ILKESTON, in the hundred of Morleston and Litchurch and in the deanery of Derby is a small market-town on the borders of Nottinghamshire, nine miles from Derby, eight from Nottingham, and one hundred and twenty-eight from London. The market was granted, in 1251, to Hugh de Cantelupec, to be held on Thursdays, with a fair for two days at the festival of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The market has not been wholly discontinued; it is still held occasionally on Thursdays, for fruit and vegetables. There are two cattle fairs, on the sixth of March and Thurs-day in Whitsun-week.
The hamlets or villages of Cotman-hay and Little-Hallam are in this parish.
The manor of Ilkeston (Tilchestune) was, when the Survey of Domesday was taken, held by one Malger, under Gilbert de Gand, nephew to William the Conqueror. This Gilbert, in the reign of Henry I. gave the manor of Ilkeston to his steward, Sir Robert de Muskam. After four descents the heiress of Muskam married Sir Ralph de Greseley, of Greseley in Nottinghamshire. Eustachia, the daughter of Sir Ralph, and eventually sole heiress of her brother Hugh, married Nicholas Cantelupe, whose grandson of the same name, died seised of it in 1355.d Millecent, one of the coheiresses of William Lord Cantelupe brought it to the baronial family of Zouch of Harringworth. On the attainder of John Lord Zouch, as a partizan of Richard III., King Henry VII., granted it, in 1485, to Sir John Savage, of whose descendant, Sir Thomas Savage, it was purchased in 1608, by Sir John Manners, ancestor of his Grace the Duke of Rutland, who is the present proprietor.
The Cantilupe family had two parks in Ilkeston in 1330.e
In the parish church is the monument of a crusader (one of the Cantilupe family,) and some memorials of the family of Flamsteed.f Bassano’s volume of Church Notes describes some mutilated ancient tombs of ecclesiastics and others; and memorials of the family of Gregg.g
The Church was appropriated to the abbey of Dale in 1385h, having been given most probably by the Cantilupe family. The Duke of Rutland is now impropriator and patron of the vicarage.
There are meeting houses at Ilkeston for the Unitarians, Independents, General Baptists, Particular Baptists, and Wesleyan Methodists.
Mr. Richard Smedley, in 1744, founded almshouses at this place for six poor personsi, and endowed them with pensions of five pounds per annum each. Mr. Smedley gave also 10l. per annumk for the education of forty poor children.
c
See the Quo Warranto Roll of 4 Edw. III., referring to a charter of 36 Hen.III. It is stated in the Roll that the market and fair were but little frequented in 1330.d
Dugdale’s Monasticon, vol. i. 962, 963.e
Quo Warranto-Roll.f
John Flamsteed, 1745; Paul Flamsteed, 1747; (relations of Flamsteed the celebrated astronomer.)g
Francis Gregg, 1667; Robert Gregg, 1688; William Gregg, 1690.h
Pat. 9 Ric. II. pt. 1. m.31i
Two of the pensioners are to be of Risley parish, in which the founder resided; one of Ilkeston, one of Dale, one of Awsworth, and one of Greasley. The two last-mentioned parishes are in Nottinghamshire.k
So we are informed; but the return of charitable donations to the House of Commons in 1787, says, lands then let at 10l. per annum, and mention is made in that return of 15s. per Annum given for teaching three poor children, by the Reverend Mr. Courtman in 1704.
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