The Hieron Family 1644 to 1767

The Hieron family owned Elms Farm and many acres of land covering Rigga Lane, Vicarage Lane, Duffield Road and the land at Elms Farm. They gave their name to the wood at the top of Vicarage Lane, Hieron’s Wood (which also became the name of the house on Vicarage Lane which was built in the 1920s).

John Hieron was Rector of Breadsall from 1644 to 1662. Like his brother, Samuel, he studied at Cambridge and was on the Puritan wing of the Church of England. He married Margaret Rose in 1634. He was ejected from his post at Breadsall because he refused to teach the Book of Common Prayer, a requirement after Charles II came to the throne.

He lived in Little Eaton for six years. He bought the copyhold to the house and some land around Elms Farm. He had one son, Joseph, and three daughters. He left in 1668 and moved to Loscoe where he died in 1682.  His body is buried at Heanor (St Laurence’s Church).

John’s son Joseph Hieron was born in Ashbourne and trained at Cambridge. He married Mary in 1673. He worked as a lawyer in Greys Inn in London but he kept a base in Little Eaton and bought more copyhold land up Vicarage Lane (some of which is now called “Hieron’s Wood”). He also extended the house and buildings at Elms Farm. He left his land in Little Eaton to his son, John.

John Hieron was born in 1681 at Heanor and married Martha Richardson (born 1687) in 1711. They were copyholders of 40 acres of arable land (plus the house at Elms farm), 30 acres of meadow and 30 acres of pasture - stretching from Rigga Lane to Elms Farm. John was also a lawyer. They had three daughters: Ann (born 1731) who married Sam Rowland, a maltster; Rachel (born 1717) who married John Radford; and Elizabeth (born 1718) who married Francis Radford, John’s brother. The Radfords contributed to building the school in 1841, now the Parish Rooms.

John Hieron died in 1767 at the age of 86 – according to his obituary in the Derby Mercury “greatly advanced in years”. He was buried in St Alkmund’s in Derby.