8 NOTES ON OLD BELPER AND OLD BELPER BOOKS. 



On the title-page is a wood-cut of armorial benrings, supposed 

 to have belonged to John of Gaunt. They are well drawn, 

 and taken from an old carved stone obtained from the old 

 bridge over the Derwent, taken down in the year J 791. This 

 bridge is said to have been founded by John of Gaunt, at 

 the same time as the old chapel of St. John the Baptist. 

 Both statements must be regarded with considerable doubt.* 

 In the case of the bridge, a century at least after John of 

 Gaunt had passed away, a warrant was issued in the reign of 

 Henry VI., "to pay twenty pounds towards building anew bridge 

 over the Derwent for the benefit of the tenants of Beaurepaire." 

 This bridge subsequently became a county bridge, and in the year 

 1 7 14, it is recorded in the county archives that repairs were exe- 

 cuted by Mr. John Low, at a cost to the county of ;^3i 17s. 2d. 

 The armorial stone, a drawing of which is here shown, is still to 

 be seen in the gable of a house in Belper Lane. The old bridge, 

 after its centuries of useful work, was replaced by the present 

 strong and handsome structure, the builder being Mr. Benjamin 

 Marshall, who resided, in his later years, in the largest of the 

 houses just beyond the East Lodge in Belper Lane. Mr. Marshall, 

 being the builder of the bridge, will easily explain the stone 

 coming into his possession. 



Among the County Records is a note book of Thomas Sykes, 

 who held the office of surveyor of bridges and other public works 

 for the county from 1786 to 1816. It contains the following 

 curiously spelt copy of the specification for the buildmg of the 

 new bridge at Belper : — 



* The chapel is, beyond any question, of far older date than John of Gaunt, 

 being of 13th century date. It may possibly have been built by Edmund, 

 Earl of Lancaster, second son of Henry IV., who died in 1296, seized inter- 

 alia of the manor of Beaurepaire (Belper), where he had a capital mansion. 

 It has been conjectured that he built both manor house and chapel, and gave 

 to what is said to have been a favourite hunting resort the name of Beau- 

 repaire from its beautiful situation. The arms on '.he stone from the old 

 bridge, whatever they maybe, have no kind of connection with John of Gaunt. 

 The carving seems to be of 15th century date ; the stone was probably placed 

 there when the bridge was rebuilt temp. I Henry VI., being the arms of its 

 chief benefactor. A bend between three quatrefoils might pertain to so many 

 families that conjectures are useless. — Editor. 



