Duffield Bank in the village of Duffield in the village of Makeney in the village of Milford

Dear Shanahan,

I would be very interested in looking at the contents of the letter. I live on Duffield Bank and I am looking into the history.

Best regards from Derbyshire

I have replied to this twice, but it has not appeared here. can anyone help please?

This is the reply

I have put this whole letter, with images etc, up on our website, so if you click on this link, it will take you directly to the letter

http://www.earsathome.com/letters/Previctorian/gifford.html

In the meantime, this will give you an idea of the letter contents,

“Letters from the Past

From Mr Attenburey in Hudson, New York State

to Mr Gifford, Duffield Bank near Derby, 1828 ”

This letter is an interesting one with family information etc of what was happening to them in Hudson, New York State in 1828, and how the writer missed letters from home. The addresses would suggest that the writer emigrated to America and named his house after their home in England.

So now to the contents of the letter. It was written on three sides of the thin cream coloured paper which has the watermark JOHN BUTLER but no year. The ink has faded over the years and some words are hard to decipher.

Duffield Bank Near Hudson 1828 October 4th

My Dearest Cousin,

I have been anxiously awaiting a letter from you all this summer or I should have written before it is so very long since I heard from you. I have written many times but have received no answer, it is more than two years since I had a letter from you my dear cousin. What can be the reason I do not hear. If you are ill surely someone would have informed us of it. I find my brother has not heard either, We are very anxious about you. We both wrote to inform you of the death of sister Bakewell last June near a year since which I suppose must have been received We have never known a letter to miscarry between Liverpool and New York. Mir Wright receives letters from there frequently and Mrs Gordon’s friends hear from her and you have probably heard she had a little son which I am told is a source of great pleasure to both father and mother. I hope Ann will now enjoy better health than she has done since her marriage. My brother had some thought of going to England this Fall but I don’t know for what reason he seems to have given it up. I should have rejoiced if he had gone as I know it would have given you pleasure to see him and I should have heard particularly of you. I am happy to say his health is better than it has been for some time. I have not seen him since last Autumn but I hear from him frequently.

Unquote

Thank you for this information. I gather Mr Gifford was a Reverend here and will have been attached to the local church at St Alkmunds.



http://spenserians.cath.vt.edu/BiographyRecord.php?action=GET&bioid=36249



He also owned land in the area.



this is a very interesting area as it was the birthplace of the industrial revolution as the River Derwent was the first place to use water power for manufacturing in Mill buildings. Arkwrights Mill at Cromford was revolutionary. It is also a very picturesque area. A number of people emigrated to America connected with the cotton mills.



I am attaching a link to the World Heritage Site. Duffield bank lies on the very southern end of the Strutts estates who were large Mill owners around Belper. The Bank has a long history as the stone for Duffield Castle was quarried here and much of the stone for one of the mills. There are also great views from across the Derwent.



This link may be interesting to you. You can see Giffords name on one of the maps on the far right.



https://artsandculture.google.com/story/charted-territory/oQJCWeJaU9C0IA



I am trying to establish links to the World Heritage Site for people who lived on Duffield Bank. Many were well to do people who owned land and possibly had connections with setting up the Mills. The earlier settlement is likely to be very old as it might have been a croft set up at the time of quarrying for the castle which means it is medieval.



Again, thanks for showing the letter.



Mary

Hello Mary

Thanks for that very useful information. both the links were of use.

We have put the letter up on our website

http://www.earsathome.com/letters/Previctorian/gifford.html

And would you be OK if we were to add some of this information to the webpage, stating that you gave us the information? If so, we would need to know how you would wish to be acknowledged, possibly with an e-mail address



ours for your contact is ears61 at gmail dot com

Best wishes

Eunice and Ron