Was Darby Green named after Parson Darby?

One element of the Parson Darby myth is that Darby Green was named after him. If that were true then Parson Darby must have lived during the Commonwealth, before 1660.

The name Darby Green is mentioned in the parish registers as early as 5 March 1678. Even earlier, the birth of Anne the daughter of William May of Darby House is recorded on 27 September 1661. Baby Anne did not survive long for the registers record that Anne the daughter of William May of Darby House was buried 3rd June 1662.

Darby Green could have been named after Darby House, or the other way round. It seems unlikely that the May family would want to name their house after a highwayman, or after a village green recently named after a highwayman hung there.

It seems much more likely that a highwayman, using the disguise of a clergyman, might have decided to make up the fictitious name Parson Darby, naming himself after Darby Green. He might even have stopped at Darby Green for a drink at the Yew Tree Inn -- assuming that the ancient Yew Tree Cottage was in fact a public house when highwaymen roamed these heaths. It has never been proven that Yew Tree Cottage was a beerhouse before 1870.

VERDICT: Darby Green was not named after Parson Darby

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