Peter and Eliza Moore arrived in Matlock with their family between 1845 and 1847, when one of their daughters was christened at St. Giles^[1]. Peter occupied a property owned by Joseph Janney: a field and a "House Outbuildings Court Yards and Garden" between what is today Cavendish Road and Wellington Street, not far from the Dob Lane junction (later the top of Rutland Street)^[2]. Their home was next to Rockside and later called Cambridge House^[3].

Census returns indicate that Peter was born in Shardlow, though he was christened on 24 Mar 1805 at Aston on Trent, the son John Moore and his wife Philadelphia. His mother was buried at Aston on 25 Dec 1808. He became a baker by trade and married Eliza at All Saints' Derby on 17 Jul 1832. They initially lived at St. Peter's Churchyard in Derby, where six of their ten children were born^[4]. In 1841 a Henry Moore, auctioneer (b.1796), was living in the other part of their building, but it is not known if he was related.

After their move to Matlock Peter was listed as a baker on the Bank in a number of Matlock's trade directories as well census returns^[5].
Contributions to the Patriotic Fund, 1854
By 1873 he owned land in the Matlocks
Wills Calendar, Surnames M - R.

Eliza remained on Wellington Street after his death; their daughter Harriet Henrietta and son in law George Statham moved in with her^[6]. When she died in 1897 she was described as one of Matlock's oldest inhabitants^[7]. Miss Goodwin of Rockside, their grand daughter, wrote to the Derbyshire Advertiser informing them that Eliza had been the last surviving daughter of Mr. William Harrison, owner of 'Old Cross Keys,' in Derby Market Place; the inn had just become the newspaper's office^[8].

Peter and Eliza's eldest son, William Harrison Moore, was christened on 19 May 1839 at St Alkmund's, Derby. He was to follow in his father's footsteps and also become a baker. He moved to Brampton shortly before his marriage to Ellen, daughter of Joshua and Mabel Statham of Matlock Green, on 28 May 1863. He applied for a marriage licence as Ellen was under age; she was 20 years old, so needed parental permission. William's own business, seemingly independent of that of his parents, was established in 1863 and his heirs retained the name until the business finally closed in 1973.

The couple returned to Matlock Bank before opening another bakery on Church Street in Matlock Town some time before the 1871 census. They were still there in 1876^[9]. The premises were afterwards occupied by George Wherrett.

William and Ellen moved to their newly built location at Matlock Bridge and their bakery remained a fixture on Dale Road for over ninety years. They were good employers. For example, in May 1902 the Moores' took a party of 20 employees and friends on their annual works outing to Monsal Dale, where they enjoyed a meal at the keeper's lodge^[10].

The Dale Road shop, about 1907. The Moore's daughter, Ellen, lived here with her husband William Abrahamsen for some years[11]. Violet Ethel Moore (later Platts) is on the right.

William Moore was a staunch supporter of the Liberal party. For about eighteen years Matlock's Liberal Club occupied premises above his Dale Road shop but they eventually moved to a new home at the Town Hall in 1897^[12]. Their meetings, with refreshments provided, had been held in a large room on the first floor.

Golden wedding memento for William Harrison and Ellen Moore, nee Statham. They had married at St. Giles' on 28 May 1863. The couple celebrated with their two sons, three daughters and sixteen grandchildren and on the following day numerous guests gathered at the Dale Road bakery as the golden wedding cake was cut[13].

Golden Wedding at Matlock. This W. N. Statham studio portrait of William Harrison and Ellen Moore was published in the "Derbyshire Times" on 31 May 1913.

A fortnight after celebrating their golden wedding William died suddenly at his home on Bank Road. He had gone upstairs to see an ill grandchild and, having stooped to kiss the child, died in the bedroom^[14]. He had already relinquished his business to those of his children who lived in Matlock^[14]. He had been a town councillor for 35 years, apart from one brief stint, and had repeatedly been its chairman^[15]. Ellen survived him, passing away at Orchard House on 3 Nov 1916^[16]. The company name did not change, but George Harrison Moore, William and Ellen's eldest son, became the next head of the family.

