Melbourne, Derbyshire
Encyclopedia
Melbourne is a Georgian
market town
in South Derbyshire
, England
. It is about 8 miles south of Derby
and 2 miles from the River Trent
. In 1837 a then tiny settlement in Australia
was named after William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
, Queen Victoria's first Prime Minister, and thus indirectly takes its name from Melbourne Hall
, seat of the Lamb family, and the village.
(DB 1086 Mileburne = mill stream) as a royal manor.
A parish church was built around 1120.
In 1311 Robert de Holand fortified the existing royal manor house to create Melbourne Castle
, though the fortification was never completed. Jean, duc de Bourbon
, the most important French prisoner taken at the Battle of Agincourt
(1416), was detained at the castle for 19 years.
Mary, Queen of Scots was to be imprisoned at Melbourne Castle
, but it had deteriorated into a poor state of repair. By the early 17th century it had fallen into decay and was demolished, although some remains can still be seen.
Melbourne Hall
was originally owned by the church; it was constructed in stages, mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries.
During the Second World War a military training railway
was operated to the north of the now defunct Melbourne railway station
.
Since 2005 Melbourne has run an arts festival every September.
Melbourne parish church has been described as a "cathedral in miniature" and is one of five churches in Melbourne. The Domesday Book records a church and priest here in 1086. The present church was built about 1120, and most of the original masonry is intact, except for the eastern end which has been refurbished. The roofs, naves, aisles and the aisle windows date from the restoration of the 1630s. There was also a restoration done by Gilbert Scott in 1859-62.
Melbourne Hall was originally the rectory house for the Bishop of Carlisle
, but was substantially rebuilt by Thomas and George Coke in the early 18th century. The hall's gardens were laid out with the assistance of royal gardeners in 1704. They contain examples of the work of Derby ironsmith, Robert Bakewell
. Melbourne Pool was originally used by the nearby mill. The hall is open to the public in August.
The Thomas Cook Memorial Cottages in High Street were built by Thomas Cook
who started popular travel in England. Cook was born in Melbourne in 1808 though his birthplace was demolished in 1968. The buildings built in 1890-91 include fourteen cottages, a bakehouse, a laundry and mission hall. They still provide accommodation for some of Melbourne's senior citizens.
Melbourne Market Place is the location of Melbourne's main shops, including the Co-op building and monument which was refurbished in 1998.
and footwear manufacture, e.g. Fairystep Shoes. Market gardens have always been a major part of the economy, though now only a handful remain. East Midlands Airport, 5 miles to the east of the town, was opened in the 1960s and has now become a significant regional transport hub. The town's bus service is run by Arriva Midlands
. Previously, Trent Barton
maintained a small garage in Melbourne, the site going on to become a supermarket. It maintained routes to Swadlincote
, Derby
, Aston-on-Trent
and Weston-on-Trent
. Bus services for pupils run to Chellaston
School every morning and afternoon. There have been links to East Midlands Airport which were recently axed.
Shops in Melbourne include:
Spar, Budgens
, Melbourne News, fish and chips, Bird's (bakery), Elle of Melbourne (clothing), Blatch's (electricals), Co-op Travel
and Cream Interior Design.
Services in Melbourne include:
Natwest, post office, Co-op Pharmacy
, Fair Trade, the Athenaeum (an internet cafe), a library, leisure centre and a youth club. There are also several pubs.
In the past Melbourne has had three brass bands which have disappeared over the years. In 1992 a new group formed, and became the Melbourne Town Band. The Town Band continues to play at Melbourne's events today. These include the carnival, held every summer, and the carols in the Market Place.
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. It contains a third of the National Forest, and the council offices are in Swadlincote....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is about 8 miles south of Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
and 2 miles from the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
. In 1837 a then tiny settlement in Australia
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
was named after William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, PC, FRS was a British Whig statesman who served as Home Secretary and Prime Minister . He is best known for his intense and successful mentoring of Queen Victoria, at ages 18-21, in the ways of politics...
, Queen Victoria's first Prime Minister, and thus indirectly takes its name from Melbourne Hall
Melbourne Hall
Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire, England was once the seat of the Victorian Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, and thus is the ultimate origin for the naming of Melbourne, Australia. The house is now the seat of Lord Ralph Kerr and Lady Kerr and is open to the public...
, seat of the Lamb family, and the village.
History
The name Melbourne means "mill stream" (or "mill spring"). It was first recorded in Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(DB 1086 Mileburne = mill stream) as a royal manor.
A parish church was built around 1120.
