Thorney Papermill, Thorney, Buckinghamshire

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Location and general description

Located in the hamlet of Thorney, presumably somewhere near the point at which Thorney Mill Lane crosses the river Colne. This was about half a kilometer downstream from the site of Drayton Papermill, where paper making connections date from 1696 and continued at least until 1923 (Reynolds, 1962, "Mills").

Buildings

Not investigated yet. In 2010 property was for sale, described as new development on the site of the former mill. Designed to ‘represent’.

History (from 1712 to 1826)

Phillimore's extracts of marriages from the parish registers for Iver include a number for paper makers (in some cases the occupation was taken from the baptismal register, but often it was not given), suggesting that the mill was operating from at least 1699 :
There is a gap from 1683-88 and prior to that occupations are not generally mentioned.
1 Oct 1699 - Robert B[e]aver [paper-maker] & Sarah Weakley
7 May 1708 - William Barton, paper-maker, & Mary Nicholls
15 July 1708 - William Goodshear, paper-maker, & Mary Littleboy, lic
25 Sep 1715 - John Carter, paper-maker, & Mary Croxen
24 May 1719 - William Blackwell, paper-maker, of Harmsworth, & Mary Anne Watts, w.
4 Feb 1719/20 - James Shelloe, paper-maker, & Frances Young
19 June 1720 - Derrick Willis, paper-maker, & Eliz. Cawdry
24 Feb 1722 - Thomas Knight, paper-maker, & Martha Coxen
26 Dec 1723 - John Hill, w., paper-maker, & Rebecca Nicholls
29 May 1732 - John Carter, w., paper-maker, & Mary Wright
21 June 1741 - John Urlin, paper-maker, & Sarah Elton
14 Apr 1752 - Edward Parker, paper-maker, & Catherine Bailey
13 Oct 1754 - William Wild, paper-maker, & Martha Carter
23 Feb 1762 - Richard Abrook, paper-maker, & Mary Groom, w., lic.
21 April 1769 - Thomas Hedges, paper-maker, & Eliz. White
21 Oct 1773 - Jas. Eels, paper-maker, & Mary East
Beyond this Phillemore's register tends not to mention occupations at all.
Several paper makers from Iver left wills, these may refer to this mill or Drayton Mill.
Will of John Elton, Paper Maker of Iver , Buckinghamshire    19 April 1759    PROB 11/845
Will of John Elton, Paper Maker of Iver , Buckinghamshire    08 December 1760    PROB 11/861
Will of Andrew Groom, Paper Maker of Iver , Buckinghamshire    24 September 1761    PROB 11/868

Around 1826 J. E. and E. Wright were the proprietors of 'Thorney paper-mill at Iver' and donated land for a new Particular Baptist Church in nearby Money Lane, West Drayton, Bucks. (Reynolds, 1962, "Protestant nonconformity")

On the 1881 Census there is listed one FENEMORE, Henry, Head, Married, aged 55, Paper Maker, born Chillworth, Surrey, residing at Thorney Cottage, Iver
[N.B. there may be other paper makers listed but I have yet to check]

Between Jun 27th and Sep 26th 1896 the following individuals were listed in Amalgamated Society of Paper Makers reports: W COX; J DYER & A MOSSMAN [Stirk 2011]. The location of the mill is given as Thorney, West Drayton, and it was the only mill associated with Drayton to be mentioned.

In 1925, the Victoria County History mentioned “There are paper-mills at the present day at Thorney, south of Iver.” [Page, 2010].

Papermakers

Not investigated yet

Bibliography

PAGE, William Ed. 'Parishes: Iver', A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3 (1925), pp. 286-294. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42561 Date accessed: 26 May 2010.
REYNOLDS, Susan Ed., 'West Drayton: Mills', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 196. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22320 Date accessed: 21 May 2009.
REYNOLDS, Susan Ed., 'West Drayton: Protestant nonconformity', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 205. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22325 Date accessed: 21 May 2009.
STIRK, Jean, Amalgamated Society Of Papermakers, 10th Quarterly Report, 27th June to 26th September 1896, Index of Members by Mill. Cited 6 Apr 2011. Online:http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/subject_guides/family_history/039so_amalgamated_society_of_paper_makers_quarterly_report_index.pdf.

Any transcripts and images on this page are Copyright R I Kirby 2008 unless stated otherwise.