What and who is Derby(shire) known for

What & Who is Derby famous for
This page features historical information about what & who Derby & Derbyshire is famous for.

Some of the things on this page will be ONLY be famous to those people
that currently or used to live in Derby, but some are famous around the world!

If you would like to see hundreds of photos of areas of Derby, Derbyshire or the Midlands
then click on the main index button at the bottom of this page.

People

Matthew Walker
40% of all Christmas puddings eaten throughout the world are Matthew Walker ones!
Matthew was the son of a Derbyshire farmer and started selling fresh fruit, jams, bottled fruits and country style wines from Mr Hodgkinson's shop in Derby Market place in 1880. With the introduction of duty on wines, the business declined and he went over to the production of plum puddings and mincemeat. These took off in a big way and he opened a factory in Exeter Street in 1899 where he sold Christmas puddings to the discerning palates in Britain and world-wide.
The business grew steadily and when Matthew Walker died in 1944, the business was run by his son John. In 1968 John Walker sold the company which was moved to its present home in Heanor.
After several changes in ownership, the Heanor factory became part of Northern foods in 1992. The company supplies many supermarkets' own brands as well as their own much loved range of puddings which are sold in countries throughout the world.
Each year the factory produces around 20 million puddings, each one taking up to 4 days to complete.

Hazlewood Pickles
William Hazlewood, the founder of Hazlewoods Foods was born at Holbrook in Derbyshire in 1883.
In 1902 he Collected jam jars from neighbors in a handcart and made pickles and jams in a wooden shed at 22 Erasmus St, Derby. By 1904 he had a greengrocery business in Derby to retail the products. In 1916 the Hazlewood & Company was formed.
By 1921 he was manufacturing Beetop Sauce named after the Bee Hive public house run by William's parents in Belper.
In 1928 the factory moved to Great Northern Road, with its own vinegar brewery.
In 1932 he opened a second factory on Parcel Terrace (Rowditch), Derby which included a bottle and carton making facility. This site was known as 'Empire Works' but known locally as the pickle factory.

The Great Northern Road site closed in 1953 when William died. Manufacture at the Parcel Terrace site ended in the late 1980's. In 2001 Hazlewoods Foods were acquired by Greencore Group plc.
Today the former Hazlewood Pickle factory site has seen a new lease of life with redevelopment by Ivygrove Developments costing £2.8M with over 120,000 sq ft of industrial units.
Some of the companies located here in February 2007 are Time24, Bristol Bending, CD Northern Group, Phillips Joinery, Walrus office equipment, Robinson Fabrication, Lanzettas and Joinery Solutions (Derby).

Just think those pickled onions you eat in the 80s were probably bottled on this very site.

Jedediah Strutt 1726-1797
Born in Newton-by-Blackwell, Derbyshire. He created the 'Derby rib' stocking frame in 1758, this created a ribbed tighter fitting stocking, revolutionising the hosiery industry.

Joseph Wright 1734-1797
Wright was born in Derby in 1734 and was educated at Derby free grammar school. He went to London to learn the art of portrait painting and on his return started picking up commissions for his work. He was influenced by the experiments being carried out in Derby by members of the Lunar society, such as Erasmus Darwin, John Whitehurst, and the pioneer industrialists like Jedediah Strutt and Sir Richard Arkwright, all of whom he painted. His wonderful paintings can be seen in the Derby Museum & Art Gallery.
His most famous painting is "The Orrery", which is well worth seeing.

Joseph Pickford 1734-1782
Joseph Pickford, was one of the counties finest architects, was born in 1734. Pickford arrived in Derby after completing an apprenticeship in London working on Horse Guards in Whitehall and the University Library in Cambridge. Joseph Pickford had many prestigious commissions, including Calke Abbey, Foremark, Kedleston, Chatsworth, Longford, Darley and Markeaton Halls, Friargate and St Helens House.
His great work can be seen to this day.

Robert Bakewell 1682-1753
Bakewell was born in Uttoxeter in 1682 and was apprenticed to the world famous gatesmith Jean Tijou, who was responsible for the wrought-iron work at Hampton Court and Chatsworth. Bakewell moved to Melbourne and created the Birdcage Arbour at Melbourne Hall. A few years later he moved back to Derby and set up a forge in Oake's Yard just off St Peter's St. From here he created some of the finest wrought iron work in the country. His work can be seen throughout Derbyshire. If you would like to see some of his work then vist Derby Cathedral or Etwall Almshouses.

George Sorocold
Sorocold was born in 1668 in Derby. He was a pioneer hydraulic engineer who gave Derby one of the first piped water systems in the country. He then went on to engineer eighteen similar systems in other towns and cities in England. He made the river Derwent navigable in 1721, which brought prosperity to the town.
He also built the Silk Mill which is now Derby Industrial museum.

Anthony Babington 1561-1586
Babington was a wealthy Derbyshire landowner, with a manor house at Dethick and a large town house in the centre of Derby. This house was located at the bottom of Babington lane where it meets St Peter's Street. For a while he was a page to Mary Queen of Scots at Sheffield Castle, where he fell in love with her. Anthony plotted to murder Queen Elizabeth the first so that Mary would be Queen but the plot was discovered and he was hung, drawn and quartered.
The Anthony Babington coat of arms can be seen today adorning the top of the building at the bottom of Babington lane (Waterstones).
Next time your go down town, See if you can spot the two baboons on a barrel.

Florence Nightingale 1820-1910
Born in Florence but lived at Lea Hurst, Derbyshire. During the Crimean war she forged a friendship with a Derby girl called Margaret Rickman whose father George was the first stationmaster at Derby. When she returned from the war she gave advice on treating infections to Dr William Ogle, Chief physician at Derbyshire General Hospital. This highlighted the inadequacies of the building. A wing of the infirmary was named in her honour.
There are several statues of Florence to be found in the City.

Shops/Companies

Royal Crown Derby China
In 1750 William Duesbury a China enameller came to Derby, He set up a porcelain factory on Nottingham Road. Due to his hard work and skill his factory grew and his fame spread to the extent that his porcelain could be found in the best houses in Europe. He later made royal figures in blue and gold enameling, One was of King George III. The king was so taken by this that in 1775 a Royal Warrant was received and the right was granted to use the name Crown Derby.

Rolls Royce (Henry Royce 1863-1933, Charles Rolls 1877-1910)
Sir Henry Royce & Charles Rolls re-located their factory from Manchester to Derby due to the lower price of land, lower wages, and the amount of skilled labour and engineering in the town and the central location of Derby.
Rolls-Royce gave and enormous boost to employment and prosperity in Derby.
The Manchester factory was closed down in 1910, which was when Charles Rolls was killed in an aeroplane accident. They built their first aero-engine at the beginning of the first world war, when the government requisitioned the R.R. factory at Derby. This engine was the Eagle which was fitted into many allied planes in the war. During the second world war they produced the Merlin engine in great numbers. At the end of the second world war they created the Welland jet engine. If you would like to learn more about the history of Rolls-Royce then it’s worth visiting Derby Industrial museum.