Delves Collection

In 2005 Mr Nick Delves of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, donated a photo album to the Society. The album, referred to as “the green book” contains many pictures of people, many of whom are identified, and scenery believed to be in and around the Long Preston area.
You can also access an extract of a letter from Mr Delves in which he puts the pictures into context by providing some of the history around them.
An index to the pictures can also be downloaded from this link.
The Society would like to thank Mr Delves for allowing these pictures to be made available on our web site. If anyone is able to provide further information on any of the pictures we would be happy to update our site and advise Mr Delves.

. . .The Green Book came to Uncle John DELVES from his grandmother on his fathers’ side Mary Ann DELVES nee ARMISTEAD born 3rd Mar 1859, in Rathmell. She lived most of her early life in Long Preston. Which is where, I believe, most of these photo’s are from.

The Green Book has at sometime in the distant past been compiled from a previous Original Album. Many of the photo’s in the Green Book had photo’s on the back of them, these have until recently been hidden, stuck to the page. I have unstuck and copied them also. I have marked these in the index.

A point of interest is that the two DELVES brothers Thomas Hirst & Edward married Annie WRATHALL and Mary Ann ARMISTEAD – who were cousins.

Edward DELVES, who was married to Mary Ann, unfortunately left the village to live in Lancashire, went mad and killed himself. I am left wondering if some of the hidden photo’s reflect the divide that happened in the family as a result of this. A lot of water has gone under the bridge, I don’t believe there is anyone alive who is bothered by these events now, so I don’t see any problem with an ‘open inquiry’.

I am particularly interested in the 006, 031 & 032, as these pictures were hidden, stuck to the page and I have no idea where the church is, or who the preacher is.

I would dearly love to know if anyone else has similar photo’s in and around Long Preston between the years 1860 – 1900, or information. As you can see from the index I can only put a few names to faces. . . . .

Below is a key to the images.