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Yaxham
postmill |
Yaxham postmill was built in 1810 by Michael Hardy on copyhold land he had bought from one Daniel Nicholson using a £300 mortgage he had obtained from Dereham farmer, James Nicholson. Michael Hardy put the postmill with two pairs of stones and land up for auction on Friday 5th September 1828. However, it appears that Michael Hardy finally sold the mill and premises to John Banyard in 1829 for £600 with a further £275 for the land. |
The postmill was again put up for auction in May 1834 but may not have been sold. John Banyard died in 1842 and Mrs. Charlotte Sophia Astley, who had already taken over the mortgage, bought the property in 1847, only to die later that year. The postmill was left to Ellen, who was the wife of Revd. Frederick Brewster Thompson, although a dispute in ownership validity arose at this point. The mill was being run by tenants Robert Springhall, 1834 - 1840 and then his son Robert Aldous Springhall 1845 - 1857, both of whom also worked Garveston_postmill. William Critoph purchased the mill and land at auction on Friday 18th September 1857 for £400. |
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Reuben Tilney ran Yaxham_smockmill in Paper Street from 1845 - 1853 and this was bought by William Critoph who moved the mill to his own property that he had bought, complete with the postmill in 1857. The towermilll was built using timber sawn on a bench within the smockmill. Reuben Tilney moved on to Mileham postmill and towermill and William Critoph was one of the executors to his will when he died in 1877. |
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William Critoph was also working Mattishall_Mill_Road_towermill in 1883 and he was a descendent of Robert Critoph of Gresham who in turn was probably related to the Critoph milling family of Sheringham and Upper Sheringham. |
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1810: Mill
built by Michael Hardy |
If you have any memories, anecdotes or photos please let us know and we may be able to use them to update the site. By all means telephone 01263 713658 or
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| Nat Grid Ref TG01321045 |
Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2004 |