Dore to Door internet edition

Local history - Autumn 2002

Bequests to the Parish - Jean Recalls - Ryecroft Mill

Bequests to the Parish

Like many villages Dore has several ancient benefactions left by philanthropists of long ago and written up on large wooden boards. In many cases the boards are in church belfries. In Dore they are in the Old School.

Before the alterations they were mounted in a corridor at the rear of the building where unfortunately they had suffered at the hands of the youth club many years ago using them as a dart board. They have now been restored with the help of a £700 contribution from the Dore Village Society and are positioned at the foot of the internal stairs leading to the Village Society room. They can be viewed at any time.

There are 3 boards with 12 benefactions listed, one of them relates to the setting up of the school itself, it lists the first trustees and the land allocated to the school to provide the income to pay the schoolmaster.

The benefaction quoted above was used as the text for the millennium play acted on The Green on July 6th. The playwright Caroline Small wove an amusing little story around it, but it wasn't the most appropriate choice as the bequest was to the Parish of Dronfield. At that time Dore was in Dronfield Parish, but it was a large parish and so it was unlikely that one Dore family would have had to cope with all that fish.

Richard Farnsworth

Jean Recalls

Sir Walter employed a number of staff. Lady Benton-Jones chauffeur was John (Jack) Jenkins. He lived with his wife and family in one of the two houses to the right of the brook facing the Hathersage Road. When the Benton- Jones left Whirlow, Jack continued as chauffeur for United Steel Co and moved to a house on the Meadway.

Several children were christened in a beautiful christening robe belonging to the Benton- Jones family, including Jacks grandchildren, Linda and John and my son Nick. Children in our family are usually christened before they are one month old if possible. The green water in Whirlow has seen tragic drownings in the past. It seems to hold a certain fascination.

Jean Dean

Ryecroft Mill

Graham Dixon, of Millhouses Lane Ecclesall, has recently inherited a previously unknown water colour painting of Ryecroft Mill in Ecclesall Woods. It was painted by Stuart Thorpe, who is believed to have lived at the Rising Sun pub on Little Common Lane. Graham's research has shown that three Thorpes were landlords at the Rising Sun from 1854 to 1892.

Guessing the exact date of the painting is difficult. From details in the picture it would appear to be later than the two previously know paintings dated around 1860. The mill is set in a generalised landscape, but particular care has been taken over drawing the wheel itself and its surrounding mechanism. This suggests a particular interest on the part of the artist and that it was drawn first hand or from personal memory.

When taken from its original frame, the picture was found to be backed by newspaper cutting from an American newspaper dated 1890. As the wheel was believed to be in a ruinous state by 1884 it suggests the picture probably dates from the 1870s or 1880s.

Graham has kindly donated a full colour copy to the Society.