Corn mills

Corn mills were usually built by the local landowner and his tenants were compelled under the terms of their leases to have their grain ground at his particular mill. The throughput in such mills was on a relatively small scale, so there was no great need for storage space – hence the relatively small size of many such mills.

The miller either took cash or a proportion of the grain or meal as payment for grinding it. In the case of Mounteagle Mill [Co Laois], for example, the miller charged 10d per barrel. From these tolls, he paid the landowner his rental and eked a living from what was left. The miller usually had land attached to the mill and was able to supplement his earnings with agriculture. However, his finances were sometimes tenuous, as noted in the 1840s valuation of Eglish Cornmill: “Pays rental of £200 for mill and five Irish acres. Cannot make more than £200 per year.”

The grinding of oats into oatmeal for oatcakes and porridge (‘stirabout’) was a two-step process. First, they were passed through a set of shelling stones. These separated the inedible outer skin (shell) from the inner edible kernel (groat). The shelling process depended on the shell being parched and this was effected in an adjoining kiln. Once through the shellers, the shell was separated from the groat and the latter passed through the millstones where it was converted into oatmeal. It was then graded into fine, medium, coarse and pinhead oatmeal.The most primitive corn mills had only one set of stones, driven through a one-step gearing from the waterwheel. The stones doubled as shellers (being set wide so as to nip off the shell without grinding the groat) and grinders (being set close together to mill the groat).

A number of mills with only one pair of stones are recorded in the 1840s mill valuation book. Even then, their technology was regarded as old fashioned. Of the mill in Lea townland on the River Nore, the valuation officer noted that the machinery was “old and in bad condition … out of repair and gets little to do”. The mill in Doon townland was likewise described as "old". More sophisticated corn mills had two or three sets of stones – one pair specifically for shelling and two for grinding (sometimes wheat was milled as well as groats) – and had a great spurwheel power transmission system, by which one or all could be run simultaneously.

Besides the principal drives to the millstones, there would also have been secondary power takeoffs to elevators, sieves, fans, and sack hoists.

James Robinson, full age, bachelor, farmer, of Waterard, Desertcreat (father: Baria Robinson, farmer) to Mary Elizabeth Eccles, full age, spinster, of Kiltyclay, Desertcreat (father: Adam Eccles, farmer) in Third Presbyterian Church, Cookstown, on Mar.31, 1863. Both signed.

James Nicholl, full age, bachelor, farmer, of Tullyhurken, Ardtrea (father: Gilbert Nicholl, farmer) to Matilda Robinson, minor, spinster, of Waterard, Desertcreat (father: Beriah Robinson, farmer) on Jan.13, 1865, in the Presbyterian Church, Sandholes, parish of Desertcreat. Both signed. David Greer and Jemima Robinson were witnesses.

David Greer, full age, bachelor, farmer, of Gortavilly, Desertcreat (father: James Greer, farmer) to Mary Robinson, full age, spinster, of Waterard, Desertcreat (father: Beriah Robinson, farmer) on Sep.22, 1865, in the Presbyterian Church, Sandholes, parish of Desertcreat. Both signed.