Description: Died in the tower of London 6 November 1656 after being imprisoned by Oliver Cromwell.
The Shirley famiy were predominantly from Staunton Harold in Leicestershire, but were Lords of the Manor in a number of Derbyshire towns and villages including Shirley, Brailsford and Ednaston. There are monuments to the family at Brailsford Church.
See http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=056-26d53&cid=-1#-1 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Shirley,_1st_Earl_Ferrers
This image is one of a collection by the famous local antiquarian, Thomas Bateman, of Middleton by Youlgreave. (1821-1861). Bateman organized his collection by inserting them into a 4 volume copy of Lysons Magna Britannia, Derbyshire, creating a fascinating and unique illustrated record of the county. The purchase of the collection for Derbyshire Libraries was made possible by the generous bequest of Miss Frances Webb of Whaley Bridge, well known local historian, who died in December 2006.