LEABROOKS

THE EARLY HISTORY
SHOPS & BUSINESSES
LEABROOKS CEMETERY

1. THE EARLY HISTORY

A small stream named the Lee or Ley Brook rose on land called The Lees, near Sleetmoor Lane and ran southward passing by the area once occupied by the Leabrooks Miners Welfare [now the Oakes housing estate] and onward toward Butterley Reservoir. Sleetmoor Lane was known as Lee Lane for centuries before taking its more modern name from Sleight Moor further along its route. In the early 1800’s two fields sited close to where the school sportsground now stands were called Great and Little Ley Brook Closes and Leabrooks derives its name from these. In documents from the 19th century the name is spelled Lee Brooks or Ley Brooks, before maps and road signs standardised the name to the familiar spelling today. The Derby Mercury published on 2 February 1815 printed a notice regarding the “Alfreton Inclosure”, which contains what is probably one of the earliest references to the hamlet:- “Alfreton Inclosure - … Another Public Footway from Greenhill Lane Common to Somercoates Common, over Closes called the Pingle, Great Ley Brooks, Little Ley Brooks and Common Close, in the occupation of Joseph Dawes”.

Leabrooks today is surrounded by the villages of Somercotes, Riddings and Swanwick and almost all of the land has been developed. Before the area was developed, the road from Somercotes through to Leabrooks Corner was known as Greenhill Lane Road, but this changed as the land was settled. The history of its development is not clear, although in ancient times most communities were established on cross roads or other junctions, and it is probable that the first dwelling houses were built around Leabrooks Corner. The stone cottage standing now on the corner was once a blacksmiths and is listed as such on a map dated to 1884. The Three Horse Shoes public house is also likely to be one of the first buildings erected in Leabrooks, standing as it does directly at the head of the junction.

The population of the area grew as the need for workers in the local collieries and ironworks increased. It is almost certain that Leabrooks developed around the same time as Somercotes Common, with most houses being built to house colliers and ironworkers. The hamlet itself probably dates from the 19th century with very little information existing prior to the 1850’s. It is due to the development in tandem with its neighbouring villages that Leabrooks continues to have a separate identity to this day, and why it was not absorbed into Riddings or Somercotes, as the hamlet of Greenhill Lane was, for example.

Certainly by the mid-1850’s building had begun and land was being sold for development. This can be seen in a notice for an auction published in the Derby Mercury of 27 December 1854. Lot 3 of the auction consisted of “…All that good, substantial and well-built Messuage or Dwelling House, Garden and Premises, situate at Ley Brooks, in the Parish of Alfreton, in the occupation of Thomas Stimpson” while Lots 4 and 5 included “…All those Six Messuages or Dwelling Houses, situate at and being at Ley Brooks aforesaid, in the several occupations of Jonathan Gee and others…” and “…All that Messuage or Dwelling House situate at Ley Brooks aforesaid, in the occupation of Patrick Parkin…”

The steady growth of the hamlet can also be seen in an article published in the Derby Mercury on 18 September 1867, which related to a licence application for James Cartledge, then landlord of the Three Horse Shoes public house. The report stated that “…There are about 500 inhabitants in Leebrooks and within 200 yards of Mr. Cartledge’s house…”

By the time the map of 1884 was drawn, many houses had already been built between Cemetery Road [which did not exist at the time] through to the old colliery railway line, which delineated the boundary between Leabrooks and Swanwick. A small number of houses were also built on Bridle Lane and Chapel Street. Only that side of the road had been developed, with fields existing on the opposite side [the one exception being the Smithy]. Leabrooks House was also noted in 1884. This property is now located on Leabrooks Road, Somercotes, but its name surely implies that at one time it may have been considered to have been within the hamlet of Leabrooks itself.

2. SHOPS & BUSINESSES

Unlike its neighbours Leabrooks had no heavy industry but it did have a surprising number of shops and small businesses that were established to serve the small community. These have nearly all vanished.

