Matlock & Matlock Bath : Water Cures |
Water cures made Matlock and Matlock Bath famous. |
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Matlock Bath was a famous Spa. Matlock developed as a centre for Hydropathy.
A spa is a place where there is a mineral spring.
Matlock Bath's curative drinking water came from medicinal springs.
Hydropathy was a kind of medical treatment, with
water being prescribed both internally and externally.
Though the drinking of water was recommended for those undergoing hydropathic treatment,
the water that was consumed by the patients did not necessarily
contain medicinal properties.
A Hydro was a building (often an hotel) where these treatments were
carried out.
The water cures of Matlock Bath and Matlock are discussed below
under the following sub headings:
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The
Spa of Matlock Bath |
In 1698 a warm (thermal) spring was discovered at Matlock Bath. This
first spring, with a water temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit,
eventually supplied the Old Bath Hotel and later the
Royal Hotel which replaced it. "The waters were first applied
for medicinal purposes about the latter end of the seventeenth
century. The old bath, which was of wood, lined with lead, was
made in 1698"[1].
William Adam, who took over the South Parade
Museum of the Mawes in the 1830s, was to describe this as a "temporary
wooden structure" that was put up "over or near the newly
discovered spring"[2].
Four men were involved with building this first bath, called "Wolley's
Well"[3]. They
were Rev. Joseph Ferne, the Rector of Matlock Church, Mr. Benjamin
Hayward of Senior Field, Cromford, Mr. Adam Wolley of Allen Hill,
Matlock and Mr. George Wragg, of Matlock Bath. Rev. Ferne and Mr.
Hayward removed the original structure, replacing
it with a more substantial building[2].
Wragg then took a lease from the Lords of the Manor for a period
of 99 years[4].
Whilst the bath was said to have been paved and built, Wragg added
"a few small rooms adjoining to the bath, which it is
said were but a poor convenience to strangers"[5].
This all took place whilst there was no proper road into Matlock
Bath - travelling here was "wretched in the extreme" was
one description.
Read Defoe's 1724-6 description of the
bath house in "A Tour through
the Whole Island of Great Britain by Daniel Defoe".
Pedigree of Hayward
The lease was purchased from Wragg by Messrs. Thomas Smith and
Marmaduke Pennell[3]
of Nottingham in 1715 (Bryan suggests about 1728[5])
for £1000;
they erected two large and commodious buildings with stables and
a coach house according to Bray, who visited in 1783[4].
William Adam notes that it was the South End of the Old Bath that
was built, "and more convenient offices were attached", by Smith and Pennell[2].
The stables and coach house were later replaced by the Fish
Pond Stables below the hotel, demolished when the Grand Pavilion
was built, plus stables at Old Bath Tap - today known as the Fish
Pond Hotel.
Following Smith's death
Pennell bought out his share in 1727/8[?][3].
Mr. Pennell, who had twice been Mayor of Nottingham and was also
an architect, improved the horse-way to Matlock Bridge and shortly
afterwards opened a coach road to Cromford[3].
It was after this road was constructed that the village developed
as a watering place and Bray, by the time he visited Matlock Bath,
considered it to be a very good turnpike road[4].
The Old Bath passed to Marmaduke Pennell's daughter around 1733, after
his death[6]. William
Adam tells us that Pennel's son in law, Stephen Egginton, "rebuilt
the Baths on a scale answerable to the increase in company" and
the Liverpool Gallery Rooms were built over them as the hotel was
then supported by Liverpool Company. Both the date and the name Egginton
were written on a stone over a circular window of the Gentleman's
Bath[2]. By Bray's time
(i.e. 1783) the Old Bath had become "the joint
property of several persons".
" With the exception of The Villa,
this was the oldest dwelling house in Matlock Bath."
William Adam (1838) was writing about The Old Bath Hotel [2] |
A second spring was discovered a quarter of a mile to the south
and the New Bath Hotel was built, providing accommodation for the
"numerously increasing visitors". It was opened for business by Isaac North in May 1745[7]. A third, slightly
colder, spring was then found. However, despite a very large
and commodious lodging house being built, it didn't fulfil the
expectations of those speculating. The Great Hotel was sold
in separate lots, was improved and added to and by 1838 formed
what was called Museum Parade.
The Fountain gardens continued, owned by Mrs. Gilbert in 1840,
and were open to the public. A "vase" on top of a Hopton
marble pillar, standing in front of a picturesque alcove, remained
in the garden; it was reached by a flight of granite steps and
the Zigzag to the Heights of Abraham went through the grounds.
The basin and alcove survive today in
the grounds of Fernie Bank. The first Fountain Bath was 39
feet long and 18 feet wide and had a low pitched arched roof, with
a water depth of four feet. Benjamin Bryan said it was "small,
close and inconvenient"[5].
It was open to the public, with hot baths also available. The
more modern Fountain Bath, built in 1881 by Mr. Howe after the
earlier bath was demolished, was 50 feet long and 20 feet wide;
the water's depth went from 4 feet to 6 feet and the bath held
33,687 gallons of water[8].
According to a "Visitor" who wrote to the local press
in 1883 there was "a constant supply of 600,000 gallons of
water every 24 hours"[9].
The discovery of these three springs marked the beginning of Matlock
Bath's prosperity as a spa and Matlock Bath became a famous and
fashionable spa resort, with several large hotels where people
went to take the water cure[10].
Even in the early years the occasional entrepreneur would take
the opportunity to market the product (water) in a slightly different
way.
Derby Mercury 27 July 1732
WHEREAS the MATLOCK-BATH and Spaw Waters have been recommended
by several eminent physicians and have by Experience been found
in many Cases to the Health of Mankind, This is Therefore to
give Notice that EZRA BESTALL of Matlock, proposeth
to come Twice a Week to Derby, and oftener if he finds suitable
Encouragement, and will deliver the Water from Matlock-Bath,
of Spaw, at any house in Derby, at Two-pence per Quart, and
will serve any Gentleman in the Country at their own Houses
for a reasonable Allowance. Those who would be supplied with
these Waters are desir'd to leave their orders with JER. ROE
Bookseller in Derby.
