This postcard shows a celebration in progress in the large field belonging to John Else, although it is unclear what is being celebrated. Whilst the field is filled with people and the event may have been to celebrate the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary on 22 June 1911^[1], there is no bunting out and there are only three flags in front of the row of houses in the valley. Behind the main group is a vendor with his back to us; he is about a third of the way across from the left and is wearing a white coat. He is serving something from the back of his cart, possibly ice cream^[2].

The photo was taken from approximately where Matlock's Drill Hall used to be^[2] and shows Mornington House to the left behind the barn, with Malthouse Row at the bottom of Riber hillside. In 1923 Mornington House was advertised for sale, together with its Outbuildings (Stables, Loose Boxes, Coach House, etc.) and two fields of land comprising an area of 4 acres, 2 roods and 23 perches^[3]. The house wasn't demolished but its land was subsequently developed for housing and Mornington Rise was built in 1928^[4].

Malthouse Row is a terrace of stone cottages that are slightly set back from the road.
Next to them, on the right and partly hidden by a tree, is Matlock Green's corn mill, then run by E. H. Bailey.
At times it has been called the Town Mill^[5], the lower mill and Huntbridge Mill to distinguish it from the Lumsdale Mill.

On the 1848/9 Tithe Award map the area below Riber where Malthouse Row is today was shown as "a Paint-Mill, Yard, Road, Brook, Dam and Dam-bank"^[6] that was occupied by Thomas Stevens^[7]; it belonged to the Trustees of the late Thomas Bown and was numbered 1067 on the map. Joseph Blackwell was "occupying" the Mill next door (no. 1066); "the House, Outbuildings, Corn Mill, Garden, Yards, Brook, Dam, Dam Bank and Goit" was then owned by Joseph Paxton, Thomas Bown's son in law. Part of that land was an Orchard^[6]. However, Mr. Blackwell did not live there. Nor was a malthouse was identified here at that time.

The mill had been in the hands of the Bown family for some time as John Bown, who died in 1832 and was the brother of Thomas mentioned in the Tithe Award, had been the Miller here^[8]. In 1903 the Matlock Green Mill (the lower mill) was being "used to produce flour, meal and the usual by-products, for public consumption"; both this Mill and the (upper) Lumsdale Mill were owned by Mr. Garton and E.H. Bailey was then his tenant. Bryan states that "there is a record of a mill being here in 38 Henry II (1254)^[9].

In 1861 there was a census entry in "Matlock Village" for William Townsend, who was a malster^[10]. It is not known if he had a malt kiln on his premises or whether he worked elsewhere but, from the surrounding properties, his home in "Matlock Village" was probably part of Matlock Green. There was, however, a malt house associated with John Garton's Lumsdale corn mill (the upper mill) which was occupied by Henry Ludlam from about 1831 until his death in 1850^[11]. His widow continued to live there for some years afterwards.

Malthouse Row is said to be mid 19th century, but from census and map evidence the houses was built some time in the 1870s. The cottages appear on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey Map of 1880^[12]. The footprint of the seven cottages differs slightly from that of the paint mill that preceded them. They are accessed by a small stone bridge over the Bentley Brook.

Although Malthouse Row is not given as an address in the 1881 census, most of the householders are shown in later census returns. Amongst the families living in these properties in 1911 were: Caroline George who was "retired on private means"; James Bunting, his wife, son and elderly mother; Thomas Wooding, a coal carter, with his wife and son; and Walter Hawley, his wife and daughter^[13].

Huntbridge Mill has now been converted into residences.

If you have evidence of a malthouse or a malt kiln in Matlock Green mentioned in a will or a deed, please get in touch.

From the Vernon Lamb Archive

Horse Shoe Hotel VLA 5230

Coronation celebrations Stoney Way VLA 5217

VLA 5261, Hall Leys

Knowleston Place Gardens VLA 5133

References:

^[1] Keith Taylor, in his book about Matlock, shows a different picture of a large group in this field, saying it is a celebration of the 1911 coronation. It could be the same event. Taylor, Keith (2010) "Matlock and the Great War 1914 - 1919", Country Books/Ashridge Press. ISBN 978 1 906789 38 1.

^[2] This has been suggested by Grenville Smith, whose now owns this card.

^[3] "Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal", 20 April 1923. Notice announcing the forthcoming sale of Mornington House.

^[4] Date from Grenville Smith.

^[5] See: White's Directory, 1862 - Corn Millers.

^[6] Matlock Tithe Award, 1848/9. Thomas Bown lived at Huntbridge House, now known as Huntbridge Hall.

^[7] Thomas Stevens advertised in Bagshaw's 1846 Directory | Kelly's 1848 Directory (as a manufacturer of barytes).

^[8] See Pedigree of Bown and Pre-1858 Wills, Surnames B. One of John Bown's cows was drowned during flooding after a storm in 1830 ("Saint James's Chronicle", 06 July 1830) - see Flooding in the Matlocks.

^[9] Bryan, Benjamin (1903) "History of Matlock - Matlock, Manor and Parish" London by Bemrose & Sons, Limited.

^[10] 1861 census, Enumeration District 14.

^[11] See the on site 1841 census transcripts. Henry Ludlam advertised in Pigot's Directory, 1831 and Pigot's Directory 1842 (see Miscellaneous) | Bagshaw's 1846 Directory | Kelly's 1848 Directory. He was buried in 1850.
Mary Ludlam, his widow, was listed as a brewer in the 1851 census | White's 1852 Directory | Kelly's 1855 Directory.

^[12] Ordnance Survey County Series Maps: 1880 1:2,500.

^[13] The 1911 census, published by FindMyPast.