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St Peter's Church,
Chatsworth Estate,
Edensor, Derbyshire.

Cemeteries

This Church has (or had) a graveyard.

Note: any church within an urban environment may have had its graveyard closed after the Burial Act of 1853. Any new church built after that is unlikely to have had a graveyard at all.

Church History

This Place of Worship was founded in the 14th century, and we understand it is still open.

Kelly's Directory of 1932 describes Edensor as a township, parish and village, just outside Chatsworth park, 3 miles from Hassop station, on the Midland section of the London, Midland and Scottish railway, 2½ east-north-east from Bakewell and 8½ from Matlock. The church of St Peter, "standing on an eminence and approached by a flight of steps, was almost entirely rebuilt under the direction of Sir G. Gilbert Scott R.A. in 1867". It consists of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch, bell-cote on the eastern gable of the nave, and a tower at the west end with lofty broach spire, containing 6 bells, partly recast from the former 4 bells in 1867, one of which, dated 1669, is now hung over the stables at Chatsworth.

The nave is separated from the aisles by arcades of four arches, several of these, as well as the ancient Norman columns, being part of the original church. The south porch retains portions of Norman work, and several ancient slabs, with incised crosses, have been built into it.

The return to the Religious Census of 1851 (HO 129/449/1/21/37) for "Edensor Church", records an estimated congregation on March 30th of 157 in the morning, with a class of 54 Sunday Scholars. It was completed by Henry J. Ellison, the Vicar, who gave his address as "Edensor, Bakewell".

This was of course compiled before the Church was rebuilt. Probably the most notable difference between then and now is that it had a tower, and no spire. Those interested in a fuller description may wish to consult pp.552-553 of White's 1857 Directory of Derbyshire, transcribed by Neil Wilson.

Many of the monuments were, of course transferred, including a brass, now set against the north wall of the chancel, with an inscription and effigy to James Beton, Comptroller of the Household to Mary Queen of Scots, who died in 1570, during the time the Queen was a prisoner at Chatsworth House - of dysentery, aged 32. The brass was erected by his brothers, James, Archbishop of Glasgow, and Andrew, Ambassador to France. On the north side is a brass to Mr John Philips, of Chatsworth (1735) and in the chancel is a memorial window to Lord Frederick Charles Cavendish P.C. M.P. Chief Secretary for Ireland, assassinated in Phoenix park, Dublin, in 1882.

The parish register dates from 1540, "and is in fair condition". The living was (in 1932) a vicarage in the gift of the Duke of Devonshire, and had been held since 1918 by the Rev. William Horace Foster Pegg M.A. of University College, Oxford.

Interested researchers may also wish to know there is a transcription of Memorials in the Churchyard available on the website of the Rev. Clive Thrower, a former vicar of a group of neighbouring parishes.

There may be more information available by by selecting one or more of the accompanying images on the right.

Denomination

Now or formerly Church of England.

If more than one congregation has worshipped here, or its congregation has united with others, in most cases this will record its original dedication.

Maps

This Church is located at OS grid reference SK2507969898. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• St Peter's Church, Edensor shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Edensor shown on a Google Map.
• Streetmap.co.uk (arrow on map shows the Place of Worship's location) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Bing (Ordnance Survey option) (verified 2018-10-13)
• Bing Maps ('Bird's Eye' View) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Ordnance Survey "getamap" (NB some of the 'Change Map' options may require a subscription) (verified 2018-10-15)
• OpenStreetMap (Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA) (verified 2018-10-15)
• A Vision of Britain Through Time - useful for Boundary Changes (verified 2018-10-15)
• www.magic.gov.uk (Modern Maps with various overlays) (verified 2018-10-15)

Resources

I have found many websites of use whilst compiling the information for this database. Here are some which deserve mention as being of special interest for Edensor, and perhaps to Local History and Places of Worship as a whole.

• A full transcription of White's 1857 Directory of Derbyshire (null) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Transcriptions of Memorials in Ashford, Sheldon, Great Longstone, Wardlow Churchyards, by courtesy of a former vicar - Rev. Clive Thrower (null) (verified 2018-12-08)

The above links were selected and reviewed at the time I prepared the information, but please be aware their content may vary, or disappear entirely. These factors are outside my control.