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The table below gives an analysis of the water that people found
so beneficial to their health.
Analysis of the water taken by Dr. A. Dupré, Lecturer
on Chemistry at Westminster Hospital, London. Sample taken
from the Fountain Bath Spring.[10]
Temperature of water 68 degrees. |
Specific gravity
1003. |
Grains
per Gallon |
Chloride of Sodium . .
Sulphate of Magnesium
(Containing Magnesium)
Sulphate of Calcium . . .
Carbonate of Calcium ..
Silica . . . . . . . . . . .
Organic Matter - Traces of Alumina,Potassium, etc. . .
. .
Totally dry residue . . . |
..
..
..
..
..
..
..}
..} |
4.57
9.73
(1.946)
2.04
14.68
0.71
31.73
1.03
32.76 |
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Although "the hot Springs flow out of an elevation about a hundred
feet above the river" ... they were eventually hidden from view,
having been "covered up, and conveyed in pipes and covered channels
into the Baths and Petrifying Wells". In 1838 one of the streams
could be seen "flowing
from a field into the road, which it passes under opposite Smedley's
Spar Shop, and another forms a beautiful little Waterfall, after
passing through the Old-Bath stable-yard, by flowing over the
rough Tufa margin behind the stables"[2].
Thermal water can still be found today at the New Bath Hotel (see
the New
Bath Pool), what were the Fountain Baths, though is now the
Aquarium (partly seen on the
River Derwent, 1950) and even in some features in the Derwent
Gardens. Indeed, a 1907 image on Derwent
Gardens from the River Derwent shows the outflow of a stream
that passed under the road.
Lord Byron was possibly the most famous
of Matlock Bath's many visitors in the early nineteenth century;
he is certainly the person everyone remembers today. Other
important visitors to Matlock Bath in earlier times are listed
on the main Matlock Bath page,
though they did not all visit to take the water.
There was plenty of advice to be had about water consumption
and on the right are some observations and recommendations
by nineteenth century writers.
Matlock Bath declined in popularity for the health cures
of its medicinal springs as Matlock, and the hydropathic
treatments it became famous for, expanded. There were only
two hydros in Matlock Bath, the Clarence and the Royal Hotel
(formerly the Old Bath), and these were developed much later
than those in Matlock as the inhabitants of the village failed
to grasp the economic importance of hydropathy. There was
also less space for large scale development.
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Nineteenth Century writers
had plenty to say:
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"Matlock [Bath] water,
drunk freely as a common beverage throughout the
day, to be likely to prove highly beneficial in dyspeptic
and nephritic affections"'.
Dr. Granville: "The Spas
of England".
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"Don't bathe [in winter],
but drink the warm running water with milk or cream,
and sometimes add the chalybeate, which issues at
the north end of the valley, and we think they will
do you good".
Dr. Adam: Article in an unnamed
local newspaper (mid nineteenth century).
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The waters "are said to
be particularly valuable as curatives in rheumatism,
consumption, gout, and pulmonary and nervous disorders".
Jewitt: "Nooks & Corners
of Derbyshire".
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"The usual method of drinking the water is a
glass or two before breakfast, and about five in
the afternoon. The next day three glasses before
breakfast, and as many in the afternoon..."
Dr. John Elliott: "An Account
of the Medicinal Virtues of the Principal Mineral Waters
of Great Britain & Ireland".
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There's more onsite information:
Matlock,
Matlock Bath and Matlock Dale in 1802 describes how things
were 200 years ago, the complaints and diseases and contemporary
debates about the water's properties.
Lists
Through the Centuries : The Nineteenth Century: Arrivals at
Matlock Bath, 1820-1850 provides examples of who visited
the village. Many of the more wealthy visitors stayed at
the Old Bath. |
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The First Hydro in the District |
In late 1848 a hydro opened in Darley Dale, run by Dr. Antoin Rischanek
(sometimes Richenek), an Austrian gentleman from Gräefenberg
who had been the first physician at the Hydropathic Establishment
at Ben Rhydding[12],
the much lauded establishment at Ilkley where John Smedley was
to be later cured by Dr. Rischanek's successor, Dr. McLeod (see
below).
Before entering the U.K. about 1843 Dr. Rischanek had gained considerable
experience in hydropathy. Yet he has almost been overlooked in
Derbyshire histories, possibly because of the forceful character
of John Smedley.
Derbyshire Courier, 15 September
1849. Letter written by "The Daily Observer"
In this viscinity is the now famed establishment of Dr. Richanek
- a foreign medical practitioner who has obtained considerable
celebrity by his cure of many complaints by water only.
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His hydro was near the Darley Toll Bar on what was then Hackney
Lane, now Dale Road South, in a house called The Grove[13].
When he first opened his establishment the house had 14 bedrooms
and "accommodation for twenty patients ... The mansion contains
spacious dining and drawing rooms, and convenient bath rooms ... flued up with full
baths and douches ... extensive pleasure grounds"[14].
Dr. Rischanek installed a pipe connecting The Grove to the Sharder
well higher up the hillside. This belonged to one of the Dakeyne's
and Dr. Rischanek was said to have installed a tank on his premises
to store the water[15].
Rischanek's hydro was "supplied with pure water, not inferior
to the springs of Malvern or Ilkley"[14].
Dr Rischanek advertised the lease for his "most successfully
conducted" hydropathic institution in 1850 and was clearly
prepared to help anyone who wished to take over : Dr Rischanek "will
not object to giving his personal superintendence and assistance for a
limited periods"[14].
Whilst it is quite possible that he taught someone his
skills for a short time before he left the district, and the most
likely person would have been Ralph Davis, there is currently no evidence
to support the theory[13].
