Hello John
The following are Chairmen of Wirksworth Urban District Council
1895 - 1974 ..In 1974 the Council was replaced by Derbyshire Dales
District Council (more's the pity)
The Council was founded in 1895 the first meeting held on January 2nd
of that year
- 1895-1896 George Hanson Wheatcroft
Managing Director of Wheatcrofts Tape Manufacturer's Haarlem Mill
Wirksworth. G.H.Wheatcroft lived at
Waltham House St John Street
Wirksworth.. Waltham House today is in the process of being enlarged to
accomodate apartments for older people instigated by Wirksworth Care
Home Project Group ..some for sale others for rent ..
- 1896-1897 William Doxey
William Doxey was at first a Joiner but by the time he was Chairman
aged in his 60s he was a Farmer ..He married Ellen Rowland of Bradbourne
at Thorpe Parish Church
- 1897- 1898 George Wigley Walker
G.H Walker Building Contractor / Master Stonemason in the family firm of
Joseph Walker & Sons ..was son of my Great Grandfather Joseph Walker
by Joseph's 2nd wife Margaret nee Fletcher of Wrockwardine Wood Shropshire.
Joseph was born in 1815. His 1st wife was Anne Wright of Wrights Cottages
Wirksworth Moor she of my blood kin as her 4XGrandfather William Wheatcroft
was my 7XGrandfather via Cauldwell and Walker whilst her 3XGrandfather
Robert Frost was my 6XGrandfather by Flint's..G.H Walker married Sarah
Taylor daughter of Isaac and Sarah Taylor of Carsington (see
Brian Taylor's pedigreeon John Palmers web pages) Joseph Walker my Grt Grandfather
married as his 3rd wife Martha Sheldon of Middleton she my true Grt
Grandmother One child born of this marriage John Walker married Annie
Cauldwell of Alderwasley 1892 they my Grandparents
- 1898-1899 John Millington
Millington came out of a wealthy family orignally from the Hulland Ward
area.. Near Hulland is a hamlet called Millington Green
- 1899-1901 Joseph Walker
Joseph brother of George Wigley Walker..son of my Grt Grandfather Joseph
Walker .. Joseph was a Building Contractor / Stonemason in the family
firm of Joseph Walker & Sons, married Thirza from Denby
- 1901-1902 John Brown
- 1902-1903 Joseph Walker
Brother of G.H Walker above
- 1903-1905 George Wigley Walker
- 1906-1907 Joseph Albert Wheatcroft
Son of George Hanson Wheatcroft Joseph was a Manager at his father's
Tape Works The Wheatcrofts were of the same family as Nathaniel Wheatcroft
Agent on Cromford Canal also German and Abraham Wheatcrofts who owned
Canal Boats and were Coal Agents Other's of the family were William and
David Wheatcroft who one time owned Ash Hill Quarry (Hopton Wood Stone)
Rise End Middleton and Buckland Hollow Saw Mills.. In 1906 Killer Bros.
Hopton Wood Stone Firm and Wheatcrofts were amalagamated making it known
as The Hopton Wood Stone Company..
- 1907-1909 William John Harrison
William John Harrison married Sarah Gamble of Wirksworth, he son of James
and Mahala Harrison nee Buckley ..Mahala daughter of George and Millicent
Buckley nee Butler they of my wife and my kin of Bolehill.. James
Harrison's brother Herbert Harrison married Ellen Land daughter of my
3XGrandparents George and Elizabeth Land nee Hoades of Bolehill..
