Jimkabout Mill, two of them?

[Skoosh]

Folks, any idea why there was a corn mill named Jinkabout near the mouth of the River Avon, Bo'ness, prop' the Duke of Hamilton, like nearby Kinneil, and another named Jinkabout, corn/paper mill, on the Water of Leith, Edinburgh, can't just be coincidence?
 The first was the intended site for the Carron Iron Works but the land was strictly entailed and the developer could only obtain a 100 year lease, so the site on the Carron at Falkirk was chosen instead.
 The Bo'ness mill has vanished completely under industrial use.

Any thoughts appreciated,

Skoosh.
 

[IMBER]

Gaelic origins discussed here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/55305687/Gaelic-Place-Names-of-the-Lothians

Imber

[AMBLY]

I'm not so sure there is any connection between the  two Jinkabout mills?

http://www.community-council.org.uk/Longstone/index.asp?pageid=56535
"By 1680 it was known as Redhall New Mill, and then it got the odd name of Jinkabout Mill – a name which also crops up in West Lothian. It was demolished in 1756 by George Inglis, the new laird of Redhall, so that he might form a great walled garden to be viewed from the grounds of his mansion across the river."

The Place Names of Stirlingshire
"....Jinkabout (Polmont). So. jink means, to dodge or quickly turn about, not found before Allan Ramsay, 1711 ;"

If you google (a lot in Google books) "jink about" or "jink-about"   it's a term  used - as in this verse:
http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/10%20Hairst.pdf

or here:
http://shrinkalink.com/64821
"..Mark you, George, never jink about and duck when you hear the report of a cannon...."

If  this is the term used for the Mill names, I haven't a clue why the term would be used  - what imagery it is meant to conjure up - for a mill though  ;

Cheers
AMBLY

[Skoosh]

Thanks for that guys, I would just think it's from the Scots word jink, as in Jinky Johnstone of the 'tic.
I could see the possibility of duplication if it was the East Mill, Black Mill  or the Red Mill ,but for two lairds, and mills were built by lairds at this time and their tenants forced to use and maintain them, to come up with the same unusual name, counties apart, stretches incredulity.
 Millers moving from one mill to another didn't change the mill name any more than a tenant farmer changed the farm's name to something they fancied. Sir Walter Scott changed the name of his property when he built Abbotsford but he was Sir Walter and Clarty Hole was the name of the plot.

Skoosh.

[leighton]

Hello Skoosh,

My GG Grandfather was recorded at the Jinkabout Mills, Bo'ness in the 1841 census. He was a 17 year old Apprentice Miller. The head of the house was Henry Wilson, 67 year old Farmer. There were 2 Agricultural Labourers, 4 Male Servants, 1 Female Servant and 1 Farm Servant recorded, but no other Millers.

Perhaps it was originally a Farm and a Mill was added later.

leighton

[hanes teulu]

The Caledonian Mercury 24 Oct 1849 has an advert for the sale of
"A Tack for above 300 years to run of the BARLEY-MILL on the Water of Colingtoun called Jinkabout Mill with the Mill-lands thereof".
The sale would take place in the Laigh Coffee House, Edinburgh

Wd this be one of the Jinkabout Mills referred to above?

[IMBER]

Could it be referring in some loose way to the routing of the mill lade?

Imber

[Skoosh]

Leighton, many mills had farms attached, the miller would have an assistant, that would be your ancestor and Henry Wilson would be the farmer/miller. By 1841 the old system had broken down due largely to competition from large steam powered mills in nearby towns, abolition of mulctures which therefore gave tenants the freedom to choose their own miller, and widespread importing of flour. Many mills were purchased by the tenant from the estate and whereas the farm was formerly an adjunct to the mill, the reverse became the case and the mill, if it survived in use, switched to grinding animal feed etc' or oatmeal if there was still a market locally.
 Milling was carried on in families, but Wilson's son, if he had one, maybe thought that by then the business wasn't worth his while.
 In the 18th century a miller was a tacksman, he took a tack (lease) on the mill and took his cut of all the corn ground, mainly oats then but also pease & beans, which he took to market. His assistant had his wee cut also. This was much resented by the lairds tenants who were thirled to that mill, particularly as the miller also had the power to smash any hand querns found being used and compel forced labour re' the mill's upkeep.

hanes teulo, I think this refers to the mill on the Water of Leith, which runs through Colinton Dell.  A very long lease offered? competition from huge mills in Leith itself so possibly specialising in pot-barley for soup, or beremeal, farm also attached.
Good stuff guys.

Interesting thought Imber, note the mill lade on Ambly's map at Colinton kirk, serves three mills.
Jinkabout used for both mills at the same time also!

[hanes teulu]

Skoosh,
Thanks for the clarification

Sales advertised
1755 - "Barley Mill of Reidhall, called Jinkabout Mill, and houses thereto, 2 miles to the West of Edinburgh

1790 - "the LANDS and MILLS of JINKABOUT, viz. a Flour and CORN MILL and 2 Barley Mills....most of the 30 acres in Kerse .... 2 miles from Grangemouth, 3 from Bo'ness .... mills within 300 yards of the River Avon"

If the Redhall/Riedhall mill was demolished 1756, did the mills at Bo'ness come into existence after this date?

Have also seen an 1838 reference to "Jinkabout Ford, in the County of Stirling"