Portland Millers

Above : Timeline summary by Richard Crumbleholme July 1998

Portland Windmillers & Mill Tenants

General Notes : (starting with earliest records)

1608 : earliest LRMS record : "lande by the windemill"

1626 : William Simplon's map appears to show both north & south windmills

Note : Due to extensive use of Edward/Robert by the Pearce family they are numbered starting at with most recent (more may come to light !)

The millers - in date order :

Richard Pierce (15 ? - !654/5) [tenant ?]

Born : Not known but say 1590/1600 judging by will

Relations :

Marriage :

Children :

Will : See below 1652

Died : Will proved 1655

Windmill : North / South ?

Notes : The earliest Portland miller known to date is recorded :

3rd September 1627 Richard Pierce of the Island of Portland, miller, in £20. Bound over to the next Sessions for tipling without licence and keeping disorders in his house on the sabboth dayes'

Standing surety for him were : Anthony Diggott of Dorchester, miller, & Robert Motyer of the same, hosyer, each in £10.

Richard Pierce appeared before Sir Francis Ashley JP in Dorchester. Sir Francis Ashley was a Dorset Justice of the Peace who became Recorder in Dorchester in 1610 serving until his death in 1635. He was also a successful London lawyer who later, as a County Magistrate as well, sat at the Quarter Sessions from 1625 - 1635. His case book in which the above is recorded, covers his years as Recorder in Dorchester. Thankfully it survived and has been published. A tippling house was a licenced dwelling where ale could be sold, the tippler being the retailer operating generally from his own home. Although excessive drinking is not necessarily implied by either term, it would appear that Richard Pierce do not run a legal or very orderly house on Portland ! Millers were sometimes called licenced victuallers.

Will of Richard Pearce 1652/3 (presumed the same Richard ?) - no mention of a mill

In the name of God Upon the thirteenth day of January in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred fifty two, I Richard Pearce of the liberty of Portland in the county of Dorset being in good health and perfect memory God be thanked for it doe make and ordain my last will and testament in the manner and form following :

First I give and bequeath my soul onto Almighty God and my body to Christen burial. Item I give unto my sister Katherine Stirklan ?? one arce of arable land in Droopfield in a furlong called Hogs Croft to her and her heirs forever to give and to sell according to the Manor of Portland.

Item I give unto my sister Katherine Stirklan ?? my dwelling house att Wacombe (Wakeam) with the garden and cart ???? there unto belonging during her natural life. And after her ......? to my sister ......? Attwool widow of Phillip Attwool to her and her heirs forever to give and to ....? according to the Custom of the Manor of Portland.

Item I give unto my sister ...... Attwool widow of Phillip Attwool all the rest of my lands arable and pasture to her and her heirs forever to give and to .....according to the customs of the Manor of Portland.

Item I do make my sister ....... Attwool widow my full and whole executor to ...... all Bills, bonds and Debts and demands. And to pay all Bills, Bonds and Debts and demands. In witness of whole I have here unto put my hand and seal before these witnesses - The mark and ...... of Richard Pearce, Robert Mitholl. the mark of Simon Durrant, Bartholomow Mitholl

This Will was proved at London on the sixteenth day of July in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred fifty & five before the July ... for probate of Wills and granting Adminstration lawfully authorized by the ..... of .......Attwool the sister of the said deceased and sole executix named in the said will to whom the adminstration...... committed of all and singular the goods, chattels and debts of the said ...... She being forst ..... by common well & truly to adminster the same.

Robert Blanchard ( - ) [Tenant]

Born : Nothing known - no families found as yet

Relations :

Marriage :

Children :

Will :

Died : Probably quite old when mill given up 1670/78

Windmill : South (Angeles Mill - see Shadrac Stone below)

Notes :

1670/78 - To this court has come Robert Blanchard and surrended to the Lady of the Manor via the Steward one grain mill (molendinum granaticum) in Le Droop Field with its appurtenances, to the use of Shadrac Stone junior his heirs and assigns for ever.

Shadrac Stone (junior ?? ) (b 1648 ? - ) [Tenant]

Born : Bap 4/2/1648 s/o Shadrac & Patience (nee Stone) on Portland

Relations :

Marriage : married Agnes (?) c1673

Children : son Shadrac born c1676

Will :

Died : Before 1683 ?

Windmill : South (Angeles Mill 5)

Notes :

It would appear that he took over the tenancy of the mill some time between 1670 & 78 from Robert Blanchard. He (or his son ?) surrended the tenancy after some 60 years in 15th Feb 1741. (aged 93 !!).(1670 = 22 or 1678 = 30).

