Hello John
Over some years now I have read different accounts as to how Killers
Quarry was begun.. In one account on your web pages it says that Killer
Bros began the quarry in 1850 which would be difficult as the eldest
brother John was only born to William and Mary nee Willans in 1840
his other brothers being Adam born in 1852 Joseph in 1842 and William
born in 1850.. In the 1861 Census it gives William Killer the elder as
being a Joiner..which is correct but he was also setting out as a
Stonemerchant from 1850 on land where he had intended to build a new
workshop for his family building business ...He married Mary Willans of
Brinksway which is twixt Cheadle and Stockport and must have lived there
for a time either as a sub contractor possibly on the railway's as local
men my Gr Grandfather Joseph Walker had already gained sub contracts on
the railways on The L&NWR and Midland Railway between Gloucester - Carliske
and into West Yorkshire ..Joseph Walker and William Killer being brothers
in law ..Some of William Killers sons were born at Cheadle, but by 1850
he was back at Middleton living on what today is still known as Killers
Yard opposite the Junior school.. It is on record in a court case bought
against Killler Bros in the early 1900s that Joseph Killer the remaining
brother living at the time of the court case, gave an explanation as to
how Killers began the quarry and he states that his father whilst digging
out the foundation for a new workshop in late 1849 struck what he
recognised as a rich seam of Hopton Wood Stone .. The original quarry
known as Hopton Wood which I believe one of the Hubbersty family along
with the Gells owned ..could not get to quality stone due to an overhang
of muck and clay and William the elder made a deal that he would supply
the original quarry with memorial and building stone which is why
Killers hardly ever used explosives as they had to take the mineral out
in blocks which meant using Stone Cutters and Masons to wedge out the rock.
It was on December 5th 1905 that my Grandfather William Flint was killed
at Killer Bros Quarry whilst in the process of wedging out a block of
stone the face giving way and falling on the crane he was driving
(see Mines and Quarries Inspectorate Report 1906 where it gives the reason
of his death). By 1906 Killer Bros was absorbed into what became known
as Hopton Wood Stone Firms. I have an early photograph of the firm when
the Crane Gantry was still in place and when blocks of stone were being
stacked underneath for the contract to provide Memorial Stones for the
1st W.W. dead the contract given by The War Graves Commission
The Brothers took over the quarry from their father in around 1874
Adam being the Managing Director his demise in his 40s.. William Killer
the elder for his remaining years returned to his trade as a Joiner when
the brothers took over
William Killer the elder on the demise of Mary his first wife married
Anna Brownson who was daughter of my 2XUncle and Aunt John and Elizabeth
Brownson Elizabeth sister to my Grt Grandfather Joseph Walker who headed
the firm Joseph Walker & Sons Building Contractors and Master Stonemasons..
William and Anna's son Samuel Thomas Killer married into my wifes Mather
family who were also of the Mathers who adopted my Aunt Harriett Janet
Fields Woodiwisse known as Dolly Mather who married my fathers brother
Sidney Flint .. Elizabeth Mather of this family married into my wifes
allied Doxey family
Anna Brownsons sister Elizabeth married Frank Eaton of Grt Berkhamstead
(actually he was born at Cromford but worked as a Railway Engineer)
Frank Eaton was kin to my sister in law's Farnsworth family who married
my brother and way back in time his Eaton family were my wife's
6XGrandparents and my sister in laws 5XGrandparents
John Brownson was son of Thomas and Hannah Brownson nee Bamford whose
family are direct heirs of Johannes Conradt Molius, he colleague to
Sir Cornelius Vermuyden when they drained The Dovegange Sough whilst
the Brownsons came from Parwich and before that way back in the 1500s
are reputed to be ancestors of John Brownson (or as it was spelt Braunson)
who was a Steward to Mary Queen of Scots when she was incarcerated in
Tutbury Caslte and South Wingfield by The Earl of Shrewsbury
The Bamford family History They also married into my Frost Grand fore bares
Major Johannes Conradt Molinus married Madellin of Gorsey Bank
Major Molinus came to the Wirksworth area from Holland with Sir
Cornelius Vermuyden they being Land Drainage Surveyors originally who
drained The Isles of Axeholme Hatfield Chase and The Bedford Levels
on the Cambridgeshire Fens plus parts of The Thames Embankment
bought over from Holland by King Charles 1st 1623 For his efforts
Vermuyden was Knighted by King Charles 1st in 1629
Sir John Gell and Sir Robert Heath were the Kings Mineral Advisers and
due to this Sir Robert Heath had his eyes on The Dovegange Mines twixt
Middleton and Black Rocks which at the time belonged to Independent Miners.