By the time that White’s Trade Directory was published in 1876, many businesses had opened in Leabrooks, although no actual street addresses were given:

ASKEW, Thomas – Grocer
BAKEWELL, John – Grocer and Brickmaker
BEET, George – Grocer
CARLIN, Joseph – Baker, [dealer in flour, linseed cake, Indian and horse corn and all kinds of pig]
CARTLEDGE, Joseph – Postmaster and Shopkeeper
CARTLEDGE, James – Beer retailer [James was the landlord of the Three Horse Shoes Inn]
HUBBALL, Joseph – Shopkeeper
NEED, William – Tailor
SOAR, Thomas – Draper and Clothier
TAYLOR, William - Shopkeeper

The growth of Leabrooks can, perhaps, best be seen by comparing the number of businesses in 1876 with those of nearly fifty years later in 1925:

JAMES, Edna – Teacher of Music
ARGYLE, Ethel – Draper
ATKINS, Henry – Farmer
BALL, Frederick – Sub-postmaster and General Dealer
CASTLEDINE, Albert – Tailor [Albert’s address was given as Cemetery Road]
CATER, James – Shopkeeper
COPE, Harry George – Hardware Dealer
FOX, Thomas – Hardware Dealer [Thomas’s address was given as chapel Street]
GENDERS, John – Hairdresser
HOLMES, Ernest – Newsagent
HOLT, Ernest A – Beer Retailer
HOWE, Alfred – Carter
JEFFRIES, Charles – Shopkeeper
KNOWLES, Ernest – Pork Butcher
MACHIN, Thomas & Co. – China Dealer
MATTHEWS, Thomas – Slater
PARKES, Thomas – Fried Fish Dealer
PARKIN, Ernest – Grocer
PARKIN, Leonard – Shopkeeper
PARKIN, Samuel – Greengrocer
PARKIN, Thomas – Builder
SCOTT, William – Draper
SHAW, F & H, & Bros. – Machine Tool Makers, Lathes & Drilling Machine Suppliers
STIRLAND, Arthur – Beer Retailer
TAYLOR, Owen – Butcher
WHETTON, Samuel – Shopkeeper
WHITBY, George Albert – Bricklayer
WIDDOWSON, William – Bootmaker
WRIGHT, Henry - Confectioner

In the mid to late 20th century the shops and businesses in Leabrooks flourished. Several of the family names listed in 1925 are recognisable by the older generation even today, notably Owen Taylor’s, whose business was established in 1922 and is one of the oldest surviving in the parish.

3. LEABROOKS CEMETERY

A new cemetery for the Riddings, Somercotes and Swanwick Wards had been discussed by the Alfreton Urban District Council in the early 1890s and a Council committee was established to discuss the creation of a cemetery at Leabrooks. In January 1895 members of the Somercotes, Riddings and Swanwick wards were appointed to the committee. A report of the Committee was placed before the Council in May the same year and was read and adopted. The cemetery was to be built on land which was purchased from a charitable trust, and as well as the cemetery itself, a cemetery chapel was also erected in the grounds.

The Derbyshire Times & Chesterfield Herald of 1st June 1895 reported that: “A meeting of the members of the Somercotes, Riddings and Swanwick wards of the Alfreton Urban District Council was held at the Council offices on Monday evening. The business of the meeting was to appoint a sexton for the Lea Brooks Cemetery. There were about 20 applications for the post, and the choice ultimately fell upon Mr John Whilde, of Lea Brooks, whose tender was at the rate of 6s. per grave. A resolution was passed that the Cemetery Committee recommend the Council through the clerk to invite the Bishop of Southwell to dedicate the cemetery on Saturday, July 6th, 3.30 in afternoon.” A Sexton is a person who is employed to look after a church or graveyard, and also acts as a gravedigger. John Whilde lived on Bridle Lane, Leabrooks, close to the cemetery. He was born in 1837 within the parish and at the time of the census return taken in 1901 was still the Sexton.

PHOTO: Leabrooks Cemetery Gate. The photograph is thought to date from the 1920s.

The Bishop of Southwell had previously dedicated the new Alfreton Cemetery, located off Rodgers Lane, so it must have been assumed by the Cemetery Committee that the invitation would be a formality. As things turned out, however, the invitation drew criticism from the incumbent vicars of the three council wards represented by the committee and for which the cemetery had been established. The vicars of Riddings, Somercotes and Swanwick seem to have objected to not having at least a part of the cemetery consecrated as Holy ground. The Nottinghamshire Guardian, published on 6th July 1895 [the day scheduled for the opening], reported fully on the matter: “A NEW CEMETERY AT ALFRETON - The Alfreton Urban District Council has completed the laying out of a new cemetery at Leabrooks, for the use of the inhabitants of the Riddings and Somercotes and the Swanwick Wards. The Council has refused to allow a part of the ground to be consecrated, in accordance with the wishes of the Church men of the district. It decided that it would be enough to ‘dedicate’ the new cemetery, and the Bishop of Southwell was asked to perform the ceremony. The bishop has replied as follows to the clerk:-