George was born in 1864 whilst his parents were at Brampton, and baptised at St. Thomas' church on 7 Feb 1864, though his siblings were all born in Matlock. By 1881 he was assisting his father in the bakery. He met his future wife, Rose Rodmell, when she was working at Darley Hall; Rose, the daughter of George Rodmell (a farmer), had moved away from her home in Sutton on Hull after the death of her father. She and George were married at St. Giles' on 1 Jan 1889. Their first home was on Cavendish Road, but they quickly moved to the Dimple where they raised their large family^[17], and their children attended All Saints' School. William went on from there to Herbert Strutt's, Belper in 1913 (one of three Matlock pupils that year) as did Cyril, who left Strutts in 1919.

Although W. H. Moore's application to sell alcohol on his premises had been turned down in 1884, the Brewster Sessions in 1892 were served with a notice from "Mr. W. Harrison Moore, of Matlock Bridge, to sell British wines at his confectionery and refreshment house"^[18]. Curiously, two advertisements published in 1881 for the tea rooms and bakery, so not long after he moved to Dale Road, showed that he was a dealer in British Wines, which makes the 1884 decision look ridiculous to modern eyes as he was able to sell wine but not serve it^[19]. The advertisement below shows that Moores were able to cater for large parties at short notice.

1903 advertisement.

At the end of 1910 an advertisement appeared in the local press seeking caters for summer parties which were to use Whitworth Institute's large pavilion at Darley Dale^[20]. After this, "in the summer months, large parties of school children and adults would arrive by horse and wagon, or by train, on excursions, and be catered for in the 500 seat Pavilion next to the bottom of the football pitch^[21]." Their food was provided by the Moores. One pre WW1 group was of Alfreton children who enjoyed a Sunday School treat at Darley, visiting the Whitworth Institute and its grounds. Moores did the catering and tea was served in the institute's grounds^[22]. They continued to cater for similar parties at Whitworth Institute between the wars; one example was in when 1925 W. H. Moore and Sons provided tea for the day and Sunday School children of Beeley^[23].
Darley Dale, The Whitworth Institute
Darley Dale, Whitworth Park

The refreshment room at the Whitworth Institute, now demolished. The Moore's were catering for a large party[24].

Two sons of George and Rose enlisted in WW1. George Arthur was under age, and was eventually sent home, though he re-enlisted when he was 18 and was killed in action.
He is commemorated on Matlock's War Memorial.
William Harrison Moore, their eldest son, enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery on 26 August 1914. His parents learned he had been injured on 15 September 1917 as they were dealing with the death of his younger brother, which must have been very hard for them both.
Billy had played football for Matlock Thursday Football Club before the first war. He is also picured on VLA5258.

William Harrison Moore (2), known as Billy, his sister Ellen Brenda and her husband George Ronald Barker who were married at All Saints on 29 Sep 1916[25].

George and Rose moved into Orchard House after the death of George's parents and he ran the bakery with the help of a brother in law, William Abrahamsen, until 1920. Like his father, George was a member of Matlock Liberal Club and he was also one of the oldest members in the district of the Hearts of Oak Friendly Society^[26].

Having been transferred to the Army Reserve in May 1919, William Harrison Moore returned home to work in the family business. He met Lucy Hardstaff of Matlock Bath and they married at St. Giles' in April 1921. Their son, William Harrison Gerald Ivor Moore, was born in late 1921 and was known as "Peter". Billy and Lucy lived in one of the newly built houses at Lynholmes for a time but he had returned to Orchard House by 1931 whilst Lucy supported her own parents.
Matlock Bath: North Parade, 1920s

The wedding of Cyril Rodmell Moore, youngest son of George and Rose, and Florence Hilda Rothwell. 4 Nov 1931, All Saints' Church Matlock.

In the photograph, which was taken in the Dale Road studio of W. N. Statham are, from left to right:

Standing:
Robert Hamer Rothwell, the general manager of the Derwent Valley Co-operative Society (father of the bride) of Hopewell House, Hopewell Road | Bridesmaids Marjorie and Eunice Rothwell (twin sisters of the bride) |
Groom | Bride | Leonard B. Rothwell (best man) | Edna and Marjorie Moore (sisters of the groom) | George Harrison Moore (father of the groom) of Orchard House, Bank Road.
Seated:
Left Rose Moore (groom's mother), nee Rodmell
Right Ethel May Rothwell (sister of the bride. The bride's mother had died in 1919)
The wedding reception was, of course, held at Moore's Cafe.

1934 advertisement, published in the "Matlock Guide."
They were still catering at the Whitworth Institute.

Cyril Rodmell Moore with the company's delivery van. No date.

