Ellen Morewood

Ellen Morewood or Ellen Goodwin; Ellen Goodwyn; Mrs. George Morewood; Mrs. Henry Case-Morewood (1740 – 1824) was an English colliery owner based at Alfreton Hall in Derbyshire. She unsuccessfully defended her right to mine under land adjacent to hers and she carried forward the Morewood name.

Life Ellen was baptised on New Years Day 1741. Her father, Richard Goodwin, was an attorney based at Mapleton in Derbyshire. They were both painted by the artist George Romney again 1769. These paintings hung in the dining room of Alfreton Hall.

In 1782 she had another portrait painted, this time by Joseph Wright of Derby. That same year Joseph Wright also painted a portrait of the Reverend Henry Case. He would, in time, be her second husband, but she did not become a widow for another ten years.

In 1792 George died and left Alfreton Hall and other his estates to Ellen. She owned a brickworks, a colliery, farms and ironstone sources. Over the next nine years she was engaged in a legal battle with her neighbours the Outrams. Land had been sold to them but Ellen believed that she had the rights to the coal and ironstone beneath them. James and Benjamin Outram disagreed and they appealed and in 1803 the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, Lord Ellenborough agreed with them.

Death and legacy Ellen died in 1824 and Henry died a year later. As they had no heirs the property was left to Ellen's nephew William Palmer of Ladbroke Hall.