Spalding Common Mill

Thanks to Keith Seaton for memories.

Cycling down Spalding Common road last week I was sad to see the site where the Windmill had been completly cleared, this is some research I did a while ago for a book on local Windmills that I did not get around to having publish, attached three illustrations.

The mill with Tulip field from a postcard by Spalding Free Press Co, Ltd
Built as a three storey tower mill in 1816, in the 1880’s it had another storey built on after the top of it had collapsed. In the postcard photograph the line of the bricks can be clearly seen where the extra storey has been built on. This tower mill was worked by wind until 1930 and by engine power until 1936 by the last miller William Rhodes. The sails were taken off in 1939 and the upper part of the mill was taken down in 1943, leaving the two lower floors as a stump, it is now in 2016 in a derelict condition. There were four sails driving the two pairs of French and one pair of grey stones. It had an ogee/onion cap, like other mills in the area, and the tower had a very pronounced lean. It was latterly known as Hopkins or Rhodes Mill. The remaining stump can be seen from the Spalding Common Road over a gate at the end of a short track.
A directory of 1829 has Abraham Congreve as a miller at the Common, presumably this mill and Benjamin Buckworth and John Johnson, also a George Rose mentioned below in 1851 with his father Charles Rose but he would only have been 16 in 1829.
In the 1841 census Sarah Johnson age 40 is the miller at the Common, widow of John Johnson with Samuel Pepper miller working for her.
Also in 1841 George Armstrong age 25 with Charles Bansel also a miller with him.
Charles Banks age 20 and John Boothby age 60 are all millers at Spalding Common.
George Armstrong in 1851 is a master miller in London Road employing 1 man Josiah Walker miller. George is also given as corn miller and merchant in the 1856 White’s Spalding Directory
Also in 1851 Joseph Rose age 67 was the miller and baker with his sons George 38 and Charles 26 both millers and an apprentice Joseph Cunliffe.
By 1861 George was the miller and cottager with Charles. In 1871 George had moved to the mill in Roman Bank, behind the Pigeon Inn. (The Tower Windmill)
Kelley’s 1885 Directory, John Rogby Hopkins miller, Spalding Common
John Rogby Hopkins born about 1840 was a baker at Deeping St James with his wife Esther in 1861 and his mother Sarah a widow. His father had been a miller at Frognal, Deeping St James in the 1851 census when he was 10.
He had moved to the windmill in Spalding Common by 1871 and had an apprentice George Clarke working with him and by 1881 he was working the mill with two apprentices, James R Kingston age 19 and Charles Biggadike age 17.
In 1891 he had a John Nicholls servant and miller and in 1901 he was a miller employer.
The last available census has him still the miller but now with his grandson Birly (John J B) Rhodes age 24 also a miller. John Rogby Hopkins passed away in January 1917 and was succeeded as miller by Birly Rhodes. In the Kelly’s Directory of 1919 Robert Rhodes was the miller and baker at the windmill at Spalding Common. He was succeeded by William Rhodes the last miller to work this mill.

Robert Rhodes mill and delivery cart. Remains of the mill in March 2016 (KS)