Jacob Bird was born in 1789 and ran the mill for at least 20 years. His son, Jacob Mason Bird, was running Hilborough_watermill in the 1840s before moving to Downham Market and in 1848 he in turn had a son, Frederick Augustus Bird, who went on to run Bird's_mill at Downham Market.

Emanuel Bowen's map of 1749 showed a total of 8 corn mills:
Briningham postmill,
East Wretham postmill
Fincham postmill
Poringland tower ? mill
South Creake Common postmill
St. Benet's Abbey towermill
Strumpshaw smockmill
Tacolneston postmill

My name is Peter Bird and I am the son of the late Algy Bird who was the last of the Birds to mill flour in Norfolk. I have been endebted to your website for some early history of my forbears and where they lived, and I would like to express my gratitude for the efforts you have made.
My father's father was Frederick Augustus Bird (the F.A. Bird of the Downham_Mill) and he was born in 1848 in the Hilborough Mill which was run by his father, Jacob Mason Bird.
Jacob Mason's father was another Jacob and he ran the Fincham Post Mill. I had no idea of this until I looked at your website. This Jacob was born in 1789 and I have not managed to go any further back.
What I do not know, at time of writing, is whether Jacob Bird senior had any more sons that Jacob Mason, and if so, were they flour millers too?
Peter Bird, Cambridge - 16th May 2007

My G-grandfather was George Sporne. The 1861 census shows he lived at Shouldham_Thorpe_Mill with wife Ann and young children Thomas, John, Edward and daughter Harriet.
It looks like he moved to Fincham Corn Mill with his family in 1863 and his sons Thomas and John went on to run the mill and the bakery.
The 1871 census shows George Sporne living at Mill Cottage, Downham Road, Fincham as Miller & Baker with his children (Thomas now 17 and working with his father.) Dear Ann died a week or so after her 37th birthday and days before the 1871 Census. Her gravestone stands in the graveyard of St Martin's Church, Fincham.  
George Sporne then married Martha Sporne in August 1872 and my grandfather George F. Sporne was born on 6th July 1873, in Fincham and his brother Alfred C. Sporne was born in 1876, also in Fincham. By the 1881 Census, George had left Martha to bring up the two boys by herself. I believe George emigrated to New Zealand, possibly in 1879-80 but I have no evidence of this.
John R. G. Sporne - 27th December 2007

On my visit to Fincham in August 2006 (My only other visit was with my Grandfather in the summer of possibly 1947 when I was 8) I went into the churchyard and a lady with her elderly mother in a wheelchair was looking for the gravestone of James Bywater (b. 1841). James Bywater was the grandfather of the lady in the wheelchair whose maiden name was Dorothy Bywater (b. 1919). We got to talking and found out we were connected as Ann Sporne née Bywater (b. 1834) was half sister to James, although James would have possible grown up thinking Ann was his sister. James Bywater grew up to own and run the Bakery in Fincham opposite St Martin's church. George & Ann Sporne would have run a bakery at the Fincham Post Mill at the other end of the village. The bakery that James Bywater owned is now a large dwelling home.
Dorothy, her daughter Marie and a friend had travelled down from Lincoln that day. It was their first visit to Fincham.
We enjoyed lunch together in The Swan, Fincham. Edward H. Sporne (son of George & Ann) with his wife Pricilla were the proprietors of the The Swan from 1896. Edward died in 1926 but Pricilla continued to run The Swan until her death in April 1945 aged 82. My grandfather spoke of her fondly as Aunt Pricy.
John R. G. Sporne - 25th May 2008

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2007