Evolution: Government Census, First Resident, First Cottages,Timeline.

Until the mid 1800s the eminence that was Harpur Hill at 1470ft (448m) above sea level was surrounded by a scattering of farms, small quarries and makeshift lime kilns.

The origin of the name is uncertain but in 1593 the Lord of Alstonfield, Sir John Harpur, owned large estates around Longnor. In 1717 a later Sir John Harpur was also a landlord in the area.
In 1789 large areas of the Harpur estate were granted to the Duke of Devonshire, who later held Harpur Hill.

In 1835 following the construction of the Cromford and High Peak Railway, large scale quarrying operations began at Harpur Hill and the first kilns were built there.

The government census of 1861 was the first to list a residence as “Harpur Hill” and by the turn of the century the cottages built to house quarry workers along the old “lime road” had become a village community.

Government Census

• The national decennial censuses of the general population started in 1801

• The 1841 Census was the first to register names of all the individuals in a household or institution.

• Public access to individual census returns in England and Wales is normally restricted under the terms of the 100-year rule

• Harpur Hill is registered under the “Township” of Hartington Upper Quarter

  Pages 1 & 2 from the 1841 Hartington Upper Quarter Census are shown below as an example.

In 1901 another category was added to the Census!

In 1841 Harpur Hill is still only a hill.

First registered Harpur Hill resident!

Not until the census of 1861 (shown below) is “Harpur Hill” entered as a residence.

At 31 Harpur Hill (note 32,33 are for some reason not ticked as inhabited)

Luke Bradley 41 lives as head and works as a “lab’r employed at lime works”.

 

The exact location of 31 Harpur Hill has not been established although it is listed between Burlow and Ferney Bottom. However in 1871 Luke is living in Burlow, most likely the same location.

 First cottages to be built.

The following table shows census entries between 1841 and 1911.
These are not the total entries for Hartington Upper Quarter but those within the boundaries of Brookbottom, Sherbrook, Hillhead and Heathfield Nook.
All the spellings are as written in each census
For some reason several dwellings are not included in the census every year.
Each year houses are listed in the census in different orders making it difficult to pinpoint their exact locations.

Until 1911 censuses list dwellings numerically ie “35 Harpur Hill” rather than naming the row of cottages, however tracing the names of the people through all the censuses can identify the location of the houses. By doing this Old Row and Cross Row (along Grinlow Road) are shown to be the 13 dwellings (14 being a Tavern) recorded in the 1871 census, the first cottages to have been built in Harpur Hill.