I have been looking over some of the barmasters maps and just wondered if anyone can help me understand some markings.Alongside some of the workings are pencil written numbers eg 53/115.Can anyone tell me what these relate to?

At a guess, they'll relate to entries in the Barmaster's books, the first number is probably the book and then the second either a page or an index number?

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Thanks AR thats really helpful. I have a couple of freinds who sit on the court and have access to the documents and they couldnt make head nor tail.

Historytrog might have a better idea, my guess is based on his index of the Barmaster's records. I had a look at the map covering Matlock Bath and the first numbers did tally with some of the numbers for the Matlock liberty books.

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To be a bit more specific,i was looking at the via gellia map and rolst hole or ralst hole.

I can't say I've ever noticed that name before on the Barmaster's maps - whereabouts in the VG is it?

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Below the lower of the two laybys on the opposite side of the road is an old cartway running up towards the foopath from ryder point.Its in the wood to the left off the cartway.Marked on the 1899 second edition,Via gellia and Ryder Point map.

As AR stated, the numbers indicate the Barmasters book and page. I will look this up for you and post the entry tomorrow. The name is not familiar to me. You are looking at the Ible Wood area - there have been some explorations and publications about that recently.

Thank you for the replys. The area around what we belive to be Ralst/Rolst hole is peppered with smaller workings,coes,shafts ect in a very concentrated area.. Ralst/Rolst hole is significanly bigger than any other working in the immediate area. The entry on the map is 53/115.

The “Rolst Hole” that you refer to is in fact, Rabbit Hole or Rabit Hole. The entry Book 53 p115 is a gift made in 1825 of a mine in Middleton Wood at Taintor ranging down to the bottom of the valley at Hollowchurch Way. So this is not relevant and is a mistake by the barmaster. I dealt with the mines on the Nimblejack including Taintor in PDMHS bull vol 5 part 3.

Rabbit Hole Mine is only mentioned in Book 53 p107 in a gift dated 17 Jan 1825 to Mr. Thomas Henstock of old ground from the top of Ible Wood above the Comp, viz 3 E-W veins from the corner of the top fence above the Rabbit hole with 16 meers W and from the same east down to the bottom of the wood. Also all cross veins from Bonsall Leas to George Halls title westwardly.
[I do not know what “the Comp” was, nor does Jim Rieuwerts, who happened to phone me last night.]
Exactly the same title was given away again in 1831.
There is nothing that I know of directly relating to Rabbit Hole Mine.

Thank you for your assistance on this History trog and AR.We are going to look at the workings over the weekend.After a look at the map i can see how i miss interepted the name.Rabit hole looks correct.

"Comp" or "the comp" in this case was a term used to describe the giving of something valuable for free,so it could be the comp is the gift that was given?

Interesting that it's in Middleton liberty but on the Ible side of the valley. I suspect that the modern parish boundaries ound here got redrawn in the later 19th century, but that of course wouldn't have affected the mining liberty boundaries.

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Ible has always been in Wirksworth Parish, which is why it was in Middleton-by-Wirksworth Liberty.
The placename is sometimes given as Ible Comp - I wondered if it was an abbreviation for Common but it does not seem very likely.

It could be possiable.i belive "gift" or "gifted" was a term used by the barmaster/deputy barmaster for the alocation of meres and mine ownership from the court to a miner.so either interpretation could be likely.

I had it in my mind that Ible was a private liberty, much like Griffe Grange - a vague recollection of something cited in Andy Wood's book, probably!

It's certainly an interesting area and worthy of systematic study, and systematic shaft capping...:o

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Definately NOT aplace for an evening trip:o

Not unless you want a very brief but very exciting trip....

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