FISHES AND FISHING. 3 



and grounds just below them, expanded into a very 

 large pond, and the superfluity of the water not re 

 quired for the mill, passed over a tumbling bay by 

 the side of that building. In Doomsday Book, a mill 

 was mentioned ; but it was then, and had been long 

 before, a mill for grinding corn. According to Mr. 

 Dickens, Sir John Spielman, Jeweller to Queen 

 Elizabeth, whose tomb (that is, Sir John's) is in 

 Dartford Church, built a paper-mill for the making of 

 writing-paper, and Her Majesty granted him a license 

 " for the sole gathering for ten years of all rags," &c. 

 " necessary for the making of such paper." It is 

 said that Sir John, in coming to this country from 

 Germany, brought with him two young lime trees, 

 which he set before his dwelling-house at Dartford. 

 This house, therefore, in which I was born, leased 

 with the mill, was no doubt the mansion built by Sir 

 John Spielman, in a style of magnificence suitable to 

 his position in life ; and the ball room, grounds, and 

 gardens, where I t used to play, had been formerly- 

 graced by royalty, courtly knights and dames. 



A paper-mill was erected at Dartford in 1588, but 

 this was not the first of the kind set up in England, 

 as is generally stated. In the above year, Thomas 

 Churchyard published a poem entitled, " A descrip 

 tion and playne discourse of Paper, and the whole 

 benefits that Paper brings, setting forth in verse a 



B 2 



