Messing Maypole Mill
Encyclopedia
Messing Maypole Mill is a grade II listed Tower mill
at Tiptree
, Essex
, England
which has been converted to a residence. Prior to boundary
changes made when the civil parish
of Tiptree was established in 1934, the mill was in the parish
of Tolleshunt Knights
.
millwright
John Mathett at a cost of £315 excluding the brickwork. Matchett also rebuilt a post mill
which stood some 190 yards (173.7 m) south west of the tower mill (TL 894 167) and sum of £315 may include that work. Matchett owned the mill until it was purchased by miller Thomas Green in 1797. The mill passed to Edward Harvey on Green’s death in 1806. Harvey died in 1829 and in 1829 the mill was purchased by miller James Peake. Peake was declared bankrupt in 1845 and the mill sold by his assignees. George Ransom was the next miller, and he introduced steam power. After the death of Ransom in 1884 the mill was run by his widow for a few years and then by Henry Cattermole. In 1890, the Colchester millwright Bryant replaced the old wooden windshaft with the cast iron windshaft from the annular sailed mill at Roxwell
. Bryant may have added the fantail
at this time. Milling by wind ceased c1911. During World War I
the mill was worked by steam alone. Frederick King put the mill back to full working order in the 1920s, but the sails were finally removed in February 1927, leaving just the stocks. Milling continued until at least 1962, although the millstone
s were removed in 1960. Power latterly was by electricity. The mill was converted into a residence in 1969.
carried on a wooden windshaft and was winded by hand. There was a stage at first floor level. The tower is 27 in 6 in (8.38 m) diameter at base level, decreasing to 14 in 6 in (4.42 m) at curb level. Height of the tower is 42 in 6 in (12.95 m) to curb and the mill stands 55 feet (16.76 m) to the base of the finial on the cap, which was latterly winded by a fantail carried over the rear extension which housed the hand winding apparatus. The brickwork is 4 feet (1.22 m) thick at base level and 22 inches (558.8 mm) thick at curb level.
The 10 feet (3.05 m) diameter wooden Brake Wheel is of clasp arm construction, converted from compass arm. It has 72 cogs and is carried on a cast iron windshaft which formerly carried four double Patent sails. The brake wheel drove a wooden Wallower carried on a 31 feet (9.45 m) long wooden Upright Shaft. The 9 in 2 in (2.79 m) diameter wooden Great Spur Wheel is of compass arm construction with 84 cogs. The mill latterly drove three pairs of millstones.
References for above:-
Tower mill
A tower mill is a type of windmill which consists of a brick or stone tower, on top of which sits a roof or cap which can be turned to bring the sails into the wind....
at Tiptree
Tiptree
Tiptree is a village in the English county of Essex, situated south-east of Colchester and around north-east of London. Surrounding villages include Messing, Tolleshunt Knights, Layer Marney, Inworth, Birch, Great Braxted, Great Totham and Little Totham....
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which has been converted to a residence. Prior to boundary
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
changes made when the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Tiptree was established in 1934, the mill was in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Tolleshunt Knights
Tolleshunt Knights
Tolleshunt Knights is a village and civil parish in the English county of Essex.The Parish has a Parish council, and lies within the area of Maldon District Council. It borders Tiptree, Layer Marney and Salcott cum Virley within the Colchester Borough Council's District and Tolleshunt D'Arcy also...
.
History
Messing Maypole Mill was built in 1775 by ColchesterColchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
John Mathett at a cost of £315 excluding the brickwork. Matchett also rebuilt a post mill
Post mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. The defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. The earliest post mills in England are thought to have...
which stood some 190 yards (173.7 m) south west of the tower mill (TL 894 167) and sum of £315 may include that work. Matchett owned the mill until it was purchased by miller Thomas Green in 1797. The mill passed to Edward Harvey on Green’s death in 1806. Harvey died in 1829 and in 1829 the mill was purchased by miller James Peake. Peake was declared bankrupt in 1845 and the mill sold by his assignees. George Ransom was the next miller, and he introduced steam power. After the death of Ransom in 1884 the mill was run by his widow for a few years and then by Henry Cattermole. In 1890, the Colchester millwright Bryant replaced the old wooden windshaft with the cast iron windshaft from the annular sailed mill at Roxwell
Roxwell
Roxwell is a village and a parish in the Chelmsford District, in the English county of Essex.The parish church is St Michael & All Angels. There is a primary school and a public house...
. Bryant may have added the fantail
Windmill fantail
A Fantail is a small windmill mounted at right angles to the sails, at the rear of the windmill, and which turns the cap automatically to bring it into the wind. The fantail was patented in 1745 by Edmund Lee, a blacksmith working at Brockmill Forge near Wigan, England, and perfected on mills...
at this time. Milling by wind ceased c1911. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the mill was worked by steam alone. Frederick King put the mill back to full working order in the 1920s, but the sails were finally removed in February 1927, leaving just the stocks. Milling continued until at least 1962, although the millstone
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
s were removed in 1960. Power latterly was by electricity. The mill was converted into a residence in 1969.
Description
Messing Maypole Mill is a four storey brick tower mill with a domed cap. When built it had four Common sailsWindmill sail
Windmills are powered by their sails. Sails are found in different designs, from primitive common sails to the advanced patent sails.-Jib sails:...
carried on a wooden windshaft and was winded by hand. There was a stage at first floor level. The tower is 27 in 6 in (8.38 m) diameter at base level, decreasing to 14 in 6 in (4.42 m) at curb level. Height of the tower is 42 in 6 in (12.95 m) to curb and the mill stands 55 feet (16.76 m) to the base of the finial on the cap, which was latterly winded by a fantail carried over the rear extension which housed the hand winding apparatus. The brickwork is 4 feet (1.22 m) thick at base level and 22 inches (558.8 mm) thick at curb level.
The 10 feet (3.05 m) diameter wooden Brake Wheel is of clasp arm construction, converted from compass arm. It has 72 cogs and is carried on a cast iron windshaft which formerly carried four double Patent sails. The brake wheel drove a wooden Wallower carried on a 31 feet (9.45 m) long wooden Upright Shaft. The 9 in 2 in (2.79 m) diameter wooden Great Spur Wheel is of compass arm construction with 84 cogs. The mill latterly drove three pairs of millstones.
Millers
- Thomas Green 1776–1806
- James Peake 1806–1848
- George D Ransom 1848–1884
- Mrs. Ransom 1884–1887
- Henry Cattermole 1887–c1911
- Frederick King 1922–1937
References for above:-
External links
- Windmill World webpage on Messing Maypole Mill