Two newspapers carried the same articles reprinted from Minneapolis Northwestern Miller - the original issues are available on-line as digitised images of the microfilmed paper. The Manx press, not being able to print images at this period, did not carry the photographs. The author would appear to be a short term resident of Crosby Marown but what connection he had with milling seems unclear.

THE "NORTHWESTERN MILLER" ON MILLING IN MANXLAND.

The Minneapolis "Northwestern Miller" of June 7th, July 26th, and August 30th, has a series of interesting articles, on the above subject from the pen of Mr Thomas H. Allbutt, a gentleman who has frequently contributed to the columns of the "Manx Sun". Each number of our American contemporary has a series of beautifully printed views of Manx mill scenery on the front page, which lend an additional charm to the interesting matter of the letterpress. The general get up of the paper the excellence of the editorial matter, as well as the information contained in its news columns stamps the "Northwestern Miller" as a trade paper of the highest standard, and Mr Allbutt's entertaining articles and his most artistic selection of Manx scenery must prove a most valuable advertisement for Manxland in the whole of the United States as well,as in many other parts of the world. Subjoined we give the first of the series and will continue the others in our succeeding issues:-

The Isle of Man, like Tennyson's Hollow Lotus land, is essentially a land of streams. A vast number of pretty glens open at the foot of its mountain ranges; and down each glen comes a tumbling brook such as anglers love.

But the Manx are by no means lotus-eaters. On the contrary are keen, energetic and quick to take advantage of nature's gifts. In no way has this quickness been more markedly displayed than in the utilization of all available water power. Almost every stream, however insignificant, works a mill of some kind and few are without the remains of older structures testifying to a like activity in the past.

No doubt many of these old buildings were connected with the flax industry, at one time quite a leading feature of the island; but the large number bear evidences of having been corn mills. Old records, indeed, show that at the close of the last century there were upwards of seventy corn and grist-mills at work in the island, that such a number could exist in a territory only some twenty-six miles in length by eleven in extreme width, and scarcely a third of it at that time under cultivation, appears simply marvellous; especially, taken in conjunction with the fact that the entire population of the island at that period was less than 25,000

Most of these mills, it is true, were of the very smallest capacity. But the erection of such a large number within such a limited area is only explainable on two grounds. The first of these was the almost roadless condition of the country. Wheeled vehicles were almost unknown, and the corn had to be conveyed to and from the mill over rough tracks and on the backs of oxen. So bad indeed were the roads that many folks lived and died without ever going beyond the bounds of their own parish.

A more potent ground for the erection of many of the mills was the pecuniary needs of the lord, or kings of Man — the Stanleys. Earl of Derby — who for some 300 years were absolute rulers of the island. With few exceptions the lords spent their time at the English court or on their English estate.

Up to the end of the fourteenth century such mills as existed in the island had been mainly, if not entirely, confined to the baronies belonging to the different abbeys and convents. Indeed, the first milldam constructed in the island — that of Rushen Abbey — is said to have been the work of the monks themselves, about the year 1380.

A Manx Quern

Previous to that time, and indeed for long afterwards, the machine in common use in Man was the quern. This primitive contrivance. as seen in the rough sketch, consisted of a beehive-shaped runner, about eight inches in diameter at the base, fitted into a bedstone hollowed to a depth of about an inch and a half. The grain was fed in through a small hole in the top of the runner; the runner itself was turned by a handle fixed in the side. As the meal accumulated it raised the runner and escaped over the edge of the bed, and was then collected and roughly sieved. For a reason which will presently appear few of these old querns remain in existence. The one from which the sketch is taken is in the possession of W. Quine, of the Silverburn Mills, Ballasalla, to whom, as also to A. W. Moore, Speaker of the Manx House of Keys, and Thomas Corlett, of Laxey Glen, I am indebted for much valuable information.

It was probably early in the fifteenth century that the lord of the island took to following the example of the monks and nuns in building water-mills for his tenantry. It may have been from benevolent motives in the first instance, but even that is doubtful; and it would certainly appear that before very long the mills became instruments for 'grinding' the tenants as well as their meal.

