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202 HISTORY OF CORN MILLING: vol. iv.
IV. field " ; and in 1781 " Anne Tyrer, widow, was granted leave to alter
^^rvFRPnoT"^' ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ lease of Windmill cottages on Copperas Hill." In the
'_ interim had occurred a tragedy which remained undiscovered for fifty
28. Appendix : Y^^^s. The White Mill and Hadwin's Mill close
*
adjoined Tyrer's ;
Their ^'^^ ^^ tenant of the White Mill, who had formed a partnership
Immediate ^^^ ^^ tenant of Hadwin's Mill, was murdered and buried under
Successors.
^^^^ latter structure by, it is alleged, his partner. Evidences of the
crime were discovered about 1820, when the mill was taken down
for the erection of "The Quaker's School," a building which has
given way to tramway stables. The story, as related in the Underbill
MSS. in the possession of the corporation, is as follows: "Duncan
Street.— Here was the site of an ancient [modern] mill belonging to
the late Joseph Hadwin [of the Society of Friends]. A free school
was built upon the site, and when the land was required for the
purpose, the workmen were directed to demolish the mill in two days ;
but, if I am rightly informed, they accomplished the work of destruction
in two hours. In the centre of the mill, and deep in the rock upon
which it stood, a grave was found with a human skeleton lying within
it. Mr. T.'s [Tyrer's] aunt, upon hearing of the circumstance, hastened
to the spot, and instantly formed an idea of the cause of this singular
interment. Many years ago, perhaps fifty or sixty, this miir and the
White Mill, a short distance above it, were occupied by two partners,
one of whom resided at this mill [Hadwin's]. He was an un-
principled character. His partner, who bore the name of a decent,
upright man, left his home one morning to go to the town, but his
wife never heard of him again. Nor could anyone explain the cause
of his sudden disappearance until this discovery was made, when his
wife and child and his partner had long been dead."
The owners of the field in 1785 were Waterworth & Co., and in
1790 Pennington and Pait were partners there. In the same mill, in
September, 1790, took place the following example of endurance
" On Friday George Drover, who takes care of a mill
under disaster :
near Limekiln Lane [Lime Street], belonging to Messrs. Pennington
and Pait, went into the lower apartment to grease the wheels without
taking the precaution to stop the mill. His arm was caught in the
wheel and torn off near the shoulder. He then went up six or seven
steps that lead to the bank outside to stop the mill, which, having
done with his other hand, he went again below and sat there some
time before he called to some rope-makers in the neighbourhood.
He was taken to the infirmary, and was so stout [hearted] that
he would have walked. The stump of his arm was amputated,
and he has every appearance of doing well." The old peg-mill of
Tyrer lasted till February, 1793, when, "in the storm of Saturday
that has weathered
se'nnight, the wooden mill on Copperas Hill,
so many gales, was blown down and totally
demolished. Un-
fortunately, at the time the miller was coming down the ladder,
and was buried under its ruins. He was got from it in a short
time, and, what is wonderful, without any broken bones ; but he
has received a very violent contusion on the eye, and it is feared
he will lose it."