1746 George BAGE, paper maker, of Derby, was married. (to Sarah, source I.G.I.)

1751 Robert BAGE, paper maker, took an apprentice, William Wood.

1781 Thomas Evans, lead merchant, insured the paper mill in the tenure of John BAGE, paper maker. This is the only known reference to John BAGE, and the mill must have continued in the hands of the family of Evans, paper makers, until after 1800.

1753 Benjamin Ord, widower and paper maker, was married. The Ord family probably provided the master paper makers at this mill throughout the second half of the eighteenth century, but the evidence is uncertain until the 1790's.

1767 Christopher Ord, paper maker, was married. In 1781 and 1790, respectively, Thomas BAGE, paper maker, and Benjamin Ord, paper manufacturer were married. (Thomas BAGE married Jane Dockerly 5 Dec 1781 at Chester Le Street, County Durham, and they had two children, Richard BAGE born 1784 at Chester Le Street and John BAGE born 1789 at Lamesley - source I.G.I.)

Lintzford Mill, near Rowlands Gill

LINTZFORD. This hamlet lies about 2 miles south of Rowlands Gill, where the river is spanned by a very old single arch bridge, probably dating from the middle of the 17th century when a Corn Mill functioned there. The Richardson Printing Ink Co. held parchment deeds complete with wax seals, some written in Latin, for the Corn Mill and land, dated 1695.

Ninety years later the Annandales took over the Corn Mill and ran it as a paper mill until 1912. From 1912 - 1922 Charles Marsden ran the paper mill, then in 1923 it was converted into a printing ink factory.

In the garden adjoining the factory are relics such as grindstones from the corn mill.

[The inkworks was taken over by Dufay Paints in 1966 and it finally closed in 1987. The premises have since been converted into flats.]

1695 Lintzford Corn Mill mentioned in deeds.

1785 Mill converted to Paper Mill.

1923 Paper Mill converted to Ink Works.

1966 Mill taken over by Dufay Paints.

1987 Mill closed and converted to residential flats.

1713 John BAGE, paper maker, took an apprentice, John Dowfin.

1726 John ''BACHE'', paper maker, took an apprentice, Sam Vickers.

1729/30 John BAGE (aged 23), paper maker, was married.

1740 George, son of John BAGE, was baptised.

1774 A daughter of George BAGE was baptised.

In 1777 and 1782 Thomas and John Elvidge were apprenticed to George BAGE, paper maker.

1789 George BAGE, paper maker, died. It was said that he had carried on the business for many years ''with great reputation''

1730 Joseph BAGE, paper maker, was married (to Elizabeth, source I.G.I.) Only one reference to him has been found but in view of the references which prove that there were master paper makers of the name of BAGE at Ollerton Mill it is possible that Joseph BAGE was also a master paper maker and worked this mill.

1793 Robert BAGE, paper maker, of Elford (see below), and George Webb, paper maker, of Ridware, insured their utensils and stock in their water mill at Shugborough and in their drying house near. Only one reference to Robert BAGE at this mill has been found. The paper mill was in the hands of George Webb after 1800.

Circa 1751 Robert BAGE (the famous novelist, born 29 th Feb. 1728) settled at Elford and conducted (constructed or ran?) a paper mill.

In 1790 Robert BAGE, miller, of Elford, insured the paper and corn mill.

In 1793 he was described as a paper maker, of Elford. It is possible that the Elford Paper Mill was in his hands until just after 1800. He died 1st Sept 1801 at Tamworth.

He had three sons, Charles, Edward and John.

(taken from Alfred H Shorter's ''Studies on the History of Papermaking)

In 1803 Edward Bage, paper maker, insured a paper mill in the township of Cummey in the parish of Hope. This appears to have been the Hope Mill, Excise Number 38, which was held by Samuel Price in 1816.

(Taken from "Some Notes on Derbyshire Paper Mills, part 2" by Tanya Schmoller which appeared in issue number 10 of the "The Quarterly - The review of the British Association of Paper Historians);-

Richard Hills has drawn my attention to a book by Don Peters (Darley Abbey from Monastery to Industrial Community, Moorland Publishing, 1974) which covers the papermaking activities at this site, which were of course overshadowed by the far more important cotton, iron, copper and lead industries.