The island was parcelled out into small divisions, the tenants in each being bound under penalties to have their corn ground at their own district mill and no other. It was enacted that 'If the bound tenants do fail to grind and yield their grist at their tenants' mill, the owner or the head miller is to go to any other mill where he finds such tenant's corne in, and take the mulcture thereof with his own Kishan (a gallon measure) and to present such tenant to the court upon oath that they may be fined unto the lord." Again we read, 'It is an antient custom that the tenants bound to any mill are obliged to help to repair the said mill stream or dam-head, and to give a proportion of straw toward the thatching of the said mill, and also to bring home the mill stones by land to the said mill, etc' On the other hand, we find that 'If any antient mill be out of repair or want water, whereby it cannot grind the tenants corne that is brought to the same, the owner of the said mill, taking his toll and mulcture out of the said corne (being the 24th part thereof) is upon his own charges to carry the said corne onto another mill and there to grind the corne without any further mulcture, and after carry the same again to his own mill where the tenant is to receive it.'

Which was all fair enough if the tenants had been unable to grind their own 'corne.' But, as they all had querns, and wives, daughters or servants able to use them, it was somewhat hard to have to carry their corn to the mill and bring it back minus a twenty-fourth part and whatever loss there might be in grinding. So, it is not surprising to learn that a good deal of grinding was still done at home, and that the lord of the island found that it was one thing to make a law and quite another to enforce it.

Probably as time went on, the tenants' evasions, both as to sending their corn to the mills and doing their share of repairs, became more frequent. At any rate, the lord did not consider he was getting enough from the miller, while the miller complained that he could not make a living. So, in 1618, an inquiry was held: the mills which were out of repair were put into proper order; and to avoid any future evasions, the lord took the very drastic measure of sending officers round to break up the querns where ever they were to he found. That was practically the end of quern milling. That it was carried on to some little extent secretly there is no doubt, for the manorial books of the island contain records of convictions and fines. Where there were many mouths to fill, and little enough to fill them with, the temptation to save that twenty-fourth part would be great. But hence forth the quern was to be like the illicit still: known to exist, but unrecognized. At that time, and indeed down to the commencement of the present century, oats and barley were almost the only description of grain used in the island. Every mill had its drying kiln, of which the tenants who brought corn to be ground had a free use, providing they brought their own fuel. Otherwise, a charge was made for drying.

The original water-mills were of a primitive description. The water-wheel was horizontal - an ancestor of the turbine — and the 'runner' was on the same shaft. The meal was thrown out from the stones on to the floor, from which it was shoveled up and sieved. Queer little places most of these mills must have been, but not picturesque like the old mills of other countries; for they were roughly built of stone and differed little in appearance from an ordinary cottage. Here and there might be found one which like the ruin shown in one of the illustrations, from the necessities of situation, was built more substantially than the general average.

Some seventy or eighty years ago Manx milling underwent a marked development. Before that time such a mill as the Abbey mill at Ballasalla. depicted in the illustration, would have been considered a fairly good representative mill. But with a largely increased acreage brought into cultivation and a better class of grain grown throughout the island, something better in the way of milling was also required. Manx oatmeal was then exported to a considerable extent. and flour milling became general in the larger mills. This was chiefly for local use; though Manx flour, made from a mixture of native and foreign wheat, found its way into Liverpool and Whitehaven for mixing with American. The illustration of Mr Faragher's mill at Glenfaba. near Peel, gives a good idea of the up-to-date mills of fifty years ago.

The milling boom did not last. The roller system put a stop to it: for Manx wheat is too soft to be used very freely in a roller mill. Only two mills in the island have adopted rolls, viz., the Nunnery mill of Messrs Quine, at Douglas: and the mill of Messrs Corlett, at Laxey Glen. The latter is worked by both turbine and steam. The illustration of it on the front page shows the latest stage in the evolution of Manx milling.

II. Milling in Manxland.

The following article, being the second of the series, is taken from "The Weekly Northwestern Miller," Minneapolis, .Minn. The article is illustrated by an old wheel at Groudle Glen, old mill near Douglas, and mill at Garwick Glen. The author of The article is Mr Thomas Albutt, of Crosby, Marown, a gentleman well-known as an expert on milling and kindred subjects:—

In a former article I dealt with Manx milling chiefly from a historical point of view. I will now ask the reader to accompany me on a trip among a few of the existing mills. We must not expect too much; for the Island is but a little place, and - with The Liverpool millers and importers competing for its trade — the production of flour to any considerable extent is a thing of the past.

