The Derbyshire Miscellany

There is also an ebook version available of this title, it is for sale from Amazon or your usual provider. 

A guide book, a history book, a gazetteer, a sporting compendium, a natural history of the county, a dictionary of biography and a fun of factoids for the quiz fanatic, A Derbyshire Miscellany is all of these and much, much more.

Here you will find an outline of the county’s history as well as information about castles, monasteries and stately homes. The lives of sporting celebrities are included as well as biographies of politicians, inventors, industrialists and war heroes.

The silk mill, built at Derby in 1722, has a strong claim to being the world’s first factory and, in 1771 at Cromford, Richard Arkwright created a system of industrial production. These and other ‘Derbyshire Firsts’ are also described in the book

Anyone searching for essential facts will find them here including information about royal visits, the arts, wildlife and countryside and food and drink. Industry and economy are also mentioned with an outline of the development of local industries.

A Derbyshire Miscellany is essential reading for anyone with an interest in or a connection with the county either as a resident, a tourist or a student of its history. It would make an ideal gift that would give pleasure for years to come.

About the Author

Michael Smith was born and educated in Derby. After commercial experience with a national group of electrical wholesalers he trained to be a teacher at Bishop Lonsdale College. He retired as Vice-Principal of Castle Donington Community College in 2005.

His academic qualifications include a BA (Hons) from the Open University, a Master's degree from Nottingham University and a specialist qualification in local history from the University of Keele.

A successful author, with several previous books on the East Midlands to his credit, he also worked as a lecturer in local history for the WEA and Nottingham University.