Tapton City - oldminer.co.uk

Some relevant emails after the map.

I forgot about this one so I have included some of the email I have had from people on the subject.

Dear Sydney and Neil,

I came across your website and images of Tapton City while trying to find more info on the place online.

My Grandma used to live in one of the very few house at Tapton City and I know she'd be thrilled if I could find a few pictures of the area as she has none and is always telling us about it.

On the maps there is something called 'the city' near the bottom - is this where Tapton city was located?

Sydney, where did you get those images from? Might there be others available do you know?

Are there any other websites like this for Chesterfield or Tapton?

I know it's a long shot but I thought I'd ask.

Many Thanks,

Lewis [mrlewislaney@gmail.com]

Hi, sorry to be so long in replying.

I showed the photo of Tapton city to my Mum and she was delighted to see it. She pointed out the house that she lived in and also the house where her Grandma lived.

My Mum (Sylvia nee Reddish) lived there from when she was born in 1933 until she was ten years old. Her Grandma’s surname was Harrison.

Mum recalls that the houses were simple “one up, one down” buildings. Water had to be fetched from a local spring. There was no electricity so oil lamps were used. The toilets were in a row at the bottom of a field. Mum used to walk through fields to attend a local school.

Interestingly, her neighbours were called Mr and Mrs Edes. Mum always assumed that the cottages were used to house farm labourers as there were farms all around the hamlet.

I hope some of this is of interest to you,

Best wishes,

Carol Barker. [carolbarker56@googlemail.com]

Neil

As far as I know it was just a farm and farm labourers’ cottages although why it was called ‘City’ I have no idea. However the ‘old shaft’ nearby may explain the need for the labourers’ cottages. I will make some enquiries.

Have you seen the photos of the houses before demolition on Picturethepast website?

Unfortunately the farm has recently been renovated.

I don’t suppose you have any information on ‘The Barracks’ in Brimington? I have a couple of photos of the houses with family members but nothing else?

Also are there any list of miners for each mine in Brimington?

Phil [philip.marsh2@btinternet.com]

I have been sent these scans by Sydney Jacklin (many thanks) has anyone any more information or did you live there. We would love to hear from you. (Neil).

Hello Neil

These comprised a short reminiscence from Walter Turton, which covered Tapton City and then an article I wrote on Tapton City, based on historical evidence. Miscellany 3 is still available to purchase – anyone interested should email our Chairman, Doug Spencer: douglas.spencer@topmail.co.uk.

The name ‘The City’ appears on Sanderson’s map of 1835, so construction of at least some of the buildings must predate that time. As I indentify in the article, the Census of 1841 indicates eight dwellings, but there is a variation in the number of houses reported over the years – the maximum being 10. There were some incidents of over-crowding. A particularly marked case was reported in 1897. In a house of only two rooms lived a man, his wife and their six children. Earlier, in 1861, the Census indicates one house with 15 occupants, one with 11, one with 10, one with eight, one with seven, one with six and two properties each with one person in occupation. One dwelling was unoccupied. At this date, split over the nine occupied houses, this makes a total of 63 people, of whom 45 were born in Ireland.

The historical article in Miscellany 3 also tells the story of how the properties were condemned just before the Second World War – but how that war saved them from demolition. Their time was finally up in 1953, when they were demolished, following a clearance order. A Mrs Widdowson had earlier reportedly spent her life savings on purchasing The City from the Ashton brothers.

The published account features a number of maps and a copy of the property plan from the Inland Revenue Field book (courtesy The National Archives), plus the painting and photograph carried on your website (courtesy of the owners).

My research was aided by Mr Turton (who unfortunately died in 2013) and also the daughter of one of the Ashtons and Mr H. Ede. I am currently working the latter two’s reminiscences up for articles in our next Miscellany (number 7), which is due out in January 2015. Subject to permission from The National Archives, I hope to reproduce the Borough Council’s clearance order plan, showing Tapton City on the eve of its demolition – with an explanation of what went where and who lived where – aided by the reminiscences. There will also be some more illustrations, including the two on the Picture the Past website (with their permission).

The name, ‘The City’ or ‘Tapton City’, by the way, appears to be nothing more than an ironical name.

I hope this information is of use to your readers. I do have a link with the area in that my wife used to live at City Farm, before it was redeveloped. I also lived there for a short time.

Philip Cousins