Derby Leasing

Did You Know?

Derby began as a Roman fort. The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD. Around 50 AD they built a fort west of the river Derwent on the site of Belper Road. Then, about 80 AD, they built a new fort on the east bank of the river. The Romans called the fort Derventio.

There may have been a Saxon village on the site of Derby after the Romans left. However, the Danes founded the town of Derby about 873 AD after they invaded England.

By the time of the Domesday Book (1086) The city had a population of about 2,000. That might seem very small to us but by the standards of the time, it was a fair sized town.

Derby was founded in the 9th century by the Danes as Deoraby, from which the present name is derived. Early royal charters were granted in 1154–56 and 1204. All Saints Church (cathedral from 1927) has a tower 210 feet (64 metres) high that was built in 1509–27.

This may be no surprise to anyone from the area, but Derby is known as the home of the world’s first factory. Lombe’s Mill, a silk throwing mill, was built by Thomas Lombe in 1721 on an island located on the River Derwent. It was built after his brother, John Lombe visited Piedmont and returned to England with information on Italian silk-throwing machines and Italian craftsmanship. To celebrate its 300th anniversary, the factory was restored and reopened to the public in 2021 as the Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill.

Derby is famous for setting in motion Britain's Industrial Revolution with some of the country first factories and spinning mills. It is equally famous for later factories of Rolls Royce, Royal Crown Derby and Railway engineering. In 2015 the population of the city was 252,500.

During its turbulent early history, Derby was also settled by the Saxons, Vikings and Normans, all of whom had a lasting impact on the area. These early settlers were likely responsible for Derby's name, with the Romans naming it Derventio and the Vikings Djúra-bý meaning 'Village of the Deer'.

Joseph Wright was a famous 18th century painter born and raised in Derby. He was best known for his paintings of portraits, scientific instruments and industrial subjects during the Industrial Revolution. He was known as one of the best European painters of artificial light. The world’s largest collection of his work can be seen today in the Derby Museum & Art Gallery.