Identifier: countiesofenglan01ditc (find matches)
Title: The counties of England, their story and antiquities
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson), 1854-1930
Subjects: Great Britain -- History England -- Antiquities
Publisher: London : G. Allen
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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His strong castle of Duffield was destroyed,
its ruins used as a quarry, and its foundations left and
buried until they were discovered twenty-five years ago.
After these scenes of violence an era of peace settled
upon the shire. It cultivated its trade in wool, developed
its lead mines in a small way, and monarchs came to
visit it, to sojourn in its castles and hunt in its forests.
There was a royal hunting lodge at Ravensdale.
Henry UI. was at the Peak in 1264. Edward I. on his
way to Wales stayed at Tideswell, where the great
" Cathedral of the Peak" was soon to arise and displace
the church he found there. Derbyshire men were such
great fighters that their aid was much sought in the
Scotch and Welsh wars. The custody of the Peak was
held by divers persons of importance. In 1290 the
claimant to the Scottish crown, John Balliol, held it. In
this case, as in other counties, Scottish sovereigns held
estates in England, and did homage to the King of
England for them; but when differences arose between
the two countries lands and titles held by kings, or

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REVOLUTION houfe at WHITTINGTON

DERBYSHIRE 147

would-be kings, across the Border, were confiscated.
Edward II. appointed his iniquitous favourite, Piers
Gaveston, to the custody of the Peak, and when
Edward III. marched northwards he was accompanied
by many Derbyshire archers and men-at-arms who did
good service against the Scots. Not many were
summoned for the French Wars, as they were required
at home to protect the north against Scottish raids.
Happily they were not required, and peace endured for
some time. When Hotspur and his northern warriors
joined with the Welsh against Henry IV., the King
visited the shire, and at Derby in 1403 summoned many
squires and men-at-arms to fight at the great battle at
Shrewsbury, where several were slain. Among the
gallant Derbyshire men who distinguished themselves at
Agincourt or on other fields of battle were the Greys
of Codnor, the Foljambes, Cokaynes, Curzons, Fitz-
Herberts, Blounts, Langfords, Leaches of Chatsworth,
and Beresfords of Fenny Bentley. Like their neighbours
in Cheshire the gentry of the county were often very much
in Cheshire the gentry of the county were often very much
frequently contended amongst themselves.

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