Buckley's also of my Flint kinship.. When the new road to by pass North
End Wirksworth was built 1939 - driven through Baileycroft Quarry one
time owned by George Colledge of my kin it was named after William
John Harrison... His children were Florence Herbert and Norman ..see
later notes on Norman Harrison..John Benyon the first Labour Party Agent
and a founding member of Wirksworth Labour party was allied kin to
Harrisons.. John Benyon was Butler to Nicholas Price Wood at Wirksworth Hall
- 1909-1910 Joseph Albert Wheatcroft
- 1910-1928 William John Harrison
Harrison's originated from Ockbrook Derby Their allied kin were the
family of Sims who married into the Houfton family of Mansfield one of
whom was Sir John Plowright Houfton who was General Manager at Bolsover
Colliery when it was first sunk..In time he was also involved with
Thoresby, Rufford, Cresswell, Clipstone and Mansfield Collieries also
a J.P. and M.P. for Nottingham East..Knighted in 1929 the year of his
demise.. My Uncle Arthur Botham born at Wirksworth (married my father's
sister Amelia Flint) was a Pit Deputy at Clipstone Colliery when Sir
John Plowright Houfton was General Manager there...whilst my Uncle
Sidney Flint was a Miner at Bolsover others of my immediate family also
working at Bolsover Pit in the early 1900s
- 1928-1932 Jonathan Logan
Born at St Bees Cornwall came to Wirksworth as a Schoolmaster married
Louisa Slack daughter of George and Sarah Slack nee Butler Butler's
both my wife and my kin George son of Samuel and Sarah Slack nee Land
Sarah sister to my 3XGrandmother Hannah Land who married James Smith of
Carsington Mining Agent to Bacons of Carsington Pastures who were also
of my family via Cauldwell's... Sarah Hannah and Ellen (married Herbert
Harrison aforementioned) were daughters of my 4XGrandparents George and
Elizabeth (Betty) Land nee Hoades
- 1932-1933 William Bowyer
Lived on West End Wirksworth
- 1933-1934 Joshua Frederick Slater
J.F Slater born 1890 was son of John and Elizabeth Slater nee Turner,
Elizabeth daughter of George Turner of Baslow a Coal Merchant at
Wirksworth..John Slater was by his mid life a Coal Agent on North End
Wirksworth ..John was son of John and Sarah Slater nee Kniveton, the
Kniveton's of both my wife and my kin up to the present day .. Joshua
Slater husband of my 3XAunt Hannah nee Flint was an Engineer working
for Richard Arkwright at Masson Mill 1820s ..He was killed in 1823
when, in the process of oiling a moving machine, he was trapped .
Joshua Slater born 1890 owned a Cycle Shop and Tobacconists on St John
Street.. He was a close friend of my father Harry Sprake Flint (born 1894)
they both founding members of Wirksworth Rotary Club and Councillors on
Wirksworth Urban District Council , Dad being Liberal Councillor for
Middleton Ward 1933 - 1948 previously serving up to boundary changes in
1933 for Middleton on Ashbourne Rural District Council from 1928 -1933..
Dad was one time Works Superintendent to Ashbourne R.D.C. also a Parish
Clerk Deputy Registrar and Census Enumerator
- 1934-1935 Thomas Henry Greatorex
T.H Greatorex was a Plumber / Painter & Decorator in his family firm ..
son of Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Greatorex of North End Wirksworth Mary
Elizabeth was Clerk to Wrights Vaults Wine and Spirit Merchants..
- 1935-1936 Frank Clifford Shaw
Managing Director of Bowne & Shaw Middle Peak Quarry born 1897 Gr Gr
Grandson of my 5XUncle and Aunt James and Hannah Shaw nee Roper
James born at Okerside near Snitterton James brother to Anne Shaw who
married Isaac Hoades they my 4XGrandparents via Land Cauldwell and
Walker's.. Frank Clifford Shaw was son of Frank and Fanny Shaw nee
Baggeley (Fanny Shaw Playing Fields on Cromford Road was named after
Mrs Shaw) Frank Shaw sometimes known as Francis Shaw was son of John and
Hannah Shaw nee Wilde... Bowne & Shaw's Quarry was founded by this
John Shaw along with his brother in law John Wilde who was a Lime Burner
at Middle Peak (Stoneycroft one time worked by John Waterfield of my
allied kin) John Shaw's senior partner was Peter Bowne born at Pentrich
who was already General Manager at Crich Quarry (The Butterley Company)
with financial backing from William Goodwin a Civil Engineer son of
Frances Green Gooodwin of Wigwell Grange..
- 1936-1938 John E Sutton
Mr Sutton was Chairman of Wirksworth UDC when my father Harry Flint was
Chairman of Wirksworth Water Board My father oversaw the establishment
of the first treated water supply piped to every home in Middleton during
this period ..I have a photograph of my father leading the opening prayers
when the Pump House at the foot of the Via Gellia was opened.. . In the
photograph are Mr Sutton Mr Samuel Palin Mr Mountford Mr Slater and
Mr Joseph A Wheatcroft..