1670 -1678 Translated from Latin - Shadrac Stone first selling his tenancy of lands to Benjamin Stone (a relation ?) in order to raise the £30 to buy the tenancy of the grain windmill at some time between 1670 - 1677. The Lady of the Manor is not named but by tradition it would be the wife of the reigning King, ie the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II.

Benjamin Stone :

To this court has come Shadrac Stone and surrended to the Lady of the Manor via the steward half an acre and half a virgate of land in Le Coomb Field, one vigrate of land in the said field, one vigrate of land in South Field, one vigrate of land in West Field, one close of land lying next to Coomb Field, half an acre of pasture called Le Wear lying next to Church Point, with their appurtenances. To the use of Benjamin Stone his heirs and assigns for ever. And the said Benjamin Stone has come to the court seeking admission as tenant to the aforesaid premises and their appurtenances. To whom the Lord Steward has granted seisin by the rod according to the custom of the Manor, to hold at a rent of 6d. And the said Bejamin Stone has given to the said Shadrac Stone £30 as fine. And thus the said Benjamin Stone has been admitted as tenant and has sworn fealty to the Lady etc.

Shadrac Stone junior : (Between 1670 & 1678, Shadrac junior buys the tenancy of Angeles Windmill)

To this court has come Robert Blanchard and surrended to the Lady of the Manor via the Steward one grain mill (molendinum granaticum) in Le Droop Field with its appurtenances, to the use of Shadrac Stone junior his heirs and assigns for ever. And the said Shadrac Stone has come to the court seeking admission as tenant to the aforesaid premises and appurtenances. To whom the Steward has granted seisin by the rod to the custom of the manor, at an annual rent of a halfpenny. And the said Shadrac Stone has given to the said Robert Blanchard £30 as fine. And the said Shadrac Stone has been admitted as tenant and has sworn fealty to the Lady of the Manor etc.

Note : Surrender and admission was the standard method of transferring manorial land before the 1920's. The outgoing tenant appeared before the court and surrended the use of (ie in favour of) the new tenant, and the transaction was ratified in the court by the Manorial Steward who carried a rod or staff of office. The fine was a customary sum of money paid by the new tenant coming into the tenancy. He would also have to swear an oath of fealty to the Lord (in this case Lady) of the Manor before being admitted to the property.

The earliest record of the Stone family on Portland is the marriage of Robert Stone to Catherine Cooper in St Andrews Church in 16068. It is probable that this marriage was the one way that the Stone family was able to establish land owning on the Island.

See article on Shadrac Stones of Portland at bottom of this page

Shadrac Stone (jnr) ( - ) [Tenant ??]

Born : Born c1676 s/o Shadrac & Agnes (see above)

Relations :

Marriage : (A Shadrach Stone m Mary Pearce 5 April 17419 ?)

but also see further footnotes10

Children :

Will :

Died :

Windmill : South (Angeles Mill)

From the notes above it seems that both Shadracs were known as junior ! The "elder" Shadrac would have been in his 90's by the next change in 1744 (see below). In 1715 Shadrac Stone signs ballot to elect a representative to distribute Stone Grant from Charles II 's time. (There were Shadrac x 3 on this ballot !!). There were two Shadracs on the 1735 Petition for relief from the Earthquake Shock

1735 - 16th December : A humble petition by the Inhabitants of Portland to Lords Commissioners of HM Treasury, for assistance after an earthquake shock (ie landslide ?) on the north side of the island had destroyed the shipping piere (sic) and the crane, signed by Shad Tone and Shadrach Stone

(Source : Somerset & Dorset Notes & Queries Vol XVII 113)

The will of Grace Muddle (nee Hendy). She had married William Muddle c.1692

(children by first marriage Alexander & Alice Pearce - widow of William Muddle - m approx 1692)

Thirty-five years later Grace died and was buried in Portland Churchyard on 16 June 1770. Grace’s will dated 8 November 1761 and proved by Dorset Archdeaconry Court on 3 March 1772 made her two sons Robert and William her executors. To her son Robert she left her dwelling house in the village of Fortuneswell on Portland; her one half acre and half a yard being in Portland aforesaid in a place called Wottledown; an equal share with his brother William of her part of a pasture close called Gerslands and her one half part of one over yard of arable land in Trade and also all her property of a way called Church Point; her table, chest and copper furnace; her utensils and implements of brewing as long as he continues to sell beer and ale, then to share them equally with his brother William. To her son William she left twenty guineas; her house and a garden plot in the village of Chesil on Portland; her garden plot lying to the north of John Allen's house in the village of Chesil; one Yard of arable land being in the East Field upon Kingbarry and also one over yard more of arable being in the Droop Field otherwise Leniesmill Field in a furlong there called Above Four Acres; an equal share with his brother Robert of her part of a pasture close called Gerslands and her one half part of one over yard of arable land in Trade and also all her property of a way called Church Point.

