Mills/Watermills on the Wirral

[celia]

Doggy

[Martin Briscoe]

There is a database of mills on this site


http://www.millarchive.com/



Martin Briscoe

[Doggy]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the great info. 
Celia, I'm not sure about the John WILLIAMSON connection, there was a John that I am aware of but he would be too young for 1874.  The other entry is spot on.

Martin thanks for the Mill archive site, I've been on but not had much luck with my Raby Mill?

Cheers

Doggy

[celia]

I will see what i can dig up in the library for you on the mill

Celia

[Doggy]

Hi Celia

Thank you very much for your kind offer.  The Williamson's are my fathers maternal grandparents.  We know of someone related still in the area but unfortunately they dont seem interested in finding out about their past.  Each to their own I suppose.  I am in Hazel Grove near Stockport so if there is something in your local library that would be great.

Cheers again

Doggy

[celia]

Doggy
As promised went in search of a photo and info on the mill, from a book I thought I seen in the Cabinet. Then I would search the Historical directories, simple.
However for some reason I changed my mind and asked the librarian about the Mill while she looked in all the behind the counter paperwork and photos I looked through the shelves for some books. Between us we came up with absolutely nothing we found a few mills but no mention of Raby Mill at all. I find that amazing . While I going through the shelves I came across a small book I have used before, Directory of Wirral including Birkenhead 1861 Mawdsey & Sons. Although this book is set out the same as the Historical directories but it has nothing to do with them. They are what I call Local because they only contain Wirral, there very few if them. So Joseph was bound to be in it. He was.  Joseph Williamson Miller Raby Mill &William Gee Farmer.
So I then went to backtrack in the historical Directories 1859/7 and so on. They weren’t in them, I went back down to 1872 and neither Joseph nor any Gee’s were in them very strange:( Then again maybe Wirral wasn’t included in those years every directory is different. Did you have any Williamsons in Liverpool they had multiplied by the 1870’s
I found another book Post office Directory of Cheshire 1864 Under Occupations Millers
William Gee Raby Great Neston Chester
Joseph Williamson same address. Next visit I will have a scout round and see if I can find any earlier Wirral Cheshire postal directories. I didn’t find much but at leased you have got a year now

Celia

[Doggy]

Hi Celia

Thank you ever so much for looking into this it is really appreciated.  I must admit I'm a little confused looking at my docs.  I have Richard GEE as the miller in Raby before he dies in 1857 and then Joseph Williamson takes over.  The census returns back this up. 
William GEE (William's father in law-Wllliam GEE's father Peter was also a miller although I don't know where yet?) was a shoemaker (cordwainer) until the 1871 census when he is listed as Market Gardener, he dies in 1879 aged 66.
Joseph is still in Raby as miller in 1881 but by 1891 he was listed as farmer only but living in Mill House.  He was still there n 1901 by which time he was living by own means.

So many Gee's, I think I need to look at it all again and make sure I've got the relations in the correct order and I think the Williamson and Gees intermarried which aint half confusing the issue.

Hope you can make sense of this and thanks again for your help.

Doggy

[celia]

I think the Williamson and Gees intermarried which aint half confusing the issue.

      Gees thats  Understandable

Celia

[celia]

Doggy
on leaving the archives today,i forgot to remember to ask about Raby Mill So went back in,and the librarian gave me all the books about Raby.Looked through them all but again no mention of the mill. Was it actually called Raby Mill or was it a mill in Raby,i cant fathom why there is no mention of it

Celia