British and Irish Flour Millers: William Green’s ‘Gold Belt’ Roller Mills, Brantham, East Anglia

by Mildred Cookson, Mills Archive Trust

An 1895 mill profile in The Miller started with this claim: “Among East Anglian millers, one is very notable, that of William Green of ‘Gold Belt’ Brantham and Raydon Mill.”

Mr Green was born in 1853, making him 42 years old when the article was written. Starting out in agriculture he soon moved on to become a flour salesman. He then decided he wanted not only to sell flour, but to produce it. Pursing his ambition, in 1880 he rented Raydon Mill in Suffolk and met with immediate success. Although not having any milling experience, he persevered, and apparently there was no more enthusiastic miller in East Anglia.
 

In 1888 when he purchased Brantham Mills, the mill ran with five pairs of millstones driven by a breast shot waterwheel.  The illustration of the exterior of the mill 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”. 

Read the full article in the December 2021 edition of Milling and Grain, HERE.

 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.