Bob's Mill Diary - Sunday 2nd March 2014

William Willis Gravestone, Mellor Church

Rachel Miller recently made contact, via Facebook, with a lady from Glossop whose Great, great, grandfather was an overseer at Mellor Mill.  As a result, Rachel and I went to visit the Great great, granddaughter at her house. She told us a story about her family research which had led her to William Willis.  William along with his wife, Charlotte and their children, lived on Royal Oak Row and more specifically the cottage immediately to the right of the pub. He was an overseer at Mellor Mill having worked his way through the system from being an apprentice brought up from London and possibly a Clerkenwell Orphan.  Rachel and I went to search for a possible grave for William Willis at Mellor Church.  My first stop was to ask Ann Hearle if I could borrow the transcripts of the grave at Mellor Church, (below). A quick search shows that there is a simple small stone,(above) in the graveyard, marked W Willis.  I think it is reasonable to believe this is the same man.

Transcrpit from Mellor Church records