George Harrison Moore died at Orchard House on 12 July 1937 although a couple of years before he had broken his leg in an accident and, reportedly, was never quite the same again. He had been a member of Matlock and District Master Bakers' and Confectioners Association as well as the Liberal Club, and representatives of both attended his funeral^[26]. Two of his daughters had also pre-deceased him, in addition to his second son, Arthur. Cyril, Florence and their daughter moved to Doncaster before WW2 and in 1939 he had become a Commercial Traveller. He passed away in Doncaster on 1 May 1973 and Florence died there the following year.

Rose Moore, sitting in the garden of Orchard House, Bank Road.

At the beginning of the war a few relatives returned to Matlock as a safer haven than their home towns. Ellen Barker and her daughter Joyce stayed with Rose at Orchard House as it was safer than Hull. Joyce married Eric Marshall Cook, a young soldier, at All Saints' the following year.
During the war, she worked for the Ministry of Food at the Lido: Matlock: Bottom of Bank Road and The Lido.

In July 1940 Matlock UDC decided to provide public air raid shelters, which were to be used when people were shopping or otherwise away from home^[27]. One was to be constructed on land owned by the Moore family behind the Old English Hotel. It had been used as a garden to provide food, so perhaps was not the best decision^[28]. Billy Moore was then running the bakery; his sister, Violet Platts, ran Moore's Cafe and lived above the shop with her husband^[27].

Billy and Lucy's son, William H. (Peter) Moore, joined the R.A.F.; he was reported missing over Germany in May 1943 and became a prisoner of war^[28]. He was held at Stalag 357, and was eventually released from internment in April 1945^[29]. Not long after he returned home he married Leading Aircraftwoman Dorothy Turberville of Farley.
Starkholmes VE Day Celebration / Welcome Home, 1945. Douglas Rhodes was also held in Stalag 357.

Rose Moore passed away at Orchard House on 19 April 1946. Her two surviving sons were her executors; Billy's occupation was given as baker whilst Cyril was a traveller and no longer working for the family firm. Orchard House had new occupants by the end of that year.

William Harrison Moore (Billy).

The young girl with Lucy was either her niece or her grand daughter.

Billy Moore continued to work as a master baker and his son joined him in the W. H. Moore business. Unfortunately, Lucy died in a nursing home in Buxton in 1957^[30].

Of his sisters, Violet Platts lost her husband George in 1945; she went on to marry Harold Henry Statham at St. Helen's, Darley Dale in 1954. Harold, a retired pork butcher, passed away in 1959 and Violet died at Derby Royal Infirmary on 16 Nov 1975. Alice, the third daughter of George and Rose and widow of the former politician Charles Frederick White, passed away at Whitworth Hospital on 5 Jan 1973^[31]. She was said to have taken an active interest in the family business. Edna Kate (1908-2001), the fifth daughter, married Roy Herbert Hankinson in 1945. Clara Irene (1902-55) had married William Edge, a fruit merchant, in 1925 and moved to East Kirby.

The bakery continued on Dale Road, making bread and producing wonderful wedding cakes, until 1973 when it was announced that the business was closing after 110 years trading in the town. The bakery, shop and cafe had been in the family for four generations and the last of the Moore family to run the business, "Peter", was the great grandson of the founder^[32]. The business was to close on 21 July. It would not have been an easy time for the Moore family as William Harrison Moore (Billy) passed away on 20 June, aged 76^[33]. Mrs. Marjorie Jepson (1910-2000), Peter Moore's aunt, had been associated with the business for more than 50 years; her husband George was also a baker. There were six members of staff, including Miss E. Lord who had run the shop for nearly 40 years^[32].

The three storey premises was bought by a firm of auctioneers and estate agents^[32]. It is now a bookshop (2024).

References (coloured links are to transcripts and information elsewhere on this web site):

^[1] Harriet Henrietta Moore was christened at St. Giles in 1847. See St Giles' Church Baptisms, 1844 - 1849

^[2] Matlock Tithe Award, 1848/9. Mr. Moore occupied nos. 458 and 459 on that plan.

^[3] Ordnance Survey Map, 1876. The numbers had changed to 347 and 349 for the house, etc. (the map numbers are all very close together, but 394 is closest to the house).

