Water Mills House

[Blue70]

I have a John and Elizabeth Arnold living at Water Mills House, Malew in 1881 can anyone tell me if this mill still exists, where it is or where it stood?

Blue

[Frances_mnb]

it's at the end of Mill Street, Castletown - the Island was full of various water driven mills as no coal + windmills tended to be wrecked in gales etc  (see book on Industrial archaelogy of Island by Larch Garrad et al - this one was on the Silverburn - the mill is still there though probably modernised - John Arnold was there in 1863 + possibly earlier - this mill dates back in records to 16th C.
They appear to be there in 1851 (tho the sequence of places in 1851 census is a little confusing) having recently moved from Liverpool tho both John + Elizth were manx born - then by 1861 found in a mill in I think in what is now Ravensdale, Ballaugh,  but by 1863 were back in Castletown

John was bapt 1813 parents John + Elizth Kewley who appear to have moved from Onchan to Ballaugh and then to Malew by 1823 then to Lonan by 1841with John senior an ag lab baljean then by 51 at Ballamillgyn working as a lead ore washer


John junr m Eliz Garrett  Braddan  18370610; their 1st child Frances was bur Malew 18380629 age 6m

[Blue70]

Thanks Frances. The photo below was taken on a family holiday to the Isle of Man in 1973. Could this have been the Arnold's mill?


Blue

[Frances_mnb]

yes the mill stands quite tall (tho I think it has recently been changed/modernised/rebuilt - will have a look next time I'm down south) - a small distance out of Castletown across some field on non-town side of bypass
the family seem to have spread across the Island - John senior is bur 1858 age 69 and gave lonan as birth place in 1851 but I can't match a bapt

[Blue70]

Thanks Frances. The Arnolds of Lonan are included in Brian Lawson's Family History. Brian says he couldn't find a corresponding baptism for John Arnold Senior.

Blue