YOUR KENT MILL COMMENTS
|
If you have a contribution to make to our records of Kent's mills and the people involved with them, we would very much like to hear from you. Please send your contributions in an email to Luke Bonwick at the Mills Archive . When we receive the information we will add it to this page so that website users can read it. +++++++++++++++++ Many, many thanks to the Mills Archive for making publicly available the images of the glass plates taken by my great-grandfather Dr. Bernard Richardson Billings. My grandfather and his family moved to Canada and while it is possible to one day make the trip to England, it has been great to see the images that my grandfather spent many a summer vacation visiting with his father as Bernard took the images. ++++++++++++++++++ I have a photo archive of Blean village. Are you aware of Glover's mill, a fine flour windmill which stood , with one other, here in Blean? I have among my documents, the sale details by auction in 1892 of both mills, plus the millers cottage and accommodation land, which I would gladly make available should anyone wish to see them. Also, we have a couple of photos of the remaining mill, sadly now no more, and the last miller and his family. Unfortunately, the documents are far too large to copy and forward, but if anyone is in the area, and would like to see them, they are most welcome. Good wishes, Godfrey King November 2007 +++++++++++++++++ Comments from Tony Singleton of the Cranbrook Windmill Association: "I was intrigued to see what had been included in "Cranbrook's Tale" but a little dismayed to see that some misleading information from Pile's book on "Watermills and Windmills" have been reproduced, perpetuating several misunderstandings, particularly that the Union Mill was built for Henry Dobell and that he died leaving his widow Mary to deal with his creditors. I had really hoped that this myth had been put to rest. Mary Dobell was Henry's mother and she had the mill built for Henry to work, which is why she went bankrupt. Both she and Henry were buried in Cranbrook many years later." Tony Singleton October 2007 In his research, Tony has identified 16 definite watermill sites (there may one or two more) and 5 windmill sites in the parish of Cranbrook. More information about these sites, and others nearby, is featured in a number of articles written by Tony, which are reproduced on his website. To find them, follow the links below: The early history of the Union Mill - published in the Cranbrook Journal in June 2003. The Baker's Cross watermill site, Cranbrook (part 1) - published in the Cranbrook Journal No. 4, 1991 The Baker's Cross watermill site, Cranbrook (part 2) - published in the Cranbrook Journal No. 7, 1994 Papermaking in the Weald of Kent - published in the Cranbrook Journal No. 16, 2005 +++++++++++++++++ Comments from Ken Cole of the Friends of Herne Mill:
Photographic item #12521 (above) shows "the miller at Herne" 1933. We are unable to identify him. We have pictures of Clive & Edwin Wootton but we don't think it is either. It may have been an employee at the mill.
In photographic item #23710 (above), I think the "mill owner" is Clive Wootton. On the RH edge of the picture is the corner of Windmill Cottage, part of which dates to the 1600's. The cottage was occupied by the Wootton family till their retirement in 1980. It is now occupied by a local architect & his family who are proud to be neighbours of the mill. The single storey building at the rear was a store & mixing shed for the mill. It no longer exists but its area is now a modern house, no. 84 Mill Lane, "Windmill Lodge". I hope this may be of interest. Yours sincerely, Ken Cole, Friends of Herne Mill +++++++++++++++++
|
