England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Bonsall St James

The Parish

The parish of Bonsall lies in the northern portion of central Derbyshire roughly 3 miles southwest of the market town and spa of Matlock. Bonsall sits a half mile north of the A5012 road, a linking road joining the A6 (Derby to Buxton) wth the A515 (Ashbourne to Buxton) roads. Bonsall is an upland parish in Derbyshire's limestone White Peak District, the village has a slightly curious form comprising an oval of rising lanes between the village proper and Upper Town to its west. A further tail of properties leads along the southeast running lane which connects the village with the A5012. As a consequence of its geology the parish would have had a diverse economy, the local limestone, of superior quality, was quarried extensively and also contained inclusions of zinc & lead ores which were highly prized. The sweet pastures that formed on the limestone gave excellent grazing for sheep in the main whilst within the village traditional frame-work processing of wool was augmented by a stone saw-mill for processing the quarried stone. Today's Bonsall is slightly more focussed on outdoor tourism with the area popular with hikers and criss-crossed by local trails, the Derwent is also a popular fishing river. Because the limestone was porous water largely flowed through the area's extensive cave systems before emerging into the nearby River Derwent which drained southwards, passing through Derby to meet the Trent close to Long Eaton, the Trent continues its leisurely way to the North Sea arriving through the Humber Estuary. Bonsall covers a wide range of altitudes from properties close to the A5012 at 140 metres above the to the church at 210 and Upper Town at 250 metres, land continues rising westwards onto Bonsall Moor which tops out at 367 metres above the sea. Bonsall parish was typically sized for a small upland parish covering just iver 2,300 acres and supporting a population of around 1,500 parishioners. In Domesday times Bonsall was a much smaller place, recovering from the waste induced by the "harrowing of the north" it lay in the hands of King William and offered 6 ploughs backed by meadows & woodland.

The Church

St James' church sits, appropriately enough, on Church Street in the eastern, lower, part of the village. It stands in what Pevsner rightly claims as a picturesque position on a steep hill overlooking the main part of the village and the intermittent stream of Bonsall Brook. The church is mainly a product of the 13th and 14th centuries but was extensively restored and modified in a typical Victorian restoration. The earliest parts remaining, both 13th century and Early English Gothic, are the chancel, albeit rebuilt reusing the original material and style, complete with lancet styled windows and also the southern arcade with quatrefoil piers and plain moulded capitals. The northern equivalent aisle is later and from the early 14th century, Decorated styling takes over for this piece. Also from this period is the main doorway and southwestern porch. The church's standout piece is, however, its elegant Perpendicular styled western tower complete with battlements, pinnacles and an usual spire, fashioned with twin ornamental bands around it. The main Victorian restoration came in 1862-3 and was a thorough work rebuilding much of the walls of the chancel and replacing many of the pre-existing windows. Church Street is widened either side of the attractive lychgate to allow a few cars to safely park on-street, the lychgate grants entry to a churchyard which will slightly disappoint the photographer as the favoured southern aspects are beset by trees, given it is also rather compact limits the distance one can retreat to encompass fully that impressive tower & spire.