^[4] They were living in St. Alkmund's churchyard on 6 June 1841 (1841 census date) but later in the year the following advertisement was published. "To be Let, with immediate possession, all that old and well accustomed SHOP, with BAKEHOUSE, &c. together with the unexpired lease of 25 years, situate at the corner of St. Alkmund's Church-yard, in Derby, now in the occupation of Mr. Peter Moore.
Nov. 23, 1841 ("Derby Mercury", 24 Nov 1841). However, the family remained in Derby for a further 4-6 years.

^[5] See Peter Moore's name in these trade directories: Kelly's Directory 1848 | White's 1852 | Kelly's 1855 | Whites 1862.htm | Kelly's 1864 | Harrod's 1870 (his son was not listed).
Also see Peter with various family members in the 1851 census | the 1861 census | the 1871 census.

^[6] They can be found in the 1881 census | 1891 census. By the 1901 census Harriett Henrietta and her family had moved to The Dimple, and two of her sons were also making bread 1901 census. She died in 1903, and was buried on 26 Oct 1903, but the Wellington Street bakery was still being run by the Stathams in 1908. A transcript of George and Harriet Henrietta's MI is on this site.

^[7] "Derbyshire Advertiser", 6 Feb 1897. The paper added that she was the widow of the late Peter Moore who carried on the business as a baker and confectioner at Matlock Bridge, although there is no evidence to show that he did and it is more likely that he had premises on Matlock Bank.

^[8] "Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal", 5 March 1897. Reminiscences of Derby and District.

^[9] White's Directory, 1871/2 (Matlock) lists W. H. Moore on Matlock Bank and Kelly's Directory, 1876 shows him in Matlock, which was the Matlock Town bakery.

^[10] "Derbyshire Times", 4 Oct 1902.

^[11] The couple married at St. Giles' on 9 Oct 1898. The Abrahamsen's were living about the shop in 1901 (see the 1901 census entry). The partnership between George H Moore and William Abrahamsen was dissolved in 1920 ("Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal", 26 Nov 1920). William died in 1931.

^[12] "Derbyshire Times", 11 Dec 1897. Matlock Liberal Club.

^[13] "Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal", Saturday 30 May 1913.

^[14] "Derbyshire Courier", 13 June 1913.

^[15] There are a number of Nineteenth Century Trade Directories that mention W. H. Moore - Go to the index
And in the twentieth century:
Kelly's Directory 1908, Private Residents | Kelly's Directory 1908 | Kelly's Directory 1908, Council Chairman |
Kelly's Directory 1912- Private Residents | Kelly's Directory 1912 - Town Council | Kelly's Directory 1912 - shop |
Kelly's Directory 1916 - Private Residents (Ellen) | Kelly's Directory 1916.

^[16] "Derbyshire Times", 11 Nov 1916.

^[17] Their various homes can be found in census returns: 1891 census | 1901 census | in 1911 they were living on The Dimple

^[18] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 27 August 1892.

^[19] "Derbyshire Times", 10 and 13 August 1881.

^[20] "Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal", 25 Nov 1910. Catering advertisement.

^[21] Taylor, Keith (2002), "Darley Dale Remembered Through 50 Years of War and Peace", ISBN 1 898941 79 3, Country Books, Little Longstone, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1NN

^[22] "Alfreton Journal", 20 June 1913.

^[23] "Derbyshire Times", 12 Sep 1925.

^[24] Taylor, Keith (2000), "A Derbyshire Parish at War, South Darley and the Great War 1914-19", ISBN 1 89894153 X, Country Books, Little Longstone, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1NN

^[25] Brenda and George Barker were the maternal grandparents of Peter Cook and were first cousins. Their mothers were, respectively, Rose and Kate Rodmell from Sutton, near Hull.

^[26] "Derbyshire Times", 16 July 1937.

^[27] "Derby Daily Telegraph, 4 July 1940. Matlock Area Shelters. Council decide on twelve.

^[28] "Derby Daily Telegraph, 3 March 1944. His mother received news that he had been made a member of the Caterpillar Club as one of their parachutes had saved his life.

^[29] "Derbyshire Times, 14 Sep 1945. Announcement of wedding Of W.O. W. H. (Peter) Moore and Dorothy Turberville at All Saints on 25 Aug.

^[30] Probate information states that she died on 31 Oct 1957. Her address was given as North Parade, Matlock Bath. Some sources suggest that her husband, Billy, also lived in Matlock Bath.

^[31] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 5 January, 1973.

^[32] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 20 Jul 1973. Bakery Closing after 110 years.

^[33] The probate details for him record he passed away at 49 Dale Road Matlock, although the shop is 39 Dale Road today.