|
The leat, running N-S comes off a weir on the Douglas river,being the combined flow of the Glass or Bright River (running N-S to east of the Mill) and the Dhoo or Black river, - the junction of the two rivers being a short distance on the north side of the road from Spring Valley to Quarterbridge - tail race continues to feed Pulrose Mill. Following the development of Belle Vue Park in 1889 the river and mill races etc were significantly changed or removed. |
|
Some of the early history is mentioned in "Sheen Skeeley Vraddan".
SSS Oct 1807 31: dated 30 Nov 1801;Norris Moore(Castletown) + wife Eunice sell for £480(British) to Wm Leece(merchant, Douglas) that Mill + kiln in Kk Braddan known as Bishop's or Ballaughton mill + dwelling house, outhouses, mill close, claddaugh garden + mill race, suit,soaken + mulcture;Witt Penelope F Bowyer, Richard Stowell
SSS Oct 1807 30: dated 15 Feb 1804;William Leece(merchant, Douglas) sells for £478(British) to John Duke of Atholl that mill in Kk Braddan known as the Bishop's or Ballaughton Mill + dwelling houses, mill closes, claddaugh gardens + dam, dam head, mill race + suit,soakin + multure prev bought by Leece from Norris Moore [date blank] [SSS Oct 1807 31] Witt Wm Leece Drinkwater, Tho Stowell; passed thro barony court.
|
The Duke would appear to have rebuilt the mill a short distance north of the old mill as well as cutting a straighter mill-race. The plan is extracted (and rotated) from P.6315/6 held by the Manx Museum who date it to c.1815 - the new mill is to the top (North) with the river Dhoo running N-S to the east, with the new mill-race being straight whereas the old mill race circled around Port-e-Chee meadow (The Duke had also purchased Port-e-Chee). There is a note of £706 10s advanced on the mill building at Ballalaughton in Dec 1809 [AP_127(3rd) #20], 1811 saw a further £69 spent on mill and £65 to purchase an adj meadow [[AP_127(3rd) #26]. This newly built mill was rebuilt following a fire. The race derives from a dam-head (or weir) that was built to drive Port-e-Chee threshing mill - it was the beviour of this dam-head when presented with the interrupted flow of water from Tromode Mill further upstream when it released water held in a newly constructed dam there, that occassioned a long court case that went to the Privy Council. |
 |
There is a letter published in 1848 describing the improved performance of the water turbine or scotch mill erected in 1843
Ballaughton Mills,
Isle of Man,
10th April, 1843.
Mr. James WHITELAW.Dear Sir,—Having one of your patent water-mills, and feeling particularly well pleased with its working, I have been testing its power, by drawing a comparison between our mill and Pulrose Mill, situated about 400 yards below us, on the same stream of water. The following results will convince every person who understands the subject, that your patent water-mill will work to very great advantage on a low fall, compared with the common water-wheel, and any person desirous to see both mills at work can satisfy himself at any time by calling on me :—
Our fall of water is 8 feet 6 inches, and the water-mill is 9 feet 6 inches diameter — it has 4 arms, and works in tail-water. When the 4 arms are open we drive 6 pairs of stones, each 4 feet 8 inches diameter, viz.: 2 pairs grinding wheat, 2 pairs barley, 1 pair making oatmeal and sifting at same time, and 1 pair shelling oats with the scree and fanners. With 3 arms open — 2 pairs wheat, 1 pair barley, and 1 pair oatmeal, as before. With 2 arms open—2 pairs wheat, and 1 flour cylinder. With 1 arm open — 1 pair wheat, and 1 flour cylinder. Our flour cylinders are 18 inches diameter and 7 feet long. The quantity of wheat we grind per hour on each pair of stones is 6 bushels, and of barley 4 bushels, and oatmeal 10 cwt.; on each cylinder 16 cwt. of fine flour. It may be as well to observe, that all our barley is kiln-dried before grinding, and is ground into a very fine flour for making bread ; consequently it is much harder and takes more power than wheat. The speed of the water-mill, when working as above, is exactly 54 revolutions per minute, our stones 108 revolutions, and our flour cylinders 470 revolutions per minute.
Pulrose Mill has a fall of 7 feet, and is worked by an undershot water-wheel 15 feet diameter and 5 feet wide. It is only 4 years old, and is made upon the very best principle, and there is no loss of water between the two mills. When our 4 arms are open, at Pulrose Mill they have more water than they can consume. Our 3 arms give the exact quantity required by them to drive 1 pair of wheat-stones, 4 feet 6 inches diameter, grinding 5 bushels wheat per hour ; and 1 pair barley, grinding 3 bushels per hour. When our 2 arms are open they have barely enough of water to work 1 pair of wheat- stones, and 1 flour cylinder (16 inches diameter by 5 feet long) dressing 8 cwt. fine flour per hour. When 1 of our arms is open, they are scarcely able to grind 3 bushels of wheat per hour, without any other part of the machinery at work. You are at liberty to make what use you think proper of this letter, and to refer any person for farther information respecting our mill to, dear sir yours very respectfully. Robt Donaldson
Robert Donaldson can be found in the 1841 census as as 25year old Miller & Corn factor living at Millmount Braddan.
It would appear that this water turbine was removed c. 1848 when Cowin & Goldsmith took over the tenancy of the mill.
The Mill was sold in 1885 to Johnathan White Johnson who briefly used it to manufacture mineral water but in 1888 having purchased adjacent property he developed a combined sports and pleasure ground to tap into the opportunities offered by the rapidly developing tourist trade. This development of Ballaughton meadow and adjacent property into Belle Vue Park saw the rerouting of the river Glas and the damming of the confluence of the Dhoo and Glas rivers to form a 4acre boating lake. After a successful few years including hosting the 1892 International Exhibition the financial position deteriorated with its occasional use as a sports ground. In 1912 however it was re-invigorated as a horse and greyhound racetrack only to close ain 1931 as Tynwald prohibited on track betting. Its next re-emerged in 1935 as the King George V park following the purchase of the site by Douglas Cooperation - it was further transformed in 1991 to form the National Sports Centre
James Whitelaw Description of Whitelaw & Stirrat's Patent Water Mill
2nd Ed Mechanics Magazine Office London 1848
Appeal to Privy Council
John Wright From Belle Vue Park to National Sports Centre 2003 [not clear
if this was published or printed for private circulation]
|
|
||
|
|
 |
Water powered Mills etc |
|
|
||
|
Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The
Editor |
||
