Land records for Darley area

[BethAdams]

I am looking for land records for the area of Darley Dale, Northwood, Cross Green in Derbyshire.
My great great grandfather, George Adams, left for Brampton, Ontario, Canada from there in the 1850's. He was a stone mason. Many of his children (with Mary White) were born in Cross Green. Their son Joseph was born in Cross Green in 1855. His sister "Kate" was born in 1859 here in Canada.
Here in Brampton, a philanthropist paid summer students to interview "original settlers" and record their stories in an archive (God love him!!!) around the turn of the century. Someone interviewed 2 of George's daughters, and they are quoted as giving the reason their father left England was he wanted to own a farm like his older brother (Joseph Adams), but being the youngest son, he knew he would not in England, so he came here to Canada (wish they kept the land he bought! It would be worth millions now! Has a big box mall on it.)
We are interested in finding out where George's family farm was located. We have found his brother Joseph in an 1840 census in Northwood, Darley... but he seems to be a farm labourer, not owner.
There are LOTS of Nicholas Adams (one in every generation from my father to 1630... most in St. Helens Parish, Darley Dale) so we are quite sure we are in the right location. Names and dates match multiple times in documents.
Suggestions on where to look gratefully accepted!!
Beth Adams

[Peter Goodey]

You're almost certainly going to have to pay someone to extract the records you're asking for. So you need to be certain that you're asking the right question.

Are you 100% sure that the Joseph Adams you found in Darley Dale in 1841 is the brother? All traced and confirmed through parish registers?

When you say "own a farm like his older brother" are you paraphrasing or quoting? Having a farm isn't the same as owning it. Most land was in the hands of big landowners and most "farmers" were tenants.

If you're sure about Joseph Adams, try tracking him forwards in the census. The 1851 seems to describe him as a farm labourer. In 1861 he seems to be in Ashover, not in Darley, and is described as a farmer of 90 acres employing two men. In 1871 he appears in Laughton en le Morthen WRY where he's a farmer of 109 acres.

Joseph died 14 July 1876. There's a will. You ought to get a copy.

[Megan Roberts]

The County records office might be able to assist you: https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/record_office/

Joseph died 14 July 1876. There's a will. You ought to get a copy.

This is the office web site for that will - https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

[Peter Goodey]

The County records office might be able to assist you

Without a doubt. Derbyshire Record Office has a research service. But it wouldn't be advisable to commit to extra expenditure without some reasonable hope of success. There's nothing in census returns to suggest that any Adams owned land in Darley. The 1798 Land Tax Redemption database on Ancestry doesn't list any Adams as owner or occupier in Darley.

The places to look, I would suggest, are places where Joseph does appear to have been a tenant (or owner)

[BethAdams]

thanks for the information.
It would not surprise me in the least to find Joseph and his ancestors were tenants, not owners.
The quote about "owning a farm like his older brother" is from a daughter... who was born here in Canada. What she was told and what was the case may not match.
The will would be helpful - I will work on that.

I am sure the Adams family was in Darley for a long time. The parish records are there for births and deaths back into the 1600s.
Where in or around Darley they lived is not so easy - especially from here.

Thanks for the leads!
Beth