The street of Willow Row located in the heart of Derby looked much different during the 19th century to how it does in the modern day. The area surrounding Willow Row became a hive of society, containing everything from average street traders all the way to what this page will be focusing on, a key aspect to British culture, the public house, of which there were numerous within its vicinity. What this page intends to highlight is the life and culture that surrounded the public houses located within Willow Row. From the ideas of community and society but also notions of crime and realism that were part of the day to day of Willow Row.
To begin, there were 4 primary public houses around Willow Row, The Old Spot, located on St Helens adjacent to the north of Willow Row. The Duke of Devonshire similarly adjacent northeast to willow row. The Old Wheatsheaf flowing around the corner of Willow Row on Walker Lane. And finally, The Windmill, located on Willow Row itself. (see image below) When looking into the Windmill itself from a micro history perspective, it would be safe to say that it had a rather turbulent and unusual existence, to begin with it is not fully known why it was in fact named the Windmill, although it would possibly be because there was one once being located nearby. [1] Despite it being nothing more than an overtly large walkway and main entrance to student housing and Derby college now, it used to be up to three times its length.
[1] Craven, M, ‘The illustrated History of Derby’s Pubs Craven’, The illustrated History of Derby’s Pubs, New ed., Breedon, 2002 pp 60, 142, 159, 165.
“Willow Row was one continuous street that stretched between Walker and Lodge lanes”.[1]
[1] Rippon, N, ‘Goodey’s Derby’, Willow Row from Ford Street, Brendon, 2003, pp 94.
Picture of Derby map 1883, Derby local studies Library, Image taken by author, 2023
As for its inhabitants, the surrounding area was not exactly well known for its high standing society so to speak. Willow Row as bustling as it was, did not always have the best reputation when it came to public opinion. The Derby Mercury covers this extensively with several reports, reporting on numerous different accounts of thievery and even assault, a common occurrence according to the derby mercury in the 19th century. Willow Row, the location of the Windmill Inn public house, was conveniently or more likely inconveniently, also home to a local ‘Gaol’ (jail) which at times held a circular relationship, intertwining the Windmill Inn Public House. For example, on the 13th of July 1855, the Derby Mercury published an issue where it ran with a story surrounding a robbery within the Windmill Inn.
“A Thomas Percival, a labourer, was charged with stealing a shawl, a knife and a pair of scissors, the property of Eliza Yeomans, servant and the Windmill Public House”.[1]
[1] Anon, ‘Police Office Derby’, Derby Mercury, Public House Robbery, Wednesday 18th July 1855, issue 3325, pp 5.
What a story such as this goes to show, is the character of Willow Row, giving just a glimpse into the society of the area and in a sense Derby as a whole during the period. Giving a hint of the give and take of 19th century British society especially within the so-called slums area of a developing city.[1]
[1] Anon, ‘Borough Police Court’, Derby Mercury, March 31st, Wednesday 6th April 1959, issue 3507, pp 5.
Another incident surrounding the area of Willow Row highlights the shady and sometimes brutal history of the street but also its previously mentioned relationship with justice. As stated once again by the Derby Mercury News paper, Willow Row was the location of a Brutal act of murder, more specifically the murder of a woman named Eliza Morrow and subsequently followed by the execution of a man named Richard Thorley, found guilty of her murder. (see image below) In a confession written up by the Mercury, Thorley’s confession stated that.
“I went out about 3pm and returned and put the razor in my pocket. I then went to the public house again and stopped till half past seven. I came out of the Windmill in Willow-row and saw rose Woodward across the street. I went to her and asked her to go and tell Eliza to come out”.[1]
[1] Anon, ‘The Execution of Richard Thorley’, Derby Mercury, Wednesday April 16th 1862, issue 6785, pp 2
Etchings of Richard Thorley and Eliza Morrow.
Placing the Windmill Public house in the alibi of the murderer. However, the significance of this murder does not end there. For Richard Thorley of which Willow Row was associated, became culturally significant for the people of Derby, as his death was the last one that was available for the public to witness.[1] From then one they were all private events.
[1] Dimmer, S, ‘Every execution that’s taken place in Derbyshire since the 1800s’, 26th December 2019, available online: https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/people-executed-derbyshire-crimes-were-2343629 , Date accessed 15/12/23.
Looking at the slums from the perspective of the public house, comes with numerous ways as to analyse the evolution of the surrounding society. Take for example the historian Peter Bailey when analysing the work of Gutzke. He argues that in a post war environment there was much more of an evolution of society’s attitudes surrounding the public house, primarily due to a shift in British societies and…
“Standards of domestic comfort”.[1]
[1] Bailey, P, ‘Journal of British Studies’, Journal Article review, vol. 45, no. 4, 2006, pp. 937–39. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1086/509375 . Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.
Looking at this new shift in comfort, by contrast grants us the ability to view the nineteenth century public house inversely. By looking at how far the Pub has come, allows us to see where they came from. This thusly conveys ideas of moderate comfort within the public house that has shifted along with the times, showing that despite often being within a slum and occasionally being associated with crime, the slum and the public house are separate entities.
Other Historians convey similar ideas albeit in a more alternate route. For example, Nathan Boothe argues in his work that the public house, held a form of “hybrid status” within the community which can be argued was current in the case of the Windmill Inn and Willow Row.[1] He argues that the importance of the pub and the publican and the pressure surrounding it did not go unnoticed which he highlights with a quotation from ‘The protector’ newspaper.
[1] Booth, N, “Drinking and Domesticity: The Materiality of the Mid-Nineteenth-Century Provincial Pub.” Journal of Victorian Culture : JVC, vol. 23, no. 3, 2018, pp. 294, https://doi.org/10.1093/jvcult/vcy023 .
“He is bound to open his doors to meet certain emergencies of accident or travel”.[1]
[1] Booth, N, “Drinking and Domesticity: The Materiality of the Mid-Nineteenth-Century Provincial Pub.” Journal of Victorian Culture : JVC, vol. 23, no. 3, 2018, pp. 298, https://doi.org/10.1093/jvcult/vcy023 .
This effortlessly can be linked to the crime and criminality associated with Willow Row and more specifically the Windmill, showing once again the circular relationship between the public house and the Slums.
To conclude, the relationship between Willow Row and the public house is a delicate one. Where we must understand that they are both separate entities within the slum, but both are undoubtedly involved in it. An idea which hopefully this page has conveyed successfully. With this page primarily focusing on just one public house, hopefully conveying an environment of the slum. An environment which summarises the realness of the area during the period. Only showing a glimpse of what was a vast network of unfortunate depravity.
Derby's Dark Corners 