| Administrative History | St John the Baptist was the parish church of Buxton until the combined parish was established in 1975. These records include those of the old parish church of St John the Evangelist, abandoned in 1812 (see below).
The township of Buxton was originally in the parish of Bakewell, and there is a tradition that it once was included in the parochial chapelry of Chelmorton. There was a chapel, however, probably dedicated to St Anne, in Buxton itself at least by late medieval times. This was taken down at the Reformation, but another chapel, dedicated to St John the Evangelist, had been built on another site by 1625 at the latest. At least from this date the township of Buxton can therefore be regarded as a separate parochial chapelry in Bakewell parish.
Under the terms of a special Act of Parliament (1811) the church of St John the Baptist was built as a free chapel, although physically located in the township and chapelry of Fairfield, to serve the chapelry of Buxton, and St John the Evangelist was abandoned. In 1851 the chapelry of Buxton lost part of its area to the new parish of King Sterndale (see D4786). In 1898 it was given the full status of a parish, with the addition of part of the chapelry of Fairfield (see D1813), and also of the township of Fernilee, where there was a mission church. Fernilee itself became a separate parish in 1905. After that date there were no changes in the boundaries of the parish of Buxton until 1975 when it was merged with Burbage (see D2425) and King Sterndale.
St James the Greater chapel of ease in Bath Road was opened and consecrated in 1871 and closed in 1953. The old church of St John the Evangelist was re-consecrated in 1895 and rededicated to St Anne, also to serve as a chapel of ease to the parish church. A further chapel of ease, St Mary the Virgin, was opened in 1917. Both St Anne and St Mary the Virgin continue as chapels of ease in the combined parish of Buxton with Burbage and King Sterndale. |
| Custodial History | The records were deposited at various dated from 1977. Further deposit July 2015 (see D1751/UL). |