After Dr. Rischanek's departure in 1851[16] the
house was, for many years, a private home. William Atkins of
Rockside was to buy The Grove in 1889 (see advertisement, right),
when it was described as having an abundant water supply. He
was to convert the property into a first rate hydro but
in May 1904 it was acquired for the education of the daughters
of the clergy and shortly afterwards became St. Elphin's school.
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As for Dr. Rischanek, he returned to Ilkey, eventually setting
up an hydropathic establishment at Ilkley Wells where he lived until
1858; he disappears from British records after 1861[16]. |
The Hydros and
Hydropathy, Matlock's Expansion |
The real expansion of the industry in Matlock
followed the building of the railway line; indeed, Dr. Rischanek
had already advertised that the Darley Railway station was
only ten minutes walk from his institution and Matlock's
hydropathists were not slow to follow suit. But the railways
can't really take the lion's share of the credit.
This has to go to John Smedley, a believer in water and
fresh air, and began when he bought a "small house" on
Matlock Bank from Thomas Bunting in 1853[17].
Ralph Davis had been giving hydropathic treatment at the
property in 1852[18] and
about six months before Smedley bought the house he had been
advising Davis about the treatment of his patients[19].
There is some confusion about exactly when Ralph Davis started
prescribing hydropathic treatment, though Benjamin Bryan,
amongst others, states that he had lived at Darley and started
in the business in 1851[5] (see
The First Hydro in the District, above).
If he ever lived at Darley it would have been for a very
short time.
Though others were very successful, it was Smedley who became the
main force in the hydropathic industry's development in
Matlock.
Hydropathy was slow to catch on at first and even
a few years later, in 1857, White's Directory[20] shows
there were still only three establishments in Matlock. These
were Mr. John Smedley's, described as "near Matlock
Bridge Station", Mr. Ralph Davis's on Matlock Bank and
Mr. John Rogers', Matlock Green. See the full quotation on
the right.
Also
see Matlock's Residents and Businesses in White's 1857 Directory.
It is worth looking at the population figures, extracted
from the census returns, to see the extent of the growth
in the town.
See
nineteenth century expansion, population and councils.
The ten yearly census may not have been taken at peak holiday
periods but there were always plenty of visitors and the
names of both Smedley's visitors and the establishment's
staff eventually began to be recorded in a separate book
as they were so numerous.
1891
Census, Smedley's Hydropathic Establishment.
1901
Census, Smedley's Hydropathic Establishment. |
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"BATHS - The Baths which have been established at
Matlock Town, within the last few years [1850s[19]],
have not as yet attained that wide spread celebrity,
which has been obtained by its more fortunate neighbour
Matlock Bath; nevertheless, the support which they have
hitherto received affords strong evidence that the HYDROPATHY
system is not without its friends and supporters; and
from their close proximity to the beautiful and picturesque
scenery of the Dale, it is more than probable, that in
a few years they will prove a formidable yet friendly
rival, for a share of the public patronage which is enjoyed
in such an eminent degree by its elder sister.
There are at this time three HYDROPATHIC establishments
here, viz, Mr John SMEDLEY's, near Matlock Bridge Station;
Mr Ralph DAVIS's, Matlock Bank; and Mr John RODGERS',
Matlock Green; the largest of which is under the management
of Mr SMEDLEY. The situation of this house is highly
advantageous to health, being sheltered from the north
and east winds, by a lofty range of hills; the interior
is comfortably furnished, and has all the necessary apparatus
for carrying out the treatment, with water of the softest
and purest nature."
"History, Gazetteer and
Directory of the County of Derby", by Francis
White and Co., 1857, p.431, under the main heading
of Matlock Parish
(Contributed by Sonia Addis-Smith)
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John Smedley's
New Venture - An Alcohol Free Zone! |
Mr. Smedley, who was born at Wirksworth and died at Riber (12 Jun 1803 - 27 Jul 1874), ran
a successful business at Lea Mills manufacturing woollen
underclothes. He had personal experience of a water cure
at Ben Rhydding[21] after
becoming extremely ill on the Continental tour he and
his wife went on after their marriage. On his return he contracted
typhus fever, and the cure was a last resort when all other
treatments failed[22].
Its success is why he resolved to provide facilities
and care so others would be cured of their ailments and his
illness changed his life in other ways too, most notably
his religious beliefs (see para 4, this section, below).
Smedley's new venture in Matlock proved an immediate success
and the original building rapidly became inadequate. Work
began on the present building on the Bank, still known locally
as Smedley's Hydro, in the late 1850s. In 1861 £10,000
was spent adding a drawing room, a glass front, bath houses
and bedrooms "warmed by steam"[23]
and the premises continued to be enlarged and altered into the twentieth century.
The water supply came, initially, from springs along a line
between Smedley Street and Wellington Street. Demand eventually
exceeded supply as water cures became more and more popular,
so water from the gritstone moorland above the hydro was piped
to and stored in large tanks at the reservoir on Wellington
Street close to the Duke of Wellington. This water did not,
however, contain the medicinal properties of Matlock Bath's
water.
It was after his own treatment that Smedley became "an
energetic Primitive Methodist"[24];
he preached both religion and temperance when touring round
the countryside with his tent. Whilst he was an eccentric
and would not listen to the opinions of others if they didn't
agree with him, he and his wife were also very kind, caring
people and he was a considerate employer.
Read inquest
of former employee
His workers, whom John Smedley already paid to attend a
half hour service every Sunday, were his guinea pigs. Once
he had decided to do so Smedley devoted himself to healing
the sick poor at Lea. Although he was very single minded,
he would, nevertheless, change his mind and experimented
with different ideas and treatments. At first he charged
just three shillings a day and his Matlock establishment
was non-profit making but, as the demand increased and more
accommodation was needed, the daily rate was increased to
six shillings.
Patients were not allowed to "compare notes" by
talking to fellow patients about what ailed them - in fact,
Smedley roundly told off people who did so, whatever their
social standing.
