NEW-MILLS, a district (manufacturing), in the
parish of GLOSSOP, hundred of HIGH-PEAK, county of
DERBY, 21 miles (N.W.) from Derby, and 170 (N.W.
by N.) from London, containing about 5000 inhabitants,
Its original name was Bowden-Middle-Cale.
Situated along the north bank of the Guyt, and reaching
from Kinder-Scout to Mellor, it formerly comprised
seven hamlets', but about a century ago it was
subdivided, three of the hamlets remaining attached
to Hayfield, and the other four, Beard, Ollerset, Whitle,
and Thornset, being formed into a "township; formerly
the whole of the inhabitants of the hamlets included in
Bowden-Middle-Cale were accustomed to grind their
corn at a common mill in Hayfield, but upon their
subdivision, a new mill was erected upon the river
Kinder, in the hamlet of Ollerset, and the name of
New Mills was, in consequence, conferred on the four
above-mentioned hamlets, the inhabitants of which
ground their corn here. The Kinder derives its source
from the mountain of Kinder-Scout, and, separating the
county of Derby frojn that of Chester, falls into the
river Guyt at a place called the Tor. The appellation of
New Mills is yet more definitely applied to a cluster of
factories and houses, which rise one above another from
the brink of the river to the summit of the Crags, a
height of several hundred feet, and also extend along
the turnpike-road, as far as London Place. The original
branches of manufacture in this district were those of
paper and cloth, which have been superseded by-cotton,
calico-printing, and bleaching works, &c.: coal mines
abound in the neighbourhood, and contain some veins
of lead-ore. In the year 1821, Mr. John Potts conceived
the idea of adapting the method used by engravers
in the potteries to the purposes of calico-printing,
with the view of producing a more durable and
brilliant effect than had hitherto been obtained in that
branch of the art; his experiment was crowned with
complete success, and proved the origin of a style
of engraving which has been adopted by every calico
engraver in that branch, not only in Great Britain
and Ireland, but throughout the whole of Europe
and the United States: the engraving establishment,
belonging to the firm of Potts, Oliver, and Potts, is a
neat and spacious fabric of red brick, tastefully decorated
with various statues and vases, and affords employment
to about one hundred artists; in the grounds
at the back of the works is an extensive picture' "gat
lery, containing specimens of painting in oil and water
colours, by Mr. John Potts; this repository promises
at no very distant period, to become an object of coiisiderable
interest to the scientific traveller. A local
subscription, amounting to £1000, has been raised
towards the erection of a new church; the sum of
£2500 has been granted by the parliamentary com*
missioners, in aid of the work; and a piece of ground
has been given by Lord George Cavendish, for the site
of the edifice, which will contain five hundred free
sittings. The living will be a perpetual curacy, in
the archdeaconry of Derby, and diocese of Lichfield
and Coventry, and in the patronage of the Vicar of Glossop.
There are places of worship for Independents, and
Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists. A charity school
in the hamlet of Whitle, erected by subscription, affords
gratuitous instruction to nine poor children, and the
master receives about £10. 10. per annum, arising
from bequests, by Mary Trickett, in 1712, and Ralph
Bowden, in 1730; besides which, on a division of the
common lands of Whitle, an extensive allotment was
assigned towards the support of the school.