Corn Mills and Millers in Fishlake.
Corn windmills and milling was an integral part of rural life in this country and indeed world wide. Not only an essential provider of staple food for a local population, but as a business milling played a central role in the rural economy Every village and rural community had one or more corn mills within its boundary. Even towns often had mills either on the outskirts.
The earliest written record of windmills in England dates to 1185 at Weedley near South Cave, East Yorkshire on land belonging to the Knights Templars, relating to a windmill rental. More locally there is a reference to a windmill at Tickhill in 1277.
The erection of a windmill was a privilege granted by the Lord of a Manor or Church, and with its ownership went certain rights in respect of milling corn, known as mill soke (soke meaning jurisdiction). Under the feudal custom, tenants of the manor were required to bring their corn to the manorial mill for grinding.
Post mills as illustrated above was the earliest form of corn milling so well, designed they remained in use well into the 19 the century despite the development of these rural technologies which saw the introduction of smock and tower era in the 18 th century. Their construction was based on a wooden framed body supported by a massive upright post, hence the name. This was held in position by quarter bars which rested upon horizontal cross trees. Tower Mills had many advantages over post and smock mills, primarily being built of brick were more durable.
There were three corn windmills in the townships of Fishlake as shown on this map.
From OS map surveyed in 1850. Thanks to National Library of Scotland.
The post mill. The lane were it was situated was called Mill Garth. Of wooden construction see above illustration to understand what it might have looked like. We are told that it was burned down in a fire during the late 19 th century. Certainly it was not marked on OS map of 1892. From the Fishlake: a story of a South Yorkshire Village, 2000, we are told that it was situated behind the former allotment on a piece of land then owned by Mrs Chambers (nee Waite). Although we have the names of village millers it remains uncertain which mill they worked. The exception being the Millfield Mill when the Ward family were the millers for many years.
The Tower mill know as Millfield Mill situated in the East Field on Mill Field Road, is said to be the oldest mill. This single story mill was sufficient in high given the open and raised position in the landscape. It appears on the Thomas Jeffery map in 1771. However it can be said for certain that Mill Field as a name is recorded as early as 17 th century, from the Bylaw Book in 1636 “The Bylaw holdon at cote in Milnefield on St Marks day 1636”, confirming that mill must have been taking place in that area from at least that time. Again from the above book, in more recent times it was owned by the Ward family. A mill stone made from Derbyshire Millstone Grit still exists in the village bearing the initials WW 1818. The miller at the time were William Ward. 1838/41/51/61 Robert Ward. 1871/81/91 Henry Ward. 1901 Robert Henry Ward.
Sketch by Karl Wood 1888-1958. 13 October 1932. From Drawings of Windmills in Yorkshire.
The other tower mill in the village, this one of three story, situated on the Nab, known as West Nab Mill. The extra height enables better access to wind currents. It is recorded on the 1850 6 inch OS map. A story told by Arthur Smith that a preacher from Askern at Chapel once told him on seeing the sails go round on a SUNDAY, that ‘one day the Devil would grind the miller’s bones’. By 1881 no mention of a miller. 1892 6 inch OS map records the mill as being disused..
Sketch by Karl Wood 1888-1958. 13 October 1932. From Drawings of Windmills in Yorkshire.
Nab Mill in 1970.
I have gather together is list of millers as recorded within history documents, other than the Ward family which we know for sure operated at the Millfield Mill. It remains unclear as to which mills the others worked. However, this list maybe of interest to family historians.
The abbreviations are as follows…PR Parish Register, BT Bishops Transcripts, CR Census Returns, WD Whites Trade Directory, KD Kelly’s Trade Directory.
1602 Robert Cooke, PR
1651 Laurence Eadon, PR
1662 Robert Hanley, PR
1820 and 1725 Joseph Hill, BT
1723 Francis Mood, PR
1727 John Robertson, BT
1727 Richard France, BT
1734 Richard Ellis, BT
1739 Richard France, BT
1750 John France, BT
1750 John Fraunce, PR
1772 Joseph Hill, PR
1778 Thomas France, PR
1778 William Hall, PR
1782 and 1788 Edward Shepard, PR
1818 Thomas Shirlcliffe BT
1838 William Bellwood WD
1841 Edward Bellwood, CR
1851 Frank Lynes CR
1857 Joseph Lynes KD
1838 WD, 1841/51 John and George Hall, brothers, CR
1857 Thomas Cook KD, 1861/71 CR
1896 George Howden,
Why the decline and closure of local windmills?
Gradually traditional wind and water powered mills were driven out of business by new power sources – steam, oil, diesel, electricity – which were much more efficient and not dependent on the whims of nature – will it be windy today? Will there be a flood or a dry spell that might affect the flow of water?
Regarding corn milling, there was also a challenge from newer, more sophisticated roller milling machinery, which used steel or porcelain rollers to crush the grain instead of large millstones.
A new kind of mill had emerged. in place of the old windmill a vast complex, like a factory – probably built by the port so it could benefit from corn arriving from overseas by ship, capable of producing flour in quantities never before dreamt of. This was, of course, necessary to feed the rapidly growing and increasingly urban population.
Many traditional millers therefore must have continued milling in the old way, until they were driven out of business certainly by WW1 and the mill was left derelict, crumbled into ruin or was converted to some other use.
Further information and resources:
Corn Windmills of the Doncaster Area by Alan Whitworth. Published in Aspects of Doncaster, Discovering Local History. Ed by Brian Elliott 1997.