No alcohol was allowed on John Smedley's premises; the probable
result of this was that off-licences which sold wines and spirits
flourished in the town, particularly around Smedley's Hydro!
The sale of alcohol in surrounding shops wasn't the only trade
to prosper and there were also tailors and hatters, hairdressers,
tobacconists, booksellers and bootmakers. So did shops such
as "Tinker" Wright's, the local ironmonger who supplied
the hydro rather than its guests.
Though John Smedley had many battles with the medical profession,
in 1872 he appointed the young Dr. W. Bell Hunter to the
Medical Department of Smedley's and he proved to be an inspired
choice as he "disarmed the prejudice of the Medical
profession against the exercise of Medical hydropathy[21].
After Smedley's death the concern was purchased by a limited company, who spent about £70,000 on
"structural alterations and adornments".
John Smedley certainly left his mark on Matlock with his building
projects; just as Riber Castle dominates the Matlock skyline,
so Smedley's Hydro dominates the panoramic view of Matlock
Bank. Someone writing when it was first built described the
building as having the characteristics of a workhouse, a factory
and a barracks! But, clearly, Smedley was hedging his bets
as if the hydropathy venture had failed he could have turned
the building into another mill.
Read about Riber Castle
According to Benjamin Bryan, writing in 1903, Smedley's Hydro
was the focus for Matlock's leisure activities[19].
Between 1860 and 1939 everything from firework displays and
the circus to concerts and sports took place there.
Whilst Smedley's Hydro was much the biggest, it wasn't the
only Hydro in Matlock and Matlock Bath and there were some
20 hydropathic establishments providing treatments (excluding
all the lodging houses who offered treatments) at one stage!
These are shown in the table of Hydropathic Establishments lower down the page. In 1888
Matlock House advertised Table d'hôte at 6 p.m. alongside
musical and dramatic entertainments, lawn tennis and billiards[10].
Things had changed from just curing the sick. By 1918 the
role reversal of guests serving the staff at Christmas time
was established and was even reported in the National press.
Read "There
Was Red Tape at Smedley's Hydro Then"
The Enduring Folly of Riber Castle
See the onsite extracts from
the London Gazette in 1853 about John Smedley's patents
There is a
poem, written in 1874, in memory of John Smedley
Also read another poem The "Matlock Waters".
A Recitation by a Member of the Matlock Band of Hope.
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John and Caroline Smedley, photographed by the London Stereoscopic Company.
The picture was published in
Famous Derbyshire Health Resorts. The Matlocks, about 1892
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"Matlock Bank is noted for its hydropathic establishments, the introduction of which is due to the late J. Smedley
of Lea Mills and Riber Castle who, having himself derived great benefit by the treatment, founded an institution
here for the practice of hydropathy in 1851 [sic]; this establishment, the property, since 1875, of Smedley's
Hydropathic Company Limited, is most complete and extensive, and is available for over 200 visitors; alterations and
improvements have been made at a cost of £25,000. Rockside House and Matlock House are hydropathic establishments
of the first class; there are several smaller ones, all of which are delightfully situated[17]".
Kelly's Directory, 1891
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John Smedley's book, "Practical Hydropathy", ran into a good many editions, the first published in July
1958* - almost at the same time as Dr. McLeod published "Ben Rhydding, The Principles of Hydropathy", published
by Messrs. Hamilton, Adams & Co., London (perhaps no co-incidence). Caroline Smedley wrote "Mrs. Smedley's
Ladies Manual"; there were as many editions published of her work.
* Smedley himself is inconsistent with the publication date; he said it was 1857 in the 1869 and 1874 versions,
a preface says 1863 and in 1861 he said in was July 1858, which agrees with newspaper advertisements for the first
edition of his book. Whilst the preface to the first edition is dated June 12, 1957 Smedley quotes letters sent to him
in 1858.
From Mr. Smedley's "Practical Hydropathy":
And from "Mrs. Smedley's Ladies Manual":
Mr. Smedley's tent where his employees worshipped.
(Also from his book " Practical Hydropathy")
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"The success
achieved by Mr SMEDLEY stimulated others to enter the field
in competition:-
- Rock Side Hydropathic Establishment was erected by Mr Charles
ROWLAND, in 1862 [sic], and subsequently considerably
enlarged. It is situated further up the hill at a height
of 800 feet above the sea level, and can be reached conveniently
and comfortably by the new cable tram.
- Prospect and Popular Cottage Hydros were established by
the Messrs DAVIS.
- Shortly afterwards Mr BARTON opened Jackson House for the same purpose.
- Subsequently, he erected commodious and handsome premises
called Dalefield Hydropathic Establishment, in which
he introduced many improvements suggested by his experience,
and furnished it in first-class style. The house stands
within its own grounds, and commands delightful prospects
along the valley of the Derwent. The dining-hall, drawing-rooms, &c,
are all spacious, well ventilated, and handsomely furnished,
and various indoor and outdoor amusements are provided.
The heating arrangements are a special feature to ensure
an equable temperature in winter and stormy weather.
The establishment is not exclusively a sanatorium; it
affords accommodation to families and others who desire
to spend a holiday amidst the beautiful scenery of the
English Switzerland and it is also a delightful winter
resort for those delicate individuals who dread the severities
of our English climate".
"History, Topography and Directory of Derbyshire" (1895)
by T. Bulmer and Co., p.417, Matlock
(Contributed by Sonia Addis-Smith)
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The former Smedley's Hydro, with Rockside on the top left of the picture.
The shadow of the lettering "SMEDLEY'S", covered with the
leaves of virginia creeper in the summer months,
can be seen below the windows of the left hand side top floor.
This photo was taken when Rockside was being redeveloped and houses
were being built in the former hydro's grounds.
