Until the abolition of thirlage and the introduction of steam power in towns, the country miller was generally a tacksman and all the tenants in the sucken were thirled to that mill only and could use no other. A proportion of the meal ground, multures, were kept by the miller and his assistant, this varied from an 11th to a 21st of the meal ground. From this he paid his rent to the estate and sold the balance. In addition the tenants had to supply so many days free labour to the miller each year to maintain the mill & water supply. A miller therefore required a horse to get his meal to market and the mill-croft to maintain the horse & his family.
Bests,
Skoosh.