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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Sussex => Topic started by: marinerclark on Saturday 10 January 15 21:20 GMT (UK)
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Hello and Happy New year to everyone.
I have finally found confirmation that Henry Clark(1759-1832) of Rye and Playden owned a Post Mill. The following ad was place in the Sussex Advertiser on 23 Jan 1832
To be let or sold
A First Rate Post Mill in Excellent condition situated one mile of the town of Rye For particulars apply to Mr. Henry Clark Sen. Miller Rye by letter.
St Leonards is the only mill I can find close to rye that is old enough. I know it was destroyed in 1987. There is a watercolor of it from 1905 but would love to see older views.
Thank You for your help LizR
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Could it be Telegraph Hill Mill, Icklesham?
http://www.sussexias.co.uk/mills_lost.htm
Tony
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The advert says about 1 mile from Rye, so I think that Icklesham might be too far. The mill at Winchelsea would have been about 2 miles from Rye.
Playden is about a mile away and there were at least two windmills on the hill there. There was another one near the Martello tower and Brede sluice, but that is maybe too close to Rye, and I've no idea if it was a post mill.
Nell
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Henry Clark sold his building and bakeovens on High Street in 1810 and retired to Playden. Playden mills hadn't googled yet. Thanks for help. Back to google. LizR
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Maybe the one shown on a postcard here:
http://www.sussexmillsgroup.org.uk/postcards.htm
Nell
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There was also a Post Mill at Udimore which is near Rye but just found this which may be of interest to you
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/ed4a2d27-1f0c-4518-9319-32c9ea211fff
I know the dates are all wrong but it may still tie in with the family of your Henry Clark.......did he have a son called Henry?
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He did have a son Henry. He wasn't my ancestor so I don't have all his details. There are other henry Clark grandsons also. Have you ever looked at the ESRO documents? The plan map on the margin would be wonderful. However this is a smock mill, not a post one.
Did some googling and there were 3 mills in Playden. I have never found any leases in Playden for Henry. he buried his daughter Margaret at Rye St Mary in 1818. The records mention the family living in Playden.
The record office is too expensive once you add the overseas charges. I have never seen Henry's will either. Thanks for finding that lease. David Stonham was co executor with Henry Senior of Philip Clark's (1730-1806) PCC will. LizR
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Unfortunately I can't get to to the Records Office or I would offer to help you. :)
The reference to a smock mill is in the paragraph above the entry for Henry Clark. It reads as though the post mill is in Lower Mill Field.
I'll Google to see if there are any maps anywhere.
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Don't know if this map is of any help.
http://maps.nls.uk/view/101434971
If you press on the map you can enlarge it.
The site of the old windmill at Playden, which may be the one you're interested in, looks to me as though it's in a road now known as Mill Road. You can double check on Google maps. It's just opposite The Kings Head Inn.
So Lower Mill Field may have became modern day Mill Road if I'm reading it right.
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That is the best map online i have ever seen. Thank you so much. Do you have a link for any earlier ones. Henry's son Philip (1787-1854) and Edward(1790-1875) emigrated to the States in 1818. So my last tie to Rye ends with Henry's death in 1832. He died in a carriage accident crossing the bridge to East Guleford. Wow so pleased with new map. LizR
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I think this link will take you to a page on the same site which then gives you a greater choice of towns to view
http://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch-england-and-wales/index.html
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There was a post on the Welsh boards about the Library of Scotland maps. I totally forgot about it. Been searching the vale of Glamorgan. LizR
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Just to add some more info.
Looking through the 1785 Land Tax for Rye there is mention of Robert Clark and his mill, a relative perhaps?
This is the Rye Mill
http://www.sussex-opc.org/index.php?t=postcard&k=20040
http://www.sussex-opc.org/index.php?t=postcard&k=22866
http://www.sussex-opc.org/index.php?t=postcard&k=6930
http://www.sussex-opc.org/index.php?t=postcard&k=11715
http://www.sussex-opc.org/index.php?t=postcard&k=1255
http://www.sussex-opc.org/index.php?t=postcard&k=2315
Loads more pictures on the Sussex OPC site
Regards
Sean
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Looking at the map that HL posted the link for then the Rye Mill is on the river as depicted by the postcards in the following part of Rye.
http://maps.nls.uk/view/101434971#zoom=6&lat=3327&lon=2072&layers=BT
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Looks as though this is where it is now.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Rye,+East+Sussex+TN31/@50.9504344,0.7273071,19z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x47dee0253a3551b9:0x1d196c33cfd9fa40
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Hi swebby, the links you've posted are indeed for Rye Mill, which still exists...it's in Rye, stands on the banks of the River Tillingham and is now a B and B.
