Rodsley is a small village about four miles south of Ashbourne

Ashbourne, Derbyshire

Ashbourne is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales, England. It has a population of 10,302.The town advertises itself as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'.- Local customs :...

 in Derbyshire

Derbyshire

Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...

.

History

Nearby Hollington and Rodsley are included as manors in the 1086 Domesday Survey as belonging to Henry de Ferrers

Henry de Ferrers

Henry de Ferrers was a Norman soldier from a noble family who took part in the conquest of England and is believed to have fought at the Battle of Hastings of 1066 and, in consequence, was rewarded with much land in the subdued nation.His elder brother William fell in the battle. William and Henri...

, who was given a large number of manors in Derbyshire. His descendants became the Earls of Derby

Earl of Derby

Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...

 and still owned land in Shirley

Shirley, Derbyshire

Shirley is a small village in Derbyshire, close to the town of Ashbourne. It is situated in the countryside on top of a small hill.-History:Shirley was mentioned in the Domesday book as belonging to Henry de Ferrers and being worth forty shillings.....

 in the nineteenth century. Mention is also made of the abbey of Burton

Burton-on-Trent Abbey

Burton Abbey at Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire, England, was originally founded in the 7th or 9th century by St Modwen or Modwenna; and later refounded in 1003 as a Benedictine abbey by Wulfric Spott, a thegn possibly descended from King Alfred...

 as having an interest.

In 1881, Rodsley had a population of 136 people.

It has been calculated that in 1901, Rodsley represented the population centre

Center of population

In demographics, the center of population of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population...

 of Britain. This centre has been travelling southwards through Longford

Longford, Derbyshire

Longford is a village in Derbyshire, England. It is six miles from Ashbourne and eleven miles west of Derby.-History:In 1872 the parish of Longford was described as having just over 1150 people and 220 dwellings. This parish took in the settlements of Alkmonton, Rodsley, Hollington and the...

 (in 1911) and was lying somewhere near Appleby Parva

Appleby Parva

Appleby Parva, or Little Appleby , part of the parish of Appleby Magna in Leicestershire, is a hamlet about a mile south of Appleby church at the crossroads of the highways from Ashby de la Zouch to Tamworth and from Atherstone to Burton upon Trent.The village was also calculated to be the centre...

 on the Derbyshire to Leicestershire border in 2000.

Notable residents

Saint Ralph Sherwin

Ralph Sherwin

Saint Ralph Sherwin was an English Roman Catholic martyr and saint. He was born at Rodsley, Derbyshire, and was educated at Eton College...

was born here in 1550. He became a saint in 1970 and his feast day is December 1 - the day he died in 1581.

External links

• 1840 Tithe Map for Rodsley