An early twentieth century view of the Parade. An enlargement shows the railings to be varying heights along their length; they have been drawn on, so they are a photographer's "impression" as opposed to an image of the actual railings. The Jubilee Bridge has also been drawn onto the image. There are no visible signs of the pre-1906 railings either, but we could assume that this picture dates from before 1906 when the second, higher, railings were put up to enclose the Promenade. You could say that this was an older picture brought up to date, at least up to date in 1906.

The building closest to the camera on the right is the George Vaults or George Hotel. There were several changes of lessee between 1895 and 1905, the first of whom was Mr Thomas Harris of Wirksworth who applied to sell alcohol there in 1895^[1]. The licence transfer from Arthur William Upton to him was granted a few weeks afterwards^[2]. In 1897 Mr Joseph Jackson Hope applied to have the name George Vaults Wine Stores restored to the premises on Derwent Parade, where he had become the lessee^[3]. Mr. Hope was described as a wine merchant's manager in 1899^[4] but his name was associated with a jeweller's & spar business at the Derwent Arcade from before 1891 until at least 1908^[5]. He would have sold inexpensive items that appealed to tourists and also claimed to be an importer of "Continental Novelties". He had married Sarah Eleanor Evans at Shirland in 1889 and the couple lived on Holme Road for a while^[6]. Mr. Hope died at Blackpool on 12 September 1899^[7]; his widow died on 8 November 1905 and was buried at St. Giles^[8].

The George was taken over by Mr. Murdock McFee but, having only been there for a short time, he committed suicide^[9] so the licence was transferred to his widow^[10].

Next door, with two striped awnings over the pavement, was John James Hodgkinson's fancy goods shop^[8]. Stalls would be set up outside his "emporium" in the summer, selling such things as plastic windmills^[11]. Another neighbour in 1901 was John Walter Wheatcroft^[8], who was probably living above the "emporium" . The larger awning next to Hodgkinson's belongs to the Derwent Arcade^[5], with Parr's Bank the final business in the parade of shops on the right of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Miss Wilde ran a Temperance hotel above the bank in the first decade of the twentieth century; there are two signs either side of the front door advertising the hotel. The Wilde family had moved to Matlock Bath before 1881^[12]. By 1916 Frances Jordan had become the proprietress^[13].

1903 advertisement, Ward Lock Guide when Miss Wilde was the Proprietor
There is another advertisement for the Peveril.

References:

^[1] "Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald", 13 April 1895. Matlock petty sessions.

^[2] "Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald", 25 May 1895.

^[3] "Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald", 28 August 1897. Matlock's Brewster Sessions on 24 August.

^[4] "Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald", 5 July 1899. J J Hope was a yearly tenant at a premises in Matlock Bath. A case brought by the widowed Mrs. Emily Ratcliffe at Matlock County Court on 3 Jul stated that he was a wire merchant's manager had, in 1890, made an indenture of lease with Mr. F. E. Leggoe, who had then gone into the Salvation Army.

^[5] See Kelly's Directory 1891 | Bulmer's Directory 1895 | Kelly's Directory 1895 | Kelly's Directory 1899 | Kelly's 1908 directory. It is not clear who ran the business after he had died but by the time of the 1911 census it had been taken over by Percy White, an assistant fancy goods worker.

^[6] See the 1891 census when they were living on Holme Road.

^[7] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 3 March 1900. He died in the Fylde district, aged 45.

^[8] Sarah E Hope was still at the George at the time of the 1901 census. Messrs. Hodgkinson and Wheatcroft were her neighbours.

^[9] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 30 January 1905.

^[10] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 10 March 1905. Brewster Sessions.

^[11] Recollections of the late Mr. Frank Clay, from notes taken by Mrs. Doreen Buxton. He refers to "John James Hodgkinson's Emporium"

^[12] See the 1881 census. There is more about the family in The Parade, 1902-05

^[13] Recollections of the late Mr. Frank Clay, from notes taken by Mrs. Doreen Buxton. Frances Jordan was related to the New Bath Hotel Jordans. See: Matlock Bath: New Bath Hotel Stereoview