96 THK SYCAMORE MILL. 



Edward Farr, James Sill, Nehemiah Baker, Philip Dunn, 

 Robert Register, James Scott, Aaron Baker, Abel Green, 

 Thomas Minshall, John Scott, Jesse Woodward, James Massey , 

 John Baker, Joseph Black, Nathan Lewis and William Wall 

 for seven years. Tradition has it that every man having a 

 share in the mill took his own grain there and ground it him- 

 self whenever the inclination prompted, and did so without 

 giving thanks or pay to anyone. On February 22nd, 1755, 

 Caleb Cowpland and wife, Sarah, Thomas Park and Jane, his 

 wife, and Abigail Edge leased their share of the corn mill and 

 property to Thomas Bishop for ten years. 



In this connection Minshall Painter says: "We cannot 

 understand why so many farmers thought it necessary to rent 

 the grist and merchant mill, unless to gain precedence in 

 having their grain ground as early as they might desire, and 

 who were perhaps their own shippers. We notice that John 

 Minshall sent his flour to Barbadoes in 1746, and to Jamaica 

 by the brig " Dolphin," of Wilmington, in 1741J, in charge of 

 his brother. Moses, who was a sea captain, and received sugar 

 in part in return." 



After Thomas Bishop, the younger, had acc[uired absolute 

 ownership of the jiropertx', which occurred in 17S5, a fr;nne 

 third story and an overchute were added to the mill, the east- 

 ern end of the hitter resting on three stone piers, the public 

 road passing underneath. 



During Thomas Bishop's ownership of the mills many 

 changes of management took place. He, himself, operated 

 the mills until 1802, when P'rancis Bishop began operating 

 them. In 1S07 Thomas was again conducting the grist mill, 

 while in iSri he operated the saw mill, and Amor Bishop the 

 grist mill. 



In iSio-ii. during the ownership of Thomas Bishop, the 

 rolling and slitting mill was built ; it was about seventy feet 

 by fifty feet, one story high and adjoined the southern end of 

 the saw mill. It stood on the site of an old plaster mill which 

 had been in operation for half a century before it was taken 



