Rockland St Peter tower mill was built in the first quarter of the 1800s and stood at Old Mill Farm beside the mill house on the Scoulton Road, just north of the Wayland Union Workhouse and some 1½ miles north of the village. In 1875 the mill complex included a bakery and a butchery but by 1970 only 2 derelict storeys of the mill tower remained.

At the time of the above photo the cap petticoat had been painted red, white and blue in celebration of the coronation of King George V.
Frederick Lincoln is seated on top of the mill's cap, Thomas Arthur Lincoln is on the horse and William Lincoln is standing to the right wearing a cap. Frederick Lincoln was later killed in service during World War I and was buried in France.

The 5 storey mill had a Norfolk boat shaped cap with a petticoat, gallery and 6 bladed fan. Four double shuttered sails, each with 8 bays of 3 shutters powered 2 pairs of French burr stones, an oat crusher, flour bolter and dresser. The cap petticoat had an ornamental chamfer at the rear on each side. By the early 1900s a portable steam engine was being used to power a single set of stones.

To Millers
To be Sold by Auction By Jas. Christmas At Scoulton Day's Arms
On Monday 25 November 1816 at 3 o'c
All that capital New erected WINDMILL with two pair of excellent French stones and a full sized Flour Mill with a double motion and about 5 acres of excellent freehold Land, standing in Rockland St. Peter, three miles from Hingham and four from Watton and now in the occupation of E. Clark who will shew the premises.
Norfolk Chronicle - 23rd November 1816

ROCKLAND ST. PETER Within 5½ miles of Attleborough and 6 of Watton SALTER & SIMPSON
Are instructed to Sell by Auction without the least Reserve, under a Deed of Assignment, on Monday November 9, 1857
All the ... HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE ...
STOCK IN TRADE consistiong of 40 Coombs of WHEAT, 14 sacks of FLOUR, 17 sacks of SHARPS, 4 sacks of Wheat meal, several sacks of SUPERS, POLLARD, MALT etc. 250 SACKS, MALT MILL, Sack Barrows, Bushel and Strike, small measures, Weighing machine, Beam Scales and Iron Weights, Mill Bills, Bolting Cloth etc. ...
and various other Effects, the property of Mr. Elijah Eglington.
Sale to commence at 11 o'c with the Furniture.
Catalogues post free on application to the Auctioneers, Attleborough.
Norfolk News - 7th November 1857

To Millers and Merchants
To Let and entered upon immediately
A Capital TOWER WINDMILL, good Dwelling House, Barn, Stables, Miller's Cottage, Counting House, roomy Warehouses for Corn and Seeds etc. with about 5 acres of Land situate at Rockland St. Peter 5 miles from Attleborough and 5 from Watton where a profitable business has been carried on for several years.
Apply to Mr. Timothy Colman, East_Harling_Mills.
Norfolk Chronicle - 14th November 1857

ISRAEL FELTHAM late of Rockland St. Peter, Milller, now of Saxlingham out of business
Deed of Assignment, 30 August 18961
James Feltham, Solr. to Trustees,
Hingham 9 September 1861
Norfolk Chronicle - 14th September 1861

WANTED, a Youth as an APPRENTICE to the Milling Business.
Apply to James Tennant, Rockland St. Peter, near Attleborough.
Norfolk News - 4th January 1862

Situations Vacant
TO MILLERS
Wanted, a steady industrious Married Man to Work a Tower Mill.
Apply Mr. G. Filby, Rockland, Attleborough. A house provided.
Norfolk News - 25th October 1873

John Lincoln (1825-c.1904) who bought the mill in 1875, was well educated for the time and read a lot. He was a Methodist preacher and held services in his barn where he would also hold a childrens' picnic at Whitsun and other times of the year, providing lemonade and cakes for the children who apparently came in wagon loads. He was a strict father but a good and honest businessman, often giving extra weight.

John Lincoln's son William Henry Lincoln (1863-1931) was apparently tricked out of the business by an unscrupulous lawyer during the first world war.

