Geography

[Athena]

Hello,

I have just joined this group and wonder whether you could clarify the bounadries of South Derbyshire for me. I have ancestors from several areas of Derbyshire, ranging from the South Yorkshire border (which I assume isn't included here) to the Leicestershire border with one or two areas in between. (Ilkeston and West Hallam for example)

Thanks

Athena

[keithinfrance]

Athena, I have just found this thread and hope I can help.

South Derbyshire is easily made out on a county map as it juts out south of the rest of the county. I would not consider anywhere north of the River Trent as being within South Derbyshire. It is mainly the town of Swadlincote with its surrounding villages, and rural villages like Rosliston, Coton in the Elms, Drakelow and Walton on Trent to the south, and Bretby, Repton, Harshorne and Melbourne to the north.

The area is very tightly hemmed in by Staffordshire to the west, Leicestershire to the east and Warwickshire to the south.

[cbird56]

Some of the villages on the Derbyshire/Leicestershire border are very often listed on the censuses as being in the wrong county e.g Moira is in Leicestershire but is sometimes listed as in Derbyshire. And vice versa with Measham, Oakthorpe, Donisthorpe and one or two of the other villages in the area.