Millstones Mystery

Written by Angela Gooch on August 16th, 2007 in Early Skegness, Historical Buildings, People, Social History.

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Source: Skegness News 14th April 1954
Photo: Walfred Photographers Prince George Street Skegness

(Parts of a column of this news story is wedged deep inside the folio binding of the newspapers which has obscured some of the printed text. I have therefore improvised, providing what I assume to be the missing words)

After many years of honourable retirement, this pair of millstones has been taken out of a Lumley Road property during last week.
Stanley Hanson, who has [owned] the bakery business [formerly] known as Hughes and [is] modernising the whole of [the] premises. On the first floor [of] the bakehouse and flour store [the] pair of millstones seen [in] the photograph. These were removed by [builders] and are seen in the [?].
The pair of stones is marked “JP 1816″ and is a pair of [?] stones. They were in-[?] in the premises over 60 [years] ago and were in use until [?] Mr J Harold Green of [?] Road, Skegness, recalls [using/seeing] these stones on many [occasions] prior to his disposal [of the] business to Mr T A [?] in 1929.
[Another] old Skegnnessian [who has many] memories of hard work on this pair of stones is Mr Henry Hare of Lumley Avenue, a former manager and principal of the concern. Sixty years ago when he came to Skegness from Quadring near Spalding, he recollects dressing these stones on many occasions. He describes them as “grey stones”.
Originally these stones came from a windmill, but as the motive power at Prince George Street was supplied by a stationary engine instead of wind power, the stones were installed upside down, the heavy bed stone (on the right in the picture) being in the upper position.
The removal of these stones after years of service breaks a link with the past.

old millstones 1816 in Skegness

end of transcript

It’s interesting to note that the millstones came from a windmill - could it be the eight-sailed windmill which was in the same place as the Clock Tower?

windmill clock tower skegness

So do these millstones still exist? Are they festering around in YOUR backyard?

Tell us if you know where they are - “JP 1816″

Also, what did Henry Hare mean when he said he recalls “dressing” the stones?

Any ideas?