Source : Muddle Family History website http://www.muddlefamilies.info/portland/00wg.htm#_ftn12

DHC Ad/Dt/W/1772/44 Will of Grace Muddle proved by Dorset Archdeaconry Court.

NB The above is the only reference so far to the Windmill Field being called "Leniesmill"

Abraham Pearce

Born : say c 1710 ?

Relations :

Marriage :

Children :

Will :

Died :

Windmill : South (Angeles Mill)

Notes : Shadrac Stone gave up the tenancy on 15th Feb 1744 to Abraham Pearce.

Island of Portland At the Court there held the fifteenth day of February in the Eighteenth year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King Defender of the Faith and so forth and in the year of Our Lord One thousand, Seven hundred and forty four, by Joseph (Edward Pearce ) Swaffield, Gentleman, - Steward there (Edward Pearce Junr ) (Thomas Roper ) Homages (Richard Lano ) Sworn (William Pearce ) (William Stone ) (William Gilbert )

To this Court came Shadrac Stone and surrended into the Hands of our said Lord the King, Lord of the Manor aforesaid by the Hands and acceptance of his said Steward, one piece or parcel of ground lying in Droopfield containing by estimation Twenty perch to be the same more or less, with a Windmill thereon standing and being heretofore called Angeles Mill, bounded with Lands of Colpas Attwoole and Agnes Stone, Widow, on the East, Lands of Henry Attwoole, Daniel Andrews and others on the West, other Lands of the said Colpas Attwoole on the North and other lands of the said Agnes Stone on the South parts thereof, with the appurtenances and all the Estate Right Tithe Interest of them, and Demands whatsoever of him the said Shadrac Stone inand to the said premises to the use and behove of Abraham Pearce, his Heirs and assigns for ever. Whereupon happened to our said Lord the King for a Landchief one farthing and the said Abraham Pearce being present in Court humbly prayed to be admitted Tenant to the said premises to whom our said Lord the King by his Steward granted seisin thereof by the Rod, to have and to hold the said premises with the appurtenances to the said Abraham Pearce, his Heirs and assigns for ever according to the custom of the said Manor. By the Rent therefore by the year of one farthing and the said Abraham Pearce hath given to the said Shadrack Stone for fine, Eighty four pounds in Hand paid, and so the said Abraham Pearce is admitted Tenant and hath done his Fealty to his said Majesty.

Interestingly, the above is the first mention of Angeles (Angels) Mill a name usually applied to the south windmill (see previous footnote). The Angel family (originally from Channel Islands ? 13 ). . Did a member of the Angell have something to do with one of the Windmills ie did he bring the idea / technology over from Channel Island or France ? (another source says that the Angel family came up from Cornwall !!)

1750 - The Liberty of Portland - A list of all persons within the Isle of Portland from the ages of eighteen to fifty years of age made July 27 1750 with their rank, occupation and information (see extract of original at bottom of this page)

Village of Southwell :

24 - William Pearce, Yeoman Miller & Dep Constable

26 - William Coxs , Journeyman Miller

Robert Pearce ( - <1841) [II]

Born :

Relations : Brother - William Pearce & brother in law John Andrews in will.

Marriage : Jane (Andrews) m30/9/182014 (born in 1784) named in will

Children : Robert I (bap 16/3/1823) s/o Robert P miller of Wakeham.

Edward I (bap 3/7/1825) s/o Robert P miller of Southwell

Tithe Ap 1841:

Census 1841 : not in census - died before this date ?

Census 1851 :

Census 1861 :

Will : Made in 1827 as miller of Portland

Died :

Windmill : North (his sons ran it)

Notes : Where did they live ? Baptisms of sons = Wakeham / Southwell; in 1841 census wife & sons in Reforne Street, Easton.

Edward Pearce (1781 - > 1851 ?) [III]

Born : 1781 ? (aged 60 in 1841 census)

Relations :

Marriage : Mary (....?) same age

Children : 5 children - Mary & Jane (both b 1816); Edward & William (both b 1821); Jane (b1826) (2 sets of twins! last dau. born when mother 45 yrs ?)

2 sons = quarrymen in census

Tithe Ap 1841: Records Edward as occupying north mill owned by Jane Pearce (his daughter or mother ?)

Census 1841 : Aged 60, wife Mary 60 also; living at Southwell

Census 1851 : Not found (yet !)

Census 1861 : Aged 83, widower, formerly miller living with his daughter Jane aged 36 years in Southwell.

