20 DENBY OLD HALL AND ITS OWNERS. 



The coal lease became a matter of law in 1772, when the 

 Strelleys disputed the colliery rights of Francis Green under 

 Thomas Robey's will. At that time John Barber was represen- 

 tative of the orignal lessee and sold his lease to Mr. Lowe. 



In 1774 Francis Green, of Wigwell Hall, Wirksworth, and 

 Robert Strelley, then of Wirksworth, sold timber on the estates 

 at Denby, Pinxton, Normanton, and Heage to Richard Lowe, 

 of King Street, St. Pancras, Covent Garden, co. Middlesex. 



Robert Strelley seems to have made great efforts to free the 

 impoverished estates, which had suffered so severely through the 

 dissipations of his spendthrift grandfather. 



He married Elizabeth, daughter and co-heiress of Richard 

 Clayton, the younger, of Codnor Breach, who brought to him 

 the Waingroves estate. Elizabeth Clayton was born November 

 14th, 1746, and died November 21st, 1833. 



The children of Robert and Elizabeth Strelley were Robert, 

 Benjamin, Alice, Jemima, Grace, and Lucy. 



Thomas dying unmarried, Benjamin inherited the Oaker- 

 thorpe and Waingroves estates. 



The Denby estate was bequeathed to the daughters in equal 

 shares. 



Alice married the Rev. Jervase Brown and died without issue 

 about 1822. 



Jemima married Benjamin Pattison and died September 23rd, 

 1849, aged seventy-four. She had one son, Douglas Strelley, 

 who pre-deceased her, dying, unmarried, July 13th, 1837, aged 

 eighteen. 



Grace married twice : first at Pentrich, Robert Parker, of 

 Whalley, co. Lancaster. The children of this marriage were 

 Robert Strelley, Elizabeth, and Lucy. Robert Strelley Parker 

 made an interesting collection of documents and notes relating 

 to Denby and the neighbourhood, which is now in the possession 

 of Miss Gregory. Secondly, at All Saints', Loughborough, she 

 married Thomas Davenport, by whom she had one daughter, 

 Georgiana Grace. This daughter married, at Denby, William 

 Eckersley, of Brookhouse, St. Helens, co. Lancaster. The 



