Preston Brook Millers

John Leadbeater (also spelled Ledbetter)
The first mention we currently have of John is at the baptism of his sons in 1778. We can make a reasonably hypothesis through location and naming conventions that John is related to Peter Leadbeater, who consistently held a small plot of Brock land sited directly behind the wharf from 1780 onwards. At Peter’s death in 1798, his widow proves his will in the company of George Fairhurst, then miller of Preston Brook.
 
George Fairhurst
The first record that states Fairhurst is the miller at Preston Brook is at the death of Peter Leadbeater in 1798. Working backwards, the land tax documents show him as the occupier of the land in 1789, so it would not be beyond reason to believe him to be the miller at this date also. Fairhurst gained the land on his marriage to Catherine Jones, who held it from at least 1780, and so it is plausible to suspect that he may have been the miller on the site and made an advantageous marriage.
 
William Onion
William was born in around Partington in 1804. His early life is difficult to trace but he appears to have had a small farm plot  in Partington that was leased out between 1818 and 1826.There are currently no documents specifically stating that William Onion was the miller at Preston Brook but using the tax records to establish a value for the property it demonstrates extreme probability that he was the occupier and operator for the mill for the years 1821 and 1822. On the 11^th February 1823 he married Sally Sumner at Daresbury, and their daughter Mary was baptised on 16^th November that year. On the baptism record he is recorded as mill-wright which indicates that Abraham Marsh, who had assumed the tax occupation of the site, was now the operator.
William moves to Liverpool and continues as a millright, as seen in 1825, at the baptism of his daughter Elizabeth in Liverpool, in 1828, when he returns to Daresbury for the baptism of his son, also William, and again in 1830 at the baptism of his daughter Ellen back in Liverpool. His address in Liverpool was consistent, keeping a house on Gascoyne street, and we can theorise William junior was baptised at Daresbury because he was born during a visit to Sally’s parents and did not seem likely to live. This is probable but un-provable.
A mill wright at this time would likely have been of a slightly higher standing then a miller, and it is possible that he transferred careers during his tenure of the Preston Brook mill. It certainly appears he was competent at this profession as, at his sons marriage, he is noted as an engineer, as is his son.
In the 1861 census he is with his wife and granddaughter in their house at Seacombe, still a millwright, and in 1871 he is lodging at the time of the census at Bryn Cellin in Greenfield. He is at this date presumably attending to some part of the Abbey papermills
William retired to Seacome, where his wife died in 1880 and he followed 4 years later. They were both buried at Wallasey
 
Abraham Marsh
Born circa 1761 in Lancashire and married Catherine Green at St Peter’s in Liverpool on 19^th April 1784. 5 children born in Liverpool- Betty (1 Sep 1784), Humphrey (16 Nov 1788), William (c1789.) Thomas (20 Nov 1793) and James (25 Mar 1795)
The details of the baptism note the abode in 1784 as Shaw’s Brow, and Townsend Mill in 1788- these are probably one and the same, as a mortage deed of 1721 described the ancient Townsend mill to be located on Shaw’s brow (now called William Brown street), although there is a second mill named Townsend Mill located on the shore line approximately where Bramley Moore dock is today. In January 1795, the death of William, his abode is noted as St James street, but confusingly in March 1795, the baptism of James, it appears to be at Toxeth park. Toxeth Park is mentioned as a possible abode in 1793 and the baptism of Thomas, which could be interpreted that Abraham was living partially separate to his wife and family or that William died away from home. The family were financially stable enough to afford a headstone for William at St Nicholas, which I believe is still extant.
In November 1799, his son William is baptised at Daresbury, with his abode noted at Preston and his occupation as miller.
In 1806 he and Catherine are residing in Lydiate Mill where their daughter Mary is born, but he is returned to Preston Brook as he appears as the occupier in the 1823 land tax.
His movements are unclear following his departure from Preston Brook, but the end of his life came in January 1845 at Chorleton on Medlock, aged 84 and still noted as a miller. His wife outlived him by 9 years, dying at 71 Rusholme road, Chorleton on Medlock. Both, surprisingly, died of “natural decay.”
 
Thomas Marsh
Born 20 Nov 1793 in Liverpool and married Ann Waller on 2^nd Feb 1813. 6 Children born in Liverpool, Leonard (bapt. 3 Oct 1813), Jane (bapt. 2 Jun 1816) Alice (24 Feb 1817), Catherine (c1820), Thomas (4 May 1822) and William (c1825).
At the first baptism the abode is Bevington, but at Jane’s it is Circus street and Alice’s the abode is “Mcquire street” (Maguire street).  1820 and 1822 his abode is noted as Bevington Mill, but in 1825 the abode is Renshaw street. Taking all of these into account, it is probably that he was employed at Bevington mill but was not the head miller.
The land tax document of 1824 has him as the occupier of the mill at Preston Brook but, given the baptism of William above mentioned, it is likely that his father was still running the Preston Brook site while he was in Liverpool.
In January 1828, his son John is baptised at Daresbury, with his abode noted at Preston and his occupation as miller. This is repeated in March 1830 with his son Edward.
In May 1831, his son Thomas died and was buried in Daresbury. The family at this time purchased a plot here and would return to it.
In August 1832, Thomas’s daughter Ann was born. In census records she consistently records her birthplace as Preston Brook, but her baptism record has the family’s abode as Rupert street in Liverpool. Given the usual time lapse between birth and baptism, it is plausible that they waited until after her birth to move away, plausibly staying with Leonard, who was a miller in his own right. The family left Liverpool and moved to Witton cum Twambrooks, taking residence at the mill there and being settled by September 1834, when daughter Elizabeth was born. Thomas did not leave Witton again, documented in the 1841 and 1851 census’ as a miller, in 1861 living with daughter Ann and her waterman husband (occupation then recorded as farmer) and in 1871 as a retired master corn miller. He died the following year and was buried at Witton.
In the burial plot at Daresbury, daughters Elizabeth and Alice were buried in 1841 and 1840 respectively
 