In 1311 Robert de Holand fortified the existing royal manor house to create Melbourne Castle
Melbourne Castle
Melbourne Castle was a Norman castle in Melbourne, Derbyshire. From the early 14th century it was primarily in the possession of the Earls and Dukes of Lancaster, though it was briefly the property of the English crown. It was destroyed in 1637 by Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon, its final...
, though the fortification was never completed. Jean, duc de Bourbon
John I, Duke of Bourbon
Jean de Bourbon was Duke of Bourbon, from 1410 to his death and Duke of Auvergne since 1416. He was the eldest son of Louis II and Anna d'Auvergne...
, the most important French prisoner taken at the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
(1416), was detained at the castle for 19 years.
Mary, Queen of Scots was to be imprisoned at Melbourne Castle
Melbourne Castle
Melbourne Castle was a Norman castle in Melbourne, Derbyshire. From the early 14th century it was primarily in the possession of the Earls and Dukes of Lancaster, though it was briefly the property of the English crown. It was destroyed in 1637 by Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon, its final...
, but it had deteriorated into a poor state of repair. By the early 17th century it had fallen into decay and was demolished, although some remains can still be seen.
Melbourne Hall
Melbourne Hall
Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire, England was once the seat of the Victorian Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, and thus is the ultimate origin for the naming of Melbourne, Australia. The house is now the seat of Lord Ralph Kerr and Lady Kerr and is open to the public...
was originally owned by the church; it was constructed in stages, mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries.
During the Second World War a military training railway
Melbourne Military Railway
thumb|[[Buffer stop]]s by [[Isley Walton]] RoadThe Melbourne Military Railway was a military railway in Derbyshire used by British Army and Allied engineers during the Second World War from 1939 until late 1944 to prepare them for the invasion of mainland Europe...
was operated to the north of the now defunct Melbourne railway station
Melbourne railway station
Melbourne railway station was a station at Kings Newton that served the adjacent town of Melbourne, Derbyshire, England. It was opened in 1868 as the terminus of a Midland Railway branch from...
.
Since 2005 Melbourne has run an arts festival every September.
Notable residents
- Robert BakewellRobert Bakewell (ironsmith)Robert Bakewell was an English smith. He took an apprenticeship in London as an iron worker and became an extremely skilled ironsmith.In 1706, he started working at Melbourne Hall for Thomas Coke, and living in the town of Melbourne...
, ironsmith, started his career here in 1706. - John Joseph BriggsJohn Joseph BriggsJohn Joseph Briggs , naturalist and topographer, was born in the village of Kings Newton , Derbyshire on 6 March 1819...
, naturalist lived in Kings NewtonKings NewtonKings Newton is a village in South Derbyshire. The Holy well was constructed around 1660, but has been refurbished at the end of the twentieth century.-History:...
and published a History of Melbourne. - Thomas CookThomas CookThomas Cook of Melbourne, Derbyshire, England founded the travel agency that is now Thomas Cook Group.- Early days :...
, travel agent, was born here in 1808. - William DexterWilliam DexterWilliam Dexter was an English-Australian painter.Dexter was born at Melbourne, Derbyshire, England, and became an apprentice at the Derby China factory painting flowers and birds in the Chinese and Japanese styles. Dexter then studied at Paris, and returning to England, married Caroline née Harper...
, painter was born here in 1808. - Viscount MelbourneViscount MelbourneViscount Melbourne, of Kilmore in the County of Cavan, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland held by the Lamb family. This family descended from Matthew Lamb, who represented Stockbridge and Peterborough in the House of Commons. In 1755 he was created a Baronet, of Brocket Hall in the County of...
, British prime minister, 1834 and 1835-1841. - Rowland OrdishRowland Mason OrdishRowland Mason Ordish was an English engineer. He is most noted for his design of the Winter Garden, Dublin 1865 Albert Bridge, a crossing of the River Thames in London, completed in 1873, and for his detailed work on the single-span roof of London's St Pancras railway station.William Henry Le...
, civil engineer was born here in 1824. - John YoungJohn Young (cricketer, born 1876)Another Derbyshire cricketer, born in 1863, was named John Young.John Henry Young was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1899 and 1901....
, cricketer was born here in 1876. - Ronald PopeRonald PopeRonald Pope was an English sculptor and artist.-Biography:Pope was born in 1920 and after his studies moved to Derbyshire to work as an engineer. He started at the Rolls Royce factory in Derby . He was at Rolls-Royce throughout the war as a tool maker, where the engines were built for the Spitfire...
, sculptor and artist
Places of interest
Melbourne Hall was originally the rectory house for the Bishop of Carlisle
Bishop of Carlisle
The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.The diocese covers the County of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District...
