Publication:

Gems from the Mills Archive

    Full details

    Authors & editors

    Hodge, Nathanael [Author]

    Publisher The Mills Archive Trust
    Year of publication 2024
    Languages

    Medium Book
    Edition1
    Topics

    Arts, culture and heritage > Collections of importance

    Tags

    Scope & contentN Hodge
    To celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Mills Archive we have chosen a selection of 21 different items from our collections to display in this book. The items include artefacts, artworks, documents and photographs, ranging in date from the iron age quernstone to 20th century images, and each is accompanied by some details about its history and how it fits into the bigger picture of the history of milling.

    The Mills Archive’s collections focus primarily on the story of corn milling, which is therefore the subject of most of these entries, but we also seek to reflect the other uses of wind and water power throughout history. This is reflected here by the inclusion of entries relating to gunpowder milling and electricity generation.

    E Bartram
    The wider public may be more intrigued by the artefacts among these gems as they illuminate wider perspectives of our collections ranging from an iron age quern to an 18th century Swedish soldier’s hand mill and a large threshing sledge (my favourite), much used in Mediterranean countries with drier ground than we have in England.

    With the stories behind them, each gem gives us an educational opportunity to attract new people to the history of mills. I find those records of individuals particularly moving, whether an apprentice contracted to work for 6 shillings a week, the persecuted artist Karl Wood or his contemporary Thomas Hennell lost in Indonesia in 1945. Contrast their stories with the 20th century eminent and influential mill men, Joseph Rank and William Cornwell!

    Copies held

    Accession no. 230588

    • Shelf location: A040-HOD
    • Notes: This publication incorporates text by Jake Banyard (p. 16), Chris Viney (pp. 30, 34 and 44) and Hayden Francis-Legg (p. 46). All other entries by Nathanael Hodge.

    Divisions within this publication

    • 1: Iron age beehive quern - Mildred Cookson Collection
    • 2: Sketch of South Havra windmill - Karl Wood Collection (WOOD-M1307)
    • 3: Plan of offices, Clarence Mills, Hull - Gelder and Kitchen Collection
    • 4: Conveyance of land by Hockeredge Mill - Mildred Cookson Collection (MCFC-IND-057)
    • 5: ‘Form of Appointment of an Agent of Millers’ - Owen Ward Collection (WARD-204)
    • 6: Cigarette card showing women at work in a flour mill - Mildred Cookson Collection
    • 7: William Cornwell’s certificate - Cornwell Family Collection (CORN-10)
    • 8: Glass plate negatives of Faroese Norse mill - David Jones Collection (DHJC-P-014 to 019)
    • 9: Spanish threshing sledge - Alan Stoyel Collection
    • 10: Apprenticeship indenture - donated by Ken Dew (SMDN-2018.0003)
    • 11: Holman tintype - Geoff Holman Collection (HOLM-04-HB058)
    • 12: Mill sketch by Thomas Hennell - Rex Wailes Collection (REXW-DRW-03-06)
    • 13: Photograph of steam wagon - Brian Eighteen Collection (EIGH-SON-02-007)
    • 14: Drawing of Burne’s Patent Windmill - Rex Wailes Collection (REXW-ELB-DRW-08)
    • 15: Swedish handmill - Mildred Cookson Collection
    • 16: Memories of John Bryant - Rex Wailes Collection (REXW-MIL-04-04)
    • 17: Toy theatre play ‘The Miller and his Men’ - Alan Stoyel Collection
    • 18: Faversham gunpowder mill notebook - The Alan and Glenys Crocker Collection (CROC-01-02)
    • 19: Drawing of cap of Baker Street Mill, Orsett - Vincent Pargeter Collection (PARG-DRW-03-01)
    • 20: German postcard ‘Die Reservisten Mühle’ - Mildred Cookson Collection
    • 21: ‘Groot Algemeen Moolen-Boek’ - donated by Stephen Buckland

    Pictures