Summary of articles in International Molinology No 110, which were published in June 2025
‘An Architectural Rendering of François Violette Jr.’s Grist Mill, Maine, USA’ by Peter Violette.
The author researched archived reports by agents of the state of Maine (recording the testimonies of François Violette Jr. in the 1830s) with regards to this grist mill. Together with Guy Dubay’s research, the 1868 ‘Water-Power of Maine’ report and the 1880 industrial census, he was able to build-up a ‘picture’ of the mill in its early days. This was brought to life by the graphic skills of John Brandrick, whose pictures are shown here.
‘Iron processing in a water driven forge in Greece’ by George Speis.
The Peloponnese peninsula is known for its subterranean water sources, used from early times to power mills. At the end of the 17th century the Venetians conquered the region, known as Morea, and used the water resources of the Myli area comprehensively by building more watermills. The Ottoman Turks developed the site strategically, but this was damaged at the Battle of Myli in 1825. In the 1830s the Ministry of Defence redeveloped the site for a water-powered iron forge to recycle valuable scrap iron. The author uses historic records to recreate the workings of this installation and to document the many operational issues it faced.
‘The beliefs about mills and millers in narrative memories from the north-west borderline of the Mazovian region, Poland’ by Robert Piotrowski.
The author carried out ethnographical fieldwork in the area covering the borders of Dobrzyn and the northern Mazovia region. The first-hand reports he recorded recount the beliefs of the inhabitants as regards mills and those who worked in them. Places where watermills and windmills were, or still are, can be counted as important elements in shaping the cultural landscape of local communities. These beliefs fall into the categories of ‘memorate’ - a narrative told orally from memory that describes a personal experience with a supernatural being or paranormal event; and ‘fabulate’ - to make up a story to cover the facts we can't accept.
‘Finding The Oldest Mill in North America’ by Mark C. Borton.
In 1604, French-Acadian explorer Samuel de Champlain built a fortified fur-trading outpost on a small island in the ‘Ste. Croix River’. The site was a failure, so they, along with their un-finished mill, moved to the warmer climate of Port Royal, in Nova Scotia, Canada. There they rebuilt their habitation in 1605, and in 1607 Jean du Poutrincourt rebuilt the mill. The author has investigated contemporary reports, maps and surveys of the area, plus satellite images and field-walking, and believes he has located the site of this, the oldest mill in North America. An international collaborative effort is being made to understand this mill site and its environs.
‘Watermills in the Canary Islands’ by Ian Scotter.
The author has made numerous trips to the islands of the Canaries, an archipelago which lies between 100 km and almost 500 km west of Morocco. Some of the islands are very dry, but others supported horizontal-wheeled watermills. These and their remarkable drop towers are described here, along with the author’s spectacular photos which also adorn the covers of this issue.
Communications articles include ‘Twenty years of activity of the Windmills Section at the Technical Museum in Brno’ by Jan Doubek. The author has been involved with mills for 60 years, and recounts the work done by this association, which includes meeting, trips and help with restoration and renovation of windmills. This is followed by Refurbishment of the Lespinasse mill wheel and the ‘Rule of Pi (π)’ by Patrice Cadet. The article came about following a query regarding the ‘rule of π’ as mentioned in Patrice’s article in IM108, and here he explains the renovation of the wheel and the use of this ancient formula. Then follows another short communications article from Graham Hackney entitled ‘The Mill that serves the ‘Largest Kitchen in the World’ in the Golden Temple of Amritsar’. This follows a visit in 2018 when the author was shown the mill which provides chapati flour to feed an average of 20,000 pilgrims and visitors per day.
The issue concludes with four book reviews. The first is on the ‘Miller’s Dictionary‘ by Radim Urbánek. This more than a ‘mere’ a dictionary and presents grist milling terminology in context, in the Czech language (with English summary). The second is on ‘Windmills and wind pumps on old postcards’ by the Czech authors Jan Doubek and Břetislav Koč. Then follows a review of ‘Secrets of Continuity – Grain Mill’ by Serbian author Dimitrije Vujadinović, and finally one on Luke Bonwick’s ‘Saxtead Green Post Mill Suffolk - History, Technology & Conservation’.