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Some of the
Treatments Available |
In an interview with Benjamin Bryan, senior, who was impressed when
he visited Lea in late 1852 to see John Smedley's free hydropathic
hospital for his workers, Smedley was reported as saying that "an
erroneous idea had gained credence with the least informed portion
of the public, that hydropathy consisted of nothing more that the
sudden and violent application of water and intense cold, in all
cases indiscriminately, than which there could not exist a more gross
and mischievous fallacy" (Bryan's words, rather than a direct
quote). Bryan saw for himself "the various cold, tepid, douche,
head, foot, sitting and various shower baths", as well as the
methods of "packing", bandaging, applying the "dripping
sheet", "dry pack" and spirit lamp. Not long before
this Smedley had produced his first pamphlet, in which he stated
that "The great importance of this to a working man is, that
in an hour or two stop the first stages of fever, inflammation, bilious
attacks, violent colds, or rheumatism, without consulting anyone
... A serious illness in a poor family often causes them to be in
debt or difficulty for years after"[25].
The Lea hospital catered for five or six patients but the hydros
in Matlock, which were not free, catered for far larger numbers.
Qualified doctors and nursing staff practised hydropathy
and some of these treatments are still perfectly acceptable in a
modern world, but others might now be now considered barbaric.
Some examples of the types of treatment available were:
- Head Bath - lying with the back of the head immersed in
cool or cold water for a period of time.
- Sitz Bath - sitting in cold water for a period of time,
sometimes with running water which would have been even colder.
- Steam Box - sitting in a wooden box full of steam with
only the head poking out from the top.
- There were douches of various strengths available, baths
for legs and chests, mustard packs and even a concoction
using chilli paste.
- Later treatments included Dowsing Radiant Heat
Baths (at the Royal Hotel), Turkish and Russian Baths, and
Plombières Treatment (Smedley's).
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Read about the treatments available
in both Matlock and Matlock Bath:
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Matlock: Water
Cures, Mr. Smedley's Baths, Boxes & Douches
John Smedley designed a range of steam boxes, baths
and douches, as well as some other gadgets, for use
at both the hydropathic establishment and the free
hospital |
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Smedley's
Hydropathic Establishment Matlock, Brochure, about
1925. Thirty two pages of images and text provided
information on the tariffs, baths and treatments
at Matlock's premier hydro, etc. |
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Smedley's
Hydropathic Establishment Matlock, Brochure, 1939.
It had the misfortune to be published just before the
outbreak of war. |
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Matlock
Bath, Royal Hotel Brochure, about 1908 |
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Hydropathy
Establishments, 1891, when hydropathy was in its heyday |
from Kelly's Derbyshire Trades Directory, 1891, p.442[1891]
Location |
Name of Establishment |
Owner/Proprietor in 1891 |
(Year opened) |
Matlock Bank |
Bank
House, Smedley Street [sic] |
Henry Ward |
(before 1871) |
" |
Belle Vue |
Mr & Mrs Allsopp |
(opened 1860) |
" |
Chesterfield
House |
R Davis & Co. |
(opened 1860s, Ralph Davis' third hydro) |
" |
Church
view, Smedley Street [sic] |
Henry Ward |
(opened 1871, joined with Bank House 1874) |
" |
Dalefield
(later Lilybank) |
Geo. B. Barton |
(opened 1890) |
" |
Elm Tree House |
Wm. Bramald |
(unclear, possibly 1862. Thomas Curzon
was there in 1876) |
" |
Jackson House |
J. L. Dean |
(1857, the first Barton hydro) |
" |
Malvern House, Smedley Street |
Job Smith - see biography |
(a hydro by 1886[1887]) |
" |
Matlock
House Hydropathic Establishment |
(Robt. Hall, sec) |
(opened 1863, initially Manchester House) |
" |
Old Bank House |
J. J. Brown |
(Jonas Brown was running a hydro in 1864) |
" |
Prospect
House & Poplar Cottage |
Thomas Davis & Sons |
(Prospect House opened 1859.
Poplar Cottage, later Jeffs' and then Chatsworth Hydro
was opened 1857) |
" |
Rock
side |
Wm. Atkins, proprietor
(also the proprietor of Darley Dale Hydropathic Establishment);
William Moxon L.R.C.P., physician
[also see Darley
listing] |
(established 1860) |
" |
Rose Cottage, Dimple |
Aaron Ridgard |
|
" |
Smedley Hydropathic Co. Lim. |
Alfred Douglas, sec;
William B. Hunter M.D.
& Charles Jos. Whitby B.A., MD, physicians |
(opened 1853, with short closure in 1859) |
" |
Smedley Memorial Hydropathic Hospital |
Miss Ann Jackson, matron |
(originally South View Cottage, Ralph
Davis' second establishment) |
" |
[Woodbine House,] Smedley Street |
Miss E Knowles |
(before 1871)
|
" |
Spring Villa, Smedley Street |
John Wheeldon |
|
" |
Sycamore House, Smedley Street |
John Dawes |
|
" |
Tor House, Jackson Road |
George Davis & Sons |
(opened 1862, eventually demolished) |
Matlock Bath |
Clarence House |
Rev Richard Nicholson
(see also Matlock Bridge) |
(opened 1871) |
"
[sic] |
Tansley House |
Wm. Mycock |
This is an error in the Directory's index
of hydros as William Mycock's
Tansley House Hydro was listed under Tansley. Newspaper
advertisements in the 1890s claim he was in Matlock Bridge.
|
Matlock Bridge |
Bridge Hall |
Rev Richard Nicholson
(see also Matlock Bath) |
(opened before 1861) |
Note: Also listed under Matlock Bank was the Derby & Derbyshire
Convalescent Home (Miss F. Peet, matron) .
Needless to say, the Hydros and
hotels of Matlock and Matlock Bath needed a large number of
employees to make them function properly and workers were
drawn to the area from all over the country. Some came for
the season and some stayed permanently. Many came from the
cotton areas of Lancashire. I have already mentioned above
how Smedley's Hydro was a centre for leisure activities. It
had its own orchestra and musicians, as did the Royal Hotel
in Matlock Bath. Rockside held musical evenings and musicians
were also employed at the Royal Pavilion (later the Palais
Royal) in Matlock Bath. Some musicians came from overseas and
settled in the town with their families.
