History of corn milling .. - Centrostudirpinia.it

48 HISTORY OF CORN MILLING: vol. iv.
II- have conjointly, unanimously, and faithfully promised to make no
^^^AEm^^^^ injurious impediment to the undertaking ; so that the abbot and
MILLS convent may at pleasure make at the aforesaid place, viz. The
Gaye, a watermill and easement, and, that being done, may freely
7. The Mill on use the same at his convenience. If, nevertheless, any impediment
the Gaye, — evidently by this mill, or any other by the said abbot made or
1268. placed, or by other things, being appurtenances— may reasonably
be apparent to be done [on the river] to the injury of the town,
so that vessels, large and small, cannot come and return freely to
the said town, then the burgesses shall take into their own hands all
lands, rents, and tenements of the said abbot and convent, wherever
they shall be inhabited by burgesses, and shall hold the same without
cavil or contradiction, and shall fully receive all issues and profits
arising from the same till satisfaction for such transgression be made.
Witnesses, the Lord Thomas Corbet, Robert de Gyros, and Wm. de
Hedley : St. Luke the Evangelist's Day [October 18], in the year of
grace 1268.*
8. Compact 8. We may now see how the enforced milHng
Th^^T^^ ^^ partnership between the abbey and the town '
1280.
pro-
gressed; though the local chroniclers, having incorrectly
referred to it thus far, make no further allusion to it.
The burgesses, with none of the precision and officialism
of the monks, contrived in but a few years to get
i their share of the business into complete disorder.
The four common mills in the town they had refused
Text, in. 74. to join in repairing ; even after the abbot, in accordance
with law, had formally called upon them to do
so. In due course the mills became ruinous, and to
make up for their loss some of the burgesses erected
a dozen others. These necessarily were flimsy,
inconsiderable structures, mostly horse- or ass-mills ;
as a dozen mills of any size were obviously far beyond
the requirements of the town. Such a state of affairs
no doubt abolished all exclusive soke for any one, but
it also abolished all compulsory liability upon any. one
to maintain, year in and year out, for the common
benefit, adequate and permanent mills grinding at
a legally stipulated toll— a vital responsibility which
feudal soke law had wisely been intended to secure,
* " The site of this mill is still [1825] traditionally remembered. A pavement
which had belonged to it was taken up a few years ago." — Owen and Blakeway.