Editing Chesterfield, Derbyshire (section)

==History==
Chesterfield was in the Hundred of Scarsdale. The town received its market charter in 1204 from [[John of England|King John]], which constituted the town as a [[borough|free borough]], granting the burgesses of Chesterfield the privileges of those of [[Nottingham]] and [[Derby]].<ref name=EB1911/> In 1266, the [[Battle of Chesterfield]] saw a band of rebel barons defeated by a royalist army.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pegge |first=Samuel |year=1769 |title=A succinct and authentic narrative of the Battle of Chesterfield, AD 1266 in the reign of King Henry III |publisher=Archaeologica |volume=XXXVI |pages=276–85}}</ref>

[[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]] granted a charter in either 1594 or 1598,<ref name=EB1911/> creating a corporation of a mayor, six aldermen, six brethren, and twelve capital burgesses.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50724 |title=Parishes: Calke – Chesterfield |access-date=3 February 2009 |work=Magna Britannia: volume 5: Derbyshire |publisher=British History Online |year=1817}}</ref> This remained its charter until the borough was reshaped under the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]].<ref name=EB1911/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50871#s8 |title=Chesterfield (All Saints) |access-date=3 February 2009 |work=A Topographical Dictionary of England |publisher=British History Online |year=1848}}</ref> It originally consisted only of the [[township (England)|township]] of Chesterfield but absorbed some surrounding townships in 1892. There was a major extension when the borough absorbed [[New Whittington]] and [[Newbold, Derbyshire|Newbold]] urban district in 1920.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Local Administrative Units of England |last=Young |first=Frederic A Jr. |volume=II: Northern England |year=1991 |publisher=Royal Historical Society |location=London |isbn=0-86193-127-0 |pages=70, 660}}</ref> Chesterfield's current boundaries date from 1 April 1974, when the Borough of Chesterfield was formed under the [[Local Government Act 1972]] by amalgamating the [[municipal borough]] of [[Municipal Borough of Chesterfield|Chesterfield]], the [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] of [[Staveley, Derbyshire|Staveley]] and the parish of Brimington from [[Chesterfield Rural District]].<ref name=guide>{{Cite book |title=Local government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System |year=1974 |publisher=[[HMSO]] |location=London |isbn=0-11-750847-0 |page=40}}</ref>

[[File:Chesterfield Church 1773 SHGrimm 005ADD000015537U00036000-SVC2-.JPG|thumb|left|'The church in the 18th century as sketched by [[Samuel Hieronymus Grimm]].']]
Chesterfield benefitted much from the building of the Chesterfield Line – part of the [[Derby railway station|Derby]] to [[Leeds railway station|Leeds]] railway (North Midland Line) begun in 1837 by [[George Stephenson]]. <ref> Cite Web:https://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/explore-chesterfield/museum/explore-history-with-us/people-of-the-past/george-stephenson-1781-to-1848/ |George Stephenson - 1781 to 1848|20/08/2024|Chesterfield Borough Council| Access date 8 May 2025</ref> During the work, a sizeable seam of [[coal]] was discovered while the [[Clay Cross Tunnel]] was constructed. George then founded the [[Clay Cross]] company producing coal, iron ore, and limestone. <ref> Cite Web:https://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/explore-chesterfield/museum/explore-history-with-us/people-of-the-past/george-stephenson-1781-to-1848/ |George Stephenson - 1781 to 1848|20/08/2024|Chesterfield Borough Council| Access date 8 May 2025</ref>

During his time in Chesterfield, Stephenson lived at [[Tapton House]], remaining there until his death in 1848. He is interred in Trinity Church. A statue of him was erected outside [[Chesterfield railway station]] in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=George Stephenson Statue |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/george-stephenson-statue-chesterfield |access-date=2021-10-19 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en}}</ref>

[[image:George Stephenson statue at Chesterfield train station.jpg|thumb|200px|George Stephenson Statue, Chesterfield Train Station]]