Alport is a very old settlement and can be
found on John Speed's map of Derbyshire of 1610[1].
This lovely view of its mill was taken in the first decade
of the 20th century. The stone built former corn mill is
on the outskirts of the hamlet on the banks of the River
Lathkill and with limestone crags behind it. Although we
cannot see it here, there was a Lime Kiln (now disused) behind
the mill. The water wheel that powered the mill is also out
of site. The weir served the mill, but there are numerous
other weirs both above and below Alport - upstream on both
the River Bradford and the Lathkill and downstream
into the Wye, which the river flows into.
Ebenezer Rhodes recorded his visit to Alport in "Peak
Scenery" (1824):
"Alport is a pleasant place, and
the greater part of its inhabitants appear to be in reputable
circumstances, if the houses where they reside may be regarded
as a fair criterion : they are good stone buildings, and
sufficiently spacious for all the purposes of comfort : a
neat flower-garden, belted with laurel, lilacs, and libernum,
lies before them, and an orchard well stored with fruit trees
spreads behind. There are of course some inferior dwellings,
but not the proportion found in a country village. ... Leaving
Alport, we passed a mill, romantically situated amongst rocks
and trees ; the water by which it was supplied was spread
out in a lucid mirror, and the various objects that surrounded
it lay pictured on its surface in all the vivid colours of
nature. Near the mill, the stream is precipitated over a
high semicircular weir into a deep bason below, forming a
cascade, somewhat artificial, but yet extremely beautiful
; agitated water is never otherwise ; and when, by the rapidity
of its motion, it is whitened into foam, or broken into sparking
particles, it is one of the most pleasing objects that nature
any where presents"[2].
There was no miller living in Alport in 1841. On 1 Jan 1844
John Evans, a miller and the son of Joseph and Hannah Evans
of Northwood (previously of
Warney Mill), married Mabel Harrison
at St. Helen's, Darley Dale[3].
The 1851 census tells us that their three children who had
been born in the interim were all born at Alport, the eldest
in 1846, and John was the Miller there[4].
Following his first wife's death, he married again on 6 Oct
1858; his second wife was Elizabeth Nadin[5].
In 1871 his occupation was given as "Miller & Farmer
of 280 Acres employing 6 men"[4]
and by 1881 he was a "Miller & farmer 400 acres
6 men"[4].
He was still at Alport in 1891[4] but
moved back to Northwood in Darley and died there on 20 Aug
1898. He was buried at St. Helen's a few days later[5].
Although his association with Alport Mill covered over 46
years (see directory entries below[6]),
he was also linked to other mills in the area. For example,
in 1870 he worked Stanton Corn Mill when, he sustained an
injury to his leg whilst making alterations to the
water wheel[7].
Then in 1887 Major McCreagh Thornhill of Stanton sued him,
as late a tenant of Stanton Mill, to recover the sum £20
for half-a-year's rent, ending Lady Day, 1886, £2 9s.
7d. for dilapidations, £5 for his share of cost of a cleaning[8].
In 1881 the Bradford "entered the earth" above
Alport following a "great flood"; the ground was
hard with frost and the addition of melting snow had caused
it to overflow its banks. It was then noticed that the volume
of water was considerably less than it should have been.
A lead mine, previously worked by the Alport Mining Company
and owned by the Dukes of Devonshire and Rutland, John Evans
and others, was just above the confluence of the Bradford
and Lathkill. The water and storm debris were emptying into
this mine and re-emerging at Darley Dale. John Evans supervised
the workmen who were repairing the damage, ensuring
that the river flowed along its natural course. It was reported
that the hamlet's inhabitants, having recovered from the
initial shock, were less worried than expected as their homes
were constructed on the rocks[9].
Alfred Johnson (1853-1917), of Eagletor, Stanton and the
son of the Youlgreave miller Joseph Johnson and his wife
Jane, followed on although he and his family did not live
at Alport initially[10].
In the spring of 1917 Alfred was ill and unable to look after
his business so he appealed for one of his sons to be exempted
from war service. His son acted as both miller and carter
and was the only labour at the mill; he also managed his
father's small farm. He was then aged 23 and single, and
had already passed in Class C 2. This young man must have
been Sidney Johnson. His younger, 18 year old, brother (i.e.
