Notes and index cards
The first Series, EMGC-01, encompasses an expansive index of handwritten notes pertaining to an array of watermills throughout England and Wales which were produced by Miss Gardner between the years 1947 and 1955. The handwritten notes have been arranged by county name in alphabetical order commencing with Cambridgeshire. Miss Gardner’s notes record details of the geographical locations, visual descriptions of the buildings and the extent to which the buildings had survived the test of time as well as the names of the present and past millers.
The second Series, EMGC-02, is comprised of the twelve notebooks of E. M. Gardner. The notebooks include Miss Gardner’s comprehensive transcriptions of the inventories of mill properties from the 17th and 18th centuries, the wills of millers dating back to the 17th century held at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury as well as the illuminating discoveries the 16th century antiquarian John Leland made relating to the watermills of Lichfield. In addition, Miss Gardner produced extensive notes on the precise locations of a number of watermills scattered throughout England and Wales drawing upon Ordnance Survey and Tithe maps whilst providing substantial bibliographies of academic journal articles. Miss Gardner’s detailed commentaries are also contained within this Series concerning the latest, most up to date historiographical developments in the understanding of our milling heritage. There is a tremendous amount of information of great significance encapsulated within these documents for researchers.
The EMGC-03 Series comprises index cards on which Miss Gardner wrote key, succinct points relating to the provenance and history of windmills and watermills found in England, Scotland and Wales as well as lectures Miss Gardner attended at archaeological societies on the latest excavations of mill ruins.
