Joseph and Elizabeth Mountain

We have received this enquiry from Wyndham Marsh about the descendants of Joseph and Elizabeth Mountain. In 1883 Alderman Joseph Mountain created the Victoria Gardens on a triangular site between Tyzack's Rolling Mill dam, Mickley Lane and the turnpike, now Baslow Road.

I have been researching my Family Tree since 12th August 1961-yes, that long ago was when I started! (the tree, as I write, has 10,199 members). I am currently amending a branch with the Mountain surname, namely Joseph & Elizabeth Mountain who resided in Totley, as you will know, since you have information about them on your website. Joseph & Elizabeth Mountain were the Great, Great Grandparents of a Margaret Ann Rogers who is my second cousin.

I was wondering if I may use your photograph of Joseph, Elizabeth & Clara Mountain in my Family Tree? My tree is not published anywhere and when it is it will be for non-profit purposes. I will be pleased to share any of my data with you should you so wish. Please find attached a descendant tree from which you may extract data should you so wish, I am trying to get my Genealogy Program (Family Tree Maker) to generate a text report but it is consistently refusing to enter place names. When I solve this I will send it to you if you so wish?

Incidentally, Margaret Ann Rogers, mentioned above, married a gentleman called Peter James Rice who has the same Ancestor as Catherine Middleton who married Prince William. Would it be too cheeky of me to ask if any of your members could find out information about baptisms of the other children of Joseph & Elizabeth?

I hope to hear from you soon. Regards and keep up the astonishingly good work.

        Victoria Gardens, Baslow Road

Totley History Group has been researching this part of the village for several years; from when it was farmland through its various incarnations including the Mountville Estate, the Victoria Gardens, Gledhill's Rhubarb fields and poultry farm through to the Laverdene Estate.

As Wyndham says, we have lots of material on the website but it is scattered around in censuses, trade directories, newspaper articles, legal notices and so forth. We also have some material that has been written up but not yet been publicly released including biographies of Joseph Mountain and James Gledhill, old maps of the area, more photographs, census and BMD data, and many more newspaper articles.

Whilst there are a still a few loose ends to tie up we have released an article on Joseph Mountain and the Victoria Gardens under People of Interest. An outline of a second article about James Gledhill and the Rhubarb Triangle has been released and there are some documents relating to buildings erected on the Mountville Estate. If any of our readers would care to assist Wyndam with his specific request, they will find this family tree very useful.