Morewood of Alfreton and The Oaks, Bradfield
In the chapel at Bradfield a Brass portrait of 1647 detailed John Morewood (d 1647) with his wife Grace kneeling at a desk. John with his 9 sons behind him, his wife in a broad brimmed hat with their seven daughters.
The inscription reads:
Anne, daughter of John Morewood(d.1647) married William Fox(baptised 1613) of Smallfield, Bradfield. They had two sons:
- Joseph Fox of Rowlee, Hope, a lead-merchant, who died in 1669.
- George Fox of Fulwood Hall who married Mary Poole of Park Hill, Barlborough. (In the parish register of Bradfield, one of the sons of George Fox is entered as baptised ' by a Jesuit, said to be a Popish Bishop, 4 April, 1684'
Anne survived William Fox and married Henry Balguy of The Hagg, Hope, Derbyshire.
Gilbert Morewood(1586-1650), a wealthy merchant, married Martha, daughter of Nicholas Saunderson (baptised 1600). Their three daughters were Barbara, Grace and Frances.
- Barbara married Thomas Rich of Sunning.
- Grace married Simon Bennet of Bechampton, Bucks. She had three daughter, coheiresses, who married into the families of Osborne, Cecil and Bennett.
- Frances married Sir Francis Gresley of Drakelow, Derbys.
Anthony Morewood of Alfreton married Frances Redhill they had twins, Rowland and Anthony who were baptised at Norton 16 July, 1615. Rowland died unmarried in 1647, leaving Anthony heir. He resided at Alfreton and was High Sheriff of Derby in 1649. He had two daughters; the elder married Alexander Stanhope, younger son of the Earl of Chesterfield; the younger married Henry Goring. Both died without issue and the Alfreton estate passed to John Morewood, son and heir of Rowland Morewood of The Oakes.
Will of Joseph Morewood of Himsworth in the parish of Norton, gentleman: 24 Nov 1708
He bequeaths to his wife, Ann, his household goods and plate, all money due under a marriage settlement upon the death of his wife's mother; all his lands and tenements in Castleton and Dronfield for her life. He bequeaths to the daughters of his brother, Samuel Morewood, Elizabeth, Ann, Sarah, Hannah, Martha and Mary, all the remainder of his lands in Castleton. He bequeaths to his brother, Samuel, the remainder of his lands in Castleton and all his lands in Eyam, Derbyshire and Penistone, together with the residue of his personal estate. David Seal to be sole executor.
Will of Samuel Morewood of the Oaks : 11 Sep 1714
He bequeaths the bedding and furniture of his best chamber to his daughter, Elizabeth. He bequeaths to his wife, Elizabeth, all his messuage and lands at the Oaks except the Moaxinfield and some other closes for her life. He bequeaths to Benjamin Blackbourne of Aldermans Head in the parish of Penniston, gentleman, and George Lee of Little Sheffield, gentleman, his property at the Oaks after his wife's death, and the excepted closes, and also all his property at Grindleford Bridge Derbyshire. On trust for his son, John Morewood, and on further special trusts for any family John may have, with a final remainder to the right heirs of the testator. He bequeaths his reversionary interest in property in Dronfield to the same trustees on trust to raise £400 to be distributed among his daughters with the residue of the property on trust for his son, John, with the same final remainder. His wife to be sole executrix.
Will of Mary, daughter of John and Barbara Morewood of Alfreton: 15 Nov 1726
Property in Eyam and Riley to her sister Martha, widow of Anthony Bradshaw of Holebrook, Derbys. who is appointed executrix Rent charge of £3 to the minister or preacher of the Protestant Dissenting Congregation of Stoney Middleton.
John Morewood the son of Samuel married Martha Kenzon. Issue included:
- John, Sherrif of Alfreton, who married Barbara Palmer, of Leicester
The Oaks in Bradfield was sold by John Morewood, son of Samuel, to Robert Newton, esq. of Norton. He died in 1771, at the advanced age of 83, and left a numerous progeny (Samuel and Rowland, with others) deprived of their landed possessions.
In 1821 William Palmer Morewood, esq. was the Lord of the Manor of Alfreton, Derbyshire.
