Carpenters signature

[Bikerchef2004]

Lastly I've just found a John Denner on the 1891 census. Aged 52 living in cullompton which is the main town in the valley, around 2 miles away.

Occupation general labourer. Could this be our second carpenter?

[arthurk]

Without any evidence whatsoever to back this up, I suspect the mill workers would generally have been fully occupied at their normal jobs, unless perhaps there was a slack period. A lot might depend on the character and attitudes of the mill owner at the time, and whether he prioritised paper or housing. But if the building work was running behind, maybe some of the workers helped out in their spare time, particularly if it meant they got their own houses sooner.

Interesting, though, that a James Denner lived in Fore Street. Have you tried working your way along the street in the 1891 census (possibly later ones too) to see if you can match up the names to the actual houses? Street directories might help with this too.