Recovery and Growth
Two Portraits of King Henry VII
Funeral effigy of King Henry VII made from his death mask. Henry VII's death mask showed a clean-shaven face, but he may have worn a beard in life, as shown in the new reconstruction.
Graphic artist Matt Loughrey produced the image of the deceased king from Henry VII's death mask, which was cast in 1509. Damage to the mask over time left Henry VII with a wandering eye and a flawed eyebrow, which Loughrey preserved in the reconstruction.
Henry VII's rule was marked by such wisdom that the war-ravaged nation experienced a rapid renaissance. Remarkable advancements and developments were evident in Derby. A new weir was erected in the river to optimise the efficiency of water mills. The riverbank embankments received necessary refurbishments. Moreover, two new gallows were raised in the town, likely as a preventive measure, rather than due to a surge in criminal activities. (we hope.)
Derby Weir looking towards Exeter Bridge and Cathedral in modern times
People tend to take the view from the weir for granted, but there is so much that signifies the prosperity of Derby in it. You observe the cathedral, the symbol of faith. The river, the symbol of life. You have the historical Exeter bridge used for trade and transport. In modern times, you can also include the building to the left, which is the council house, a representation of the people, law, and order. We can see a thriving ecosystem along the riverbank, with various species of birds, fish, and other animals, as well as trees and bushes which signify an environment that can sustain life. This abundance suggests a rich and fertile habitat, which is essential for growth and prosperity. This view is both a symbol of growth and history.
For a century, no repairs had been carried out on the churches, and they were in a poor state. Extensive reconstruction in the "perpendicular" style took place at St. Michael's and St. Peter's. The new windows were sizeable, featuring straight, upright mullions with crossbars, or transoms, dividing them into numerous oblong panes, though with less intricate tracery than those of earlier days. Low four-centred arches were added over doorways. Fine flat oak roofs replaced the steeply pitched ones from earlier times. A "squint," or peep-hole, can still be seen in the upper vestry at St. Peter's, allowing the clergy there to have a view of the high altar.
The most remarkable construction was the tower of All Saints (later Derby Cathedral). Great efforts were made to raise funds. The young people of the town contributed a substantial sum, enough, it was said, to raise the tower to the height of the inscription, "Young Men and Maidens," which you could read while walking up Irongate.
The Liversage Trust stands as the most ancient charitable institution in Derby, established in 1529 by Robert Liversage. Its primary purpose has been to assist "the poor" in the city, and for four centuries, it has offered housing in the shape of almshouses. It is noteworthy that, in a climate where numerous charities grapple with financial challenges and survival, the Liversage Trust endures.
Robert Liversage, a prosperous Derby dyer, made generous subscriptions. County residents, having an affection for All Saints', collected funds through "church ales," our ancestors' equivalent of bazaars. These were organised in Chaddesden, Brailsford, Wirksworth, and other villages. The people of Chaddesden held theirs in 1532, appointing Thomas Parker and Thomas Hornby as masters of the feast for the parish. They sought malt for beer and flour for cakes, organised games and other entertainments, with a notable "miracle play" as the chief attraction. The subject was a Bible story, and local residents acted out the play on a stage in the churchyard. Morris dancing and sports, including bear-baiting, followed. A significant number of participants were involved, as they raised a sum of twenty-five pounds (approximately £14,680.92 in today's currency).
In 1530 Robert Liversage established a chapel for divine service. Each Friday, thirteen poor men and women were paid a silver penny for attending. People fought to be among the thirteen. The Liversage Almshouses are nearby on London Road, the vicar and churchwardens being ex-officio trustees because Robert Liversage’s 1531 will bequeathed most of his property to benefit the parish poor.
The 12 Almshouses were to built at the edge of St Peter's Churchyard in pursuance of Robert Liversage's will. They were later demolished and replaced by the London Road Almshouses. The Liversage Almhouses are now retirement houses.
Meanwhile, the old steeple had been pulled down so that William Barrow and George Bowden of the town could start on the foundation (1510). John Otes was the master mason. They took twenty-five years, but it was a fine tower they made-the tallest in the country after Boston, it is said. With its three stages richly decorated, its great perpendicular windows, its slender ornate pinnacles, it is the most attractive and graceful in Derbyshire and the pride of Derby.
Irongate in Derby has been painted and photographed 100s of times over the years
King Henry VII's reign marked more than just a "return to normalcy" following the wars. Unbeknownst to the people of Derby, significant changes were underway beneath the surface. In 1474, Caxton had established a printing press in Westminster, and the Italian sailor Christopher Columbus had crossed the Atlantic to discover America. Whether any printed books had reached Derby or if the New World had been a topic of discussion in its taverns remains undocumented. However, printed books were on the verge of altering the perspective of Derby's residents, while America promised to expand their opportunities. The Reformation was only a few years away. Let's examine the state of our town-life and church-life on the eve of this "New Order."
