Unknown person Talgarth Mill

[arthurk]

I see what you mean, and the pose might suggest ownership.

The things I mentioned (bowler hat and beard) might have been most widespread in the 1890s, but they certainly weren't extinct in the following decades. Conversely, the turned down collar which I think he has became more common over the same period (only just spotted that).

So maybe I should have said 'not before the 1890s' - and if you think about it, would John have struck a pose like that while George snr was still alive and running the place? 

[groom]

George John was John's son and the grandson of George born 1833. As far as we can work out John didn't have a lot to do with the milling, he was more involved with the haulage side. After George senior died, his wife Rebecca and grandson George ran the mill. On her death in 1906, George took over the lease and bought it in 1913.

[arthurk]

Hmm, you are beginning to persuade me........

[jim1]

Turned down collars first appeared in the 1860's.
For this to be George John this would have to have been taken around WW1
as he looks in his 30's possibly up to 40.
This isn't the way a man would dress at this time.
If it's any of the above it would have to be John.

[Greensleeves]

Thanks for your input, Arthur and Jim.  I am wondering if the person in the photo could be George Lewis Snr.  He was born 1833,  and the first record of him at Talgarth Mill was the 1871 census when he was 38.  That would mean that his age (30-40) would be right, and the clothing would be right.  I don't think it's John as we have a photo of him - below - and you'll see that he looked very different from the man in the photo.  I know that we'll never be absolutely certain who it was.  Would be rather a shame if it was some random passer-by who decided to pose by the mill wheel!

[arthurk]

I'd agree with Jim that the mystery man looks to be in his 30s, but I'm not very happy with a date as early as the 1870s. I almost wrote earlier that the thing I'd be most sure of is that it's not George senior - though as I said, dating isn't my strongest point and I only answered this because I've just been looking into this kind of period for one of my own photos.

Is there anyone else who knows about these things?

[jim1]

The clothing & billy cock are typical 1880's-90's

[Greensleeves]

The date of 1880s-1890s is good for the story we are researching, because that would mean we have the right family working the mill at the time of the photo, since the Lewis family had the mill from a little before 1870 until at least 1920.   So with this time-frame we can be relatively certain that the photo was taken during their tenure.   I was wondering whether the photo could be of one of the local millwrights (there were a few since this area had lots of small mills) but I assume if they were working they would not have been wearing their best clothes.  This is obviously a posed photo.  Below is a photo showing what the scene looks like nowadays.

Thanks again Jim and Arthur for your interest.  For Groom and I, this research is a labour of love.  We started out just researching which families lived and worked at the mill, but their stories are amazing and help to bring the past alive.

[groom]

Yes, thank you for your interest. As Greensleeves said, it started with just finding the millers in the censuses and parish records, but has ended up finding articles in newspapers and last time I visited GS, going round graveyards. Amazing stories - from George John's wife nearly drowning when she had a fit and fell in the mill trench, to him being fined for poaching trout, plus lots of others in between.