We know very little about the lives of people in the area from the 13th to the late 16th Centuries. The population would have been tiny, and the only records which were kept relate to house deeds. At this time, the village was only known by the names of the hamlets of Norbury, Bosden, Torkington and Bramhall. In 1560, Richard Bullock leased some land on what is now Torkington Park and built a smithy. Gradually, the whole area became known as Bullock Smithy, until 1836 when the name was changed to Hazel Grove. After the smithy was built, roads gradually started to resemble the A6 we know today. However, the roads were unlikely to have been paved and that in most parts would have been 4 yards or less in width!

Bullock Smithy (with the exception of Bosden) formed part of the parish of Stockport and worshippers would have had to make their way to Stockport Parish Church in the Market Place. All marriages, baptisms and deaths are recorded for Bullock Smithy from 1584 – 1834 at Stockport. An unusual entry records 1592 December. Buried, Nicholas Manly, slayne at Bullock Smithy was buryed the 15th. As he was probably simply a farm labourer, it’s impossible to find out what actually happened, but Bullock Smithy was already starting to become lawless even in those days!

Norbury Chapel
With the influence of Puritanism and the Reformation, in the 1580s a Chapel of Ease was built near the corner of Dean Lane/Macclesfield Road. Previously, worshippers would have had to travel to Stockport (on foot or by horse) and probably endure prayers and a 2-3 hour sermon. Puritan worship was less concerned with ritual worship but demanded strict belief in the Bible. The Chapel at Norbury would have been very bare, probably just benches and a lectern. It probably didn’t even have a crucifix and there wouldn’t have been communion.

The curates of the Chapel were based at Stockport parish and many also served Poynton. Puritanism (Non-conformism) had been rife at the chapel and after the restoration of Charles II, the Act of Uniformity(1662) made it illegal for puritan ministers to pray without the Book of Common Prayer.

One Sunday, the curate of the Chapel, John Jollie (the brother of Rev. James Jollie, the minister at Whalley Parish in Ribble, who was vehement preacher against witches and who was notorious for “never having been seen or heard with the Book of Prayer”!) found that the doors of the Chapel had been bolted against him. The doors were forced open by Jollie and his mob and he preached as usual. Jollie was rep[orted to the “King & Council”, but it was found that the Chapel was unconsecrated! So Jollie got away with it. He later died in Oldham in 1665. The Chapel continued to be used until 1834.

The Civil war made little impact on the village, although the incumbents at Torkington Hall and Marple Hall were both MPs and supporters of Cromwell. The Davenports at Bramall Hall were heavily taxed as a result of their support of the Royalists and frequently had goods confiscated as a result.