As Douglas, besides being the capital, is essentially the "gate" of Manxland, it would be natural for us to commence by a visit to a Douglas mill. But the day is fine and the headlands to the northwest look so inviting that the temptation to take the short trip to Laxey by electric car is too strong to be resisted. Indeed, we have good excuse for yielding: for the Laxey Glen mill is the finest in the Island, and we are sure of a hearty welcome from its proprietors. So we take the car at Derby Castle and soon find ourselves high above the sea, rounding headlands and following the curves of rocky bays. Just below us at the top of Garwick glen is a quaint little grist mill, the illustration of which is given as representing the general type of the small country mills of the Island. A couple of miles farther the coast line opens; and, turning suddenly inland, we find ourselves running high up along the side of a deep valley. Below is a miniature harbour with a long, straggling village extending up the valley. In a few minutes more we are at our journey's end. There is no need to ask our way; for the handsome building which stretches right across the glen bears the legend, "Laxey Glen Mills." carved on a large stone tablet above its center windows. It does not look in the least like a flour mill; and we presently learn that it was built by a Belfast firm after the style of the linen mills of that city. We also learn — much to our surprise — that it was built as long ago as 1862. It looks as if it might have been finished yesterday. Nor does the interior belie external appearances. The whole place is well lighted, airy and thoroughly well finished, with plenty of room for additional machinery if required. Here we find Thomas Corlett with his eldest son and namesake. The former is the beau-ideal of a jolly miller of the old school. He tells us that he took the mill over in 1878; that he fought for a long time against the introduction of the roller system; but that at last he became convinced that it was a question between introducing it or losing his business. Even then, while putting in the rolls, he retained the stones as well, they come in handy for grinding soft Manx wheat, the flour from which is liked for its fine flavour. The mill also possesses a good oatmeal plant and turns out a nice quality of meal. The power is supplied by water-wheel and steam.

Returning to Douglas, we make our way along the side of the inner harbour, and, crossing the old bridge, find ourselves at the Nunnery mill, worked by W. & T. F. Quine, sons of Mr Quine, of Silverburn. This mill, as the name implies, is the successor of older mills, belonging to a large nunnery which existed in the neighbourhood up to the time of Queen Elizabeth. It is probable, however, that the original mill was situated rather higher up the stream. The present one is an unpretentious building, rather of country than city type. But it contains up-to-date machinery, turns out a good sack of flour, and does a considerable trade in "whole meal" flour not only in the island itself, but in "the adjacent islands of Great Britain and Ireland," as the Manx sometimes laughingly call them. The mill, which is driven entirely by water from a powerful race running out of the Douglas river at a weir some few hundred yards away, is under the active management of Mr William Quine, junr., who, like his machinery, is quite up to date. For anyone having time to spare, it is a pleasant excursion to Messrs Quine's other mill at Silverburn, reached from Ballasalla station by a pleasant walk past the ruined Abbey of Rushen and the old bridge built by the monks — too narrow for a wheeled vehicle to cross — and up a long winding glen. But to make sure of catching Mr Quine, senr., it is necessary to make an appointment beforehand; for he is one of the busiest men in Manxland, a member of the Manx Parliament and of many committees. He is another specimen of the "jolly old miller" and a grand advertisement for the temperance principles, of which he is a strong advocate. He tells us that the original mill was built in 1610; and it and its successors continued in the possession of the same family— English people of the name of Preston— until fifty or sixty years ago. The present building is comparatively new, and has lately been fitted with a plant for the manufacture of flaked oats. At present it can only cope with the Insular demand; but Manx oats are good and plentiful, and there is no reason why an extensive business should not eventually be done for export.

