Milling from the 1830s

- The Lee Family

Between 1832 and 1944, the mill has been powered by wind, wind and 10 horsepower engine, wind and steam, wind and diesel oil. The mill is now a private house.

The Lee family have been recorded at Coddington Mill on Balderton Lane between 1832 and at least 1961.

During that period the mill has been run by:

William Lee Snr

William Lee Jnr

Mrs Olive Lee

Edward Lee

Samuel Lee

William Lee Snr. and William Lee Jnr. and Mrs Olive Lee

Trade directories record William Lee as miller in 1832, 1844, 1848 and 1850.

The 1841 Census lists the household:

In 1848 a John Lee is also listed separately as a cottager.

During the period 1848 -1850 cornfactor William Hilton was also listed in directories.

The Lee family grew up and the children married in 1856 and 1868.

In the 1861 Census a younger William Lee is heading a household:

William and Olive's children were baptised at the Wesleyan Chapel between 1858 and 1869 (William, John, Sarah, Ann, another William, Francis and Samuel). AWilliam Lee was also a Trustee of Coddington Chapel School when it opened it 1858.

Improvements to the Mill

In 1862 William Lee installed a steam engine of 10-12 horsepower to his windmill - yielding a total of 40hp under good conditions. He acquired a little land, because he is recorded as miller and farmer in 1869, 1879 and 1881 - in 1871 and 1873 only 5a, but 30a by 1881.

In 1871 William and Olive's family was 10 years older: Edward, John, Sarah, plus Ann aged 9, William aged 7, Francis aged 4 and Samuel aged 2 were all at home on Census night. Charles Carr 21, miller/servant from Bassingham, Lincs, and Ann Sibsey/Tibsey, servant aged 14 completed the household.

On Census night 1881 William's wife Olive aged 47 was not at home, but the 54 year old farmer and children Edward Lee (aged 22, unmarried corn miller), Annie aged 19, Frank aged 14 and Samuel aged 12 were. Visitor John (Turner) Forrington, farmer aged 28 born in Morton, Lincs was later to marry Annie Lee in September 1882. Also present on Census night 1881 were John Marshall, 28, corn miller's assistant from Walesby, Notts and Elizabeth Reynolds, 16 an unmarried domestic servant from Seacombe, Cheshire.

{insert plan of windmill layout based on 1885 map}

In 1879 and 1881 Reuben Lee (26 yr old from Sibthorpe) was listed as a farmer at Beaconfield Farm (200 acres). We don't know if he is related to the milling family in any way.

William Lee died 9^th - 1884, aged 58 and was buried in Coddington churchyard - in the 1885 directory his wife Olive is recorded as the miller and farmer. (Olive was eventually to join her husband in the graveyard - she died aged 78 in 1912.) John Lee married Susan Smith at Coddington in 1889. Francis Lee died shortly after his mother in 1913, aged only 46.

Edward Lee

Edward Lee had taken over the mill and farm - being listed in 1892, 1894, 1897 and 1900. In 1890 Edward Lee married Hannah Elizabeth Daybell.

In the 1901 Census:

His assistants were in 1891 Charles Carr and in 1901 Thomas Claricoates. jost of the children were baptised at the Wesleyan Chapel between 1893 and 1897.

Edward was listed as a miller by wind and steam in 1912, 1916, 1923, 1928 and 1932. He died 4^th Feb 1933, aged 74 and was buried in Coddington.

In 1935 the Duke of  Newcastle's papers record a compensation agreement for Long Greenfield Close with the cottage and buildings erected on it, a close of land in Stone Pit Close and Mill Close formerly copyhold property owned by Edward Lee in Coddington, Notts.

Samuel Lee and the end of an era

Samuel Lee was listed as a miller by wind & oil in 1936-8, 1941-2. In 1936 the sails were still intact. In 1940 a flaw in the mill's woodwork caused the loss of one sail, which Samuel intended to replace. However in 1941 the mill was changed to be powered solely by oil. In 1944 the mill ceased working. Older residents have said that the last customer to have had flour ground there in 1944 was Samuel Parkes, who delivered his grain in a barrow.

{insert picture of windmill with sail flapping from 1940s}

Samuel was still listed at Coddington mill in 1950, 1957 and 1961 - at least 130 years after his ancestor William was recorded there.  During 1957 - 61 his son William was living at Stone Cottage Balderton Lane (since demolished), whilst Thomas J T Lee was living on Balderton Lane.

The building and land was sold to Peter Hutchison in 1947 - presumably with Samuel Lee as a tenant. Although the sails were falling off in 1958 the building was listed in 1969.

Follow these links for more information:

Coddington Windmill Introduction

Milling around Newark before 1600

The Lee family at Coddington mill 1830 onwards

A technical description of the windmill

From windmill to house