…understanding a Grist Mill
…a “colonial” grist mill
I’m known to simplify things to my level of understanding… I don’t grind my own flour or cornmeal so this is my version of “flour grinding for Dummies”. This is the simplest explanation of how mill stones work that I have run across… indeed, even I understood it. (the stones part)
If you simply add running water in place of that handle…then you have a water mill. First… get some stones…
…this has to happen before you turn the crank…. this is my favorite gardener…
This is all an introduction to my “where was the preacher’s Mill?” Post… perhaps coming shortly…
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OK… so my head is all filled up with fancy 2 story brick water mills… horse manure… I’m researching the 1600s when things were more primitive and scarce.
As I start to realize…. the first Mill was constructed in 1621 near Jamestown. Mention is made “In the same year, the Treasurer of the Virginia Colony was commanded to construct a water mill.” As you see, I have my mind centered around what might be a very “primitive” and practical water mill.
And the land was pretty flat near the Old Brick Church. So I envision a pretty small affair with these very first Mills.
Here is a no “frills” run of the mill Mill. Of course this has a “modern” vertical setup… so my purpose here is to try to show a possible setup for an early Mill. I’m curious if this little setup could actually have used that rather LARGE millstone.
I also think the Race was On to construct the best mill prototypes. The Colonists did very well on their own… but they did have to import the machine gears and such. The best stones could be imported from France. I heard that sawmills were better quality in the Colonies simply because the British were loathe to introduce new sawmill technology that might disrupt the employment of the overhead and underhead sawmen. They tried to protect buggywhips!
It seems Robert Bracewell, Clerke (minister)… upon his deathbed, desired to leave a Mill for the sake of posterity…. and his sonne.
I am left ruminating about the details of that enterprise… and I am not convinced that there was not some earlier attempts to build a Mill near the same spot. I am still searching for clues…
But this is about the Mill… and these details seem pretty impressive…. meaning a substantial Mill….
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