Playden is a village about a mile from Rye and the Mill.....in fact I think there was more than one....is no longer there.
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https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Rye,+East+Sussex+TN31/@50.9504344,0.7273071,19z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x47dee0253a3551b9:0x1d196c33cfd9fa40
this one is not a post mill - a modern view of it here.
And I'm afraid it's not the one in the other map, since it's down by the railway in Rye rather than closer to Playden.
Nell
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Mmmm.....I'm probably misunderstanding Sean...
Did the 1785 records show that Robert Clark owned Rye Mill? If so, how fantastic Liz. It would be great for you to come and stay in the B and B ;D
That's a great photo Nell. I know I have lots somewhere too :)
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The 1785 Land Tax says
'Clark, Mr Robert - his mill'
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Just found an entry which might make sense in Wikipedia
Rye Old Mill was a post mill replaced by a smock mill in 1824 which in turn was burnt down in 1930, a dummy mill was constructed to replace it.
The pictures in the links I put up are for the smock mill, which is on the site of the original post mill from the looks of it. The B&B is a dummy mock up rather than a working mill I guess.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbet_Mill,_Rye
No mention of a Clark in the notes anywhere so still not sure it is the right one.
http://www.ryewindmill.co.uk/History_The_Windmill_Rye.htm
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Henry says in his ad that it is a Post Mill in 1832 so that eliminates the Rye mill. His father had a ship yard on the Strand near the gate. These buildings were later used as corn warehouses according to one of the Rye town websites. So I like the Winchelsea site because of hauling but Henry did live in Playden by 1818.
I cannot link Robert Clark into tree. He seems to be connected to James Clark( also unconnected) and possibly to Fisher Clark who had a bakery on High Street after Henry's time (1860's)
Henry Clark and John Clark had a corn license in 1821. Don't know if John was his brother or son or even nephew.
My Clarks were connected to the Staffell , Harvey Families. LizR
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In my notes for Playden (New) post mill I have the following info:
Originally one of a pair of mills that worked together on Playden Heights - as depicted in a c1808 sketch by J.M.W. Turner - the older mill was moved to Appledore Heath in Kent (TQ 954 304) where only the roundhouse remains.
The sides, roof and breast of the new mill were metalled and painted white, while the tail-end was weather-boarded and painted black. Her four single spring sweeps (at one point with canvas shutters) drove a pair of Peak stones and a pair Burrs.
July 1816: “For Sale. A remarkably well built Windmill, in full trade, capable of grinding from 4 to 5 loads of wheat a week in the occupation of Henry Clark. The mill was built in 1804 and is in good repair”.
After Henry Clarke retired c1828 she was put up for sale by Thomas Clarke, and the following year the partnership of John Clarke and James Smith, millers, was dissolved. For a short period up to December 1841, when their partnership was dissolved, William and James Edmonds ran this mill in conjunction with the smock mills at Rye and Peasmarsh.
Edwin Smith is recorded here from 1855-74 when he’s succeeded by Edward Thorpe. Edward was followed by Edgar Thorpe from 1882 to 1909; then Charles Thorpe is briefly in occupation from 1909-11 after which she reverted back to Edgar Thorpe.
She ceased work around 1900. Charles Banister (see Northiam Mill) then bought the Hennessey Estate, sold the mill cottage to a Mr Phillips whilst the mill and plot were sold to Mr Brown who demolished her in September 1954 and erected a house known as Mill Place, (a large square house which stood opposite Windmill Cottage) on her site.
In fairly good condition at the time she was pulled down and following her demise the single storied round house was used as a potting shed.
In 2005 the Hastings Area Archaeological Research Group undertook a watching brief at the mills’ site at Windmill Cottage, Saltcote Lane, Playden during groundworks for a new development.
A large wooden lock and key from this mill can be found on display at West Blatchington Mill.
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Thank you very much. I have never found any leases in Playden for Henry Clark except the mill. I think the Thomas is his brother. LizR