Harking back to Douglas— a walk of a few minutes along the Castletown Road, brings us to Kewaigue mill, a fairly old structure, which, like the proverbial mistress of the boarding-house, has "seen better days." At one time, so the present proprietor, Mr Cowley, tells us, it did almost the largest oatmeal trade in the island. That was when oatmeal and herrings formed the staple diet of the Islanders. From Kewaigue, a field path skirting the Nunnery Grounds brings us back to the Douglas River, about half-a-mile above Mr Quine's Mill, and close to a mean-looking little building, once the Pulrose Mill, but now a laundry. Another quarter of a mile along the river bank, and we reach a large structure not so very long ago the Spring Valley Mills, but converted— or perverted, as our temperance friends would doubtless say - into a thriving brewery. A little beyond this point, the valley of the Douglas divides into the valleys of the Dhoo or Black river, and the Glas, or Bright river. With the latter, though the larger stream, we have small interest; for, though it works important worsted and flannel mills it is almost featureless as regards flour mills. So we will follow the Dhoo. which turns westward and at a distance of about a mile and a half or so, come to a long high building with a number of low sheds at the rear. This is Union Mills — giving the name of the railway station, post-office, and district round them. Here in old times was the Mullen Doway, or Mill of the Black Ford, one of the most ancient in Man. This was burnt and after some years the present buildings were built. They consist of a large flour and oatmeal mill with a woollen mill in the rear; the two being worked in conjunction by the firm of Dalrymple Maitland & Co. Not only so, but a general store on the principle common enough in some parts of America was run in connection with the business, and "Union Mills" became synonymous with all that was prosperous and go-ahead. But times change and Union Mills is no longer the busy place it used to be. W. Dalrymple Maitland retired some ten years ago while still comparatively a young man. He is still prominent in the Island as a director of leading companies. Other parties could not make the combined businesses pay. Now the corn mill is worked single handed by a shrewd old Manxman, Mr Kissack; while the extensive woollen sheds have been turned into a mineral water factory and a dye-works.

In reply to some remarks as to the very large size of many of the mill buildings in the Island, in comparison with the work the machinery is capable of doing, Mr Kissack explains that in many cases very large storage accommodation was necessary. Water supply in the summer was capricious; and large stocks both of oat and meal had to be held in order to have ample material to work upon when water was plentiful and ample supplies for customers, should the mill be kept standing. Then folks who brought their "grist" to the mill liked to see it kept well apart from the millers' own grain, lest there should be any confusion between "meum and "tuum." Indeed, there still remains upon the Manx statute book an obligation on the part, of the miller to be sworn-in annually to deal honestly with their customers; an obligation which has long since ceased to be enforced.

What is more difficult of explanation is the very large size of the water wheels attached to some of the very small mills. Take for instance, the old mill at Onchan, of which an illustration is given. When its water rights were bought by the Corporation of Douglas the wheel was removed to Groudle Glen where it is used for some purpose connected with the hotel. It is shown in another illustration, and one wonders why a wheel of such power should have been attached to a little place like the Onchan mill.

Between Union Mills and Peel we pass many little mills at the foot of the different glens; but we will visit only one of them. This is Glen Darragh Mills or, as it is called in old Manx records, "Mullen e Cain"— Cain's mill— as likely as not founded by ancestors of our Kansas friends. This Mullen e Cain is a grim looking erection of moderate size standing across the entrance to a pretty glen, well wooded, and carpeted in spring with bluebells and primroses. The mill is, at last sight, a puzzle. It is not a steam mill, or there is no chimney; but neither is there any sign of water-wheel or race or culvert to carry off waste water. A stream flows down the glen but passes some distance at one side of the mill. But a tiny waterfall down the steep side of the glen gives a clue to the mystery; and, climbing up. we discover the race at the top. At that side the high bank comes very near the building, and a trough a few feet in length conveys the water into the building, just below the roof. It is an arrangement common enough where a low building stands at the foot of a steep descent; but seldom seen in the case of a structure of good height, standing out on level ground. The wheel is in the middle of the main building, working in a sort of huge cupboard. "Not a pleasant place by any means," is our reflection as standing in the cupboard, we look into the black depths below. "Where does the water go to?" we ask. Well, it goes into a drain which runs underground across the yard and the road and rejoins the stream under a bridge.

