Cowbrook Mill was built in 1801 by William Hadfield whose family came from Wash, Chapel en le Frith but had lived in Padfield for a number of years. It does not appear that he was related to John Hadfield of Cowbrook who died in 1799. The mill stayed in the same family until it closed in 1898.
William Hadfield died on 22 June 1843 and the mill was then taken on by his only surviving son John. It would appear that John may have already been managing the mill as he is named in Pigot’s directory of 1842 rather than William. John Hadfield died on 22 June 1876 and (even though trade directories continue to name John) running of the mill was taken over by his elder son, Joshua Henry Hadfield rather than his younger son John (who was a Commission Agent living in Buxton when he died in 1888, apparently the black sheep of the family).
The contents of Cowbrook Mill (machinery and stock) were auctioned on 11th May 1898. Hamnett, writing in 1913/14, said that the mill was then owned by Edward Platt, Esq., of Mersey Bank, but had not been in use as a cotton mill for many years.