Ernest) was about to be called up[11].
The area covered by the mill was a radius of 10 miles[11] but
if he joined the colours it was claimed that the work would
have to cease. Three months' exemption was granted to see
how the father progressed. In July the matter was again before
a Tribunal. It was felt that one of the sons should go, but
the case was again adjourned whilst matters were re-examined.
However, one of sons must have joined up as an advertisement
was published in in August 1917 - "Wanted. Experienced
Oatmeal Miller. Apply A Johnson and Son, Millers, Alport".
Alfred senior passed away at Buxton on 23 Dec 1917[12].
Another son, Gunner A. Johnson of Alport, was reported as
wounded in 1918; this was Alfred junior who was already serving[13].
Messrs Johnson brothers, millers, of Alport were still trading
in 1923[14].
However, by 1928 they had moved to Ladygrove Mill in Two
Dales[15]. E.
& S. Johnson subsequently bought Warney
Mill when it was auctioned in 1950.
The mill itself, part of the Haddon Estate, became a trout
hatchery. The estate has installed a hydro electric plant
at the Mill in recent years.
 See
the Haddon Estate website (external link).
Alport is mentioned in the following on-site transcripts:
Alport is mentioned under
Great Rowsley in Lewis's
Topographical Dictionary of England, 1831.
Transcribed by Mel Lockie, © Copyright
2021, Lewis Topographical Dictionaries.
... and in one of Julie
Bunting's articles on "Bygone
Industries of the Peak":
Corn Milling
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References:
[1] Speed, John (1995, paperback) "The
Counties of Britain. A Tudor Atlas". Pavilion Books
Limited, 26 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD. ISBN 1-85793-612-4.
(In Association with the British Library). Aulport is shown on
the 1610 map of Derbyshire.
[2] Rhodes, Ebenezer (1824) "Peak
Scenery" pub. London, Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme,
Brown, and Green, Paternoster Row.
[3] Darley Dale Parish Registers.
He was of Northwood whilst she was of Cowley Hall. John's occupation
was recorded as Miller.
[4] All census information has been
extracted from original images published on FindMyPast.
[5] John Evans, widower, and Elizabeth
Nadin were married at Bakewell.
[5] Death date from probate records
and burial from the parish register. The probate records mention
Samuel Evans carter, Roger Evans cattle dealer, Thomas Evans
innkeeper and James Evans carter.
[6] Over the years he advertised
in:
- "Post Office Directory of Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire",
1855 (under Youlgrave) - Evans, John miller, Alport Hotel
- "White's Directory" 1857 - Alport Evans
John, corn miller;
- "Kelly's Directory", 1881 - John Evans,
Miller & farmer, Alport - under Great Rowsley;
- "Kelly's Directory", 1887 - John Evans,
Millr (water) & farmer, Alport - under Great Rowsley;
- "Kelly's Directory", 1891 - website Evans
John, miller (water) & farmer, Alport - under Great Rowsley.
[7] "Sheffield Independent",
23 August 1870. Accident at Stanton Mill. Stanton Mill was
owned by Major McCreagh Thornhill.
[8] "Derbyshire Times",
16 November 1887 }
"Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal", 9 December 1887 } Dispute
between Landlord and Tenant at Bakewell.
[9] "Sheffield Independent", 23 February 1881. Disappearance of a
river. The Alport Mining Company had been dissolved about 18
years before the incident. Almost no lead mining had taken
place for some years.
[10] Alfred was still at Eagletor
in 1901. His widowed father was living with him and his family.
In 1911 Alfred and his wife Mary Ann were at their daughters'
home in Buxton.
[11] "Derbyshire Advertiser
and Journal",
6 July 1917. The Miller's Sons.
[12] 1920 probate records and MI
at Stanton-in-the-Peak.
[13] "Derbyshire Courier",
5 October 1918. Listed amongst the war casualties. He and his
wife Sarah Ann were also buried at Stanton-in-the-Peak.
[14] "Derbyshire Times",
24 November 1923. Alport Mill then ceased to grind corn.
[15] "Kelly's Directory",
1928. Darley Dale: Johnson A. & Sons, corn millers, Denacre
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