Taking the train at Crosby we pass Greeba Castle, the residence of Hall Caine, and, further on, the Tynwald Hill at St John's, where the Manx Laws are promulgated year by year. We catch glimpses of two more little mills; and, passing close under Glenfaba mill — an illustration of which accompanied my former article— arrived at the old cathedral city of the Island. A short walk brings us back to Glenfaba where we take a look at the mill and have a chat with Mr Faragher, the proprietor. The situation of the mill is very picturesque, the river Neb narrowing at that point and passing between high banks. The building is, next to that at Laxey Glen, the most substantial and modern-looking on the Island. The two water-wheels, working abreast, are of good class, and the supply of water is excellent. The mill does a fair trade, but is somewhat handicapped as regards flour for want of up-to-date machinery.

In the short distance of eleven miles between Douglas and Peel we have passed ten mills or ex-mills, a proof of the extent to which the milling industry was carried on in its palmy days. Wherever one goes in the Island it is the same, though the majority of the mills on the northern and southern river or of very small size and are let at little over the rent of cottages. Of some of the most interesting of the old out-lying mills and the histories and legends attached to them, I hone to say something in a future article.

III. AMONG THE "ANTIENT" MILLS.

It was, I think, Catherine Fanshawe who, replying in verse to one who wished to persuade her to spell her name with K instead of C. advised her friend to beware of the idea "that all things obsolete are old."

Such a caution is much needed by anyone visiting the little country mills of "the little Man Island." for their appearance is very deceptive. The stone of which their walls are constructed, though as hard as flint, has a discoloured and weather beaten appearance, even when newly brought from the quarries. That, and the fact of the rough slabs being built into the walls without any attempt to hew them into shape, combine to give an appearance of age almost at once. Given a patchy roof, woodwork sadly needing a coat of paint, a due amount of moss and lichen, the growth of which the moist climate greatly favours, and you have a building which may be of any age from forty years up to four hundred.

Not that there are many — or indeed, so far as I can learn, any buildings of the latter age existing in their entirety. Most of the "antient" mills — and there are about thirty still at work whose water-rights go back beyond the rent roll of 1510. the oldest existing "terrier" of the island — have been rebuilt from time to time; doubtless in many cases more than once. Few of the existing structures stand on the original sites; though in some instances the foundations of the older mill may be seen not many yards from its successors. From the fact that as a rule, no special advantage would seem to have accrued from the alteration of site it may be inferred that the slight change of position was made in order that the old mill might be kept at work till the new one was nearly completed. This would prevent the inconvenience otherwise likely to be caused to the farmers "bound" to the particular mill undergoing reconstruction, and both material and labour were doubtless very cheap. Of the five or six mills known or believed to occupy original sites all would probably be partly constructed from the old material ; and it is more than likely that in some cases a portion of the original structure was left standing and forms part of the present building. This is believed to be the case at Colby mill, a picturesque old place standing in a pretty glen about four miles from Castletown. This was a "Lord's" mill — as distinct from an Abbey one — and one of some consequence, for the rental in 1510 was no less than 20s; a high rent, for money at that time was worth nearly forty times its present value. Indeed, no higher rent was paid for any mill in the southern portion of the island, though in the northern portion considerably larger rentals were in some instances charged.

It may not be out of place to mention here the principle on which the rental was fixed. Each Lord's mill had bound to it 100 "quarterlands" of 75 acres each: the rent of the mill being that of a quarterland, taking the average of the whole hundred. Some quarterlands would consist wholly or principally of barren mountain, others principally of rich farm land. The mill would be built of a size to cope with the production of grain in its own particular hundred, and rented accordingly. Arbory. the parish in which Colby mill is situated, would even at that period deserve its title of the garden of the south. Rushen, its neighbour, was somewhat less fertile, with an average rental of 15s. On the other hand, Marown, the central parish of the island, must have worn an aspect very different than its present one, as its three mills were let jointly for the magnificent total of 6s, or. 2s each.

Rushen, like Arbory, only boasted one Lord's mill, for a good deal of Abbey land lay in the south. This was Kentraugh mill. It is a quaint spot to this day, standing behind a little hill which hides it from the shore. There are salmon weirs and a large pond, and the whole place looks dreamy, though prosperous. The present mill, though very small, is comparatively modern-looking. Yet the miller in old days was a man of no small importance, being captain of his parish, still considered a post of great honour, though curtailed of many of its duties, and he was the wealthiest man in the district.

