Dorset Windmill Promoters

Windmills required "promoters" as they represented a serious investment of funds to enable their initial construction and subsequent maintenance. Especially in early times, there were a number of families who emerged as such promoters in the county :

De Clare Family :

The manor of Tarrant Gunville was owned by the powerful de Clare family with their main tenants being the De Gundeville family (related to Glanvilles ?? see below).

A windmill was recorded amongst property owned by Gilbert de Clave, Earl of Gloucester and Hereford on 8th September 1314 in Wyke Regis, Weymouth

At Pentridge there is a record of an early windmill The exsoiner of Christiana who was wife of Richard fil Hamo V Gilbert de Clave, Earl of G & H Joan his wife Archibald le Bretun and Gandum de Clare guardians of the lands and heir of Richard fil Hamo on a plea of 1/3rd part of 1 messuage, 2 carcucates of land, 1 windmill £8 rent 500 acres wood 300 acres pasture in Pentrich which she claims in dower. They did not come to St Michael in 1 month.

Glanville Family :

Ranulf Glanville (d.1190) was justiciar during the last nine years of Henry II's reign. His large and very complex family were great early windmill promoters^[1] elsewhere in England. See Glanvilles Wooton.

^[1] Kealy, Edward J. Harvesting the Air - p240

Harang Family :

The Harang family (orginally Norman French) lived at Chaldon Herring from the late 12th century (Henry II) (Chaluedon Hereng in 1243) also giving their name to Langton Herring, Herrison & Winterborne Herringston.

Thomas Harang was the sub tenant of the de Newburgh family the patrons and founders of the Cistercian abbey at nearby Bindon. Like many families in the area, the Harang family had gifted many lands to the nearby Bindon Abbey.

This family also features at Coombe Keynes where there is another windmill recorded slightly later in 1306. They also owned a watermill at nearby Tadenhole (Tadnoll) as in 1280/1 Adam Harang was in dispute with the Abbot of Byndon (Bindon) over services due at the mill.

They could have possibly had a hand in the windmill south east of Dorchester at Winterbourne Farringdon just to the east of Winterbourne Herringston noted above.

The writer (RC) first came across the concept of windmill promotors in Edward Kealy's excellent book Harvesting the Air