The Dakeyne mills
The Dakeyne mills as originally completed in 1826
Although this photograph dates from some 70y or so later, it is exactly as the Dakeynes left it except for the new water pipes
running to the tower and possibly the removal of a complex of shafts and gearing in front of the tower
Although this photograph dates from some 70y or so later, it is exactly as the Dakeynes left it except for the new water pipes
running to the tower and possibly the removal of a complex of shafts and gearing in front of the tower
In 1785 Abraham Flint, a local farmer, started to build a cotton mill at the bottom of Ladygrove. Whilst having the vision to use the water flowing through his land, Flint lacked the capital to get his mill running. Daniel Dakeyne (b1733) a local landowner, acquired the nearly completed mill . Despite his total lack of experience in the business he immediately set up Daniel Dakeyne & Co, Cotton Spinners with three of his oldest sons as partners. Persuaded by the perfection of flax spinning machines by 1788, Daniel decided that he should broaden his manufacturing base.
He built a new flax mill, the three storey building to the right of the photograph. The original cotton mill is the two storey building in the foreground. The two mills are connected by what we would today call a link block, also two storey. Sydnope Brook runs parallel to the line of but well below the main buildings, and this continued to power what was probably an undershot wheel at the nearest end of the cotton mill. Water from the Regulator was fed via an underground leat to two 30ft diameter wheels driving the flax mill. As well as several worker's cottages, Daniel built a "Children's Lodge" to house the child employees. The ruins of this can be seen on the right hand edge of the photograph behind the flax mill.
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Three younger sons, Peter, Edward, and James were employees. In 1794 the latter two patented the "Equilinium", a machine to straighten flax fibres, and a demonstration of their mechanical aptitude that was to become significant in later years.
As evidenced by the grand houses they built, the partners prospered. But by 1800 the investments made by the company and its partners were becoming overwhelming. In October 1801 they were declared bankrupt. Before the days of limited liability, the partners and their families were destitute.
The mills the dams and the fine houses were offered for sale by auction the next year. The sale failed, so a second auction was conducted in 1804 with the same result. Then followed one of those periods so annoying to historians from which no records survived. What is certain is that some years later James, untainted by the bankruptcy, was back in business running the mill and having recovered much of the family property. The probability must be that he had done a deal with the mortgage holders who saw this as the only option to recover some of their money.
He built a new flax mill, the three storey building to the right of the photograph. The original cotton mill is the two storey building in the foreground. The two mills are connected by what we would today call a link block, also two storey. Sydnope Brook runs parallel to the line of but well below the main buildings, and this continued to power what was probably an undershot wheel at the nearest end of the cotton mill. Water from the Regulator was fed via an underground leat to two 30ft diameter wheels driving the flax mill. As well as several worker's cottages, Daniel built a "Children's Lodge" to house the child employees. The ruins of this can be seen on the right hand edge of the photograph behind the flax mill.
T
Three younger sons, Peter, Edward, and James were employees. In 1794 the latter two patented the "Equilinium", a machine to straighten flax fibres, and a demonstration of their mechanical aptitude that was to become significant in later years.
As evidenced by the grand houses they built, the partners prospered. But by 1800 the investments made by the company and its partners were becoming overwhelming. In October 1801 they were declared bankrupt. Before the days of limited liability, the partners and their families were destitute.
The mills the dams and the fine houses were offered for sale by auction the next year. The sale failed, so a second auction was conducted in 1804 with the same result. Then followed one of those periods so annoying to historians from which no records survived. What is certain is that some years later James, untainted by the bankruptcy, was back in business running the mill and having recovered much of the family property. The probability must be that he had done a deal with the mortgage holders who saw this as the only option to recover some of their money.
The wheel tower built by James and Edward
It is not clear whether there were three wheels in the tower or
whether the third wheel was in the cellar under an adjacent
building which would have maximised the head.
The pipes were for a later turbine.
By 1826, partnered by Edward, James had made enough money to build the imposing three storey flax mill on the left of the photograph. To get the additional power needed for the new mill he used three water wheels, housing them one above the other in the central tower which is still a prominent feature of the mills. Why he chose this extremely unusual arrangement is not clear, but it would have allowed each floor to have an independent drive and a different shaft speed , perhaps to drive machinery of different speeds.
But a major problem arose. The water in the brook was insufficient to power the triple wheels at full flow and to simultaneously divert water from the dam to the wheel at the end of the cotton mill. So they either ran the flax mill at full output whilst not using the cotton mill, or ran the cotton mill with the flax mill working at reduced power.
Was there a solution?
But a major problem arose. The water in the brook was insufficient to power the triple wheels at full flow and to simultaneously divert water from the dam to the wheel at the end of the cotton mill. So they either ran the flax mill at full output whilst not using the cotton mill, or ran the cotton mill with the flax mill working at reduced power.
Was there a solution?