Subject: The Study Manor House Bonsall
Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2006 16:16:57 +0100 (BST)
To: 
Hello
The Study Manor House at Bonsall by the 1750s belonged to Adam Simpson
whose family were involved in Lead Mining as partners Smelting and
owning land at Bonsall Middleton and I believe Matlock ..He was head
Barmaster at one time for The Soke & Wapentake of Wirksworth... Adam
married 1st wife Elizabeth Robinson of Cromford and 2nd wife Elizabeth
Oldham..of Alfreton.. By his 1st wife he had a son Adam who to my
knowledge never married leaving The Manor House (The Study) to Henry
Flint of Ashover/Lea son of Anthony Flint of Ashover Anthony son of
George Flint of Crich... In actual fact, from a will I have a copy of,
re Adam the younger..he left the house in the first place to James
Bateman of Middleton his God Son..but that if James died before
reaching the age of 21 years then Henry Flint son Henry and Dorothy
Flint nee Simpson..(Dorothy, Adam the elders sister) ..was to take
posession which it transpired was the case as Bateman died in his late
teens...Henry Flint the younger married his cousin Elizabeth Flint
daughter of William Flint brother of Henry Flint senior...(William
of Mansfield)..This Flint family to my knowledge have no connection
with my kin
By Adams 2nd wife Elizabeth nee Oldham they had a daughter Mary born
August 1755 who married Richard Arkwright 2nd son of Sir Richard
Arkwright at Bonsall Parish Church in 1780 ...and sons Peter who died
in infancy and John and Samuel who in time became co owners of mills
at Manchester founded by Sir Richard Arkwright...sold to them by their
brother in law Richard Arkwright..Samuel retired to Matlock Bath in
older age...
Another kinsman of Adam Simpson, Joseph Simpson married Susannah Wildgoose
of Darley Dale the Barmaster for Matlock..Wildgooses my distant kin
via Derbyshires of Darley Dale Roof Slaters who married into my
Simpson / Colledge family.
My 5XGrandfather was Peter Simpson an allied branch of the Bonsall
family..Peter son of Richard of Idridgehay, Richard son of James
Simpson son of James who was Grand fore bare of Adam Simpson..
Adam Simpsons parents were John and Elizabeth Simpson nee Ginny
Elizabeth of Weston Upon Trent..John's Parents were James and
Grace Simpson nee Wigley James son of James my 8XGrandfather...
Henry Flint the younger's daughters Anne and Dorothy married Samuel
Prince of Longnor Gent Dorothy marrying Samuel after her sister's
demise, the Prince family (sometimes known as Flint-Prince ) taking
over The Manor House which by the 1840s became a school at which
members of the Wager Wass and Alsop family attended.. Alsops my
distant kin via my Wright Allen and Wheatcroft connections.. A
Mr Wager whose family were originally from Great Longstone of this
family was a friend of my father's in the 1930s at Wirksworth..Paul
Prince of this family married Edith Henstock sister to my 5XGrandfather
Edward Henstock of Slaley Hall (in some records it states Edward as
Edward Staley..this is an error )
My Gr Gr Uncle John Crofts born at Wooley Moor / Brackenfield was a
School Master at The Study for a time, 1840/50 he brother to my Grt
Grandmother Emily Flint nee Crofts wife of Henry Flint Wharfinger /
Station Master and Corn Merchant Friden and Parsley Hay Cromford &
High Peak Railway 1860s - John Allen was Headmaster .. John Crofts
went on to become a Headmaster at a Public School Middlesex and obt 1880s
John and Emily were children of David and Susannah Crofts nee Birch
of Wolley Moor / Brackenfield David a Master Wheelwright at Masson Mill..
John and Emily's sister Anne married Samuel Flint cousin of Henry my
Grt Grandfather
Emily my Grt Grandmother met with an accident when she drowned in
Bonsall Mill Weir when walking from Middleton to visit relations at
Bonsall..
By the later 1870s Wharfingers and Station Masters were no longer
required on The C&HPR as only quarry traffic was using the line and
so Henry returned to the Wirksworth area working as a Scapler at
Killer Bros Quarry Hopton Wood Stone..founded by Henry Flint's
Uncle William Killer..(Williams sister Mary Killer married Samuel
Flint they my 2XGrandparents) Henry's cousins being Adam William
John and Joseph Killer known as Killer Bros.. Henry and Emily
lived at a house I have always known as The Slack Homestead Bonsall
Lanes Middleton near the head of Bonsall Wood... I believe the
relative she was visiting was Alfred Axe a Building Contractor of
Bonsall (lived for a time at The Manor House High Street Bonsall)
Alfred's 1st wife was Ellen Jones whose Grandmother was my 3XAunt
Mary Flint who married Peter Jones..(Mary sister of Samuel Flint
who married Mary Killer) Alfreds 2nd wife was Margaret Carlisle
also my distant kin via Colledge / Simpson's of Wirksworth ...
I believe Alfred purchased part of The Study Estate when it came
up for sale 1880s his son Alfred Richard Norman Axe living near bye
at Bonsall Lodge above Clatterway Quarry which he owned (also
another quarry at Hartington) I also believe Axe's built a house
just above Bonsall Lodge ..A Miss Axe lived at the head of Clatterway
into the 1900s.. Alfred Axe's brother Samuel married Roseanne Slack
of my wifes kinship and lived at South View Middleton which by the
1940s my father Harry Sprake Flint leased from the Axe estate
(Hatfield Yorkshire) Dad renamed South View Axeholme and after we
left the property in the 1950s when Dad purchased Highfields
Middleton once owned by our allied kin of Brace (Bonsall/Middleton)
my wife's Grt Uncle who married into the same Slack family as Roseanne
purchased Axeholme (South View) where it remained in family ownership
up to the 1980s..
When Alfred Axe senior was an elderly man in the 1930s, he served with
my father Harry Flint who was a Grocer/Gents Outfitter Middleton /
Wirksworth then in his late 30s and Liberal Councillor for Middleton
Ward as member's of Ashbourne Board of Guardians.. I have a photograph
of all the Guardians with my father and his friend /relative Daniel
Slack (Convenor General & Municipal Worked Union Quarries/Mines) and
Alfred plus colleagues fully named.. Daniel Slack and my father were
also fellow Deacons at Middleton Congregational Church...Slacks kin of
Axe and my wife's family...Dan Slack and my father were also members
of The Watch Committee (Police)
Samuel and Roseannes sons were William and Frank Axe.. William married
Mary Rose Killer of my kin whilst Frank married into the Simpson family
of Nottingham..One of Frank's daughters married into the Skill family
of Bulwell Notts who founded Skills Coaches Nottingham the firm still
going strong..whilst William and Mary Rose Axe nee Killer lived in a
house at the foot of Chapel Mane Middleton opposite my mothers family
home of Manor Fields, where in the 1880s my Grandmother Flint nee Sprake
lived when she came as a Governess to a family of noble stock, who
lived there in the summer months.. Grandmother Gwenillian Flint nee
Sprake from Blaenafon South Wales.was daughter of Edwin and Leah Anne
Sprake nee Williams Edwin Works Manager Blaenafon Iron works...In my
youth the house originally owned by William and his wife was the family
home of my sister in laws kin of Millward..
The Study Manor House Bonsall by the 1930s was in a state of decay a fire
having engulfed most of it I am led to believe, and was demolished
leaving just one bay window which is still to be seen today to remind
the visitor of what the old house was like.. Study Drive was built on
part of the property, where some of my wife's allied kin live today...
Regards Stuart G Flint