‘Diocese of Southwell. Secretary's Offices, 24, Low Pavement. Nottingham. Sir, - I am directed by the Lord Bishop of Southwell to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th ultimo, in which you ask his lordship to formally dedicate the cemetery which has been established by the Alfreton Urban District Council at Leabrooks, in the ecclesiastical parish of Riddings. In reply, I am to say that it appears that the Church people of the district strongly desire to have a portion of the ground consecrated for their use, and are of opinion that their rights will be infringed by such ceremony as is proposed. The Bishop of Southwell cannot, under these circumstances, take part in a service which is opposed to the wishes and ignores the rights of the Church people of the parish, and his lordship expresses a hope that the District Council may, on further consideration, be able to provide for the consecration of a portion of the ground in the usual and legal way.— l have the honour to be, sir, your faithful and obedient servant, D’Otley R Ransom.’

It has been decided by the Cemetery Committee to invite all the Nonconformist ministers represented in the parish to take part in the ceremony of opening the cemetery.”

As mentioned in the newspaper article, the cemetery committee did not change their opinion and turned to the Nonconformist Churches to act in lieu of the Anglican Church. The Derby Daily Telegraph published on 8th July 1895 reported on the opening and dedication: “THE NEW CEMETERY AT LEABROOKS - ‘DEDICATION’ OR ‘CONSECRATION.’ - NONCONFORMISTS ACT IN PLACE OF THE BISHOP. A correspondent writes Saturday, a new cemetery, provided by the Alfreton District Council, was opened at Leabrooks, in the parish of Alfreton. The Cemetery Committee, composed of the Council members for the two wards {Riddings and Swanwick), for which the cemetery was provided, had resolved that the whole of the ground should be ‘dedicated,’ and none of it ‘consecrated.’ This was the course pursued a short time ago in the case of the Alfreton cemetery; but the Bishop of Southwell, who then expressed his approval of ‘dedication’ in preference to ‘consecration’ is believed to have allowed himself, in the case of the Lea Brooks cemetery, to be so far influenced by the opposition of the three local clergymen as to refuse to perform the dedication service unless some part were consecrated. The Council then requested the Nonconformist ministers labouring within the two wards to conduct the service. Accordingly, at 3.30p.m., on Saturday, in the presence of a large number of people, short services were held first in the new Cemetery Chapel, and then the ground outside. In the chapel prayer was offered by the Rev. T. Archer (Primitive Methodist), and an address given by the Rev. G. Dorcy (Wesleyan). At the open air meeting the Rev. W. Carey Sage (Baptist) read the Scriptures, the Rev. E. T. Harris (Free Methodist) offered prayer, and the Rev. J. W. Race (Congregationalist and senior Nonconformist minister in the district) delivered an address. The Rev. T. Scrimshaw (Primitive Methodist) gave out the hymns, and the Rev. Gregory pronounced the Benediction. Mr. Bown, chairman of the District Council, related the circumstances which led to the providing of the cemetery, which he formally declared to be now open. Mr. Councillor Diamond (a Unionist in politics), in proposing a vote of thanks to the ministers, mentioned that all the Council members for the two wards concerned were unanimous in their decision to the dedication of the cemetery. Mr. Councillor Shaw, in seconding, mentioned that the Council and the public were indebted to Mr. Neale, of Green Hill Lane, for selecting the very suitable site for the new cemetery. It may be well to mention that the ground is acquired from the trustees of a local charity, so that the amount available to be distributed among the poor will greatly increased.”

The funds for the cemetery had been made available by the council taking out a 30 year mortgage on the land, which was dated 5th May 1893. The full amount was £2,500, a considerable sum at the time, but this presumably also included the building of the cemetery chapel. The Derbyshire Times & Chesterfield Herald reported on 8th August 1896 that the outstanding amount at the time was £2401.9s and that the mortgage would expire in 1923.

PHOTO: Leabrooks Cemetery Chapel [2019]

There are several extensive newspaper reports regarding the opening and dedication of the cemetery, but surprisingly no details are available regarding the first burials, although it can be assumed that they would have occurred very shortly after the official opening.

Several soldiers who died as a result of injuries or illness received during service in the First and Second World Wars are buried at Leabrooks and as such it is also listed as a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery. The majority of the headstones used to mark their graves are of the standard CWGC pattern, and can therefore be easily identified.