The town enjoyed prosperity. Homes became more comfortable, with chimneys being added to the exteriors of houses. Wood fuel was becoming scarce, and around 1500, coal was first introduced to the town. Upon the passing of Johanna, the widow of a Derby burgess, a substantial estate was left behind, including numerous pairs of "flaxen" (linen) sheets, a feather bed, and silver spoons. Her wardrobe was extensive, featuring items like a green gown, a russet gown, and a violet gown. These dresses were voluminous and so long that they trailed on the ground. Among her cherished possessions mentioned in her will was a violet kirtle (petticoat) and her "best beauty Cap," likely one of the extravagant headdresses fashionable in the fifteenth century. During the Tudor era, clothing became a symbol of social class and affluence, subject to strict regulations governing what could be worn. These Sumptuary Laws aimed to preserve class distinctions by restricting the use of finer fabrics to the nobility. For instance, during Henry VIII's reign, only the king and his family could wear purple silk. Boys, beyond infancy, donned dresses until they were 6 or 7 years old. Older children wore miniature versions of their parents' attire. While less affluent boys began learning a trade, some more privileged boys continued their education in grammar schools.
Men were cleanshaven in early Tudor times. A gown was worn fashionably over the shoulder. Men wore close-fitting jackets, called doublets, which could be richly decorated. Women’s hair was swept back and kept tidy under a French hood. This was made popular by Queen Anne Boleyn, who had spent years living at the French court. The rich began to get a taste for imported sugar. This would later lead them to have rotten teeth. Well-dressed women wore heavy, floor-length gowns of velvet or silk. Clothes were often hard to move around in, showing that the wearer was wealthy enough not to have to do any physical work.
Noble Tudor boy
In Tudor times, childhood was often unpleasant and short-lived. It was commonly believed that physical punishment was an important part of bringing up children, both at home and at school. Adulthood came early. Noble girls could be married as early as 12 and boys at 14. From the age of just seven, some children left home to become apprentices or servants in rich people’s houses. Apprentices, who were mostly boys, were tied to their master by a strict oath (promise), and provided with a place to stay, food to eat, and the necessary clothes and tools. The apprentice assisted his master at work, gradually picking up the trade. Masters were often cruel and violent to the small boys who were already very weak from poverty and starvation. There are recorded instances of masters beating children brutally and the parents could not do anything as they were so poor and couldn’t risk their child losing employment. The class differences were strikingly completely different from one another.
A great example to get some idea of the difference in childhoods is this illustration of Mark Twain’s Prince and the Pauper
The Corporation assumed an additional responsibility and newfound importance when Henry VII dispatched a set of standard steelyards, a yardstick, and a bushel measure, with instructions to verify the accuracy of the weights and measures employed in the county.
The grain trade had grown to such an extent that a dedicated corn market was established.
The grain trade had grown to such an extent that a dedicated corn market was established.
Derby Cornmarket
John Shelton, the hermit responsible for repairing the road at St. Mary's Bridge and collecting tolls for the Corporation, was an exception in that he was married. St Mary’s Bridge Chapel served as the collection point for tolls levied on traffic entering Derby as it was the only crossing point of the River Derwent into the town. The hermit's responsibility was to collect the tolls of people and livestock crossing the bridge. The hagioscope, or squint, on the north wall would have been used to monitor traffic. It also could be used by passers-by to see the light indicating the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. The chapel is open to the public for several days every year.
On one occasion, while riding over the bridge from Nottingham, Robert Allen and William Thurkell, a goldsmith, refused to pay the toll, leading to a violent altercation with the hermit. The Corporation brought them before a Nottingham Court, where they were fined 6d.
Carriages were non-existent, and most people travelled on horseback. Those who were unwell or frail were transported on horse-litters, a type of hammock suspended between two horses. Women typically rode side-saddle or on a cushion behind their male companions. Goods were transported across the bridge by pack-horses or by boat up to the Morledge. Postal services were absent. Wealthy individuals and merchants dispatched messengers with urgent documents, while ordinary folks relied on friends who were travelling to carry their messages.
Carriages were non-existent, and most people travelled on horseback. Those who were unwell or frail were transported on horse-litters, a type of hammock suspended between two horses. Women typically rode side-saddle or on a cushion behind their male companions. Goods were transported across the bridge by pack-horses or by boat up to the Morledge. Postal services were absent. Wealthy individuals and merchants dispatched messengers with urgent documents, while ordinary folks relied on friends who were travelling to carry their messages.
The guilds played a significant role in enhancing the social life of common men. They served a purpose beyond regulating trade; they operated as clubs that organised church services, feasts, processions, and plays performed by their members. No other organisations or forms of entertainment existed at the time.
Each church held a parish meeting responsible for electing two churchwardens and a constable. On the three days preceding Ascension Day, known as Rogation Days, parishioners gathered for a church service and then walked along the parish boundaries, reciting litanies. The priest led the way, blessing the fields and their produce. At important landmarks along the boundary, such as well-known trees or stones, young boys were exhausted and provided with bread to ensure that when they grew up to be big strong men, they could remember the way, as there were no maps available.