, but was substantially rebuilt by Thomas and George Coke in the early 18th century. The hall's gardens were laid out with the assistance of royal gardeners in 1704. They contain examples of the work of Derby ironsmith, Robert Bakewell
Robert Bakewell (ironsmith)
Robert Bakewell was an English smith. He took an apprenticeship in London as an iron worker and became an extremely skilled ironsmith.In 1706, he started working at Melbourne Hall for Thomas Coke, and living in the town of Melbourne...
. Melbourne Pool was originally used by the nearby mill. The hall is open to the public in August.
The Thomas Cook Memorial Cottages in High Street were built by Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook of Melbourne, Derbyshire, England founded the travel agency that is now Thomas Cook Group.- Early days :...
who started popular travel in England. Cook was born in Melbourne in 1808 though his birthplace was demolished in 1968. The buildings built in 1890-91 include fourteen cottages, a bakehouse, a laundry and mission hall. They still provide accommodation for some of Melbourne's senior citizens.
Melbourne Market Place is the location of Melbourne's main shops, including the Co-op building and monument which was refurbished in 1998.
Education
Melbourne has two schools: an infant school and a junior school, sharing a site which also contains a youth centre.Sport
The town plays host to Melbourne Rugby Football Club, Melbourne United Football Club, Melbourne Town Cricket Club. and Melbourne Royal British Legion Tug of War Club, Melbourne Bowls Club.Culture, industry and transport
The town contains many Georgian buildings and in the 19th century was a centre for framework knittingStocking frame
A stocking frame was a mechanical knitting machine used in the textiles industry. It was invented by William Lee of Calverton near Nottingham in 1589...
and footwear manufacture, e.g. Fairystep Shoes. Market gardens have always been a major part of the economy, though now only a handful remain. East Midlands Airport, 5 miles to the east of the town, was opened in the 1960s and has now become a significant regional transport hub. The town's bus service is run by Arriva Midlands
Arriva Midlands
Arriva Midlands is a division of Arriva. It operates bus services around the Midlands area of England and is made up of various previous bus operators.-Arriva Midlands North:...
. Previously, Trent Barton
Trent Barton
Trent Barton is one of the very small number of significant independent bus operators in the United Kingdom. It was formed as the result of merging Derbyshire's Trent Buses with Nottinghamshire's Barton Transport....
maintained a small garage in Melbourne, the site going on to become a supermarket. It maintained routes to Swadlincote
Swadlincote
Swadlincote is a town and unparished area in South Derbyshire, about southeast of Burton-upon-Trent and about south of Derby. It is the main town of South Derbyshire and the seat of South Derbyshire District Council....
, Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, Aston-on-Trent
Aston-on-Trent
Aston-on-Trent is a Derbyshire village, situated in the English East Midlands, near Derby. It is adjacent to Weston-on-Trent and is near to Chellaston. It is very close to the border with Leicestershire....
and Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire. It is to the north of the River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal. Nearby places include Aston-on-Trent, Barrow upon Trent, Castle Donington and Swarkestone....
. Bus services for pupils run to Chellaston
Chellaston
Chellaston is a suburb of the City of Derby, which is in the East Midlands in England in the United Kingdom. It is on a natural hill, and has recently expanded due to several new housing estates....
School every morning and afternoon. There have been links to East Midlands Airport which were recently axed.
Shops in Melbourne include:
Spar, Budgens
Budgens
Budgens Stores Ltd is a chain of foodstores in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1872 by John Budgen, who opened the first store at Maidenhead, Berkshire. Budgens supermarket chain operates over 227 stores and employs over 6,000 staff...
, Melbourne News, fish and chips, Bird's (bakery), Elle of Melbourne (clothing), Blatch's (electricals), Co-op Travel
The Co-operative Travel
The Co-operative Travel is the trading name of Co-op Group Travel 1 Ltd., a subsidiary of the Co-operative Group. The largest independent travel agent in the United Kingdom; it is a member of the Co-operative Travel Trading Group and is both ABTA and ATOL bonded...
and Cream Interior Design.
Services in Melbourne include:
Natwest, post office, Co-op Pharmacy
The Co-operative Pharmacy
The Co-operative Pharmacy is the trading name of National Co-operative Chemists Ltd., a subsidiary of the Co-operative Group. Established in 1945, it is the third largest chemist in the United Kingdom and the largest in Wales...
, Fair Trade, the Athenaeum (an internet cafe), a library, leisure centre and a youth club. There are also several pubs.
In the past Melbourne has had three brass bands which have disappeared over the years. In 1992 a new group formed, and became the Melbourne Town Band. The Town Band continues to play at Melbourne's events today. These include the carnival, held every summer, and the carols in the Market Place.