Norfolk Mills - Erpingham smock windmill

Erpingham
smockmill

The windmill standing beside the watermill c.1890

The history of Erpingham smock mill is detailed on the page for Erpingham_watermill as the two mills were run together.

c.1890

The smockmill was removed and sold separately by the vendor around the time of the 1894 auction as the following documents show.


Sale details - Monday 16th July 1894


Sale details - Monday 16th July 1894

A Sale by Bruce & Son at the Eagle. A water corn mill, dwelling house, miller's cottage, stable outbuildings with 9 acres of meadow and arable land, freehold - bought by G. H. Witham of Cawston for £600.
Newspaper report - 20th July 1894

O. S. Map 1885 showing the site of the watermill and the smockmill
Courtesy of NLS map images

O. S. Map 1905
Courtesy of NLS map images

O.S. Map 2005
Image reproduced under licence from Ordnance Survey

White's 1836: Thomas Cook, corn miller (Benjamin Johnson, millwright)

Census 1841: Thomas Cook, miller; Eliza Cook (30); Elizabeth Cook (13); William Cook (77)

White's 1845: Thomas Cook, corn miller (John Johnson, millwright)

1854: Charles Hayham

Census 1851:

John Johnson (42) miller & millwright
Harriet Johnson, miller's wife
Robert Johnson (17) millwright
George Johnson (17)
James Johnson (14) errand boy

Kelly's 1854: John Johnson, miller & millwright

White's 1854: John Johnson, corn miller, millwright & parish clerk

Census 1861:

John Johnson (52) b.Erpingham, miller & millwright
Harriet Johnson, b.Alby, miller's wife
James Johnson (24)
Thomas Youngman (30) b.Banningham, miller
? Youngman (27) b.Swanton, wife
2 children

White's 1864: John Johnson, corn miller & millwright

Census 1871: Dennis Gunn, miller (employee); Miles Austin, miller lodging with John Baker

Kelly's 1879: James Johnson, miller

Census 1881:

James Johnson (44) b.Erpingham, miller
Eleanor Johnson (43) b.Thwaite
Charlotte Verian Johnson (10) b.North Walsham
Robert Henry Johnson Aggs (22), miller

White's 1883: James Johnson, miller & parish clerk

1883: Benjamin Johnson

1890: James Johnson died

Census 1891:

John H. Parker (35) b. Bixley, miller (employee) lodging with William Pulham
William Pulham, mill manager

Alfred Warne (26) b. Hoxton, London, miller's apprentice

Kelly's 1892: Benjamin Johnson

Monday 16th July 1894: Mill site with working watermill only bought by George Harvey Witham at auction

1894: Smockmill removed and sold separately by the vendor around the time of the auction

If you have any memories, anecdotes or photos please let us know and we may be able to use them to update the site. By all means telephone 07836 675369 or

Nat Grid Ref TG18903160

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