| Administrative History | John Smedley (1803-1874) became convinced of the therapeutic value of hydropathy in the late 1840s. In 1851 he purchased a small hydro on Matlock Bank which he completely re-built and greatly extended. This was Smedley's Hydro, now the headquarters of Derbyshire County Council. At the time of Smedley's death in 1874, annual visitors to his hydro numbered about 3,000 and it was known nationwide. |
| Custodial History | This item was donated to the Record Office in 1979. |