George Stephenson, the creator of the famous locomotive, The Rocket, lived at Tapton House from 1838 to 1848 - You can see his grave today inside the Holy Trinity Church.
The nearby settlement of Brampton became industrialised in the 19th century and had metalworking and pottery industries. However it did not become part of Chesterfield until 1892 when the boundary of the borough was changed.
In the early 20th century Chesterfield at last became industrialised. A heavy engineering industry grew up and prospered in and around the area. However, in the late 20th century manufacturing industry declined in just as it did in other towns and services such as tourism and retail became more important.