8o THE LOST MANOR OF MESTESFORDE. 



According to the Rev. Dr. Cox,* there were a church and 

 rectory at Matlock in 1291, but he had reason tO' believe that 

 the church had then existed for some time. 



It is proposed now to show that the present boundaries of 

 Matlock are coterminous with those of Mestesforde, and its 

 berewick of Meslach, which, since the change of name, has 

 disappeared. Taking the Ordnance plan, and beginning on 

 the north-east, we have — 



I. Ashover. 



2 Tansley (in Crich). 



3. Dethick and Lea. 



Here comes the river Derwent, which, for some 

 distance forms the southern boundary. South-west 

 of this is 



4. Cromford. 



Ascending, still on the west, to the north of Crom- 

 ford, is 



5. Bonsall, 



which the boundary leaves to the west, going north 

 over Masson Hill, and passing 



6. Wensley and Snitterton (now one parish). 



Crossing the valley of the Derwent and the river 

 itself, the line rOns to 



7. Farley (then, as now, part of Darley) and 



8. Darley. 



Across Darley and Matlock moors it runs, north 

 inclining to the east, till we come back to the 

 place from whence we started, namely, the boundary 

 of Ashover, at Canada Nursery. 

 In the Domesday Book we have all these places outside the 

 boundaries of Mestesforde and its berewick Meslach, thus — 



1. Essovre, 



which belonged to Ralph Fitzhubert. 



2. Teneslege (then, as now, in Crich), but a berewick 



of Mestesforde (i.) 

 * Churches of Derbyshire, '^oX. II., p. 517. 



