Vol 3 - Lackham Countryside Centre

The Manor of Lackham Vol 3 : The Montagu family
When Ray Mill was advertised for rent in 1724 it had one pair
of stones [for grinding corn] and three pairs of fulling stocks.
It was one of the mills where medley cloth was inspected in
1724 474 Nothing further is known until 1812, when there
were corn and cloth mills on opposite sides, each entitled to
half the stream. The tenant of the cloth mill was Robert
Wiggle 464 , who was still there is 1825 “ 475
George Conway was often in debt, for example in June, 1830 he was “now
confined for debt within the walls of the King's Bench “ 476
Both George and his son Frederic Conway are named in an additional
contract appertaining to the sale of Alderton estate to Joseph Neeld, in
1827 477 but only F C Montagu, however, is mentioned in leases of 1832.
474 VCH Wiltshire IV p158
Medley cloth was made from wool that was first dyed and the colours mixed before it
was woven, in contrast to the more normal practice of weaving the cloth before
dyeing. Although this type of cloth was exported in the fifteenth century it became
much more common in the mid-seventeenth century. The wool trade was well
regulated but the manufacture of medley cloth remained effectively free of
legislation throughout the sixteenth century, and there was much concern about the
poor and very variable quality that this lack of control encouraged. Eventually,
legislation about wages and conditions, made in 1727, also “renewed provision…for
measurement of the cloth’s breadth and width” by inspectors appointed at the
Quarter Sessions, their salary paid for by a 2d levy per cloth.
The roll that records the inspections held in the Chippenham area shows 5 mills at
Bremhill, Chippenham, Lacock and Corsham, with a total of 20 clothiers having 120
cloths in the mills during the inspection period of 5 th August to 27 th October 1727. It
is noted that this was a quiet time of year, the rivers being generally low and thus
little power available to the mills.
475 Rogers, K H (1976) Wiltshire and Somerset Woollen Mills Pasold Research Fund
Ltd p7
476 House of Commons Journal Volume 85: 16 June 1830 at British History Online at
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=16260
477 W&SHC 1305/16
Memorandum of agreement as to the planting of the Alderton Estate without
prejudice to the pending investigation of the site
118