by Nathanael Hodge, on behalf of Mills Archive Trust, UK
This document is a deed establishing the North Leverton Subscription Mill Company, formed in 1812. North Leverton is a small village in Nottinghamshire, England. A subscription mill was a windmill owned by its users, local famers who banded together to pay into a common fund, enabling the construction of a mill which they could all use to grind their grain.
The deed is written on three vellum sheets; here you can see the final sheet with the signatures and seals of all the members. Some of them were illiterate – in this case, they have simply marked the deed with a cross, around which someone else has written their name and the words ‘his mark’. Each member has also noted the amount of money which they have paid in – usually five or ten pounds.
The deed was clearly a working document, brought out whenever circumstances changed so that names could be crossed out or added to the list, and this frequent use has left its mark – the outside of the document is stained and weathered and there are tears in the corners and at the folds.
The mill was constructed in 1813 and its height was increased in 1884, giving it its unusual shape. As well as the members it also served other local people, especially the less wealthy. By 1956 the mill was being maintained more for its historical interest than its practical use, and a new company and charitable trust were formed to take over its running. It still grinds today and is open to visitors. It is the only wind corn mill in England to have worked continuously from its original construction to the present day.
Published in the January 2025 issue of Milling and Grain.