The Hydros had developed into high class hotels, with Smedley's
and several other establishments having both a national and
an international reputation. Many visitors were very wealthy.
In 1916 Rockside, described as "800 feet above sea level",
was rated as first class hotel[1916].
The larger Smedley's Hydro was 500 feet above
sea level. There were 13 hydros still listed in Kelly's Directory
at that time, plus the Hospital and the Convalescent Home.
The 1932 directory stated that Smedley's Hydro
had room for 350 visitors; Chatsworth (formerly Jeffs'
Poplar Hydro), Rockside and other, slightly smaller, establishments
were also listed[1932].
However, by the 1941 directory there were only three establishments
still advertising and the water treatments were almost at
an end[1941]. |
|
The quotation below illustrates how the hydropathists tried to extend the season
to encourage winter visitors as well as summer ones.
- "It is the general impression that the WATER
CURE is applicable only in the summer time. This is,
however, incorrect, for almost all diseases are quite
as readily cured in the winter as in the summer; and
here at all seasons both visitors and invalids will
find a most comfortable home".
"History, Topography and
Directory of Derbyshire" (1895) by T. Bulmer
and Co., p.417, Matlock
(Contributed by Sonia Addis-Smith)
|
|
|
|
Mr.
Cartledge's Lime Tree View Hydro, 1863 Advertisement |
|
Bank
House & Church View Hydro, New Street
Henry Ward's hydro for over 40 years |
|
Chesterfield
House Hydro, 1868.
A steel engraving from not long after it was built. |
|
Chesterfield
House Hydro
Ralph Davis and John Smedley were the first two people
to open hydros on Matlock Bank. This was Davis's third
venture |
|
Lilybank Hydro (Dalefield) - opened by George Bernard
Barton. With information about the Barton family (the first of a series of images) |
|
Poplar Cottage & Jeffs' Poplar Hydro (Chatsworth
Hydro), 1857-1912 |
|
Poplar
Hydro (Chatsworth), 1900-05 |
|
Chatsworth
Hydro, formerly Poplar Cottage and Jeffs' Poplar
Hydro |
|
Advert for Matlock
House in 1869 |
|
Rockside Hydro.
From its opening to the outbreak of the first world war
(the first of a series of images) |
|
Rockside Hydro,
1908, a couple of years after the twentieth century
refurbishment, much of which was in the Art Nouveau style |
|
Matlock:
Rockside Hydro, 1925-45
A top quality hotel, with information about the people
who ran it |
|
Matlock: Cavendish
Road, Claremont and Mr. Rowland
Charles Rowland built Rockside |
|
|
So who came? |
"Noel Coward and novelist
John Wyndham came. Dame Clara, mother of Ivor Novello, lived
there. At afternoon tea in the Winter Garden, Violet Carson
played the piano[26]."
This writer's father bought Dame Clara Novello's piano from
the sale when Smedley's closed, though it is no longer owned
by the family.
The curator at the Colour Museum in Bradford says that "William
Henry Perkin, discoverer of the first synthetic dye, Mauveine*,
was at Smedley's Hydropathic Establishment in December 1881.
H. Caro, a renowned European dyestuff chemist, wrote to Perkin
whilst he was at Smedley's. The letter is dated 10th December
1881" and Caro's letter is at Manchester Museum of Science
and Industry.
*"Perkin's discovery of Mauveine, also led to the
birth of the pharmaceutical and perfume industries." |
|
|
|
What happened
to the Hydros |
The First World War (1914-18)
was a turning point in the fortunes of the many of the hydros,
though treatments continued at Smedleys, Rockside, Chatsworth,
Oldham House and Lilybank. Social changes followed the war
and then the Depression in the 1930's dramatically affected
the industry.
However, it was the Second World War (1939 - 1945) that
really ended everything.
Rockside, or "Hatters Castle", was taken over
by the R.A.F. immediately war broke out and became a psychiatric
hospital for sick airmen. Pilots or their crew, suffering
from nervous breakdowns after managing to return to England
with their aircraft and their fellow crew members either
severely wounded or dead on board, came to Rockside for
treatment. Suicide amongst these patients was not uncommon
and ECT therapy was used to treat the men.
Chatsworth Hydro was taken over by C & A Modes and
used as their head office although its board of directors remained in London[27].
Chatsworth did reopen after the war and continued as a hydro for a short time but was sold to Derbyshire County
Council in 1946 for adaptation as an educational and training centre.
Smedley's Hydro was used as a School of Military Intelligence by the army. The late actor and author Dirk Bogarde was
one of the trainees there, as well as the authors Evelyn Waugh and Anthony Powell. The Hydro was de-requisitioned
in 1946 but eventually even Smedley's closed for business,
after a prolonged fight against compulsory purchase. The
building was taken over by Derbyshire County Council at
the end of 1955. The Council Offices relocated to Matlock
from Derby, and Matlock became the county's administrative
centre. The hydro building is now County Hall and is affectionately
nicknamed "The Kremlin" by some locals. More
about the closure can be found via the two links on the
right.
Rockside and a number of large houses became part of
the Matlock Teacher Training College, as Chatsworth Hydro
had done. The Training College was a highly respected
institution. Unfortunately for the town, the students
eventually moved to the larger Derby when the Derby and
Matlock Colleges amalgamated
Former student Janet Mitchell, who was studying in Matlock
at that time, writes that "we protested against
the move and the college allowed us to remain for three
years but we finally had to move to Derby for our fourth
year. We would have liked to remain there to complete
our course. My college friends and I remember Rockside
and the town of Matlock with much affection and we were
sorry to leave." She also corrects a misunderstanding:
"the decision to move students to Derby was one taken
by the college authorities". |
|
Smedley's entrance - now Derbyshire's County Hall
|
"I
understand that the County Council are suffering from claustrophobia
in Derby, and are coming to Matlock for a dose of hydrophobia."
