These are some databases of historic information and census records largely from the collection of PDMHS member Dave Williams relating to the Peak District and mining in Derbyshire.
This page explains how to use them.  Members are advised to log-in to use an extended version of this page with improved search and the ability to export results to Excel. 
These databases represent many hours of effort on the part of our members.  If you’ve found them useful you might like to join PDMHS and benefit from additional information and benefits.

• The Post Office Directory 1849 – Lists of the Inhabitants of Derbyshire. Based on the original directory of all the hamlets or parishes in Derbyshire. It contained a brief description of each location, plus the names of the gentry, professionals, tradesmen, farmers and skilled labourers. This database has details of 16,382 individuals.
• White’s directory of Derbyshire 1857. During the 19th Century a whole industry arose publishing Directories. This one contains similar information to the Post Office Directory above, but was published by one of those other companies.
• Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Institute of Mining Engineers. A list dating from the late 1860s and early 1870s with names and details of 924 members of the Institute, compiled from its own journals.
• Mining related newspaper cuttings 1798-1895. A collection of cuttings related to mining (of all types) from across the UK.
• Coal and Mineral mines 1896. A list of all the coal and mineral mines in Derbyshire compiled by H.M.Inspector of Mines in his Report of 1896.  The 1896 data relating to mines elsewhere in UK is available on the archive of an older version of the PDMHS web site and will be converted to database format when time permits.
• Census Records of Peak District Miners 1871. A lists of Derbyshire miners, taken from the census records of 1871, compiled by the society’s Recorder, Dave Williams, in the course of researching the decline of employment in the Derbyshire lead mining industry, and to try and plot the emigration of lead-miners to the Derbyshire coalfield. The database currently holds details of 692 individuals.

Databases indexing part of the collection in the PDMHS Library

• Observations & Discoveries. This is a regular section of the Society’s newsletter, which contains information about new discoveries regarding mines in the Peak District and surrounding area. The database has OS grid references for the sites mentioned, as well as coordinates which, when clicked, open up a Google map showing the location. (This database is only accessible from the members only area of the website).
• Archive boxes and binders. A searchable index of the contents of various boxes and folders of documents archived in the Society’s Library at Matlock Bath. The contents of individual boxes are also listed here.

External databases

www.balmaiden.co.uk is an interesting web site which includes information about the work of women and girls in UK mines with this page covering those in Derbyshire.

These databases represent many hours of effort on the part of our members.  If you’ve found them useful you might like to join PDMHS and benefit from additional information.

Much of this content was digitised from original print documents by Dave Williams. It was then converted to Internet Databases by Rob Hindle.