by
Mildred Cookson, The Mills Archive, UK
As the National Convention in 1902 took place in Edinburgh (see my article in last month's Milling & Grain), the local mills and their owners attracted a lot of attention.
I am therefore moving on from the mills of Fife to those in Edinburgh and Leith, a short distance north of the capital city. Over half of the local reception committee came from the two main milling families of the area, the Tods and the Herdmans.
Leith Flour Mills: Messrs A&R Tod Ltd
In 1851, Robert Tod entered into partnership with his brother Alexander as corn merchants. After a year or two they leased several small mills and in 1859 they built the Leith Flour Mills.
For many years these were the largest mills in the country, having at one time 80 pairs of millstones in operation, more than any other mill in Scotland. The mills suffered a flour dust explosion in 1874 in the stive room situated above the boiler house and, sadly, six people lost their lives in the fire.
Alexander then retired and Robert carried on the business, converting it into a private limited company in 1894 with himself as chairman until his death in 1897 and his sons Thomas and George as managing directors.
The mill was reconstructed, divided into separate blocks as a safeguard against the spread of fire. The walls were all of solid stone and the floors concrete. In1882, roller mills were installed and two years later a flour dust explosion blew apart an outside wall with the debris killing two people in the street.
The capacity of the mill was 45 sacks-per-hour and it was arranged in three plants, one used for soft and two for hard wheats. Plants one and three together had 70 sets of roller mills, many of which were doubles, and 13 were of the Turner’s latest pattern, all fitted recently.
Both plants had only been installed since the turn of the century and were driven by Douglas & Grant engines. The mill manager had full charge of the mills and had been with the firm for 31 years; it was suggested that it would have been possible to run the mill, bar accident, for a year without stopping, although Mr Tod had it rested every Sunday.
The dressing, dusting and grading machinery consisted of 16 Robinson large size iron frame centrifugals, and 12 other makes. There were also five large oblong ‘Haggenmacher’ plansifters, nine reels and eight sifters each about 10 ft x 18 inches.
Read more HERE.
As the National Convention in 1902 took place in Edinburgh (see my article in last month's Milling & Grain), the local mills and their owners attracted a lot of attention.
I am therefore moving on from the mills of Fife to those in Edinburgh and Leith, a short distance north of the capital city. Over half of the local reception committee came from the two main milling families of the area, the Tods and the Herdmans.
Leith Flour Mills: Messrs A&R Tod Ltd
In 1851, Robert Tod entered into partnership with his brother Alexander as corn merchants. After a year or two they leased several small mills and in 1859 they built the Leith Flour Mills.
For many years these were the largest mills in the country, having at one time 80 pairs of millstones in operation, more than any other mill in Scotland. The mills suffered a flour dust explosion in 1874 in the stive room situated above the boiler house and, sadly, six people lost their lives in the fire.
Alexander then retired and Robert carried on the business, converting it into a private limited company in 1894 with himself as chairman until his death in 1897 and his sons Thomas and George as managing directors.
The mill was reconstructed, divided into separate blocks as a safeguard against the spread of fire. The walls were all of solid stone and the floors concrete. In1882, roller mills were installed and two years later a flour dust explosion blew apart an outside wall with the debris killing two people in the street.
The capacity of the mill was 45 sacks-per-hour and it was arranged in three plants, one used for soft and two for hard wheats. Plants one and three together had 70 sets of roller mills, many of which were doubles, and 13 were of the Turner’s latest pattern, all fitted recently.
Both plants had only been installed since the turn of the century and were driven by Douglas & Grant engines. The mill manager had full charge of the mills and had been with the firm for 31 years; it was suggested that it would have been possible to run the mill, bar accident, for a year without stopping, although Mr Tod had it rested every Sunday.
The dressing, dusting and grading machinery consisted of 16 Robinson large size iron frame centrifugals, and 12 other makes. There were also five large oblong ‘Haggenmacher’ plansifters, nine reels and eight sifters each about 10 ft x 18 inches.
Read more HERE.
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