In 1565, The son of John Zouch, esq. of Codnor conveyed the manor to Robert Sutton, esq. of Aram, in Nottinghamshire, by whom it was sold to Anthony Morewood, and Rowland, his son; and in that family it continued to the death of the last heir male, George Morewood, esq. in 1792: he married Ellen, the daughter of Richard Goodwin, esq. of Ashbourn, and dying without issue he left the estate to his widow : she afterwards married the Rev. Henry Case; who, in 1793, on his marriage, took the name of Morewood, by the king's sign manual. The latter died in 1825 without issue; when the estate became the property of William Palmer, esq. who has also assumed the name of Morewood..
The rectory of Alfreton, with the advowson of the vicarage, was granted by Henry VIII. to Francis Leake, esq. whose descendant, Nicholas Earl of Scarsdale, sold them, in 1673, to John Turner, of Swanwick, gent. The rectorial tithes were sold by auction, about the year 1779, chiefly to the several land owners, by the trustees of the late George Turner, esq. The advowson of the vicarage was purchased by the late George Morewood, esq. and then belonged to William Palmer Morewood, esq.
In the chancel of Alfretoon Church a large black and white marble mural monument, is inscribed : 'Sacred to the memory of Ellen, the widow of George Morewood, esq. ( Lord of this Manor) and afterwards the wife of the Rev. Henry Case, of Bury St. Edmunds, in Norfolk, who, upon his marriage with her, assumed the additional surname of Morewood. She died on the 10th day of October, 1824, aged 83 years. Also to the memory of the said Rev. Henry Case Morewood, who died 21st June, 1825, aged 78 years. George Morewood, esq. died 1st Jan. 1792.... Anthony Morewood, died 1636
Alfreton hall, the family seat, occupying an elevated and pleasant site, was built by Rowland Morewood, esq. about ninety-five years ago. This gentleman was remarkable for being the first in that part of the county who attempted to shoot flying, and for his fondness for planting oak trees; which passion being inherited by his son, he saw many thousands rise into shady groves and sturdy timber, which, added to rich veins of coals, increased a moderate fortune to a very considerable one ; the principal part of which he left to his widow. The present mansion-house is built of capital freestone, a little to the west of the old building. The house stands on a fine elevation, commanding pleasing views of the surrounding country from the north and west fronts. The present owner has enlarged and considerably improved the house. The adjoining grounds, according to their extent, are well laid out. Below the house is a piece of woodland, the upper part, of which is intersected by two avenues ; one is terminated by a temple of Diana and a fine bust ; and the other of them by an obelisk above, and below by a piece of water, the boundaries of which not being seen from the farthest point of view, the imagination is left to form to itself the idea of unlimited expansion, by which it is easily induced to transform a little fish-pond into an extensive lake. Below are several rural moss huts, and a grotto, built of the different fossils and minerals of all that diversity of form and colour exhibited in the mineral productions of the Peak. It is of an octagon form, and within are painted representations of several scenes described in Walton's Angler. The house is furnished with a considerable collection of paintings (some of them by the best masters) with a valuable library of ancient and modern authors, and near to the house are excellent gardens well stored with choice fruits and vegetables.
From an early period the Morewoods ranked among the principal gentry of that district, of this and the neighbouring counties, which has obtained the name of Hallamshire. The Oaks in Bradfield was sold by John Morewood, son of Samuel, to Robert Newton, esq. of Norton. He died in 1771, at the advanced age of 83, and left a numerous progeny (Samuel and Rowland, with others) deprived of their landed possessions. The three daughters of the wealthy merchant, Gilbert, who died in 1650, enriched many illustrious families. Barbara was the wife of Thomas Rich, esq. afterwards Sir Thomas Rich, of Sunning ; Grace married Simon Bennet, of Bechampton, esq. and her three daughters were married into the noble families of Osbome, Cecil and Bennet ; Frances became the wife of Sir Thomas Gresley, of Drakelow, bart. Anthony Morewood was high-sheriff of the county of Derby, in 1649. He left two daughters, of whom the elder married the Hon. Alexander Stanhope, a younger son of the Earl of Chesterfield ; the younger, Henry Goreing, esq. Both died without issue, and the estate of Alfreton passed to John Morewood, as may be seen in the Pedigree. Four of this family have been high-sheriffs of the county of Derby, viz. Anthony in 1619, John 1677, Rowland 1707, and George 1762. Rowland, who died in 1649, was a great benefactor to Alfreton and other places. Source: The History of the County of Derby by Stephen Glover.Published 1829