History of corn milling .. - Centrostudirpinia.it

SOME FEUDAL MILLS. Ill
displeasure and wish to oppress and impoverish her, dee^HWtc
caused this information to be exhibited against her— Chester. '
who is the meanest and least able to defend this suit 26. Action
of all the others that have mills in or near the said against Bough-
city. Wherein she humbly prays the favourable consideration
of this Honourable Court.
In her pleadings she formally entered a denial of
the exclusive rights of Dee Mills, in the stereotyped
manner which more or less appears with constant
reiteration through all the defences entered against
the Gamull suits :—
This defendant will aver and prove that there now are and, by
all the time whereof the memory of man is not to the contrary, have
been divers and sundry mills, as well watermills, as windmills, for the
grinding of corn and malt within the said city and suburbs and
liberties thereof, other than the aforesaid Dee Mills. And that also
there now are and have been, for and by all the time of man's
memory, divers and sundry other watermills and windmills for the
grinding of corn and malt, of the inheritance of sundry persons
within four or five miles distant of the said city of Chester. And
that during all the time aforesaid not only the freemen and citizens
of the said city but the inhabitants and dwellers in the same and
the liberties and suburbs thereof have at their wills and pleasures
ground and sent their corn and malt to be ground at the said other
mills as they best liked or pleased. And the owners of the said
other mills, and their servants and tenants and their carriers and
servants, by all the time aforesaid have used and been accustomed
respectively to fetch and carry into and out of the said city and the
suburbs and liberties thereof at their pleasure all and every the corn
and malt of the aforesaid citizens or other persons as would or did
grind at such then said mills respectively without any lawful gainsaying
of any of the owners, farmers, or occupiers of the said Dee
Mills.
There had, however, been "lawful gainsaying" of
a very decided kind against such practices ; and there
can be no doubt that the usual order of the Court was
made, and that Jane Davenport's mill went the way of
that of Margery Bavand.
°" ^
' ^ ^^^'
27. Francis Gamull, now of age, became mayor of 27. Waterworks
Chester in 1634. Whitby remained associated with Dispute,
him in the management of the mills, but the first