AN anti-slavery campaigner, an inventor and architect and a pioneer in midwifery are the latest luminaries in Derby to be recognised with blue plaques.
The names of the Rev Thomas Gisbourne, an ally of William Wilberforce in his battle against slavery, and William Strutt, who designed the original Derbyshire General Infirmary, are now on a plaque at St Helen's House.
Both lived in the King Street building.
And the moniker of Dr Percival Willoughby – the author of the ground-breaking book, Observations in Midwifery – is on the side of the Derby Register Office, in the Market Place
This is because it was the closest building to where his former home used to be.
The Derby Civic Society and the city council's blue plaques scheme is recognising 25 historically-important city figures.
Of these, six have now had their plaques put up.
Alan Grimadell, society vice-chairman, said: "The society will continue to celebrate the lives of past distinguished individuals closely associated with the city via the scheme.
"We are grateful to the city council for their support in this project and the conclusion will be the Derby Blue Plaque Trail."
He said the figures were being recognised with plaques over a two-year period, with the trail being officially launched at that point.
Mr Grimadell said: "By then, we'll have them all over the city – in Normanton, the city centre, Osmaston – and people will be able to get a leaflet from the tourist information centre to follow the trail around."
The Rev Gisbourne, who lived from 1758 to 1846, wrote pamphlets and books to support the work of Wilberforce – a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade.
He was an Anglican priest, philosopher and poet.
William Strutt, who lived from 1756 to 1830, was an inventor, industrialist and scientist, as well as the son of cotton pioneer Jedediah Strutt.
He is said to have thought of creating an automatic cotton spinning machine some years before it was patented in 1830, though there was not the technology to make it work.
Mr Strutt became a successful architect and designed many of the city's bridges.
And Dr Willoughby, born in 1596 and died in 1685, saw his midwifery teachings spread across the country. He qualified as a doctor of medicine in 1630 and practised, specialising in gynaecology from 1624 to 1653, in Derby.
Future plaques are to recognise Steve Bloomer, Florence Nightingale and Joseph Pickford.
