The Eyres of Derbyshire - the death of a dynasty ....

(This Truelove was later injured in the Battle himself - losing a leg - and from then on the coat of arms of the Eyres featured a single leg). The Eyre family motto is "Sola Virtus Invicta" - Bravery alone is Invincible.

Whatever the truth the family were certainly rewarded not long after the Battle of Hastings with lands in the Peak District, centred on the village of Hope.

This part of the Peak was a Royal Forest (given by William to his illegitimate son William Peveril) and was largely reserved as a Royal hunting forest. William Peveril built Peveril Castle at Castleton (Castle Town), and the Eyres were "foresters of fee" looking after the area for their master.

William le Heyr (Derbyshire) who died in 1299 held an appointment of "Hereditary Forester of the Peak", in 1250. This was a royal appointment and for this service he was allowed a bovate of land at Hope. Robert, William's son continued in the position on his father's death. This is the earliest record of the Eyre family in Derbyshire. It appears highly likely that William le Eyr is the ancestor of most Derbyshire EYRE families.

Robert Eyre (bap.1392), the third son of Sir Nicholas Eyre and his wife Joana Barlow, at Hope Derbyshire. His brothers were, Nicholas Eyre the eldest who settled in Maltby, Yorkshire and William Eyre the second son who settled in North Lees, Derbyshire (pictured below).

Over the next century, the family increased their influence by acting as overseers - looking after land locally on behalf of gentry families based elsewhere. They also acquired lands whenever they could for themselves and their children (for example they bought the Manors of Calver, Bubnell and Baslow for £4300 and paid off the mortgage within 2 years)..

They were particularly adept at marrying-off their sons to wealthy daughters (especially if those daughters were the heiresses to vast estates which would then come under the Eyre influence).

For example, Robert Eyre married Joanna de Padley (*) - daughter and sole heiress of Padley - and so the Padley estates (nr Hathersage, Derbyshire) came into the family. (Padley Chapel, all that remains of Padley Hall, is pictured below).

Roger Eyre (bap 1428), the fourth son of Robert Eyre and his wife Joanna de Padley, married Elizabeth Whittington heiress of the Whittington estates. (He is buried in Whittington Church - and a stained glass window commemorates his life)

Roger Eyre settled at Holme Hall, Chesterfield (not to be confused with Holme Hall in Bakewell which was also acquired by the Eyres through marriage with the daughter of Bernard Wells) about 1450, as leasee, probably, under the priory of Lenton.

Anthony Eyre (bap. 1508) a great grandson of Roger Eyre of Holme Hall, married Elizabeth Pole of Radborn, Derbyshire. They had taken residence at Kiverton and Laughton in Yorkshire. Anthony and his first son Gervase Eyre (bap.1545) purchased the property of Newbold.

(The great manor of Newbold, described in the Domesday survey as having six berwicks, of which Chesterfield was one, was parcel of the ancient demesne of the crown. It afterwards belonged to the abbot and convent of Welbeck. At the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, it was parcel of the possessions of Beauchief Abbey, and it appears to have been granted to Sir William West whose son John West sold it in 1570 to Anthony and Gervase Eyre).

Thomas Eyre (bap 1518 died 1595) - a great grandson of Roger Eyre - lived at Dunston - next to Holme Hall - and raised his family there, until the manor was sold to the Leakes.

By the 16th century, the various branches of the Eyres were Lords of the Manor in over 20 places and controlled huge areas of the North Derbyshire Peak District.

All was going well - very well indeed - until the time of Henry VIII and his break with the Catholic Church. The storm clouds were gathering, and resultant fallout was going to effect every branch of the Eyre family.

(*)The Padley original surname is though to have been Bernake - and they acquired the Padley name when they settled there.