Windmill Millers of Suffolk

[Nick29]

Wow, I'm a little embarassed now !  My cousin (the daughter of Len Hole, now in her 80's) told me about her father milling to make ends meet, but I'd always assumed that it was a water mill 

Len Hole was born in 1901, so it's possible that he did use that post mill.  I'll talk to my cousin about it.

[Suffolk Mawther]

Hi Nick,

Many Innkeepers etc followed their own trade whilst their wife and family ran the hostelry.  Our village pub landlord was a pig farmer.

Pat ...

[windy_miller]

The old records for most occupations are fairly poorly preserved, most archive for example list surnames rather than occupation (natural as most people are interested in family history).  Most industries and occupations were seem as uninteresting until they had mostly disappeared, milling is a good example.

I assume your uncle would have been about 30 plus when he was landlord and part-time miller, so it is more likely he employed a steam or oil driven roller mill.  The last remaining windmill in Gosbeck was pulled down c1924.

My interest does extend to ALL mills! Though you'll be hard pressed to find much on the www regarding either steam or oil mills!

Windy

[Nick29]

Oh dear..... the perils of talking to (very) elderly relatives !   

I spoke to my cousin again today - it seems that my uncle didn't take The Greyhound pub over until 1936, and he did not do any milling to make ends meet - he had a milk round    Maybe with the mill next door, I put two and two together, and made five ?

If I was embarassed yesterday, I'm mortified today     Obviously something got lost in the translation.

She also said that the remains of the mill were still there in 1936, but only the foundations really.

Sorry for leading people up the garden path, completely unintentionally 

[Suffolk Mawther]

Nick29, thank you so much for the smiles on reading this one,
it is the sort of thing that happens to me all the time 

No need to feel mortified, just a reminder to check and double check family stories. 

Pat ...

[windy_miller]

Nick,

The object of the tread "Windwind millers of Suffolk"was a fishing exercise, as I'm sure there are plenty of people related to Suffolk's mills (there were about 400 of the things!).  Sadly for my Suffolk Mill database there have been very few bites, mostly I've passed on info (which I like doing) and occasionally you gain some.

For a moment I'd found a latter day steam miller, and whilst it was not to be the banter was good and the result amusing.

Cheers for now,
Windy

[bmckenz]

Hi Windy

Just came across your post and although it's fairly old I do have some information about some of my ancestors who were Millers in Yoxford and Halesworth. I'm afraid I don't know what types of mills, but on my recent visit to Suffolk from Australia I was fascinated by the amount of Mills that are still around-
I have a copy of two Bonds of Bastardry (from SRO) these provides some details of names and occupations:

1764. John Swann and Edward Swann of Yoxford, Millers and Matthew Swann of Halesworth, Miller idemnify the parish of Metfield from the bastard child of Elizabeth Mitchels and John Swann.

1777. Robert Swann of Framlingham, Tailor and Edward Swann of Yoxford, Miller indemnify the parish of Framlingham from the bastard child of Robert Swann and Ann Bircham

Don't know if in 1764 John, Edward and Matthew were brothers- but suspect this type of connection. There also must be a family connection between Robert and Edward in 1777

Looking for information on Robert Swann of Framlingham (have two Settlement & Removal numbers to chase up at SRO but it's a long way and as I was just there in June, it will have to wait- the tyranny of distance!)  as I strongly suspect he was the father of Robert Swann jnr who married Sarah Wells and was the Toll Gate Keeper at Kelsale cum Carlton.

Don't know if this information about Millers, dates and locations helps- but hope so
regards
Barbra

[windy_miller]

Hi Barbra,

Funny, I was in Aus, in June looking up a Suffolk miller that got transported.  Same problems!!

The Swann's had the Mill in Yoxford for quite a few years and your info was very interesting as it pushed my notes on Swann ownership back to between 1760 & 1764 for Yoxford which previously stopped at 1801.  It also adds a bit more detail to the Swann's mill in Halesworth.  Thank you very much.

I'll send you PM with some of the details I have.

Cheers,
Windy

[coombs]

I have miller ancestors from Suffolk. The Titshall family.

Richard Titshall born 1728 in Barnham, Suffolk was apprenticed to Abrose Wicks in 1741 as a miller and wed in 1748 to Judith Scarfe in Bury St Edmunds.

From then on Richard appeared to move around spending some time in Norfolk as well as mainly in Suffolk.

In 1750 a Rose, daughter of Richard and Juda Titsell was baptised in Great Ellingham, Norfolk. Apparently someone said on another miller thread that in 1753 a Richard Titshall ran Saunders Mill in Dennington, Suffolk. In 1760 they were in Laxfield and had a son William baptised there in 1760. They had another son Richard in about 1764 but I have been struggling to find his baptism for years. In 1768 they were in Framlingham according to a settlement cert and Laxfield again in 1769 then back to Dennington where Judith died in 1782.

Richard married again in Hacheston in November 1785 and moved to Redlingfield and became chargeable to Framlingham in 1802 and died in Framlingham in 1807.

Richard born 1764 had a son Richard in Hacheston in 1789 and he became a miller.
Richard's son John born 16 April 1823 in Hacheston was a miller as was his son Jesse and grandson Richard born 1883 who moved to Rochford, Essex in about 1905.