., 5, 689. Houses, 1, 189. The parish comprises the townships of Dronfield, Unstone, Coal-Aston, Holmesfield and Little Barlow in Chesterfield district, and those of Dore and Totley in Ecclesall-Bierlow district. Acres, 15, 580. Real property, £25, 873; of which £2, 196 are in mines. Pop., 6, 013. Houses, 1, 265. The property is much subdivided. Coal is worked; hardware is manufactured; and there is a sulphureous spring. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Lichfield. Value, £224.* Patron, the Lord Chancellor. The church stands on an elevation near the village; is decorated English; has a fine tower and spire; had formerly a chantry; and contains a brass of two priests of 1399. The p. curacies of Dore and Holmesfield are separate benefices. There are an Independent chapel, a Baptist chapel, seven Methodist chapels, two free schools, and charities £149.
Dronfield through time
Dronfield is now part of North East Derbyshire district. Click here for graphs and data of how North East Derbyshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Dronfield itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Dronfield in North East Derbyshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/649
Date accessed: 05th November 2024
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