A paper mill was in existence in 1713 (when it was advertised for sale presumably the one that was later owned by George, the father of Robert Bage, an old Derbeian who late in life established himself as a successful novelist. A further reference to Robert Bage appears in an advertisement in the Derbyshire Mercury of Mar. 30 and Apr. 6, 1753. 'To let, at the Abbey of Darley, near Derby, one paper mill now in the possession of Mr Robert Bage, together with a good brick house, a garden and other conveniences.'

Shorter (Shorter, A.H., Paper Mills and Papermakers in England 1495 - 1800. MCPHI Vol VI, Hilversum, 1957) records the marriage in 1746 of George Bage, papermaker; the taking of an apprentice, William Wood, by Robert Bage in 1751, and the marriage of George Clark, papermaker in 1755. He adds that in 1781 Thomas Evans insured the mill, then in the tenure of John Bage, and in 1789 the insurance was in the name Thomas, William and Walter Evans, papermakers, in the sum of £300.

The Derbyshire Mercury of Nov. 10, 1791 reports a fire at Darley paper mill, which was destroyed, including the water wheel. A 16 year old boy named Smith who had been discharged the previous day, was apprehended and consented he had accidentally caused the fire. He was discharged as no evidence against him was forthcoming.

Just over a fortnight after the fire, on 26 November, 1791, Mr Johnson, a millwright of Maidstone, Kent, was approached about rebuilding

'We have had the misfortune of losing our Paper Mill by fire and we are recommended to you as a proper person to instruct me in rebuilding it in the most commodious forme and plan.

'We annex a ground plan of the premises with the Dam Head, water passage and Mill Stream, we have also sketched out in red lines the inside dimensions for a new Mill being 38ft 6" long besides a water passage of 16ft and the whole 30 or 27ft wide with a double Vat House on one side 23feet by 12feet and a single one on the other side 12 feet square. We have also thought of arching over the Mill Stream raising it with earth and enclosing it with a wall as shown by the strong red line for a yard within which some shredding may be set either to the outer wall or Mill Wall to enclose pitch ropes etc. 'We desire you will send us a plan on a small scale of such a Building as you think best without regarding our plan further than is necessary for your information. Our Mill was insured and doubts are made whether we have a right to recompense for the Wheels, Shafts, Roll, etc. being going geer because they are not particularly expressed the insurance being on the Paper Mill only, we beg the favour of you to informe yourself whether in misfortunes of the like kind going geer has been paid for although not particularly mentioned in the Policy and be so good as to mention the instances and write us on this subject as soon as ever you can, perhaps at the same time you may think of some necessary question to ask which we have overlooked. Messrs Wright Gill and Co. have recommended you to us and they will inform you of our character we had a Press Screw from your neighbour Brown a short time since.'

For some reason unknown, Mr Johnson does not appear to have been the right man for the job and Thomas Crompton of the Throstle Nest Paper Mill, Coach & Horses, Deansgate, Manchester was commissioned to design and supervise the erection of the new Paper Mill. This was built on the site of the old, though much larger, and was ready for production in mid 1793. The following notice describes the new premises which were to stand until their demolition in 1930

Darley 24/6/1793

Thomas Evans of Derby, William Evans of Darley and Walter Evans of Derby do hereby make entry of one Paper Mill standing at Darley in the Parish of St Alkmonds, Derby, containing three engines, four vats, six wet presses and five dry presses also five rooms for drying and storing Paper, Rags and other Materials for Manufacturing of Paper. Likewise another building contiguous to the said Mill containing eight rooms for drying sizing and finishing of Paper, as also for storing Paper, Rags, Ropes and other Materials used in the Manufacturing of Papers.'

The above quotations come from Don Peter's book. He adds that the number of people employed by the paper mill in 1841 was 80 out of a total population of 1,059 - 750 being employed by the cotton mill.