MILLS AND MILLSTONES. 503 



one of them. If a tenant were accepted, the mill was put 

 into complete order for his use. 



Such leases were made even in early times. In 1299 Robert 

 Newman was tenant at will of the mill at Cuxham, at a rent 

 of 40;-. the year. But the landlord did all the repairs, and 

 found all the machinery. Thirty years afterwards the lords of 

 Cuxham are put to very great expenses in buying and convey- 

 ing five millstones from London to their estate. It would 

 seem, indeed, that Merton College never worked this mill for 

 their own benefit, but that they invariably let it. At this 

 time, indeed, it seems to have been the custom that the owner 

 of property did every kind of building and repaired all tene^ 

 ments on his estate. In course of time the miller becomes 

 wealthier, and undertakes to provide, of course at a lower rent, 

 the necessary machinery for the mill. 



Mills were of two kinds, water and wind the latter being 

 the commoner of the two, and being particularly frequent in 

 Norfolk. The machinery was of course simple; the inner 

 part of the works being the same in both kinds, whether 

 the motive-power were in the virga or sailyard, or in the water- 

 wheel. Such a wheel is bought at Bungay in the year 1278 

 for 55-., another in 1287 for 35-. 4^., a third at Barkby in 1336 

 for 85-. 4</. The cogwheels and stays of the axis were well 

 lubricated, entries of grease for such purposes being very 

 frequent. 



The reader will find several entries of virgae, or sailyards. 

 They were either single or double ; the average price of nine 

 of these before and after the Plague, which seems to have made 

 no difference in the value of this article, being y. 6\d. I shall 

 have occasion hereafter to comment on the price of the cloth 

 which was employed to catch the wind under the name of 

 canvas c pro velis molendinx/ 



The fabric of the mill appears to have been invariably timber, 

 and the windmill was probably turned round to the wind by a 

 pole annexed to an axle at the base and running on a small 

 wheel. The mechanism by which the top of the mill is made 



