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January 26, 2021

William Green’s ‘Gold Belt’ Roller Mills, Brantham, Suffolk

by Mildred Cookson

William Green of ‘Gold Belt’ Brantham and Raydon Mill was 42 years old when the Miller contained a report on him (June 4, 1894). He started out in agriculture and moved on to become a flour salesman. He then decided he wanted not only to sell flour but to produce it.

Accordingly, in 1880 he rented Raydon Mill in Suffolk. Although without any previous milling experience, he soon showed that there was no more enthusiastic miller in East Anglia.
 


In 1888 he purchased Brantham Mills, which at that time ran with five pairs of millstones driven by a breast shot waterwheel.  The illustration of the exterior of the mills gives a good view of the entrance. In the deep red of the brickwork on the face of the mill was set a small white stone, bearing the simple inscription “I. P., 1778.” Mr Green enlarged the mill, adding a screening house and an engine and boiler house with a shaft within the 80-foot high chimney, as seen on the left of the exterior illustration.

The millstones were supplemented by smooth rolls for the conversion of middlings and for a few years, the mill was worked on a combination system. Mr Green became convinced that to keep and extend his trade, a roller plant was absolutely necessary and ultimately ordered a four sack roller plant from ER Turner of Ipswich, less than 10 miles away.

Along with the roller plant, Turners installed a Jonval Turbine, which was said to run with smooth and regular revolutions. Apparently the nine-foot diameter crown wheel, made at St Peter’s Works, Ipswich, ran as easily as if it the been the fly wheel of a toy engine and not a mass of metal weighing about a ton and a half. 

Since the installation of the turbine, less work was required of the engine, which was of the compound beam type of 12 horse power. This was built by Wentworth of Wandsworth and proved a most efficient motor. The engine was supplied with steam generated in a Cornish boiler.

The roller plant was tested and with the engine alone, there was sufficient power for producing 120 sacks in 24 hours. This was a severe test for both the milling plant and the engine, considering the previous capacity was only four sacks an hour. Moreover, the 120 sacks were from a grist of all English wheat.


Read more HERE.
 

The Global Miller
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