Alain,

I have an interest, but not (I might add) as a Mason, in this subject. Chesterfield was the nearest (market) town for me when I was growing up – although it is probably somewhat more industrial and commercialised than rural. I will see what I can find next time I’m there – I visit my mum near there about once a week. The local librarians are very knowledgeable and helped me enormously with some (local history) studies I was undertaking between 1985 and 1988.

In addition to the journal article that mentions Chesterfield, for which I posted details above, I have found one or two things on the internet that may be of interest.

“During the Napoleonic Wars, French Officers who were prisoners of war were billeted in Chesterfield. They formed two Lodges during the years 1809 - 12 Loge de l'Espérance and Loge de St Jerôme et l'Espérance. Scarsdale members made 8 visits to Loge de St Jerome et l'Espérance, while the Scarsdale minutes record that on 5th March 1810, "Hy. Vinclair and R. de la Croix, two foreigners, visited this night." Both were prominent French Masons.

The French prisoners had little money and were not allowed to go more than a mile from Chesterfield, but they found a sympathiser in Sir Windsor Hunloke, Master of Scarsdale in 1800 and a Roman Catholic, who is said to have moved the milestone further along Derby Road so that the Frenchmen could visit him at Wingerworth Hall!”

http://www.derbyshiremason.org/lutudarum/history.htm

“The officers among the ship-bound prisoners were considered in a category separate from the others. Those who would give their parole were allowed to live in one of the designated 'parole towns.' They received a weekly allowance from the British Government of a half-guinea, about $1.50 at today's rate of exchange. This allowance, it should be understood, was given only to those who would give their parole. The rest got nothing, bad food, rags for clothing, pestilence and chains.

No one ever took the pains to record just how many of the prisoners were Masons, but there must have been a great many and of considerable dedication. In the eight land prisons they established five Lodges; in the 50 parole towns, 32 Lodges; and, impossible as it may be to conceive, in the 51 prison hulks, where anything like a normal life was virtually if not completely impossible, there were six Lodges established.

It should be understood that these were not casual or occasional meetings of men belonging to the Craft, but, within the limitations of time and facilities, properly established Bodies, although generally without warrants. They conducted regular stated meetings with a full list of officers and a code of by-laws. They kept accurate and complete minutes of their meetings, many of which are preserved to this day.

That this was not only condoned but even encouraged by British brethren is attested by many recorded facts. At least four of these Lodges, (Ashby, Chesterfield, Leek, and Northampton), applied for and received permits from the Acting Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England, although they did their work in association with the Grand Orient of France. Rites practised generally were the Rite Francaiseou Moderne, adopted by the Grand Orient of France in 1786….”

http://www.thedigitalfreemason.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=30

And a snippet about the links via Catholicism in here

http://www.aboutderbyshire.co.uk/cms/9/wingerworth-hall-menageri.shtml

And Ashbourne Derbyshire had some too …

http://www.ashbourne-town.com/pubs/green/index.html

[Ashby (Leicestershire) and very close to south Derbyshire, Chesterfield (north Derbyshire), Leek (Staffordshire), and Northampton (Bedfordshire): all of these were relatively rural counties, with some considerable industrial and commercial development, at the time of the Napoleonic wars.

In the first three areas, coalmining, iron production, textiles and more latterly engineering and of course in the latter leather processing and, especially, boot manufacture.

I would imagine there would also have been some “radical” sympathies, in at least the Chesterfield area, for the plight of the French billeted in the area . I can tell you more about this off line if you’re interested as it is probably off topic]

This may also be use

W. P. BARKER
FRENCH PRISONERS OF WAR IN ENGLAND
Notes and Queries 1879 s5-XI: 335; doi:10.1093/nq/s5-XI.278.335-a

THUS
FRENCH PRISONERS OF WAR IN ENGLAND
Notes and Queries 1879 s5-XI: 335; doi:10.1093/nq/s5-XI.278.335-b

H. HALL
FRENCH PRISONERS OF WAR IN ENGLAND
Notes and Queries 1879 s5-XI: 335; doi:10.1093/nq/s5-XI.278.335-c [PDF]

FREDERICK E. SAWYER
FRENCH PRISONERS OF WAR IN ENGLAND
Notes and Queries 1879 s5-XI: 335; doi:10.1093/nq/s5-XI.278.335-d

W. D. SWEETING
FRENCH PRISONERS OF WAR IN ENGLAND
Notes and Queries 1879 s5-XI: 335; doi:10.1093/nq/s5-XI.278.335-e

http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/content/vols5-XI/issue278/index.dtl

And finally

French prisoners' lodges. A brief account of twenty-six lodges and chapters of freemasons, established and conducted by French prisoners of war in England and elsewhere, between 1756 and 1814. Illustrated by eighteen plates, consisting of facsimiles of original documents, seals, &c (1900)

http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924030291102/cu31924030291102_djvu.txt

Hope this helps

Amicalement

Anthony