John Parker, senior
John Parker was born in Kingsley in 1790 to James and Peggy. He  married Nancy Challoner of Frodsham in April 1811. On the marriage license he is noted as a miller, and he remains a miller at Kingsley through the birth of all his children; James (1812), Elizabeth (1816), John Challoner (1816), Joseph (1818), Mary (1820) and Margaret (1823). In 1824, the Kingsley mills were sold and the entirety was documented in the newspaper advert. From this advert we can safely presume that the running of the site was divided between John and his father and, given that John would come to work the windmill at Preston Brook, we can presume that John ran the windmill.
In December 1827, Parker’s mill burned down and when he applied on the insurance it was refused on the grounds of fraud. He attempted to take them to court but lost, and was ordered to pay their costs. How quickly he was arrested for debt is unclear, but he appears in 1829 report:  “The Court of Relief of Insolvent Debtors. The Matters of the Petitions and Scheduled of the Prisoners hereinafter named (the same having been filed in the Court) are appointed to be heard as follows: “At the Court House of Chester, in the county of Chester, on the 7^th day of August, 1829, at 9 o’clock in the morning.. John Parker, late of Kingsley, Cheshire, corn dealer and miller… This case appeared to be one of particular hardship. The insolvents mill was consumed by fire, and all his stock of grain; and his creditors brought an action against the Norwich Union Fire Office, for the recovery of £600, the amount of the loss he sustained. The cause was to have been tried at Lancaster, but before it came into court it was agreed by bother partied to submit to a reference. The refer appointed, heard the case in Liverpool, and gave his decision against the insolvent, who was imprisoned for the amount of the costs arising from the case. Discharged”
Parker’s wife appears to die at the beginning of 1840, and from there Parker goes from bad to worse. In August 1840 he was arrested for stealing clay off the wharf, and arrested late in the late afternoon, meaning a decision to remove him to Knutsford would be carried out the following morning was made. However, during the night he made his escape in a state of complete nudity and was found a month later hiding in the mill.
It is a little unclear what occurs to him next; newspapers write that he was released to the appalling and apologetic state he had been found in but the Knutsford records suggest that he did face trial and was sentenced to transportation. The prison hulk records document a John Parker, a 50 year old widowed millwright, with one prior felony acquittal (possibly the same John Parker found not guilty in 1839)and a bad character, being transported to Van Demons land in 1841. It is plausible to think that neither the Lord of the Manor, Brock-Yates, nor the Bridgewater Trustees would want to have the case published further then necessary but conversely it would be highly unusual for newspapers to actively lie that a man had been “let off” unless he had. It is plausible that that those in power were intending to release Parker and he committed some offence that caused them a change of heart.
 
John Smith
Born in 1813 to Isabella and Richard, a miller at the Northshore windmill (also called the Townsend Windmill, located roughly where the Bramley Moore dock is today), and married teenage baker’s daughter Mary Wilson on 26 May 1836. Son Thomas Richard (1838) and John (1840) born in Bootle and then the family moves to Preston Brook. While at the mill they have two daughters, Isabella (1842, baptised at Ashton by Sutton) and Esther (1843 baptised at Aston). John moves the family back to his native Liverpool to take up residence at Mill Place on Shaws Brow around 1846, where they have another son Joshua (1846). Mary unfortunately dies around this time and John remarries on 17 March 1850 to a young woman name Mary Ann Grant, and they have James Alfred (1850) George William Caleb (1852) and Edwin (1857).  In the 1851 census he is recorded as a Master Miller employing one man, which indicates he is running a mill directly. Unfortunately his second wife also predeceases him and in the 1861 census we find him a widower in Vauxhall with his children, the elder men of whom have entered into blacksmithing and whitesmithing trades.
 
Samuel Higginson
Born in 1804 at Bostock, the son of Thomas and Frances/Fanny. He married Ann of Kingsley and their on John was born in 1835 in Weaverham.  Samuel is noted as a farmer at this date. In the 1841 census where the family appears to be in Weaverham and he is working as a butcher. It is around this time that his elder brother Charles holds the tenancy of New Manor farm, so it is plausible that this is how the family comes to Preston Brook, as by the 1851 census we find their mother Frances is living at New Manor farm with a brood of grandchildren in the house and a bevy of local men as son-in-laws. Another brother Thomas is living in the village with his own family and walking up to tend New Manor.
It is plausible that he takes the tenancy after John Smith leaves in around 1846, as we do not currently have directories covering the period to 1850 and his first appearance as miller.
It would appear that he leaves by 1857 and seems to reappear in Weaverham in 1861 now working as a carter, while his son is a “book seller and news vendor”.