(72) Abbey Clay Works

The site would appear to be an old site repurposed in mid 19th Century - the boundary between the parishes of German and Patrick runs through the site as it deviates from the Neb to follow the path of a mill race which is fed from a point south of Ballaleece Bridge - there is another stream that comes down into what would appear to be a small dam. The Clay pit is the other side of the Peel-Douglas road and the clay would appear to be conveyed on some track raised above the road.

The road north of the site is a new road, constructed in the late 1750s that replaced the old track unsuitable for wheeled vehicles.

The mill site was apparently close to the site of the old Abbey mill - noted in the 1703 composition book

John Leece for halfe a milne called the Abbey Milne of 6s 8d rent compounded in the year 1648 Fine for the same was 26s 8d. Two lives in being so is now to pay £0.17.9½

Cesar Watleworth for the other halfe of the said Miln 6s 8d rent compounded for in the year 1666 by John Watleworth. Fine for the same 26s 8d. Two lives in being is now to pay £0.18.1½

This old mill would appear to have been destroyed in a flood and rebuilt, possibly on a different site as per account found in a deed of sale [NSS Oct 1749 8]

[Bishop's rent] dated 19 May 1712; Recites that the Abbey Miln in Kk German belonging to Caesar Wattleworth and Jon Leece was by volume of the River occasioned by floods washed down and demolished.Thomas Shimin + wife Mary sell, for consideration covenanted, to sd Caesar Wattleworth + Jo Leece that part of the western corner of the field called the Old House being Bopps land of annual rent 1d and part of our tenemt on wch the sd Caesar Wattleworth + Jo Leece senr late decd have built and erected a water corn miln, and also twelve yards in length from the miln race to their ditch below the sd miln and likewise sufficient ladder room about the miln on all occasion of thatching & repairing the same and from the south east end of the miln to the back water three yards in breadth with full liberty at all times in the year to winnow corn in the most convenient place of our land abt the said miln without prejudice to us in respect of our corn where there is any abt the the miln. Condition is that as long as the sd miln shall continue to grind our kishans of wheat and nine bowles of corn with thir meal corn, rye, barley or other grain mulcture as toll free. And if it happen that the sd miln be washed down or otherwise demolished & not capable to be rebuilt or repaired then Ceasar Wattleworth + Jon Leece or their heirs have free liberty to carry away the stones, timber + other materials and Thos Shimin + heirs to enjoy the beforementioned lands ; Witt Wm Tear, Wm Dawson x, James Young (Shimmins 'x', Wattleworth + Leece sign).

A delay of 37 years between signing and court appearance is somewhat unusual - John Leece's half share was the first to be split from his larger holdings

NSS May 1785 6

[also in Kk German][Abbey]dated 9 Mar 1784;John Leece(Ballaleece, Kk German) sells for £1100 to John Lace(gentleman, Castletown) estate called Ballaleece + Closes Crot-ne-harey + Cooil-vane + half Abbey mill - sd estate all situate in Kk Patrick + German; Witt Tho Stowell, John Kennedy

NSS Oct 1786 14

dated 7 Jan 1785; John Lace(Castletown) + wife Elizabeth sell for 1216 13s 4d to Anne Casement(spinster, Balladerry Antrim) that estate known as Ballaleece together with the Close, Croit-ne-harry and Cooil-vane together with half the Abbey-mill which premises are in Kk Patrick + German; Witt Wm Quane x, [missed]

NSS May 1788 4

[also entered in Kk German][Abbey]dated 2 Dec 1786;Ann Casement(spinster, late of Co Antrim but now of Kk Patrick) sells for £50 to Thomas Mylchreest(yeoman, Lonan) half of the Abby Mill in Kk Patrick (partially erased) late property of John Leece of Ballaleece rent 5s (Abbey) + 1s 8d (lords) together with a piece of ground 1d rent where old mill formerly stood.Witt Henry Graves, Jno Mylchreest;annexed note by Wm Quine attorney for Ann that 0.25d Bishops rent was meant and intended to be conveyed with deed

Wattleworth's half soon followed

SSS May 1800 1

[Bishop's rent] dated 28 Mar 1800;Caesar Wattleworth(Peel) + wife Catharine als Clark sell for £4 + ground rent £4 to John Cottier(millwright, Peel) that undivided moiety of a water-corn mill known as the Abbey Mill situate on a parcel of Bishop's land in Kk Patrick rent 1d purchased by deed dated 19 May 1712 from Thomas Shimin + wife. Witt Jas C Crane, Thomas Carran.

Futher research is needed.

The first record I can find in the papers in an advertisement in the Manx Sun, Saturday 1st December 1866;

BRICKS FOR SALE. GOOD Machine made Building and Semi-fire BRICKS for Sale at the ABBEY CLAY WORKS , St John's, at Twenty five Shillings per Thousand. J. WHITEHOUSE. Manager.

The adverts continued for the next two years but the underlying basis of their business was removed by the Ballaharra Clay Case

Mona's Herald, Wednesday, 9th October 1867

CHANCERY COURT. CASTLETOWN , THURSDAY , OCT. 3, 1S67.

