Mills In Shrewsbury

[Newwriter]

I am looking into a family called Randles.
The Background
Thomas Randles married Elizabeth Onslow by license at St Chads, Shrewsbury in 1797. In the license his occupation is shown as a miller. Following the wedding, from 1798 onwards, there are a number of baptisms at St Chad's of children born to Thomas and Elizabeth Randles of Rowshill (modern Roushill). The baptisms do not show the father's occupation, so being pre census, I have assumed that the children were born to the miller and his wife.
In 1813 and later a Thomas and Elizabeth Randles were having children baptised in Llanymynech and Thomas was shown as a miller. Although by the 1841 census 70 year old Thomas said "yes" to being born in the county (the mill was just over the border in Montgomeryshire). There were no Randles living in Rowshill in 1841.
I am therefore thinking that all of these records are probably the same Thomas and Elizabeth since the history of Carreghofa Mill says that a new mill was built around the time of Thomas's arrival in Llanymynech as part of the feeder system for the new canal there.
This is a very longwinded (normal for me) way of asking if anyone has a list, or history of the mills in Shrewsbury, particularly around 1800. Which mill might Thomas Randles of St Chad's / Rowshill have worked at?

[mazi]

https://new.millsarchive.org/search/?criteria=Shropshire&class=Mill2&fromuri=%2Fmills%2F.


Does this help, it’s a slow website

Mike

[Newwriter]

Thanks Mike, I really appreciate you having a search for me.
I have had a look through and there are only two mills mentioned in Shrewsbury itself on this website. One being the old Flax Mill at Ditherington and the other being in "Mill Street" which does not exist today but I gather was near the Abbey. Although a couple of others were mentioned in Mill Road, Meole Brace and one called Salop Laundries Mill at Sutton.
I live in Shrewsbury and knowing the area none of these is likely to have been convenient for a man living in Roushill, which is where Thomas Randles lived according to family baptism records. The enigma continues. The baptisms do not specifically mention him being a miller so I suppose he could have changed trades after his marriage, until he returned to milling at Carreghofa, Llanymynech around 1810.
Thanks again for looking.

[mazi]

There is a mill shewn here, top right corner between Smithfield road and the river. Doesn’t say it’s a corn mill tho

https://www.rootschat.com/links/01snp/.

Could he maybe have worked at the abbey mill as an employee.


Mike

[Newwriter]

Thanks Mike, that one by the Smithfield is by far the best bet I have seen so far. I'll have to go along to the Archives to see if they have any history of that mill. I don't think he would have gone as far as the abbey but who knows. I have found that his father John was probably the miller at Fitz Mill. At least he married a girl in Montford Church in 1760 and his marriage allegation said he was a miller from Fitz. But by 1841 Fitz Mill was occupied by a Vaughan family. Although Mytton Mill is very close to Fitz too.
Thanks again for an excellent bit of detective work.

[mazi]

Good luck with your search, as it was a town mill there may be some records, many small mills, at least here in Herefordshire worked on a barter system, one sack of flour to the miller, one to the mill owner and the rest back to the farmer whose wheat it was.

Mills ground a lot of things, not just flour, crushing oats for animal feed, crushing clover among others.

It was a very skilled task and hard work, up three flights of stairs while the sack hoist is lifting a sack of grain, tip it in the hopper, adjust the feed rate, down to the next level to get the wheels set,
Down again to see what’s happening, collect the white flour that has been seived thro the silk screen,
Bag up the brown flour, collect the remains, then start all over again.


Mike

[hanes teulu]

Confirming Shrewsbury and Llanymynerch link for Thomas Randles and Elizabeth Onslow -

FindMyPast baptisms (image/transcript)
Place - Llanymynerch

Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Randles of Carreghova, miller, by Elizabeth his wife, formerly Elizabeth Onslow of the Parish of Shrewsbury - born 21 March 1810, bap 26 Mar 1810.

[Newwriter]

Thanks again Mike, sadly I popped into the Shropshire Archives this morning and the mill near the Smithfield was a saw mill so not the trade Thomas was used to. I am thinking now that either he must have walked to the other side of town to ply his trade every day (as you suggested) or that he took another job while living in Roushill.

Hanes Teulu, thank you for looking for that. I appreciate your efforts  I think I have exhausted all of their parish register entries with marriage allegation, marriage, 7 children baptised in Shrewsbury (and one buried) and then three baptised in Llanymynech. Then I have register entries for both Elizabeth (1835) and Thomas (1844) buried in Montford Parish Church and stating the Carreghofa connection. Sadly I could not find a grave site in the churchyard but getting on for 200 years later... Thanks again for your efforts to help.

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
Just in case it helps
Robert Randles journeyman miller  Abbey Forgate buried Shrewsbury Holy Trinity (the Abbey) 13 Sep 1814 .
Age 56 so born 1758 .

He would be the right age to be Thomas's father.
Widow Ann burried at The Abbey 30 Dec 1814 age 66years
Could Thomas be working for his Dad?
The move to Wales in 1813 would fit with his father dying and Thomas needing a new job.

Ciderdrinker