History of the MIll

The Boyd Family, Millwrights and Engineers of Hull

Plaque at Patrington Haven Mill:
“Mill M’r Nichols & G. & W. Boyd Builders 1810”

In 1806, Jonathan Booth—then operating on Cannon Street in Hull—advertised his millwright business, offering “threshing machines on the newest and most approved plans.” Within a few years he relocated to Witham, east of the River Hull, where he passed away in 1810. That same year two of his journeymen, George and William Boyd, took over the business under the new name G. & W. Boyd, Millwrights, Hull.

Services and Early Growth

From the outset, the Boyd firm built a reputation for:

  • Supplying French burr millstones (“an assortment of good burr stones”).
  • Installing and repairing thrashing and corn-machinery “on a simple, cheap, and expeditious plan.”
  • Fitting four-cylinder flour mills and modern flour-dressing apparatus without needing to bore existing structures.

By 1813, demand had swelled so dramatically that G. & W. Boyd advertised for “twelve to eighteen journeymen,” serving millers on both sides of the Humber—particularly in Witham, Drypool and Sutton-on-Hull.

Patrington Haven Tower Mill (1810)

One of the Boyds’ signature projects was the five-storey brick tower mill at Patrington Haven, built in 1810, about sixteen miles east of Hull. As Roy Gregory and Laurence Turner note in Windmills of Yorkshire, this mill featured:

  • A squat ogee (“S-curve”) cap
  • Four patent (roller) sails
  • A fan-tail device (patented 1745) that automatically oriented the cap into the wind

This combination of design elements dramatically reduced the miller’s workload and kept production steady—even in Holderness’s blustery weather. The mill remained in operation until 1928; today its empty tower still bears the Boyds’ original 1810 plaque.

Although we cannot find any full picture of the mill we did Ask AI if it draw what it thought it would have looked like.

 

Blending Wind and Water Power (1822)

Although watermills along the Hull valley were well established, low water flow often limited their effectiveness. In 1822 the Boyd brothers helped retrofit several sites with wind power:

  • Beverley Park (Feb. 1822): The Hull Advertiser & Exchange Gazette advertised a lease of the recently renovated watermill at Beverley Park, noting that “Messrs. G. & W. Boyd, Millwrights, Hull, will give information to any enquiries.”
  • Grovehill Wind Corn Mill (Mar. 1822): A newly erected wind-powered corn mill—“constructed upon the most approved principles, and replete with requisite machinery”—was sold at auction, with particulars available from the Boyds.
  • Horse-Worked Saw Mill (Oct. 1822): A “good saw mill” powered by one or two horses was offered “very cheap,” again through G. & W. Boyd.
  • Welton Windmill (Nov. 1822): Plans to demolish and relocate the parish windmill carried the Boyds’ involvement, as they supplied all technical details.

Cottingham Mill Upgrade (1813–14)

In April 1814, the Hull Advertiser & Exchange Gazette announced the auction of “all the land and premises belonging to Sarah Tapenter at Cottingham.” Although the notice made no direct mention of a mill, readers were directed to “Mr. George Boyd, Millwright, Over the North Bridge, Witham, Hull” for further particulars. Alan Whitworth’s Yorkshire Windmills through Time confirms that in 1813 this Cottingham watermill was upgraded with wind power—almost certainly by George and William Boyd themselves.

Through technical skill, a keen sense for innovation and strategic advertisements, George and William Boyd left an indelible mark on East Yorkshire’s milling landscape—turning both wind and water into reliable sources of power well before the age of steam.

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