In Malew parish, to the east and north-east of Arbory, are the Abbey mills at Ballasalla referred to in my first article as the cradle of Manx water-milling. The parish was an important one, for it not only contained the Abbey itself but the castle and port of Castletown, for a long period the seat of government and the gate of the island. The two old Lord's mills near the castle can never have been picturesque; but a third, situated at Grenaby, about two miles inland, is eminently so. There is a legend that one of the wrecked seamen of the Spanish Armada — of which a large number settled in the south of the island — wooed and married the miller's daughter at Grenaby. At his death he was found to have been in possession of some little amount of gold in the form of dust and small nuggets. Probably he had brought it with him originally and had kept if by him as a reserve fund. But, as he had been fond of taking solitary walks among the hills and glens, his neighbours would have it that he must have found the gold in the course of such walks; and the tradition of gold existing somewhere at the foot of South Barrule mountain survives to the present day. Besides the Abbey mills the monks seem to have had two other mills in Malew. Of one, called Jenet Lake, the exact site is unknown. The other, bearing the Manx name of Mullen-Aragher, is still in existence, though disused. It is a queer little building, more like a diminutive schoolhouse than a corn mill; but lying far from the beaten track and amidst very uninteresting surroundings it is scarcely worth a special visit.

Far otherwise is the case of the little mill of Glen May. in the parish of Patrick. It lies in at deep glen beneath high hills, a weird lonely spot in old days, and close to the grandest coast scenery in the island. A pleasant drive of about two miles from Peel brings one to it. But any visitor who wishes to enjoy either drive or glen in comfort is recommended to pay his visit in early spring or late autumn; for Glen Maye, as it is now called, is a favourite summer resort of 'Arry; and 'Arry when in Manxland is even more boisterous than elsewhere. German parish, to the north of Patrick, contains the town of Peel, with its old castle and cathedral ruins; and also the Tynwald Hill at St John's, a small terraced mound from which the Manx laws are still promulgated, and from which in old days judgement on noted criminals used to be pronounced. Those who have read "The Deemster" will remember the scene at the Tynwald when Dan Mylrea is sentenced to a living death. The old Lord's mill of Tynwald has entirely disappeared, as also an Abbey mill in the proximity. Greeba mill, another Lord's mill, still flourishes as a small grist mill, but not on the original site. Yet another old Lord's mill, now a mere shed in an uninhabited glen, was that of Rennesse or Rheinas. An amusing story is told of this place. A wedding party had taken a fancy to have the breakfast in the old building, using the millstone as a table. In the midst of the feast the stone began to move and quickly gathering impetus, whirled the eatables into the laps of the guests. Dire was the consternation; for the Manx, even half a century ago entertained the liveliest dread of anything uncanny. But it eventually transpired that one of the party knowing the waterwheel to be still connected with the machinery, had turned on the water by way of a joke.

Of the three old mills in Marown, already mentioned, the site of only one is known with any certainty. This was at Glen Darragh: but probably higher up the glen than the Mullen-e-Cain mentioned in my last article. It seems more than likely that one of the mills may have stood on the Rock Farm at the foot of Greeba. where there is now a little threshing mill. It is a spot brimful of legend. The farm stands at the upper end of a park-like field, well wooded and sloping gently down to the main road. The turf is as green and fine as on any lawn and has never been disturbed within living memory; while in the centre of the field is the tiny roofless church of St Trinian. The legend goes that this field was formerly haunted by an evil spirit, who destroyed any crop raised in it. In this the spirit, if he wished the field to remain in turf, undoubtedly showed good taste. But how came the church there? As to that there is absolutely no authentic information. It is said never to have been used or even roofed, for that as fast as a roof was put on it by day the spirit unroofed it by night.

There are two little mills in Michael; one prettily situated in Glen Wyllin, the other standing on a high cliff right above the shore ; the water supply coming from still higher land behind. Ballaugh mill, in the village and parish of that name, is like a small whitewashed cottage. Yet the miller in 1510 was esteemed a rich man: as was also the one in the adjoining parish of Andreas; who, it is recorded, paid 60s to the Lord of the Island for the office of "coroner," the Manx equivalent of the English sheriff.