Alan Wilcox, Round Table Area Chairman
at the Charter Anniversary Dinner. Quote of the week, on
Derbyshire CC / Smedley's Hydro project, The Derbyshire
Times, 13 Apr 1956 |
|
|
The once very beautiful and prestigious
Rockside Hall, shown on the right, was in a dreadful state
of repair for some considerable time after the Training College
vacated the building, despite the Grade II listing it has to
protect it. It had been vandalized and suffered from fire damage;
the side facing Cavendish Road seemed to be falling down on
itself. This view, on the Matlock skyline, shows windows that
were partly boarded up as most of the glass has been smashed.
Sheer neglect meant that this building was nearly lost which
would have been dreadful as it is part of Matlock's heritage.
Other former hydros fared better than Rockside and some suffered
similar mishaps, even if only for a short time.
Clarence Hydro in Matlock Bath closed about 1938 when the
people running it simply walked away, even leaving the pots
on the table. It became very derelict. After the war it was
sold and was then converted into flats. Restoration of the
building began in 2007 and is now completed.
Bridge Hall, at the bottom of Bank Road, had become the Town
Hall in 1899. |
|
Rockside before it was rescued and refurbished
Also read: Rockside
Hydro - "Watered-Down Future for a glorious icon of
the age of the hydro"
|
|
Wyvern House in Matlock, for many years Bank
House Hydro, eventually became Ernest Bailey's Grammar School
and is now the Derbyshire Record Office (pictured right). Some
other buildings have also changed use. One example is Laburnum
Hydro which ceased to be a hydro about 1933-4, then became an
old people's home and has more recently also been converted to
flats. The large hydro in the nearby parish of Darley became
St. Elphin's girl's school although has recently also been sold
and converted to flats and cottages.
About
Ernest Bailey's School
How
to contact Derbyshire Record Office
See Kelly's 1891 Directory of Darley |
|
Oldham House and Prospect Place Hydro on Wellington
Street was also requisitioned by the RAF one weekend at the
outbreak of the war. It had been run for many years by the
Davis/Wildgoose family, but was bought after the war by two
sisters and turned into a private school, which closed in 1965.
The Presentation Convent took over two other old hydro buildings.
Lilybank (formerly Dalefield) was the last hydro to close and
was purchased by the Convent in 1962. Lilybank first became
the Nagle Preparatory School and then later changed its use,
becoming a residential home for the elderly. About thirty six
years earlier Chesterfield House, pictured below, had become
their Convent and School. Though Chesterfield House has been
extended and altered, Ralph Davis's original building is still
obvious in the right hand section of this photograph. |
"Taken Back In Time
- Lilybank", by Sally Mosley, is an article about
her schooldays as a pupil in the 1960s. It describes what the
inside of the Hydro was like shortly after it was sold to the
Convent
About the Presentation Convent |
The Presentation Convent, formerly Chesterfield House Hydro.
Caroline Cantor is a former pupil and this photograph was taken
at a school reunion.
Some medical web sites are (external links open in a new window)
:
Glossary
of Medical Terms Used in the 18th & 19th Centuries - for
explanations of old medical terms
Medical
Heritage of Great Britain by Bath & Wessex Medical History Group
And also about water
The
Victorian Turkish Bath Databank. A not-for-profit educational project in the UK
|
Photographs kindly provided by and © Andy Andrews, Caroline
Cantor, Paul Kettle and the web mistress.
Information researched by and © Ann Andrews.
Please note that the information about Dr. Rischanek has not been
written about anywhere else and proper credit must be given to
Ann Andrews if it is used anywhere else and in any format.
Intended for personal use only.
|
References (coloured links are to transcripts or more information elsewhere on this web
site):
[1] Lysons, Rev Daniel and Samuel Lysons Esq. (1817) "Topographical and Historical Account of Derbyshire"
London: Printed for T. Cadell, Strand; and G. and A. Greenland, Poultry.
[2] Adam, W. (1838) "The Gem of the Peak; or Matlock Bath and Its Vicinity. ..." London;
Longman & Co., Paternoster Row ; ... Mawe, Royal Museum, Matlock ; .... This was the first edition of his guide.
Also see: Matlock Bath: Ashfield, previously The Villa.
[3] There is more information in The Wolley Manuscripts, Matlock, Volume 6667 f.176d (Wolley's
well):
- Pennell's involvement in building the Bath and the road can be found in a document in The
Wolley Manuscripts, Matlock, Volume 6692 ff.91-2:
- confirmation of the lease The Wolley Manuscripts, Matlock, Volume 6669 ff.256-258;
- there was also a long lease of the Bath to Wragg The Wolley Manuscripts, Matlock Volume 6669 ff.270.
- Marmaduke Pennell was an architect and had been Mayor of Nottingham in both 1718 and 1724 (from: Blakner, John (1815) "The
History of Nottingham, Embrasing its Antiquities, Trade and Manufacturers").
[4] Bray, William (1783) "Sketch
of a Tour Into Derbyshire and Yorkshire" (Second Edition)
London, Printed for B. White at Horace's Head, in Fleet-Street.
The first edition was published in 1778.
The guide "Beauties of
England & Wales" (1802), Matlock, Matlock Bath and
Matlock Dale also discusses the discovery of the warm spring,
etc.
[5] Bryan, Benjamin (1903) "History
of Matlock - Matlock, Manor and Parish" London by Bemrose & Sons,
Limited.
When discussing the early years of the hydros and hydropathy,
Bryan's assertion about Ralph Davis being "of Darley" could well have come
from Steer, Henry (1897) "The Smedleys of Matlock Bank".
Unfortunately, it has been repeated as fact many times over.
[6] Pennell was buried at Nottingham
St. Mary on 26 Aug 1731 (© Nottinghamshire Family History Society).