- 1938-1939 Frank Clifford Shaw
- 1939-1940 John E Sutton
- 1940-1942 William J Brookes
- 1942-1943 John E Sutton
- 1943-1945 Leslie Arthur Doxey
Leslie A Doxey was the son of John Frederick Doxey of Water Lane Middleton
he son of Nehemiah Doxey who was Mining Agent Landowner and a Grocer at
Middleton..Nehemiah son of Jacob Doxey ..This Doxey family are of my kin
by Sheldon's of my Grand fore bare family at Snake lead Mine Hopton Wood
and were also involved with my allied Hall family at Goodluck Mine Via
Gellia.. John F Doxey was on The Grand Jury at The Barmote Court along
with my wife's Grt Grandfather Joseph Evans when my Gr Gr Uncle Samuel J
Sheldon was Deputy Barmaster The Soke & Wapentake of Wirksworth and
Barmaster of Crich Liberty.. Leslie A Doxey built some five Bungalows
at Rise End Middleton in the 1950s and replaced my father as Chairman of
Wirksworth Water Board in the early 1940s when Dad had to resign due to
ill health..
- 1945-1946 Harry Spencer
- 1946-1947 Norman Harrison
Norman was a self employed Plumber son of William John Harrison ..He
married Lillian Petts daughter of John James and Lydia Petts nee Brookes
Their other daughter Ada Petts was my Aunt she marrying my father's
brother John Samuel Flint ... Norman Harrison was also a fellow Deacon
with my father Harry S Flint at Middleton Congregational Church along
with Aunt Ada's half brother Douglas Slack ..Douglas also of my wife's
family (when John James Petts obt his widow Lydia married George Slack
father of Douglas Slack .. Douglas Slack and my father were close friends
each having been Best Man at each of their marriages .. John James
Petts's along with his brother Bertram Petts were Monumental Masons at
Middleton .. The family firm is still thriving today Bertram Petts's Gr
Grandson now owning the business. By the 1970s I was also a Deacon at
Middleton Congregational Church with Norman and Lillian Harrison ..
- 1947-1949 Joseph Cresswell
Headmaster at Newbridge Secondary Modern School Wirksworth when I was a
Pupil in the 1950s also a J.P.
- 1949-1950 Joshua F Slater
- 1950-1951 Norman Harrison
- 1951-1953 Joshua F Slater
- 1953-1954 John James Slack
John James was son of William Slack Grandson of William Thomas Needham
Slack my wife's Gr Gr Uncle. W.T.N Slack was Quarry General Manager at
Manystones Quarry Longcliffe owned by Thomas Brittan son in law of my
kinsman George Colledge who owned Baileycroft Quarry Wirksworth
W.T N Slack was also a Methodist Lay Preacher J.J Slack's son today
Peter Slack is Middleton Ward Councillor on Derbyshire Dales District
Council.
- 1954-1955 Norman Harrison
- 1955-1956 Anne Veronica Stafford
- 1956-1957 John James Slack
- 1957-1958 William Hubert Doxey
W.H Doxey born at Middleton .. Steam Engine / Diesel Train Driver J.P.
M.B.E. Instigator of The Dale Restoration Scheme Serving on the Council
for many years up to recent times
- 1958-1959 John William Porter
- 1959-1961 Norman Harrison
- 1961-1962 William Hubert Doxey
- 1962-1964 Joshua F Slater
- 1964-1965 Margaret Winifred Brown
Wife of the Managing Director of Browns Foundry Nottingham Road Derby ..
Her son Frank Brown a Flt Lt in The Fleet Air Arm was Lay Pastor at
Middleton Congregational Church when my father had to resign as a Deacon
and Sunday School Superintendent ..During this time I was a teacher at
the Sunday School and was inducted along with the daughter of Douglas
Slack as Deacon's by Frank Brown in 1964 ..By the 1970s when Mr Brown had
emigrated to Rhodesia as a teacher he trained me up to take over from him
as Sunday School Superintendent .. The Brown family lived at Yokecliffe
House and then Brassington Hall up to Frank emigrating.. I believe Mrs
Brown was a senior figure in The Girl Guides she a Conservative Councillor...
- 1965-1966 William H Doxey
- 1966-1967 Dennis Kneebone
Mr Kneebone was Manager at Middleton Co Operative Store He was born in a
house next to my Father's Grocery Shop Central Stores Main Street
Middleton..when Middleton Co Op closed he worked at Bryan Donkin Co at
Lumsdale Works Matlock where I was a Bench Fitter in the Commercial Gas
Component Dept.
- 1967-1968 Joshua F Slater
- 1968-1969 Dennis Kneebone
- 1969-1970 Charles Albert Brown
- 1970-1971 Joseph Cresswell
- 1971-1972 William Hubert Doxey
- 1972-1973 Joseph Cresswell
- 1973-1974 William Hubert Doxey
In 1974 Wirksworth UDC was closed down the Wirksworth area coming
under the control of Derbyshire Dales District Council
Regards Stuart G Flint
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