| Marple Local History Society |
The Marple Local History Society was formed in 1951 as The Marple Antiquarian Society and changed to its present title in 1990. More than 80 members meet on the third Monday in the month from September to April at the Evangelical Church on Queen Street, Marple.
The meetings invite speakers on various subjects of local interest or from further afield. Recent talks have included Girl Power - Manchester Style, Ellen Turner - Local Girl in National Scandal, Life in Longdendale, Underground Stockport, 10,000 years in Mellor, The John Rylands Library and its collections and "Fire in the Summit Tunnel". The Society also has close links with the Mellor Heritage Project and the Iron Bridge Restoration Group.
In July there is a Cheese and Wine evening at Mellor. During the summer two or three coach tours are organised to places of interest where specialist guides meet us. Past visits have included Gorton Monastery, Tissington Hall and Longnor, Port Sunlight and Ness Gardens, Llangollen, followed by a canal boat trip over the Ponte Cysyllte Aqueduct, Chesterfield and Hardwick Hall, Liverpool Cathedrals, and Shibden Hall.
The Society holds extensive archives of local and regional interest and is constantly adding to them. Many of these are donated by local people but some arrive from as far away as the U.S.A. The archives are presently stored at Mellor but the committee hope to move them to Marple and is actively looking for suitable accommodation. The Society is also in the process of sharing pictures from its archives with the community via the Marple Website's Virtual History Tour of Marple.
Annual subscription for the Society is £10 and visitors may attend talks for £3. New members are always welcome and further information can be obtained from Hilary Atkinson on 0161 427 3802 or
Summer 2011 Newsletter
Registered Charity 500099
Our Society continues to flourish and this is due in no small part to the successful series of talks which are presented during the Autumn, Winter and Spring sessions and for which attendances continue to grow. However the Society’s activities also include a very popular series of outings and during this last year we have also been involved in putting on a major exhibition based on the theme of “60 Years of History”. In this letter I want to focus particularly on these two areas and to set the scene for the 2011/12 series of talks.
Below are some photographs taken during the outings to Sheffield, The People’s Museum in Manchester and Helmshore Mill and Queens Mill in Burnley, which I hope bring back happy memories!
NEWS FROM MELLOR
The exhibition “60 Years of History” took shape over many Thursday mornings at the archives centre where Ann and Ruth and Bill collated material and photographs from the archives and the internet in order to present an overview of international, national, local and History Society events during the last six decades. I know it evoked many memories and comments and I do hope you enjoyed it and I would like to thank everyone who helped to ‘man’ the book stall. We had an enjoyable ‘opening’ where Society members and guests enjoyed a preview and a glass of wine.
The exhibition was a celebration of the Society’s 50th anniversary and to mark this special event we enjoyed an afternoon excursion on the narrow boat ‘The Bell’ followed by a buffet at the Ring o’ Bells. The weather was very kind to us and it was pleasant to sail towards New Mills and enjoy the beautiful views over Mellor and towards Kinder Scout.
Meetings 2011 - 2012
Click for a poster about the latest meeting.
Held in the Evangelical Church, Queen Street on the third Monday of the month at 7.45 pm
| 19 September | Detective Work about Local History | Chris Makepeace |
| 17 October | Samuel Oldknow – Marple’s Famous Son | Judith Wilshaw |
| 21 November | Horseboating into the 21st Century | Sue Day |
| 12 December | Christmas Party – Members only £2 per ticket purchased in advance | |
| 16 January | Snapshot History of Stockport’s Manufacturing Companies | Barbara Brooks |
| 20 February | Curious Cheshire | Don Reid |
| 19 March | Restoration of Bugsworth Basin | Ian Edgar |
| 16 April | AGM : Moorend to Marple Bridge | Ann Hearle & Ruth Hargreaves |
I hope you have enjoyed the summer and look forward to seeing you at the September meeting.
With best wishes,
Hilary Atkinson - Chair, Marple Local History Society
The Society's publications include a history of the area and seven booklets on the history of individual buildings and families.
The society's money is used for publishing books, mounting exhibitions, acquiring and keeping archives. Meetings are advertised locally. Anyone can attend one meeting as a visitor or join the society. Many people hear of the society through seeing one of the exhibitions. The subscription is £10 and there are currently one hundred and four members. The local library holds an index to the society's archives and passes on questions from the general public.
