1 8 History of the English Landed Interest. 



the Conquest, was roofed with Derb3^shire lead.^ One or other 

 of the earlier Norman sovereigns must have granted this part of 

 England, together with the title of Duke of Lancaster, to some 

 favoured subject ; and the Derbyshire lead-mines would thus 

 have passed for a time into private seignorial hands, until in 

 the reign of Edward IV. the Duchy, with its jura regalia, once 

 again became Crown property. 



From the Conquest to the middle of the fifteenth century 

 we have little information of the Derbyshire lead industry ; and 

 when next we examine the records, the mineral duties of work- 

 ings north of the Trent are found to be leased by the Crown to 

 landed capitalists, such as Richard, Earl of Warwick, and John, 

 Earl of Northumberland. In 1580 the mineral royalties in 

 the Wapentake of Wirksworth are in lease to Messrs. Warren 

 and Skelton ; in 1609 to Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury ; in 1624 

 to Robert Parker, next to David Ramsay, then to Edward 

 Vernon. The length of these leases varies, that to Lord 

 Warwick being for forty years, that in 1624 to Robert Parker 

 for thirty-one years, and that in 1664 to Edward Vernon only 

 for seven j^ears. The terms of letting also differed, Robert 

 Parker paying an annual rent of £72, as well as £1 6s. 8fZ. for 

 the barmaster's salary, and Edward Vernon paying £144 per 

 annum, together with £2 13«. \d. for the barmaster's salary. 

 At the death of Charles II., the revenues from the Duchy of 

 Lancaster became the dowry of Queen Catherine, who leased 

 the lead mines in the Wirksworth Wapentake to Robert 

 Freeman for thirty-one years. 



In the century now under discussion we find Elizabeth, 

 widow of Hugh, Lord Clifford, in possession of two-thirds of 

 the mineral duties, office of barmaster, etc., which she obtained 

 as a grant from Denzil, Lord Holies, and other trustees of 

 Queen Catherine. These she leased to Mr. James Milnes 

 and certain individuals for a term of three 3-ears. A certain 

 Mr. Rolls obtained a lease in 1753, and in 1809 Richard Ark- 

 wright, Esq., succeeded Mr. Rolls by purchase : and the lease of 

 the mineral dues from the Duchy of Lancaster for the Wapen- 



* Pilkington's Derbyshire. 2nd ed.. ch. iii. 