But "the" big man of the milling trade in those days was John McCristen or Christian. He not only held the highest rented mill in the Island, that of Cornah, at a rental of 28s, but had two other mills, a brewery and a fishery-The Cornah mill is specially interesting as being the scene of certain episodes in Hall Caine's novel. "The Manxman." It is prettily situated near the electric tramway between Laxey and Ramsey, and is well worth a visit.

On the Sulby river and its tributary streams there were several mills; three of which are still working. The most interesting from an antiquarian point of view, though otherwise , about as commonplace a looking building as could well be conceived is that of Kella on the high road at Sulby, known in old days as "Sulby Street." Next to that of Cornah it was the most important mill in the island; and like Cornah was selected by Hall Caine as the one of an incident in one of his novels. It was here that Moore, the miller, with a gang of men, tried to intercept Dan Mylrea on his way to Ramsey to give himself up as the murderer of his cousin. There was, and still is, a smithy hard by, and with the smith's sledge hammer Dan fought his way through.

Of the original mill building probably little remains; and "antiques" covered with whitewash are not very interesting. But one cannot look at the ugly old place without thinking of the long line of millers and smiths living as near neighbours, in some instances as friends, in other doubtless as enemies, since mill and smithy were first built over five hundred years ago. What loves and marriages there may have been between sons and daughters of the men of "dust" and "grime." There ought to be no end of stories about such a place, and no doubt there were, a generation or two ago. But the present generation of the Manx is an eminently businesslike and unromantic one and cares little for the past; and an old mill is just an old mill and nothing more.

If anyone desires to find a "Sleepy Hollow," let him follow the Glas river from Pulrose up to Baldwin. He will find life enough at Tromode where the water-right of the old corn mill, long since demolished, have passed to the thriving worsted mills of A. W. Moore, speaker of the House of Keys. But the Mullen-e-Corrin at Abbey Lands, and the little mill at Baldwin look as if they had remained asleep for centuries.

There are many other interesting little mills — which space does not allow me to touch upon. But I must not omit to mention the Corony mill at Ballaglass on account of its pretty surroundings ; or the disused and dismantled "Dog" mill on the shore near Ramsey, on account of the tale connected with it. It is said that the latter mill derived its name from a dog being on one occasion shut up in it at night. Certain spirits in Manxland assumed the form of dogs; and this dog must have been one of them: for in the morning all the meal in the mill was found to have been consumed. Yet there were evil-minded scoffers — there are such in every age who dared to hint that the miller's pigs had a particularly thriving appearance for some time afterwards. Then there is a little mill at Laxey, higher up the glen than Corlett's which used to be haunted by the spirit of a former tenant, a miser, who came nightly to count his gold there.

Another old mill at Laxey, now a dye works, had as one of the conditions of tenancy that the miller should keep a "hog-pig" for the service of the farmers bound to the mill. This was commuted to a yearly charge of one penny, which the tenant still pays to the English government.

Milling in Manxland can scarcely he called "advanced" or "up-to-date"; but, with nearly forty mills still working, the grist trade cannot be said to be neglected. A happier looking set of men than the Manx millers it has never been my lot to meet with.

In concluding this series of articles I would again express my thanks to those who have so kindly contributed information and photographs, to the names already mentioned, I would add those of Wm. Beck of Douglas, and Mr Wilson of Union Mills, to whom I am greatly indebted for certain photographs otherwise unobtainable; and that of the Rev John Quine, M.A.. vicar of Lonan, whose intimate knowledge of all pertainng to the subject has been freely placed at my disposal.

Notes & Corrections

Though Mr Allbutt was acknowledged by the insular press as an expert it has proved difficult to find any further information other than he appears to have spent 2 years on Island, a Mrs Allbut is also noted as helping at various church function on Marown.

Laxey Glen mills was not built by a Belfast Firm, though the machinery and the turbine drive were supplied by MacAdam Bros of Soho Foundry Belfast, but probably built by a local builder John James Moore.

		Water powered Mills etc
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