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The road is that from Ballacraine to Kirk Michael - the mill is a short distance north west of Laurel Bank. The river, running NW-SE bottom rh corner is the Peel river which also powers the several mills around Ballig Bridge |
Both photos from the Cowin Collection held by Manx Museum |
The Mill of Rhenass carries the highest mill rent of those in the parish of German and has been in the rental list since the earliest extant Manorial Roll at the same rental of 13s 4d - in 1515
From the mill of Rennesse this year in the tenure of Gilcrist McGell and Margaret Ine Gibbon 13s 4d
by 1596
John Quaile 6s 8d, Raynold Curgy for Mill 13s 4d
and by 1740
Jo Shimmin 10s 1d, Joney Killip & Tho Shimmin her husb 3s 3d for Mullen Reneass 13s 4d
NSS Oct 1772 7
dated 9 May 1772; John Shimmin(Larghy, Kk German) sells for £30 to John Cowell(Kk German) my right to one fourth of a certain corn mill known as Mollin Rynays of 3s 4d [whole rent 13s 4d] lords rent; Witt William Garret, John Lewn (Shimmin 'x')
SSS May 1800 13
dated 2 Aug 1796;Hugh Shimmin(Rhein Naiss[Reneass], Kk German) sells for £200 to John Cowle(husband of my dau Ann Shimmin) all my estate together with all that mill known as Mullen Rheinass - half now + half at my decease - reserving to myself all my right in the qtrland of Neirey Glas + to the tenth part of Lamfield mountain purchased from Thomas Corkan decd(of Kk Patk); Witt Henry Clucas, Thos Allen
SSM May 1842 3
dated 15 Apr 1842;recites that Thomas Killip(Moaney Moar, Kk German) entitled to 3/4 of corn mill called Mullin Rhenass with other 1/4 held by Matthias Cowill(with mother Alice Cowill (widow of John Cowill) having dower rights to half ) and the sd Mill having been put into good repair at expence of sd Thomas Killip and Henry Cowill brother of sd Matthias by his guardian John Kelly granted B+S to Thomas Killip for £21 11s 10d with the half quarter of mill as security leaving a balance owing of £16 10s - Matthias Cowill acks indebted for £16 10s at 5% from Thomas Killip and gives in security the one quarter of sd Mill; Witt Richd Cowley, John Killip
There is no indication that the loan was repaid - one common feature of such unpaid loans is a future coroner's sale of the security and there is indeed a Coroner's sale of Mullen Rhenass to John Zacharias Quine dated 5th Jul 1866 [Reg Deed Aug 1866 #9]
However John Zacharias Quine was not to hold it for long as in
Reg Deed Jul 1873 #14
dated 1 Jul 1873; recites executions agt John Z Quine chargeable on the premises known as Mullen Rhenass or Rhenass Mill in parish of German (along with other premises - the total defaction being over £3000) the coroner sold for £18 to Hugh Kaighin the mill + associated lands of 3ac 1r 27p - bounded on N + S by sd Hugh Kaighin, on east by Edward Corkill and on west by Elizabeth Shimmin;
Mentioned in Mona's Herald 20th July 1870 describing a visit to Glen Helen
Another half-mile [from Ballig Bridge] brings us to the flour mill of Mr Wm. Quine, the whirring of whose busy mill wheel we have been hearing for some time. ... While we are within Mr Quine's premises we may as well inform our readers that this gentleman is one of the most sensible and enterprising men in this part of the Island. He is one of the proprietors of Glen Helen, and upon him has fallen the work of planting and laying ont the grounds ; and that he is well fitted for such a task the beautiful result which so many thousands journey a dozen miles to see every year sufficiently proves.
Wm Quine also owned Cregg Mill on the Silverburn and was shortly to sell Glen Helen pleasure grounds.
Isle of Man Times, 6th May 1893
CORN MILL AND PREMISES. TO BE LET. with immediate possession any time from now to the 13th November next, that commodiously and well-situated Water CORN MILL, with Warehouses. Granaries, and Mill Croft attached thereto, called GLEN MOAR MILLS, near Glen Helen, in the Parish of German. The Machinery and Premises are now being put into a thorough scale of repair, and to an enterprising tenant this offers a rare opportunity of doing a good trade. — For further particulars, apply to Thos. C. S. Moore. Ballaquane. Peel
David Jones, in his 1964 report on possible preservation of mills remarked about this mill that it may be rejected for preservation, "because although much of the old plant is intact and in use, so much modern plant has been added that it could not possibly be presented to visitors as an example of an old mill unless these modern additions were removed. This could hardly be done without losing the goodwill of the present miller, whose work they are, Since Glen Helen Mill is otherwise unremarkable this means that its one special advantage, that of being the last watermill on the Island to be still using its waterwheel for regular commercial work, cannot be utilised".
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Water powered Mills etc |
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Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The
Editor |
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