Friday 28th November, 2008

John Ambrose, Miller

In 1841, John Ambrose was 6 years old. He lived with his father, mother, two elder sisters and two younger brothers at the Jolly Mill in Standish where his father was the miller. Living nearby were two journeyman millers named John Prescot and Thomas Sharrock. The Ambrose family were quite well off and were able to employ two servants.

The Jolly Mill can be dated back to a deed of 1347/1348, which grants the establishment of a water mill on a location on the River Douglas close to Chorley Road, Standish. The mill building is still in existence. Its name comes from the Jolly family who were millers there in the 17th century and probably earlier. The Ambrose family were also farmers and leased just over 30 acres of farmland.

By 1851 John was sixteen and he worked as a miller with his father. He now had two more younger brothers.

John married Elizabeth and moved away from the Jolly Mill – not very far, only to Lurdin Lane, which was just across the main road from the Jolly Mill.

In 1861 he was no longer a miller but a “farmer of 7 acres”. He had a young daughter who was named Mary after his mother.

Despite John's departure, corn milling continued at the Jolly Mill. Three of his brothers, Ellis, Peter and George were then working there with their father.

John returned to the Jolly Mill after his father died and resumed his former occupation as miller. By 1871 he had four daughters. He and his wife remained there for many years. In 1891 they were living in a recently built house named “Woodlands” close to the Jolly Mill. John, then aged 56, was still working as a miller.

The miller at the Jolly Mill in 1901 was William Bentley. The Ambrose family had no connection with the Jolly Mill by that time.

There was, however, a John Ambrose, described as “living on own means” who was born in Standish and living at Woodcock Hall farm, Lathom, some 9 miles from the Jolly Mill. This may have been our John Ambrose as he was living with his daughter named Mary, who was of the same age as our John's daughter. She was married to a solicitor's clerk named Thomas Bleakley and had two children. I hope John enjoyed his well earned retirement.

There were other members of the Ambrose family who were millers within a few miles of the Jolly Mill.

In 1841, the miller at the Finch Mill in Appley Bridge was named Ellis Ambrose – Ellis, sometimes spelt Eli'as was a popular Christian name in the family. Ellis Ambrose was succeeded as miller at the Finch Mill by his son Peter. In 1881 the miller was another Ellis Ambrose and so on.

I don't want to go through the histories of all the Ambrose millers. Suffice to add, in 1830 James Ambrose was a miller in Up Holland and in 1853 there was a corn miller named Ellis Ambrose at the Sutton Mill off Coppull Lane, Wigan. There are rumours of others, but I haven't followed them through.

See also, Standish Copyholders