MILLSTONE EXCAVATED MAY 2024
DURING GROUND WORKS FOR THE NEW INTAKE
CIRCA 1800’S, ONE OF 2 MILLSTONES WHICH WORKED IN PAIRS, THIS IS A “BED STONE”, WHICH WAS A FIXED STATIONARY BOTTOM STONE, WHICH WOULD HAVE HAD A REVOLVING UPPER TURNING MILLSTONE CALLED A “RUNNER STONE” ON TOP OF IT.
MILLSTONES WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVEN BY A WATER WHEEL, VISIBLE ARE THE FURROWS AND LANDS, WHICH ARE THE GRINDING SURFACE OF THE MILLSTONE.
Historical information provided by Eddie Bolton, Engineer at the Mill for over 60 years.
MASSEY FEEDS
In June 1999 the mill at Walton-le-Dale was acquired by MASSEY FEEDS from Dalgety, who had previously purchased it from a family owned business John A Ley. Whereas 20 years ago there were 20 mills in Preston, the site is now one of only two mills remaining in Preston and the only family owned mill.
The original water powered corn mill, in Walton le Dale, is approximately where the current MASSEY FEEDS factory is now. The mill can be seen on this 1848 Ordnance Survey map.
~
A Pocket Decimeter with compliments of John A. Ley & Sons Ltd, Cornmillers, Walton le Dale
This is a pocket Decimeter given away by John A. Ley & Sons Ltd, Cornmillers of Walton le Dale. This company still exists today and trades as Massey Feeds. It is possibly from around 1971 when the country went decimal. The device allows the calculation of Shillings and Pence into the new decimal system values. looking at the telephone numbers quoted (53612, 53613 & 53614), there is a strong probability that it dates from around the 1950s–60s. Thanks to Phil Reilly, a local collector, for his images.
~
~
It’s not clear which generation John A. Ley is from. There has been a (water) mill in the village since at least the early seventeenth century. There is a Mill Goit between the Darwen and the Ribble that is crossed by ‘Burscough Bridge’ recorded in January 1637. There is more information related to this on the page about the Turnpike Road from Balderstone to Burscough Bridge.
People with the ‘Ley’ family name were recorded as living at Corn Mill Cottage in Walton le Dale during January 1876.
Burial: 3 Jan 1876 St Leonard, Walton le Dale, Lancashire
Mary Aquila Ley – wife of Watson Ley
Age: 70 years
Abode: Corn Mill Cottage Walton le Dale
Buried By: J. C. Kershaw
Notes: [Deceased’s second Christian name originally entered as Augusta then deleted and
replaced with Aquila]
Register: Burials 1861 – 1880, Page 156, Entry 1247
Source: LDS Film 1526061
From the Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks Lancashire website:
https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Walton-le-Dale/stleonard/burials_1875-1880.html
Looking at Mary’s name, over which there appears to have been some previous confusion, it is possible that John’s middle name was also ‘Aquila’. It doesn’t seem to be specified anywhere. References all appear to be for a ‘John A. Ley’.
