A Female Stone Manufacturer and her Derbyshire Connection

In the Georgian period, women could be business owners, but usually if they were widows who had inherited their husband’s business, or in stereotypical female environments. Yet, there are some examples of women pushing the boundaries that were expected of them. One of these women was Eleanor Coade, who owned an artificial stone factory in …

Authenticity Hoo-Ha pt. 3: Is this Mr Glover’s sketch book?

Authenticity is what archives are all about.  Here is the last in my series of three blog posts on this subject. Some months ago, I had a message from a researcher who had recently been looking at copies of an original document we hold, described in our catalogue as the sketch book of the antiquarian …

Explore Your Archive – On This Day: Wirksworth Balloon Ascent

From the Derby Mercury, 12th November 1823: On Friday evening last a very numerous and respectable assemblage of the inhabitants of Wirksworth were highly amused by the ascent of a fire balloon of extraordinary dimensions, the property of Mr. James.  It ascended from the bottom of the hill called Oakcliffe, and took a southerly direction …