This photograph belongs to the relatives of Harold Cook, a young Matlock boy who died during the Great War. It was taken by Statham of Matlock and is understood by the family to show both Harold's mother, Alice, and her nephew Bill. The picture is undated, but was taken before 1924. Alice is thought to be the lady seated fourth from the left, just above the arrow.

The lady with dark glasses in the front row was a nurse at Smedley's Hydro. Further along the row, seated second right from the vicar, is Crowder Johnson (with pronounced moustache) who ran a shirt/stocking frame workshop in Matlock and also took work from home based frames.

The lady in row two - the row behind the vicar - and four along from him to the right (so next to a gentleman) is Mrs. Marion Wildgoose. The lady three rows up behind the vicar (dark coat, no hat and head tilted to her right) almost certainly used to work in a shop in Matlock - possibly in Boots. The large balding man in a dark suit about three rows back and fourth along from the left of the picture used to work in Marsdens outfitters.

The photograph was taken in the garden of garden of The Mansion, on Church Street in Ashbourne.
Also see other images of The Mansion elsewhere on this website
The vicar in the picture was Canon Morris, vicar of Ashbourne (d. July 1924), and the gentleman on his immediate right is Mr Peveril Turnbull, the churchwarden of St. Oswald's.

The webmistress believes that a group from either All Saints' Church or St. Giles' in Matlock went to Ashbourne for the day, where they were entertained by the vicar and parishioners of Ashbourne church. Such outings were not uncommon and The Mansion's garden would have been a perfect setting. If you look on the right of the picture you can just see a trestle table, perhaps getting ready for tea.

Please email the webmistress if you recognise anyone in the photograph.