BARNOLDSWICK CORN MILL

[Stanley]

BARNOLDSWICK CORN MILL

From the will of William Lyster [Lister] of Thornton. September 1, 1582. He leaves his son, Bartholomew Lyster ‘all that capitall messuaige and tenemente called Brockden; and all that close called Darkhill; and all that corne mylne with the sooken called Barnoldeswecke mylne, except certayn common of pasture belonginge to the said capitall messuaige of Brockden, occupied by the tenantes and fermers of Myddoppe, the said premises were latlie demysed to me the said William Lyster by indenture of lease, maid by the moste famous princes, Phillipe and Marie, lait kinge and quene of England.’

Notice that title was granted in Philip and Mary whose regnal years were 1554/1558.  Therefore mill existed physically before then as the will says they were demised to William Lyster.  This period in the first half of the 16th century must have been one of strong population growth because the Whitemoor map of 1580 shows enclosures from the waste around Barlick, a sure sign of pressure on agricultural resources.  It is no great leap to assign the need for extra corn-milling capacity to an increase in cultivated area.  Therefore we can start thinking about the period 1475 to 1525 with some confidence as the building date for the mill at Barnoldswick until we get better evidence.  My gut feeling is that it will be nearer the end of that span than the beginning but my mind is open.

SCG/19/07/04