His Will can be found in the Prerogative & Exchequer
Courts of York Probate Index. His daughter, Sarah (of Nottingham
Castle), had married Stephen Egginton, gent. on 10 Sep 1728. This
from Archdeaconry Court & Peculiar Of Southwell Marriage Licences,
1701-1853. He died in Nottingham in 1744. Egginton's name is given
as Egerton by
William Adam, who was reading something rather worn. Sarah Eggington's
estate was administered by her husband in 1740 (29 Dec 1740 at
Lichfield).
[7] "The Derby Mercury", 10 May 1745.
Notice of the bath's opening. Also see New Bath
Hotel (1), where the notice is transcribed.
[8] A leaflet
for the Fountain Baths - "Analysis of the Thermal Springs" is
published in the "Just" images section of this site.
[9] "Derbyshire Times",
12 December 1883.
[10] See "Gem
of the Peak", Matlock Bath in 1840. The extracts
show the prices of a bath and a list of the hotels at that
time. This was the second edition of Adam's guide book.
[11] "Black's Tourist Guide to
Derbyshire" (1888) pub. Adam and Charles Black Edinburgh.
[12] The Darley hydro opening was announced
in "The Derby Mercury" of Wednesday 27 December
1848, and other newspapers of the day. Dr. Rischanek was reported
as being involved with Ben Ben Rhydding in "The Leeds Mercury",
1 April, 1843 and was its physician when it opened in 1844. He had also practised
hydropathy at Alderley Edge ("Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser", 10 May 1848).
[13] Dr. Rischanek was a Darley Dale resident
in the 1851 census. Ralph Davies was to be found living
on Matlock Bank that year and was not employed as a bath man.
[14] "The Derby Mercury",
10 July 1850. Research by the web mistress and Ray Ash, who is
connected to the Davis family, has shown nothing to support the
idea that it was Dr. Rischanek who taught Ralph Davis although
circumstantial evidence makes it highly likely.
[15] "Derbyshire Times",
29 July 1893. Court case about a disputed water supply to a nearby
property. Several witnesses could remember Dr. Rischanek.
[16] "The Sheffield & Rotherham
Independent", Saturday, 20 September, 1851. He returned
to Ilkley and opened the Ilkley Wells Hydropathic Establishment in 1856.
The last time his name appears in newspapers was in 1858, when he
resigned his post as medical adviser there.
In 1860 his application to the British Medical Council for registration
on a surgical licence was accepted
and he was in London in 1861.
[17] John Smedley bought his Matlock property, "a
small house to accommodate six or eight patients", in the
Spring of 1853 ("The Derby Mercury", 27 April,
1853), not 1851 as sometimes quoted. Initially the building did
not alter, but rebuilding began later in the 1850s. Smedley had
begun by opening a Free Hydropathic Hospital at Lea. Also see: Smedley's
Hydro, Starting Out. Thomas Bunting is shown owning two adjacent
properties on the Smedley's site in the 1848 Tithe: no.713 (House,
Coal-house, Privy, Court and Garden) and No.714 (House, Outbuildings,
Court, Yard, and Gardens). Thomas Bunting was a lead miner, living
on Matlock Green in the 1851 census.
In 1851 George Ludlam was occupying one property and Robert Bunting
the other (see census extracts).
[18] An advertisement in "The
Sheffield & Rotherham Independent", on 6 April,
1896 says Ralph Davis established his business in 1852, so Davis
was technically the first to open an hydropathic establishment
in Matlock itself. Census returns from 1841 and 1851 show him
living on Matlock Bank. See the 1841
census | the 1851 census
[19] Peach, Lawrence du Garde (1954) "John
Smedley of Matlock and his Hydro", Bemrose Publicity
Co.: Derby & London. Peach claimed that Davis opened his
establishment in 1851 but this conflicts slightly with reference [18] above.
However, Peach also said that six months after Ralph Davis had
opened his establishment, John Smedley had become the "medical
adviser".
[20] White, Francis (1857) "History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Derby", Francis White & Co.
[21] Smedley's own cure is mentioned in Hall's "Days
in Derbyshire", 1863, Chapter 5. The Wharfdale Hydropathic Establishment and Ben Rhydding Hotel at Otley, near Ilkley, Yorkshire
where Smedley stayed had opened on 29th May 1844 (from various contemporary reports in "The Sheffield & Rotherham
Independent" and "The Bradford Observer; and Halifax, Huddersfield, and Keighley Reporter"). Dr. Rischanek was
then in charge there. John Smedley had married Caroline Ann Harward on 24 June 1847. When he underwent treatment Smedley was under
the care of Dr. McLeod ("The Derby Mercury", 1 Dec, 1852); McLeod took over at Ben Rhydding towards the end of 1847.
[22] Peach, Lawrence du Garde (1954), as above.
[23]"The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent", 30 Mar 1861.
[24] Firth, J. B. (1908) "Highways and Byways in Derbyshire" MacMillan & Co., London.
[25] An article about his visit to the
free hospital Smedley had established for his workers written by
Benjamin Bryan, senior, (as B. B.) was published in "The Derby
Mercury", 1 December, 1852.
[26] "The Derbyshire Village Book" published by the Derbyshire Federation of Women's Institutes &
Countryside Books, 1991. ISBN 1 85306 133 6. The book itself is now out of print, but the quotation is published here with the kind permission
of the Derbyshire Federation of Women's Institutes.
[27] Information originally from Mr. Frank Clay. There is now an academic book which briefly mentions the
company's time in Matlock. See: Spoerer, Mark (2016) "C & A, A Family Business in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom,
1911 - 1961" pub. Verlag C. H. Beck of HG, Munich.
[1887] "Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire", 1887 - Job Smith submitted a surveyor's
report in late 1886 for alterations to his boarding house, after which it was advertised as a hydro.
[1891] "Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire",
1891 } There are online transcripts: 19th century directories.
[1916] "Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire",
1916 } There are online transcripts: 20th century directories.
[1932] "Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire", 1932.
[1941] "Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire", 1941.
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