Introduction

Baslow, with Bubnell, was an agricultural village with most of the property under the control of the Duke of Rutland as Lord of the manor. This paper looks at the few persons identified by the Censuses of 1841 to 1901 as owners of Businesses and Dealers. Farmers, Retailers and Tradesmen, who are described as “employers” are not included.

It should be remembered that each Census is a snapshot of one day every ten years: nothing between Censuses is recorded.

There are two distinct groups, Locals and “Newcomers”:

Group 1. Local Villagers

Every person in this group was born in the village, except one who married a local girl. In each instance their work remained within the village.

Only one person owned premises. Samuel Hibbert, a Carpenter & Builder who lived at White Lodge, had a Secondary Occupation as a Quarry Owner in 1891 and 1901. Possible sites for the Quarry are Bar Road and Robin Hood but it could have been out of the village.

Robert Marples ran the Sawmill at Heathy Lea. In 1881 and 1891 he was also described at a Dealer in Timber.

Richard Geeson, a Carpenter in 1841, was an Ale and Porter Dealer in 1851. He subsequently built The Alma in 1854, which he and his family ran as a Beer House for the next half century

William Hattersley - a well to do tenant farmer in Bubnell is recorded in 1861 as a Millstone Merchant. It is not clear whether he is exporting millstones long after the collapse of local industry, or importing from elsewhere

Charles Ollivant, the Publican at Robin Hood, ran a small farm, and is quoted in 1881 as a Hay and Straw Dealer.

The other two were probable small scale in operation. Miss Mary Marples, who took in Lodgers, was as a Flour Dealer in 1851. Albert Barker, a resident of Bubnell, had a variety of occupations, Handloom Weaver, Labourer, Grocer, and in 1871, Balm Dealer.

Group 2. “Newcomers”

The newcomers were all born well outside the village and none had relatives locally, except for two young Engineers who were sons of Professionals who had moved into the village.

In 1861 John Howard, a Cotton Spinner born in Staley Bridge, was boarding at the Peacock in 1861, and was probably on holiday rather than working.

John Halliwell and family was resiident in Bubnell from 1861 to 1891: he was a Wholesaler, described as a Wool Stapler (1861) and a Wool Buyer (1871).

There were two traders, an Agent in the Wine Trade in 1881 and an Engineers Traveller in 1891.

In 1891 and 1901, several well to do Manufacturers and Engineers had moved into the village. It is likely that they all owned significant businesses, probably in Sheffield:

Baslow had become a Commuter Village...

Conclusion

There were few Businessmen or Dealers amongst the long term residents of Baslow. All those identified in the Census have been recorded, and noted in detail to emphasise how few there were. Commuting to work started in Baslow around 1890.

The above information was contributed by David Dalrymple-Smith in January 2006.