mention of the Mill in a few of the Directories on this website in the later 1800's .William Crabb was the miller listed in the 1857 & 1878 Post office Directories & 1864 Morris & Co Directory. Mary Crabb listed as the Miller in the 1883 Slaters Guide.
I now have the will of Thomas Spark of Eastham 1651 - he was leaving the windmill & lands to his son Thomas. The executors were instructed to renew the lease for a term to include his son's son with the Landlord. Frustratingly, he doesn't say who the landlord is. And so far, I haven't been able to find out if that was done. So we have:
up to 1591 Thomas Spark up to 1624 Thomas Spark, son of above Thomas up to 1651 Thomas Spark, son of second above Thomas from 1651 Thomas Spark - did he get the lease?
1857, 1864 & 1878 William Crabb (same man, or father & son do you think?) 1883 Mary Crabb
There is a 1690 will for a Thomas Spark but no mention of the mill that I can see, and no proof that it's the same Thomas who had to get a new lease. The above all had brothers who stayed in the area and also called a son Thomas!
Has anybody got copies of any of the Subsidy Land Tax rolls for Eastham during the period it was operational? Was the messuage/tenement large enough for tax?
Also, just a question, would Eastham windmill have been the earliest windmill on the Wirral?!
The 1841 census shows Joseph Crabb as miller, aged about 60, with his son William, also a miller, and William's family (wife Margaret, daughters Mary (age 9), Hannah (age 8) and Jane (6 months).
In 1851, William is now the only miller, aged 43, born in Eastham, with Margaret (44), and children: Hannah (18), Margaret (8), Robert (6), Sarah and William (both 5). Also a visitor, Jane Roberts (15), a sawyer's daughter.
In 1861, William is now the miller, aged 53, with Margaret and children Margaret, Robert (also shown as miller), Sarah and William. 16 year old Samuel Phillips is living there as a servant (employee) and carter.
In 1871, Margaret is widowed and she lives at "Eastham Mill" with daughter Sarah and son William, who is the miller. 18 year old Luke Lee is also there as servant and labourer.
In 1881, the son William is now the miller with his wife Mary and young children William (3) and John (1). Two servants live with them: 19 year old Henry Davies is an agricultural labourer and 15 year old Mary Clarke is a domestic nurse
In 1891, young William has died and Mary has remarried, to John R Mill, a carpenter's labourer, and the younger William and John Crabb are living with them. No address is shown but it isn't the mill. When I find it, I'll post again...
Wow! I love the photographs inflatablebone and Kimpri. It must have been such a landmark as it stands so much taller than the house. The photo with the horse really shows what it would have been like around the mill. Such a pity it was taken down.
I have had no luck yet connecting the early history dots...
Hello FABFiona, In my ancestry I have Thomas Spark born abt 11th Aug 1650 in Bebington, died 11th Jan 1699 in Noctorum married Catherine Shaw 1673 (his father was also Thomas Spark from Bebington. I have never been able to tie him in with any of the Eastham crowd (parish records which are in Latin, for which I had to buy a latin/english dictionary, don't always include mother's names in christenings, which complicates things.) my info came from St Andrews (Bebington) parish records. I will look back through your posts and see if I can tie anything up. Regards Locomotive
