Brown, Joseph
1885 –
Born in Belper. Formerly of Mercaston Hall, a farmer at Shirley Mill. He married Annie Wood at Muggington in 1908.The Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal reported in 1911 the farm consisted of about 130 acres: 34 acres meadow, 16 arable, and the remainder pasture. Crops included wheat, turnips, mangolds, oats, and potatoes.
The herd of 28 dairy cattle sent three churns of milk per day to London from Ashbourne station. There were 21 head young stock, and ten calves are reared every year. There were 19 hogs on the farm.
He was a keen breeder of shire horses and owned "one of the fastest cobs on the road." He also sold thrashing sets.
The 1928 census show his two children, Joseph and Marjorie plus his mother Sarah living at the mill.
The mill was operated by Messrs. Frank Wright, Ltd., of Ashbourne.