The Dovegange had the potential of being rich in the mineral of lead but
the Independents had no way of releasing the flooding of the mines to reach
the richer levels of lead veins With the conivance of The King and Sir
John Gell and Heath Johannes Molinus was ordered to rid the Independents
from their mines by force of arms if neccassary. By the early 1700s my
Flint family along with my wife's Pearson family were back in charge as
Agents at The Dovegange and other mines in the Colehills Middle Peak and
Bolehill area
Son of Johannes Conradt Molinus (he assusmed the English spelling of his
name on marriage John.. He died May 23rd 1661
John Molinus born 1633
Matthew born 1635 married Mary Mellor
Marcellus born 1640
Thomas born 1643 obt 1644
Edward Baptised 1660 married Dorothy Greenhough 1682
Children of Edward and Dorothy
Dorothy born 1690 obt 1703
Francis born 1684 obt 1706
Hellena born 1706 obt 1706
Daniel born 1689 obt 1689
John born 1696
Catherine (also spelt with a K in some records married Samuel Wheatcroft
alias Collinson as his 2nd wife his 1st wife Mary Spencer of Middleton
Samuel was the illegitimate son of my 7XAunt Jane Wheatcroft daughter
of William and Mary Wheatcroft nee Ragg (Wragg) they my 7XGrandparents
(Their daughter Elizabeth married William Norman ..Elizabeth died in the
1690s soon after giving birth to my 5XGrandmother Sarah Caldwell nee
Norman..
My 7XGrandfather William Wheatcrofts sister Mary Wheatcroft married
Timothy Cadman who were also my kin by marriage to my 5XGrandfather
William Colledge as his 1st wife was Timothy's sister Mary Cadman
his 2nd wife Margaret Holmes being my 5XGrandmother.. Samuel Wheatcrofts
future heir Elizabeth Gibbons widow nee Collinson married my 4XUncle
Joseph Flint he Mining Agent at The Bage Mine Bolehill and Ratchwood Mine
Rise End Middleton his brother Samuel Flint being Agent at The Dovegange
and at Rantnatakers/Ravenstor in the early 1700s Ravenstor Grove Mine
co partnered by my 7X and 6XGrandfather's William and Thomas Hodes
along with Ratchwood Grove and Orchard Grove Mines my 7X and then 6X
Grandparents Hodes also owned Bow Wood near Lea Bridge which they
purchased from John Spateman of Rodenook Wessinton who in his will left
Thomas Nightingale a Smelting Mill and land at Lea Bridge ..my 6X
Grandfather selling Knights Close to Thomas Nightingale and by the mid
1700s my 5XGrandfather selling Bow Wood to Peter Nightingale 1st where
my 6X and 5X Grandfathers both named Adam Killer were Woodsmen at Bow Wood
living in cottages near Wood End where in recent years a Director of
John Smedley Lea Mills lived for a time (White Coal Charcoal for the
Smelting Hearths)
Daughter of Matthew and Mary Molins nee Mellor
Mary Molinus married Anthony Bamford 1692
Their son Anthony Bamford married Alice Wigley of Bonsall
Children of Anthony and Alice Bamford nee Wigley
Marcellus Bamford born 1752 married Elizabeth Mather daughter of
James Mather of Matlock Marcellus Bamfords sister Hannah born 1758
married Thomas Brownson in 1793 whose son John Brownson born 1802 married
Elizabeth Walker they my Gr Gr Uncle and Aunt.
Marcellus Bamfords son Marcellus married Hannah Frost daughter of John
and Anne Frost nee Wright Anne Wright being my blood kin via Frosts and
Wheatcrofts Annes Grt neice Anne Wright married my Grt Grandfather
Joseph Walker as his 1st wife (Hannah Frosts brother was Samuel who
married Nanny Smith dau of Richard Smith partner and brother in law to
Thomas Smedley Hosier Wirksworth father of John Smedley 1st founder of
Lea Mills John Frost was nephew to my 5XGrandfather John Frost whose
daughter Mary married John Flint they my 4XGrandparents ..Samuel Frost
was Actuary at Wirksworth Savings Bank now Andrew Macbeth Cash & Co
Offices, Samuel also being a Rope Manufacturer on The Rope Walk Hammonds
Court by the side of Andrew Macbeth & Cash offices he also a Maltster and
Grocer and owning a Coal Agency which in time my Gr Gr Grandfather
Samuel Flint who married Mary Killer sister to William Killer
aforementioned founder of Killers Quarry, took over the coal yard along
with a Brick Yard with his cousins Joseph Flint and Thomas Hall at Flints
Wharf Steeplegrange where a member of the Flint family, May Flint lived
up to recent years partner to my mother in laws cousin Haydn Spencer ..
Regards Stuart G Flint
All Rights Reserved.