(108) St Johns Mill

A history of the mill can be gained from an agreement in 1840 between the claimed injured parties John Quirk and William Tear and the owner of a newly constructed Flax Mill - SSS Oct 1842 2

dated 5 Feb 1840;agreement between John Quirk(Kk Patk) + Wm Tear(Peel) and Thomas Mylechreest jnr (German) recites that Quirk + Tear filed a law case agt Mylechreest over right to certain premises in Kerrowkeil in Patrick where a flax mill + mill race have been erected now belonging to sd Thos Mylechreest - now parties reach agreement that Mylechreest will remove mill race from river which has been cut thru land of Quirk + Tear and sd parties to build a stout wall in direct line from present dam head to mill wheel to be boundary between parties and the present sluice carrying water from mill to river is to be boundary northward of sd Mill and Mylechreest to cut a new mill race at east side of new wall, Quirk + Tear to give to Mylechreest the small piece of ground lying to north of river + the smaller piece to east of sluice adj river; Mylechreest to give the small pieces that angle of the field? part of Mullen E Clie wherein the said mill is built lying westward of sd new wall and ascending to marks set by parties.

Mylechreest would appear to have infringed both on Quirk's land as well as that of the owner of the much older Mullen E Clie - as the O/S plan shows a wall to the west of the leat carrying water to the mill so it would appear that Mylechreest recut the leat. However he would appear to have derived his water from the river above the point where the tail race of Mull E Clie joined the river and the agreement makes Mylchreest liable for any damage to Mullen E Clie if the water is backed up due to resticted flow at the new Flax Mill.

It's not clear to how long the Flax Mill operated - flax was a declining crop from mid 19th century, Thomas Mylchreest with whom the young vendor in 1889 resided, was dead by 1851 and the O/S notes the mill disused by 1868.

Registered deed Oct 1889 #2 - Wm Mylchreest Dinwoody would appear to have gained the land from his mother's side - there is a marriage between Wm Dinwoody and a Margaret Mylchreest in 1836, with a child William born in 1837 before the death of is father in 1839 - a widowed Margt Dinwoody + son Wm are found living with 60yr old Thomas Mylchreest + family (? by a second wife) at Ballagharghan in Kk German in 1841.

dated 4 Apr 1889;Wilfred Mylechreest Dinwoody(Castletown) sells for £70 to William Cain(postmaster, St Johns) that old Mill and parcel of land at St Johns being pt of Ballavargher in Patrick, adj high rd St Johns to Kk Patk church, bounded on north by Caesar Brew, on east by land of late Henry Delaney and the river and on SW, west and NW by - Quirk ; witt John Gell, Charles B Bickerstaff

However Wm Cain did not hold the land for long - having used it as the security for a loan from retired farmer John Kelly he was sued over non payment of interest and the old mill having been put up for auction by the coroner it was sold to local publican Moses Senogles

Registered deed Apr 1895 #1

dated 27 Feb 1895;indenture between Philip Teare(coroner) John Kelly(retired farmer 6 Victoria terrace Douglas) and Moses Senogles(Central Hotel St Johns, Publican) recites execution agt Wm Cain in favour of John Kelly re B+S for £180 dated 26 Feb 1891 on security of an Old Flax Mill in parish of Patrick being property purchased from W Dinwoody [reg deed Oct 1889 #2]which was knocked down to sd John Kelly for £66 at which sum sd Moses Senogles is willing to purchase sd property thus transfer by Teare;

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Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor © F.Coakley , 2023