The Legacy of Coalmining and the Hardwick Estate

An agreement made in 1656 between the 3rd earl of Devonshire's receiver, Humphrey Poole, and nine colliers concerning the working of coal at Heath. The document is witnessed by Pooles's assistant and successor, Richard Derrey, who was also the licensee of the Hardwick Inn; the miners were unable to sign their names and so made crosses or other marks.

Image courtesy of the Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth. Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trust.