Windmill at Blyth?

[c-side]

Just confirming what Michael says - there were two Crofton Mills.  One just above Hodgsons Lane between the river and Cowpen North pit, the other south of Plessey Road on the site of Crofton Mill Pit.

It goes back to the days when Cowpen and Blyth were two distinct places and the names of streets etc. were often duplicated.  This was the subject of a long thread on here.

Christine

[Cavanaghs]

Thanks for the link to the lovely map Michael. I haven't looked at it for a while.

This is really confusing! Doesn't the first (most northerly) windmill symbol relate to Bucks Hill Mill? And the second symbol to the Crofton mill located east of the settlement called Crofton?

And when Bucks Hill falls into disrepair around the 1840s, the replacement mill, also called Crofton mill is built close to the site of the old Bucks Hill Mill. Is that right? I think that's what Phodgetts suggests. So from this point there are 2 completely separate Crofton Mills... the original that existed at the time of the 1828 map and the new Crofton Mill.

Is Hodgsons Mill on Cowpen Quay the same mill as the Crofton Mill that replaced Bucks Hill Mill?

I'm just trying to sort this out as I seem to have relatives who have lived in all of these places! But who actually moved house!? eg Elizabeth Wright b 1839 in Bucks Hill Mill later marries Ralph Davison and is registered living in Crofton Mill at the time of the 1871 census. In 1881 she is registered living in Hodgsons Mills - with the same (unrelated) neighbour as in 1871. So I presume this is the same place.

Thanks to you all for keeping me right! I hope I'm slowly getting there..

[c-side]

Having two Croftons is very confusing but if you go back to the Greenwood map and the Buckshill Mill then look about an inch to your right along the river you will see another windmill symbol though it doesn't have a name attached.  That is the other Crofton Mill. 

Christine

[Phodgetts]

I obviously haven't looked into your census information Cavanaghs, but hopefully this will help you understand where the mills were. Three very separate mills in three very separate locations.

Bucks Hill Mill was on Bucks Hill to the north of Cowpen Square. The site was lost to the river with dredging and the Bates Loaders were built on the site about 1932-3.

Hodgson's Mill was at Cowpen Quay, originally called Taylor's Quay which stood to the south of Cowpen Square where the High Ferry crossing point was. Confusingly it was also called Crofton Mills. This is where Hodgson's Road or Lane as it once was called, got it's name, and Anne's Row is the last remaining street of that small area. Wimbourne Quay and Alnmarinetech now occupy the site.

Crofton Mill, was on the south side of Blyth behind the Crofton Pit bath House. Modern houses now occupy the site of the mill. The old bath house is now called Pheonix House on Plessey Road. Just to the west of both old Rope Walks and close by the southern most parts of The Gut.

If you study this map you should be able to find all three sites;

http://maps.nls.uk/view/102346416


This is Bucks Hill Mill looking to the north;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10216194174/in/set-72157641931957224


These next three images are of Hodgson's Mill at Taylor's or Cowpen Quay also looking to the north;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10216882786/in/set-72157641931957224

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10216860245/in/set-72157641931957224

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/13274987725/in/set-72157641931957224


And this last image is of Crofton Mill on the south side of the town, at Crofton, and on the site of what became Crofton Mill Pit, behind Pheonix House and the old bath house;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10217446663/in/set-72157641931957224


If you were to go back to the census and find the mill you ancestor was living at, and work both backwards and forwards through the census pages, you will get an idea of the surrounding streets where they lived. If there are streets such as Ann's Row, Catherine Street and Croft Street, then you are at Hodgson's Mill, and if it is Plessey Road, then you are at the site to the south of the town.

Hope that helps.

P 

PS If you aren't already aware of it, you might find this Rootschat thread interesting re Hodgson's Mill;

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=497484.0

[Phodgetts]

This is Bucks Hill (circa 1913) as it was prior to being lost to the river and the site where the Bates Loaders were built;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10217404016/in/set-72157641931957224

And just for your interest, if you look in the bottom left corner of this river plan of 1819 you will see in the area surrounded by bog, that Bucks Hill used to be called Box Hill!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10217224285/sizes/k/

P

[villageguides]

I have no idea where the mill came from originally. Only that it came from the south.

[/quote]

Hi Phodgetts

This is fascinating stuff. I might be able to help you with the origin of the mill. According to the Horton Chapelry chapter of the Northumberland County History, Buck's Mill was brought from the Baltic by Captain John Watts in the latter part of the eighteenth century.

Regards Richard

[c-side]

I had forgotten about this discussion.  Since then we had the same talk from Beamish at Blyth Local History Society and I think he said that the plan was to re-create the windmill.  I don't think they have any 'bits' of it.

As for where it came from - you're right, Richard, the man from Beamish reckons it came from Sweden.

Christine

[Phodgetts]

I did get in touch with Beamish and received a reply from the museum in July 2015.

The museum does not have any parts of any windmill that stood at Blyth!

Any reconstruction, would be just that, a replication, and it would be the Buck's Hill Mill they reconstruct.

It is considered part of a five year plan, but there is a risk that the project might not even get started. 

A "Dr MJT Lewis has, so far established that the mill was built in Sweden in 1630 and brought second hand to Blyth by the shipowner John Watt, who was trading with the Baltic. It was probably rebuilt at Malvin’s Close in the summer of 1779, and then moved to Buck’s Hill and enlarged and modified in 1782. The mill was still working in 1851 and then became derelict and disappeared around the mid 1860’s".

I do know that there was a rent dispute, and the mill had to be removed from Buck's Hill, and it was slid, as a whole, across a small tidal inlet onto land to the south of where it had stood on Buck's Hill. Subsequently the owner of the mill dismantled it, and used the good quality timber for making furniture.

A very sad end to such an illustrious mill. Fascinating history though.

P

[Phodgetts]

Since this thread was started I have learned that the artist painting Buck's Hill Mill was facing Northwest! Of huge interest to me is that the old Alkali Works are shown in the picture as are the old Netherton Staith buildings at the mouth of the Sleek Burn river, and the buildings to the right were not on the far side of the river at Blyth, showing the Brown Bear Inn, but of Buck's Hill wharf itself! I think the artist used some 'license', but the elements of the surroundings at that time are all present.

You can see the location of the Netherton Staith in this thread.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=308016.9

P