From Quern to Computer; a history of flour milling by Martin and Sue Watts covers a wide range of topics and this summarises Chapter 12. Alford mill, Lincolnshire built in the 1830s(Photo P. Dolman, Mills Archive Collection, DOLM-07229) The most common method of stone milling used in Britain was and is low milling, whereby the grain is…
Dr James G. Moher A 1795 engraving of Old London Bridge with the waterworks wheels at the northern end visible against the background of St Magnus the Martyr’s church and the Monument Many are familiar with this historic but long-gone structure, which forded the mighty river Thames, but how many know that it had a…
Elizabeth Bartram Two months ago, I introduced our 13th Mills Archive Research Publication “Sugar Mills and Slavery” by Stuart Nisbet. The book has been well-received and there is now a digital edition (see below). At the same time, we curated an online exhibition “Sugar & Slavery: Reproductive Mills” that sheds light on the links between technological developments…
Elizabeth Trout The diaries of Robert Stone give us a rare and fascinating glimpse into the day-to-day working patterns and activities of a Victorian country miller.Robert Stone was baptised on 28 February 1852 in High Wycombe, the son of Alfred Stone, Master Chairmaker and his wife Ann nee Atkins. Robert went to the National School…
Elizabeth Bartram (Director) & Mildred Cookson (Founding Trustee) The story of flour milling is as ancient as civilisation itself, and the story of women in milling has just as long a past.The UK Flour Millers and the Mills Archive Trust have joined forces to explore and celebrate the vital contributions that women have made to…
Since mills first appeared in Britain, the main material that has been used to construct them has been wood. The first mills reported in Britain date back as early as the Domesday Book in 1086. Though there is no mention of windmills, it is confirmed that both water and animal powered mills existed at this…
William Blake Opinions are divided on the question of what the poet William Blake was talking about when he referred to the ‘Dark Satanic Mills’ that plague ‘England’s green and pleasant land’ in his famous poem, best known as the hymn ‘Jerusalem’. It is often seen as a reference to the Industrial Revolution, and some…
Elizabeth Bartram (Director) & Mildred Cookson (Founding Trustee) Milling has a rich and immersive history. Women have always been involved in some aspect of milling, those roles and their level of involvement have reflected wider society’s views on women, work and gender roles. The detail (or even existence) of records documenting their roles has been…
From Quern to Computer; a history of flour milling by Martin and Sue Watts covers a wide range of topics and this summarises Chapter 11. The article written in 2016 is helpful summary of the revolution in the UK during the preceding 100 years or so. Since then the pace of change has increased and much consolidation has been…