Will :

Died :

Windmill : North

Notes :

9/4/1826 Edward Pearce miller was amongst list of Persons subscribing for Bridge across Ferry (Ferrybridge) = Edward Pearce miller gave £5 - also listed was his son Edward who gave £1. (NB An Edward Pearce was the enumerator 27 June 1841 census = which one ?)

Edward Pearce (1786 - >1850?) [II]

Born : 1786 ? (from 1851 census)

Relations :

Marriage : Mary (same age from 1851 census) died by 1849 not in will m Mary Lano 26 May 1804 ?? m Mary White 9 July 1824 ??15

Children : All named in his will - mill left to Ambrose Abraham [bap 9/9/1821 ?] Daughter Mary (unmarried at will date); son Edward; son John Alexander; daughter Susanna (Buck); son Flower Russell Pearce.

Tithe Ap 1841: Owner & occupier of south mill with 20 perches of land.

Census 1841 : Age given as 55 (born 1786?); wife Mary 55, son Ambrose 15. living at Reforne

Census 1851 :

Census 1861 :

Will : Made in 184916 (see extract below)

Died :

Windmill : South (20 perches of land with mill in will identifies it as south mill)

Notes : An extract of his will of 1849 states :

In the name of God Amen, I Edward Pearce of the Island of Portland in the County of Dorset, Miller, being in perfect health of body and sounding of mind do make and ordain the My last Will and Testament bearing date the twelth day of February Eighteen Hundred and Forty Nine. And so such worldly estate of which I may die possessed I give and bequeath the same as follows :

First, I give unto my Son Ambrose Abraham Pearce the whole of my Mill with all the apparatus and utencils thereunto belonging with twenty perch of land adjoining, the same situated in "Droopfield", and all rights of roads and appartanances thereto belonging freely to him his heirs and assigns for ever according to the customs of Portland aforesaid. Secondly, I give unto my daughter Mary Pearce so long as she remains unmarried the whole and sole use of

my dwelling house, which I now live in, with all my house-hold furniture in the same Bakehouse & Stables & Outhouses

situated at Easton, but after a period to be divided as hereafter stated.....................

Note : It is interesting to note the bakehouse, stables and outhouses at Easton also belonging to this miller. Presumably he operated the bakery as well as being a miller - quite a logical and profitable joint exercise. The 1841 Tithe Apportionment proves that he owned & occupied the south mill.

.

Ambrose Abraham Pearce (1821 - )

Born : Bap 9/9/1821 s/o Edward Pearce II & Mary, named in father's will of 1849 and given windmill & 20 perches of land (= south mill)

Relations : Was he named after the earlier Abraham Pearce ? (grandfather ?)

Marriage :

Children :

Tithe Ap 1841: Not mentioned

Census 1841 : Age 15 living with parents at Reforne (age ?)

Census 1851 :

Census 1861 :

Will :

Died :

Windmill : South

Notes : Simmons Records 17 for Portland mills notes the following names as mills of west (south) windmill 1855 - A Pearce of Easton & E Pearce of Reforne 1859 - AA Pearce of Easton & G Pearce of Reforne E Pearce of Easton; 1875 - Ambrose Pearce miller & farmer of Easton.

However the above would appear to confirm that Ambrose Pearce was a miller between 1855 & 1875

.

Edward Pearce (1825 - ) [I]

Born : Bap 3/7/1825 s/o Robert Pearce II mentioned in father's will

Relations : Brother Robert I

Marriage :

Children :

Tithe Ap 1841: Edward Pearce named as occupier of North Mill with Jane Pearce (his mother as the landowner)

Census 1841 : No mention

Census 1851 : Aged 25, Master Miller living at 25 Reforne Street with his mother Jane Pearce aged 67 & brother Robert (I) aged 28 (quarryman)

Census 1861 : Records corresponding ages & same occupations (all born on Isle)

Will :

Died :

Windmill : North

1841 Tithe Apportionment proves that he operated the north mill.

.

Robert Pearce (b 1823 - ) [I]

Born : Bap 16/3/1823 s/o Robert Pearce II named in father's will

Relations : Brother of Edward Pearce I

Marriage :

Children :

Tithe Ap 1841:

Census 1841 :

Census 1851 : aged 28 (quarryman)

Census 1861 :

Will :

Died :

Windmill : North

Notes :

Edward and Robert Pearce were the last millers. Edward was known as Ned Lopp and Robert as Bob.

Both mentioned as millers in Kellys Directory of 1885 to 1898 but not in 1903 edition (mills had ceased to operate - photo 1907 shows roof off !)

Edward would have been 72 yrs in 1898 & Robert 75 yrs. Both probably retired then and windmills soon fell into disuse ?