Archive Stories
Browse through this collection of stories drawn from many sources including the Society's archive, newspapers and online sources. The catalyst to begin research varies from an inquiry that comes to Society, a document that arrives at the archive, or another trigger that sets the delving off.
Marple Aqueduct Bicentenary
This article was written by Mark Whittaker in 2000. The Society would like to thank Mark for his kind permission to 'reprint' his work here.
It is taken from the History & Heritage page on...
http://www.marple-uk.com/heritage
Without fanfare or celebration a major anniversary has quietly been reached in Marple this Millennium year. A milestone that would have most towns hanging out the flags and bunting has barely been acknowledged in the local community. The achievement is all the more significant because it would not have happened without strong public support many years ago, so it is ironic that it appears to be passing almost unnoticed now.
Midnight Scene at Marple Station 1908
A story of a strange things going on, one night, at Marple Station......
In 1908 the station had extensive station buildings - the Midland waiting room having upholstered seats and a coal fire in an attractive fireplace for cold winter days. The change from a main line to suburban station had begun with an increase in residential traffic to Manchester, compared with ten years previously. This spurred on the building of new houses in the area, with fine residences for the well-off Manchester commuters being developed in Ley Hey Park, near the station, and other areas.
Marple Bridge Past and Present
In 1993 an exhibition was held in the upstairs hall of the old Sunday School building on Town Street, now flats on the upper floors, with doctor's and dentist’s surgeries on the ground floor, to celebrate the rebuilding of the river wall. The river wall had collapsed in 1991, leading to closure of Town Street for a year.
For centuries the area east of the River Goyt now called Marple Bridge was part of the township of Ludworth in the Hundred of the High Peak in the county of Derbyshire.
(left: Town Street repairs in progress during 1992. From Marple Local History Society Archives.)
A Long Lived Mellor Family
High Peak reporter: June 14th 1924
A Long Lived Mellor Family
Five brothers whose ages aggregate 373 years.
The total ages of five brothers, natives of Mellor, Derbyshire, namely Stephen, Alfred, Edwin, Abraham and Jesse Marshall amount to an aggregate of 373 years. They are the surviving sons of the late Mr Samuel Marshall who died in 1902 aged 91 years. He served his time as a hatter and worked at Ridgway’s at Smithy Lane, Chatterton Lane, Ludworth.
HMS Maple: How Marple Swept the Seas in WWII
Warship Weeks were held across Britain in 1941 and were vital fundraisers for the Government. The story of how Marple came to adopt minesweeper HMS Maple was lost to memory until one phone call brought events back to the surface. Leslie Howard and Noel Coward help to explain and we see how a new community effort has restored an important piece of history to pride of place.
