Treasure 40: a plan of Derby’s canals, 1792

This treasure (Q/RP/1/79) is a 1792 plan of canals around Derby, from Smithy Houses near Kilburn to the Erewash Canal at Sandiacre. It also shows the branches from Coxbench to Smalley Mill and from Derby to the Grand Trunk Canal at Swarkestone. There are dozens of canal plans and books of reference in the Quarter Sessions collection – the reason Derbyshire Record Office holds so many of them is that from 1792 onwards, anyone who planned to build a canal, turnpike road or railway had first of all to deposit plans with the Clerk of the Peace for any affected county.

If you would like to support our work by adopting this document, for yourself or as a gift, have a look at the Adopt A Piece Of History page.

One book, three centuries: Derby Canal Company minutes arrive

We have just received a single volume containing Derby Canal Company minutes from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries.  As you can see from these pictures, they start with the inaugural “General Assembly” in 1793, and end with the 150th such assembly in 1940.  Just for good measure, we have included shots of the meetings held 100 and 200 years ago.  Isn’t it amazing that they kept recording the same type of information in the same way for such a long period of time?

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As ever, if you want to see this stuff, just contact us and we will arrange it.  (See “Visiting Us” on www.derbyshire.gov.uk/recordoffice).  The reference number to quote is D5751/4/1 for the minute book, or D5751/5/1 for a book containing copies of the company’s deeds.  We have also taken in another volume of Cromford Canal boat permits (D501 B/B 67).