GOSS HALL – ASHOVER

Overlooking the village from a commanding position above the valley of the River Amber,

is Goss Hall,one of three old halls dating from a time when Ashover was divided into three

manorial estates.

Many members of the Babington family were prominent in Elizabethan England and

personally known to the Queen herself. Anthony Babington born 1561, was in service to

the Earl of Shrewsbury, gaoler to Mary the captive Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned in

a number of great Derbyshire houses on the orders of Queen Elizabeth. Young Babington

became devoted to the Catholic queen and as soon as he was old enough he set in motion

a dangerous conspiracy to set her free.

Babington was captured and thrown into the Tower, and on the 20^th September 1586 he was

hanged, drawn and quartered. Goss Hall was then given to Sir Walter Raleigh.

In 1623 Goss Hall was bought by Immanuel Bourne rector of Ashover, and afterwards passed

to his son Obadiah, but around the middle of the seventeenth century was sold into the

Bower family.

During the nineteenth century Goss Hall was divided and tenanted by two related farming

families, the Smedleys and the Hopkinsons.

Below are the census returns for Goss Hall 1841-91.

1841

Joseph Smedley 75yrs Farmer

Joseph Hopkinson 25yrs Ag.Lab.

Hannah Hopkinson 20yrs

Dorothy Hopkinson 3yrs

Edward Hopkinson 1yr

George Smedley 54yrs Farmer

Sarah Smedley 52yrs

John Smedley 24yrs Ag.Lab.

Ann Smedley 25yrs

1851

Joseph Hopkinson Head 37yrs Farmer

Hannah Hopkinson Wife 35yrs

Dorothy Hopkinson 12yrs

Edward Hopkinson 10yrs

Harriet Hopkinson 6yrs

Eliza Hopkinson 4yrs

Ann Hopkinson 1yr

Thomas Hopkinson Head 60yrs Farmer

Mary Hopkinson Wife 62yrs

Mary Hopkinson 23yrs

1861

Joseph Hopkinson Head 48yrs Farmer

Hannah Hopkinson 45yrs

Joseph Hopkinson 9yrs

Reed Hopkinson 7yrs

George Hopkinson 5yrs

Thomas Hopkinson Head 70yrs Farmer

Mary Hopkinson Wife 73yrs

Joseph Cundy son-in-law 31yrs

Mary Cundy dt. 32yrs

Rosanna Hopkinson gd.dt. 22yrs

1871

Joseph Hopkinson Head 58yrs Farmer

Hannah Hopkinson Wife 53yrs

Reed Hopkinson son 17yrs

Jane Hopkinson dt. 7yrs

Jemima Hopkinson gd.dt. 5yrs

Edward Hopkinson Head 30yrs Farmer

Ann Hopkinson Wife 29yrs

Joseph Sellers Hopkinson son 8yrs

Charles Edwin Hopkinson 6yrs

Sarah Elenor Hopkinson dt, 5yrs

George Hopkinson son 3yrs

William Hopkinson son 1yr

1881

Ann Hopkinson Head Widow 40yrs Farmer

Joseph Sellers Hopkinson son 18yrs Mason

William Hopkinson son 11yrs

Fred Hopkinson son 9yrs

Ralph Hopkinson son 7yrs

Jane Hopkinson dt. 5yrs

Mary Hopkinson dt. 2yrs

1891

Ann Tagg Head 50yrs Farmer

William Tagg Husb. 65yrs

Joseph Sellers Hopkinson son 29yrs Mason

Mary Hopkinson dt. 12yrs

George Hopkinson son 23yrs

Thomas Tagg son 6yrs