In ye olden days:

• In the 1190s  Serlo or Servio de Plesley gave lands in Nottinghamshire to the priory of Felley.
• In 1273 Robert de Wylehby / Wilughby was lord of the manor of Pleasley but seems to have been a bit of a naughty boy since he was deposed from the position of Prior of Felley in 1276 for “various irregularities”.
• By 1284 Thomas Bec, Bishop of St Andrews and Lord Treasurer to Edward I, owned Pleasley.
• In 1284/5  Edward I granted charters for a market to be held on Mondays and fairs for cattle, sheep and horses to be held annually on 25 April and 18 October.  ( This  changed to 6 May and 29 October at some point).  Fat and lean cattle were sold near the church (St Michaels 1160), sheep at the market cross and horses at the spring on Newboundmill Lane where the pumping engine for the colliery was later sited.
• The manor then passed to Anthony Bec, Bishop of Durham.
• When he died in 13[10/11] it passed to his nieces.
• It then passed into the ownership of the Leakes.

18th century:

 

1733

• Pleasley manor  mortgaged by Nicholas Leake - it was producing about £430 per year in rents at that time.

1735

• Nicholas Leake, last Earl of Scarsdale, dies and the Scarsdale estate is broken up to pay debts

1742

• Pleasley manor bought by Henry Thornhill of Chesterfield including a corn mill, mill dam and iron forges in Pleasley Vale.

1787

• Henry Thornhill agrees a 40 year lease with Hollins Co. for the corn mill, mill dam and iron forges together with 15 acres of land in Pleasley Vale.

1794

• Henry Thornhill dies and leaves Pleasley Manor to his nephew Bache Thornhill.

1798

• Hollins Co. build new mill in Pleasley Vale downstream of early one.

 

Bibliography