At Watton Petty Sessions on Wednesday (2nd) ...
William Henry Lincoln of Rockland St. Peter, miller and farmer, was summoned under the Barley Restrictions Order, 1917, for permitting barley to be damaged on his premises at Rockland St. Peter on March 15 ... (unthatched stacks)
Defendant pleaded not guilty ...
Magistrates decided to convict ...
... fined £3 including costs.
Dereham & Fakenham Times - 5th April 1919

2 new sails fitted by Smithdales of Acle about 1900
2 pairs stones, oat crusher, flour bolter and dresser
Red, white and blue petticoat.
Portable steam engine drove one pair of stones.
Peter Unwin - October 1973

My name is Claire Louise Dove Attfield and I was born at Old Mill Farm on January 15th 1969. My father David Attfield was the person who saved the last two storeys of the mill from falling down. I was also christened at the barn in 1970 by Pastor Ray Brown of Rocklands St Peter. We sold the farm in 1972 to moved to South Africa where I still reside.
My father died 9 years ago but my mother (85) who lives with me still remembers the Lincoln's who lived in a cottage nearby.
A story is told of my dad working on the roof of the mill, finishing it's restoration, when he heard my voice very near. At 2 yrs old I had climbed up the extension ladder to the roof to have a chat with my dad. He, cleverly, asked me to climb down and fetch mum, which I did. He always said it was the closest he came to a heart attack.
Mr Buick bought the property from us and still lives there I believe.
I unfortunately suffered a house fire 10 yrs ago and lost all my photos which included photos of the mill and house being renovated. Hope this adds a bit more insight into the property.
Claire Attfield - 29th October 2016

White's 1845: William Colman, farmer

White's 1854: Thomas Colman, farmer

White's 1864: Thomas H. Colman, farmer

Kelly's 1879: Thomas Hovell Colman, farmer, Manor House farm

Kelly's 1892: Thomas Hovell Colman, (alderman c.c.) Manor House

Kelly's 1900: Thomas Hovell Colman, Manor House
Kelly's 1900: Mrs. T. H. Colman, Stone lodge

Kelly's 1904: Thomas Hovell Colman, farmer, Manor House farm
Kelly's 1904: Mrs. T. H. Colman, Stone lodge

Kelly's 1908: Thomas Hovell Colman, farmer, Manor House farm
Kelly's 1908: Mrs. T. H. Colman, Stone lodge

Kelly's 1916: Thomas Hovell Colman, Manor House
Kelly's 1916: Mrs. T. H. Colman, Stone lodge

c.1816: Mill built

1816: E. Clark, miller

November 1816: Mill advertised for sale by auction

Bryant's map 1826: Windmill

Greenwood's map 1834: Windmill

White's 1836: William Colman, corn miller & farmer

O.S. map 1838: Windmill

White's 1845: Timothy Colman, corn miller & farmer

1850: Timothy Colman, miller

White's 1854: Elijah Egling, corn miller

November 1857: Trade and personal effects of Elijah Eglington advertised for sale by auction

November 1857: Mill advertised to be let

1861: Israel Feltham, ex miller made deed of assignment to creditors

1861: James Tennant, miller

1862: James Tennant, miller

White's 1864: James Tennant, corn miller

1865: James Tennant, miller

1868: John Tennant, miller

1872: Arthur Cook, miller, wheelwright & farmer

1873: G. Filby, miller

1875: Mill bought by John Lincoln

Kelly's 1879: John Lincoln, miller

O.S. map 1882: Windmill

White's 1890: John Lincoln, corn miller & farmer

Kelly's 1892: John Lincoln, farmer & miller (wind) & at Rockland All Saints

Kelly's 1896: John Lincoln, farmer & miller (wind) & at Rockland All Saints

c.1900: 2 new sails fitted by Smithdale's of Acle

Kelly's 1900: John Lincoln, farmer & miller (wind) & at Rockland All Saints (letters addressed to Hingham)

Kelly's 1904: John Lincoln, farmer & miller (wind) (letters addressed to Hingham)

1904: John Lincoln died - miller at Rockland St. Peter 1875 - 1904

O.S. map 1905: Windmill (Disused)

Kelly's 1908: William T. H. Lincoln, farmer & miller (wind) (letters addressed Hingham)

Kelly's 1912: William T. H. Lincoln, farmer & miller (wind) & Rockland All Saints (letters addressed Hingham)

Kelly's 1916: William T. H. Lincoln, farmer & miller (wind) (letters addressed to Hingham)

2nd April 1919: William Henry Lincoln, miller, convicted of permitting barley to be damaged on his premises

1926: Mill derelict

1931: William Lincoln died - miller at Rockland St. Peter 1904 - 1916

Karl Wood painting 1937: Mill tower with cap, gallery, petticoat, windshaft & fanstage only; no sails or fan

1939: Mill tower with cap, petticoat, gallery, windshaft and fanstage

1949: Mill dismantled and taken down to 2 storeys

1969: Mr. & Mrs. David Attfield, Old Mill Farm

1971: Remains of mill tower 18ft high

1972: David Atfield sold Mill Farm and mill to Mr. Buick

O.S. map 1974: Mill

Copyright © Jonathan Neville 2005