Description: Amongst the FitzHerberts' Tissington purchases was the rectory and impropriation of Tissington. Tissington Church is probably of 12th century foundation. It was built as a chapel of ease for the inhabitants of Tissington, a manor and township in the parish of Bradbourne. Like Tissington in 1086, Bradbourne was a Ferrers manor and it already had a priest and a church. Whether the church was an Old English foundation, or whether it was built by Ferrers to serve his estates in that district, is not known. It served not only Bradbourne and Aldwark but also Atlow, Ballidon, Brassington and Tissington, at all four of which chapels of ease were built and endowed, probably by the local lords of the manors. The church of Bradbourne and its four chapels were given by Sir Geoffrey de Cauceis in 1205 to the priory of Dunstable in Bedfordshire. Although Tissington did not become a completely separate parish until the late 19th century, it was early recognised as a parochial chapelry. Its tithes, however, were paid the priory of Dunstable. At the dissolution of the monasteries in the late 1530's, these and the glebe became Crown property. The chapel's endowments were bought by the FitzHerberts at some time prior to 1695 when William FitzHerbert left them to trustees to hold until certain trusts had been executed and then jointly to the bishop of the diocese and the lord of the manor of Tissington forever, raising £40 yearly to be paid to the curate of Tissington, who was to be an unmarried cleric who was to read prayers daily in the family (the FitzHerbert family). If he should live in the Hall, he was only to be paid £20 yearly. The curate in charge of the chapelry was obviously viewed by the FitzHerberts almost as a private chaplain, to be appointed by the bishop and the lord of the manor. These two still hold the advowson. The Church, with its Norman tower, font, chancel arch and south doorway, stands just north of the village green. After they acquired the impropriate tithes, the FitzHerberts were responsible for the repair of the chancel, a responsibility they took seriously and retained after the 1695 endowment of the living. In 1853, there were major repairs to the body of the church, and a north aisle was added at the sole cost of Miss FitzHerbert.