The clergy enjoyed certain privileges that many people perceived as unjust. For instance, Friar John of Murend from the Friary faced theft charges. However, he could not be brought before the Borough Court for a standard trial. His case could only be adjudicated by the head of the Dominican Friars in Rome, who acquitted him. People had legitimate concerns, whether rightly or wrongly, about potential favouritism, leading to widespread calls for the abolition of ecclesiastical courts.
Ecclesiastical Court.
An ecclesiastical court, also called court Christian or court spiritual, is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters.
Much thought was given to funerals. Mrs. Johanna Holme left wax for candles to be lit around her bier. John Byrd, the tanner, provided six pounds of wax to be "burnt about my body when it shall please God I shall be buried." This was so usual that All Saints' kept large wax candles, called sepulchre serges, to be placed around bodies as they lay in state on biers (not in coffins then). John Byrd also left money to St. Werburgh's where he wished to be buried, and ordered that six gowns be given to six poor men. Johanna Holme also left a sum for the repair of St. Michael's, together with a linen sheet for the altar of Our Lady, and there she was buried. Robert Liversage, the town benefactor, founded a chapel in St. Peter's.
As such gifts accumulated, churches were furnished more and more richly. Even the little chapel on St. Mary's Bridge, where Sir John Dale was the parson who conducted services for travellers as they came and went, had fourteen named benefactors, of whom twelve were women. One of its vestments was a decorated coat of crimson velvet and another of blue which "my lady gave." There were several girdles, a ring and beads (rosaries) of coral and jet. For the altar there were towels and altar cloths, cushions and a chalice, as well as service or "mass" books. The chapel had a famous image of the Virgin Mary and Child provided with two coats of blue and covered with flowers, rings and other ornaments.
The finest Derby church at the eve of the Reformation was All Saints'. In the building which Robert Liversage attended much Norman work remained. It then had a nave, with aisles separated from the chancel by the Rood Screen, on the top of which was placed the great crucifix or Rood. Besides the high altar there were five others in side chapels; one in the north aisle next to the choir to Our Lady and others to St. Katherine, to the Passion, to Holy Trinity and to St. Nicholas, where Derby School boys looked after the candles. The nave had no chairs for the congregation as now; worshippers stood or walked about. There was a pew for the Bailiff, which the Recorder used, and one for the Assize Judge when he came on circuit, for All Saints' was the civic church. It is pleasing to note that the poor aged women from the almshouses, the Beadswomen as they were called, had seats in the chancel. There was a bachelor's "pew" as well as a "long seat" for maidens, a reading desk and pulpit. Besides the Rood there were many fine images in the old church, some on the altars and some in niches, including those of Our Lady of Pity, St.John the Baptist, St. Nicholas, St. Christopher and, of course, St. George, England's patron saint. Officiating priests wore special vestments on different occasions. Naturally, All Saints' had a large number, including a red cope (the long cloak worn in processions) for "work days" and a black cope with branches of gold on it. The sacred books included missals (prayer books), the gospels, the processionals which gave directions and prayers for processions on holy days-all hand-written in Latin by monks. The church had gold and silver chalices (cups) to hold the sacramental wine, silver censers in which incense was burnt before the altars and swung over the heads of the congregation. There was a silver pyx, or casket, with a rich cloth cover for the bread blessed by the priest; candlesticks of rare craftsmanship; chrismatories containing consecrated oil for anointing; a case of cloth of gold given by the lady of Kirk Langley to hold the fine linen cloth spread on the high altar during Mass. Nor was this all, for the altar of Holy Trinity had a cloth painted with flowers. There were crucifixes to be carried in procession. The church had a veil to cover crosses and images during Lent, which was lifted at Easter after the time of the Resurrection. For Lenten processions there was a simple silver cross, set with precious stones, to be carried instead of the crucifix. About the choir stalls two painted cloths, or pictures, were hung, one depicting stories of the "Old Law" (Old Testament) and the other scenes of the "New Law" (New Testament). Such splendid churches, so richly furnished, lit with the glow from stained-glass windows, we had in pre-Reformation days.
Derby Cathedral - then All Saints Church in the 1880s
A view into the sanctuary. The wall behind the altar has since been knocked through to build the retrochoir.
Derby residents had no inkling of the impending change. Just before this transformation, Johanna left funds to compensate her chaplain, Sir William Kay, for the purpose of conducting Masses for her soul, her husband's soul, her mother's soul, and her father's soul. Robert Liversage's will stipulated that his chaplain at St. Peter's, Robert Lay, along with future chaplains, should perform similar rites for his and Alice, his wife's, souls every Friday. Thirteen indigent men and women were to be present on each occasion, each of them receiving a silver penny.
Derby Cathedral bells
If you would like to hear the bells chime, please check out this link: Derby Bells