In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Repton like this:
REPTON, a village, a parish, a sub-district, and a hundred, in Derby. The village stands on an affluent of the river Trent, 1¼ mile S E of Willington and Repton r. station, and 4¼ N E of Burton-upon-Trent; was known, in the Saxon times, as Hreopandune, Reppandune, and Repindon; was a seat of the Mercian kings; was afterwards a market-town; and now has a post-office‡ under Burton-upon-Trent, and fairs on the third Monday of April and Nov. ...
The parish contains also the chapelry of Bretby and the hamlet of Milton. Acres, 6, 440. Real property, £12, 207. Pop., 2, 177. Houses, 444. The property is divided among a few. The manor belongs to Sir R. Burdett, Bart., and Sir J. H. Crewe, Bart. R. Park and the Hayes are chief residences. A nunnery was founded here before 660; was the burial-place of Ethelbald I.; was burnt by the Danes in 873; and is believed to be represented by a curious extant crypt beneath the parish church. A black priory was founded on the site of the nunnery, in 1172, by Matilda, wife of Earl Ranulph; was given, at the dissolution, to the Thackers; and is represented by part of the buildings of the grammar school. A discovery was made, in Jan.1867, within the grammar school's grounds, of a structure supposed to have been used by the monks for the manufacture of encaustic tiles. The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Lichfield. Value, £140.* Patron, Sir J. H. Crewe, Bart. The church is chiefly Norman, includes portions of later dates, and has a fine spire, 198feet high. The donative of Bretby is a separate benefice. There are chapels for Independents and Wesleyans, an endowed grammar school, and charities £27. The school is a large building; had Lightfoot the Hebraist as an usher, and Shaw the Staffordshire historian, and Scott the translator of the " Arabian Nights, " as pupils; is a conjoint institution with Etwall hospital; and has £2, 569 a year from endowment, and two exhibitions of £50 a year at either Oxford or Cambridge.—The sub-district contains also 7 other parishes, and parts of 3 others; and is in Burton-upon-Trent district. Acres, 27, 430. Pop., 6, 484. Houses, 1, 280. The hundred bears the name of Repton and Gresley; and contains 22 parishes, and parts of 6 others. Acres, 55, 938. Pop. in 1851, 21, 800: in 1861, 23, 859. Houses, 5,042.
Repton through time
Repton is now part of South Derbyshire district. Click here for graphs and data of how South Derbyshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Repton itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Repton in South Derbyshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/5244
Date accessed: 24th April 2024
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