The first Chancery Court of the present term was held to-day. There was very little business before the Court, and no case of importance was heard. The only one worth reporting was that of MYLCHREEST V. THE BRICK AND TILE COMPANY . This suit, is instituted for the purpose of having the defendants, the Isle of Man Brick and Tile Company, limited, restrained from digging clay on the complainants' estate of Ballaharra, in the parish of German. The company claims the right to dig clay under a licence granted by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests ; and the principal question in the suit was whether the Woods and Forests, as representing the Lady of the Manor, were entitled to and had any power to give permission to dig the clay. On the former hearing of the case in July last, the final hearing for the petition for injunction was deferred to-day, the company in the meantime being allowed to remove clay from the excavation previously made on their giving security to the plaintiffs for the value. On the hearing of the matter to-day the Court granted an absolute injunction restraining the company altogether from interfering with the lands of the plaintiffs until the final hearing of the suit.
Messrs, Sherwood and Dumbell were for the plaintiffs, and Messrs. Adams and R. J. Moore for the defendants.

Isle of Man Times, Saturday, 4th July 1868:

Chancery Court,

CASTLETOWN , THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1868.

Several cases having been held over for judgment for some time, our reporter, on inquiry, found that the following decisions were minuted:-

THOMAS MYLECHREEST, and another, v. The Brick and Tile Co., Limited, and others.

This is the celebrated clay case, and involved the question of the ownership of the clay or marl, under the lands of this Island. The Court has decided that the clay or marl is the property of the customary proprietors of this Island, and not the property of the Lady of the Manor. Perpetual injunction is granted against the defendants removing clay from the plaintiffs' estate of Ballaharra, in German, and defendants are ordered to pay costs. A reference is made to the Clerk of the Rolls to report on the value of the clay removed, &c.

In Februrary 1869 [Isle of Man Times, Saturday, 6th February 1869]

FOR SALE, that very desirable PROPERTY recently erected and fitted up in the most approved style for the manufacturing of BRICKS , TILES, and EARTHENWARE, situate at ST. JOHN'S, in the Isle of Man, close to the main road leading from Douglas to Peel; 8 miles from the former and 2 miles from the latter.

These Works have a WATER POWER equal to TWENTY HORSES, with an abundance and regular supply of water at all seasons. Connected therewith is a Water Wheel, 16 feet diameter x 6½ feet wide, which was used in driving one of Clayton's approved Machines for the making of Bricks and Tiles, and which is now standing complete.

The Erections consist of a well-lighted and ventilated DRYING HOUSE, 150 feet long x 31 feet wide, in two spans of 15.5 feet each, with drying flues heated by 6 furnaces, which converge to a chimney stack 50 feet high ; Mill-buildings, Workshops, Store-rooms, Warehouse, 2 Cottages, Cupolo Kilns, Circular Oven, &c.; also, a newly erected MANAGERS' DWELLING HOUSE, all in excellent order, and as the Water Power is so complete, the works could be easily converted into any other sort of Manufactory.

These Premises are on Sale, as the present Company is under Liquidation, in consequence of the surface proprietors refusing to come to terms with them for the purchase of the clay.

Mr JAMES WHITEHOUSE will show the Works, and give particulars. Offers to be addressed to the Liquidator, DAVID LYELL, Crosby, Isle of Man.

Abbey Clay Works, St. John's, 2nd Feb., 1869.

Shortly after this time the railway fom Douglas to Peel via St Johns was built along the Neb flood plain north of the river, it opened in 1873 and as noted on the Museum's copy of the list of mills, that the site was destroyed by Railway construction with the wheel going to Kella Mills - T Brew's own account of Kella Mills states that the wheel came from Ballig Brick works which would appear to have bought the machinery from the Abbey Clay works.

There must however have remained some interest in the clay as a guide book "Mona's Isle" published in 1895 noted the Abbey Clay works along the railway line from St Johns to Peel.

Some of the buildings, possible the cottages + house remained, possibly as ruined as it appears squatters used them.

By 1898 it would appear that the owners had lost interest in the site as the Manx Sun, Saturday, 16th July 1898 notes:

LORD'S RENT. -The Attorney-General presented a petition at the Chancery Court, on Wednesday, to have revived a decree made on the 12th of April, 1898, empowering the coroner to sell an abbey mill belonging to Mr Wm. Fine Moore and Mr Thomas William Mylchreest, so as to recover £6 8s 8½d, Lord's Rent payable in respect of the land. Both gentlemen were dead, and notice of the application was given to their next-of-kin, numbering twenty odd : and no objection being made, the decree was revived, carrying with it the costs of the application.

Isle of Man Times, Saturday, 15th October 1898:

CORONER'S SALE OF HOUSES AND LANDS IN GERMAN.
A most suitable lot for a Speculating Company.
Preliminary. SHORTLY will be SOLD by PUBLIC AUCTION (under decree of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice), the RIGHT, TITLE, and INTEREST of William Fine Moore and others in and to the ABBEY MILL, now known as the BRICK WORKS, near Ballaharah, in the parish of German. Date of Sale and full particulars in future advertisements. In the meantime apply to G. A. Ring. Esq., Attorney-General; or to Philip Teare, Coroner of Glenfaba Sheading.

Isle of Man Times, Saturday, December 24, 1898:
German.

SQUATTER AT THE ABBEY MILL - At the Common Law Court, at Peel on Monday, Philip Teare sued Thomas Cain for possession of certain lands, premises, etc. on the estate known as the Abbey Mill Clay Works. German. Mr Hughes-Games appeared for Mr Teare - Mr Teare said the man was a squatter, and lived in the mill, which had been sold to Mr A. Latham. Junction Hotel, St. John's, under an order from the Chancery Court-The defendant was 70 years old, and said he would shift when he could [get] another cottage. A possession order was granted.

		Water powered Mills etc
Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor © F.Coakley , 2023