Country Images Magazine North Edition September 2017 | Page 49

Derby’s American Twin
Panorama of Lowell c. 1840.
Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS)
[MHS]
by Maxwell Craven
Derbeians in America
Derby has always had close American ties. These go back to 1629, when Derby born John
Oldham, merchant, of Coleman Street, London went to America to help found Plimoth
(Plymouth) Plantation, Massachusetts. One of his sisters, Lucretia, accompanied him,
marrying, soon after her arrival, Jonathan Brewster, a well-known pioneer American, as his
second wife. In 1635 John and William Oldham, ‘two little boys that were his kinsmen’,
went from Derby to join the elder John who was unfortunately killed by Indians at Block
Island, Maine, a year later. Descendants remain on both sides of the Atlantic.
It may well be that the Oldhams went to America
not just because they were Puritans (which they
were) but through the infl uence of the Pilgrim
Father, Revd John Cotton (1584-1652), ejected
minister of St Botolph, Boston, Lincolnshire
and who founded Boston, Massa-chusetts. He
was born in Bridge Gate, son of an upper class
Derby attorney and was educated with the elder
John Oldham at Derby School 1593-1597 – the
earliest pupils of the school actually on record -
and it may well be that they kept in touch. His
second wife, Sarah, Mrs. Storey, was the daughter
of Derby tailor Anthony Hawkridge, whose
family were still tailors in the Borough into the
20th century. He became the leading spirit of the
church in New England with living descendants.
During and aft er the Civil War, other local
families went to America, this time younger sons
of Tory gentlemen to Virginia and Carolina, like
the Cokes, the Rhodes, Abells and Sacheverells,
nearly all with living posterity. Less fortunate
ones were transported for assorted crimes, most
managing to bob back up to the surface. Others
went in the 19th century to better their work
prospects like the sculptor William John Coff ee
(1773-1846) to work for former president
Th omas Jeff erson at the University of Virginia,
the theatrical impresario Richard Mansfi eld
(1857-1907) and the hot-dog king, Henry
Stevens (1856-1934).
Kirk Boott
Derby-born Kirk Boott the elder,
aft er a painting owned by the
Massachusetts Historical Society.
[MHS]
Francis Boott was a Derby market gardener,
fl orist and seedsman with premises in the Market
Place and a house in Queen Street. He died
suddenly in middle life leaving seven children,
amongst whom was Kirk Boott (1756-1817).
In January 1783, the artist Joseph Wright’s elder
brother John decided to accompany his life-long
friend Kirk Boott to America too seek their
fortune. Th ey proceeded to London, where they
appeared to have enjoyed two months enjoying
the high life, before Boott took ship to Boston,
but leaving Wright behind. He arrived on 13th
June 1783 and shortly aft erwards married
Mary Love, daughter of the Captain of the ship
Rosamund on which he had crossed the Atlantic.
John Wright stayed behind in London to
become a banker, probably as a result of the
pair’s socializing in the capital. He later became a
partner in the bank of Smith, Wright and Gray,
Lombard Street, Gray being a distant cousin
of Wright’s. It is well known that he stayed in
touch with Boott, for the latter named his eldest
son John Wright Boott (born 1788) aft er him,
suggesting he was probably the boy’s godfather
and had crossed to Massachusetts to be present at
the christening.
In Boston, Boott established an import/export
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