FOR MORE INFORMATION contact
Hilary Atkinson on 0161 427 3802 or
MARPLE LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS
General History
| 1) History of Marple £3.95 A5 104 pp Pub. Marple Local History Society A summary of the history of Marple from the earliest settlements to the present day. 1 Early Days. First settlements - 1600 2 Civil War and aftermath 3 17th and 18th centuries - Social conditions 4 Mills - The growth and decline of the cotton industry 5 19th century - Everyday life, church, education and society 6 20th century - The growth of government and communal services 7 Modern Marple |
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| 2) What did they leave? £1.00 Tom Oldham A5 22pp Pub. Marple Local History Society Some wills and inventories of Mellor residents over the centuries which give an intimate glimpse into lives and conditions of the time. Introduction Early wills Seventeenth century Eighteenth century Industry arrives Conclusion |
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| 3) Glimpses of Mellor £3.00 John Swann (Ed) A5 84pp Pub. Marple Local History Society A delightful book using 57 extracts from the parish magazine to illustrate its history and people. |
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| 4) Aspects of church history £3.75 Various Essays A5 80pp Pub. Stockport Historical Society One church, one faith, two cultures - Chris Ford People and clergy 1880 - 1930 Choral church music throughout the ages - Dr Mike Kirby Roman catholic emergence into public life - Tony McBride John Burnett & beginnings of Stockport Methodism - ??? |
Early History
| 1) 10,000 years at Mellor £3.00 A5 23pp Pub. Mellor Archaeological Trust An outline of the history of human habitation in Mellor using the artifacts found in the Mellor dig. Mesolthic Roman Neolithic Mediaeval Bronze Age Seventeenth century Iron Age World War 2 |
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| 2) Summary of the Mellor dig 2009 season £2.00 Pub. Mellor Archaeological Trust |
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| 3) It happened 500 years ago in Mellor £1.50 Tom Oldham A5 16 pp Pub. Marple Local History Society Extracts from notes by Robert Pilkington in the period 1478 - 1500. Conflicting claims of two families Imprisonment of Robert Pilkington Armed raiders come to Mellor William Rowbotham goes to London Felling of trees in Mellor Postponements and delays |
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| 4) Natural History of Ludworth & Mellor £5.00 Tony Smith & Ron Weston A4 63pp Pub. New Mills History Society A detailed examination of the flora of the area and its historical development Physical background Origins of woodland and hedgerows Roman & Anglo-Saxon influence The Lyme Domesday & after Common lands and Royal Forests Samuel Oldknow’s estate Woodland indicators Open space Boundaries, fences and walls Water courses Inland rock |
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| 5) Historic Landscapes of Mellor £3.50 Ron Weston A4 38pp Pub. New Mills History Society The evolution of the landscape over historic time. Introduction Enclosure of the commons Evolution of Mellor before 1640 Woods and hedges Roads and tracks Conclusion |
Development of Marple
| 1) Samuel Oldknow 1756 - 1828 £1.75 Tom Oldham A5 24 pp + Bicentenary programme Pub. Marple Local History Society Probably the one man who most influenced the development of Marple. This biography relates his early life, his entry into the cotton industry in Stockport and then his development of a large-scale factory in Marple. It explores his relationship with Richard Arkwright, the creator of the modern factory system. He played a bigger role in the development of Marple than any other individual and this is discussed in detail, including his bringing the canal system through the town. |
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| 2) Thomas, Ralph and Samuel Waller £2.50 Ann Hearle A5 52pp Pub. Marple Local History Society Mill owners and methodists and the influence they had on the town. Introduction Early days Ralph and Samuel - business and religion Family quarrels Thomas & family in Mellor Samuel Waller and family Difficult years Fires Scandals Last of the Wallers Post script |
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| 3) Bridges, Highways and Turnpikes £2.50 Anthony W Jones A5 52pp Pub. Marple Local History Society An examination of the main land transport routes in the Marple area with particular emphasis on turnpikes. Introduction Bridges Highways Turnpikes Chapel-en-le-Frith - Marple Turnpike Stockport - Marple Turnpike Glossop - Marple Turnpike Demise of the turnpikes |
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| 4) Rosehill House £2.25 Kate Cooper A5 30pp Pub. Marple Local History Society History of a minor manor house 1820 - 1920 |
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| 5) Brabyns Hall and Park £2.50 Peter Bardsley & Ann Hearle A5 20 pp Pub. Marple Local History Society The Wright and Hudson families and their role in the development of Marple 1750 - 1970 |
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| 6) Marple Hall £2.50 Ann Hearle A5 20 pp Pub. Marple Local History Society The Bradshaws and the Isherwoods in the manor house of Marple, including the notorious regicide, John Bradshaw, and the author, Christopher Isherwood. Early Bradshaws 1500 - 1650 Roundheads and their successors Marple Hall Bradshaws to Isherwoods via Pimlott Quiet squares and a defiant lady A novelist, the end of the family and hall |
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Industrial Marple
| 1) Railways of Marple £3.50 Warwick Burton A4 xxpp Pub. Marple Local History Society and as featured on this web site. |
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| 2) Marple - A Nineteenth century failure £1.00 Ann Hearle & Fred North A5 20 pp Pub. Marple Local History Society An examination of the growth of the cotton industry in Marple and the reasons why it did not succeed. Introduction Census returns Mobility Economic growth The mills |
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| 3) Hollins Mill £2.00 Peter Bardsley & Ann Hearle A5 34 pp Pub. Marple Local History Society The history of the largest mill in the centre of Marple 1830 - 1956 Introduction The Hollins estate Hollins Mill Walmsleys Carvers Hodgekinsons |
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Marple Today
| 1) Walks around Marple £2.50 Pub. Marple Local History Society Six easy walks in the Marple area, each with a separate sketch map showing the route and points of interest. Marple Dale Roman Bridge and Roman Lakes Marple Locks and Brabyns Park Chadkirk From Way to Cut (the canals) Donkey Wood As featured on this web site. |
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| 2) Heritage Walks around Mellor £5.00 Full colour map and accompanying 32pp booklet showing all footpaths and points of interest. |
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| 3) St Martin’s Interest Trail £0.40 Judith Wilshaw A5 4pp Pub. Marple Local History Society Points of interest in Brabyns Park |
Many of the above publications have been invaluable references during the construction of this web site.
