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1. Sixty Years of Cycling - 1897 magazine article
2. The Arno Motor Company of Coventry 1908-1916, by Damien Kimberley
3. The New Bablake Schools - 1889 article
4. Public Baths - The Building News, Jan 24th 1896
5. A short history of Coventry's Theatres and Cinemas, by Bill Birch
6. The Brough Superior, by Damien Kimberley
7. Proposal for St. Michael's Campanile c1890
8. Coventry's Rich Heritage, by Pete Walters
9. Coventry, the Home of the Cycle Trade - 1886 magazine article
10. The Dragoon Cycle Company of Coventry, by Damien Kimberley
11. Edwin Brown, Victorian Animal Artist, by Stephen Catton
12. The Old Vicarage, Binley, by Anna Eddleston
13. Coventry Volunteer Fire Brigade - Illustrated London News, Jan 4th 1862
14. The Great Flood of December 1900, and the lost Bridges, by Damien Kimberley
15. Coventry's Great Flood - London Daily Graphic, 2nd January 1901
16. New Drinking Fountain at Coventry - 17 Sep 1859
17. Henry Cave, and the 'Lady' Autocar of 1899, by Damien Kimberley
18. The Ira Aldridge Trail, by Simon Shaw
19. The Lion Bicycle Company of Coventry & Wolverhampton 1877-1882, by Damien Kimberley
20. The Beech on Wheels, by Derek Robinson and forum member Foxcote
21. Phil Silvers Archival Museum, by Paul Maddocks
22. Transport Museum pt.3 - Creating the Blitz Experience, by Paul Maddocks
23. What links a Spitfire's landing gear to a baby buggy? by Paul Maddocks
24. The sound that almost killed my Dad in the War!, by Paul Maddocks
25. D-Day and Monty's Staff Car, by Paul Maddocks
26. Transport Museum pt.2 - New Hales Street Entrance in 1985, by Paul Maddocks
27. Transport Museum pt.1 - How the Queen's 1977 visit sowed the seed, by Paul Maddocks
28. What links R2D2 to a Coventry Hydrogen/Electric cab company? by Paul Maddocks
29. Transport Museum pt.6 - The Royal Cars, by Paul Maddocks
30. Transport Museum pt.5 - The 1987 F.A. Cup Winners' Sky Blue Bus, by Paul Maddocks
31. The Tapestry and its Hidden Secret, by Paul Maddocks
32. Transport Museum pt.4 - Coventry's Land Speed Record Cars, by Paul Maddocks
33. Whitefriars Gatehouse and Toy Museum, by Paul Maddocks
34. WW1 and Wyley of Charterhouse, by Paul Maddocks
35. Miss Bashford, a Teacher's Tale, by Simon Shaw
36. Motor Panels (Coventry) Ltd, by Damien Kimberley
37. Not Forgotten, the 1939 IRA bomb attack, by Simon Shaw
38. Let's talk about Rex, by Damien Kimberley
39. Coventry, the Silk Trade and the Horsfall family, by Ian West
40. The Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Coventry, by Terence Richards
41. A brief history of Saint Osburg's, in pictures, by Damien Kimberley
42. Trinity National Schools - Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal, Vol.XVII, 1854
43. The First Tudor Feast, by Richard Ball
44. 1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by John Bailey Shelton MBE
45. Plan for the City Centre - The Architect and Building News, 21st March 1941
 

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by John Bailey Shelton MBE

as originally published in Austin's Monthly Magazine from November 1832 to June 1939

Compiled and transcribed by R. W. Orland, 2005

I'm sincerely grateful to the Shelton family for their kind permission and encouragement to publish these works.

J. B. Shelton's post-war book A Night in Little Park Street can be viewed here (in PDF format).

Contents

Display ALL articles

Date:Subjects covered:

1932

NovGosford Gate
DecCo-op Site, West Orchard

1933

JanWest Orchard, Bridge etc.
FebBroadgate Excavations
MarBroadgate Excavations
AprBroadgate Excavations
MayBlack Bull Inn, Pepper Lane
JunBlack Bull Inn
JulCox Street - River Excavations
AugCox Street - River Excavations
SepCox Street - River Excavations
OctCox Street - River Excavations
NovCox Street - River Excavations
DecPark Side Excavations

1934

JanPark Side Excavations
FebBurges Excavations
MarBenedictine Site Excavations
AprBenedictine Site Excavations
MayBenedictine Site Excavations
JunBenedictine Site Excavations
JulCoventry Castle
AugBenedictine Site, Palmer Lane Guest House
SepBenedictine Site, Wooden Bridge
OctAntiquities Exhibition at the Drill Hall
NovWell Street Excavations
DecPriory Pool & Mills

1935

JanPriory Pool & DIstrict
FebNew Buildings, Tower Foundations
MarCity Wall, Cook Street Gate, Plumb House
AprPriory Tower
MayPriory Tower, Gulson Road, Round Tower, New Gate Foundations
JunBroad Well, Burges Ford, Palmer Lane
JulWhite Friars
AugMeeting House, Smithford Street
SepMeeting House, Smithford Street
OctMeeting House, Smithford Street, St. John's Hospital Excavations
NovSt. John's Hospital, Barracks Square, Black Bull Inn
DecBarracks Square, Black Bull Inn

1936

JanBarracks Square, Black Bull Inn
FebButcher Row
MarButcher Row
AprButcher Row
MayButcher Row
JunOwen Owen's Site
JulOwen Owen's Site
AugOwen Owen's Site
SepOwen Owen's Site
OctTrinity Street
NovTrinity Street
DecTrinity Street

1937

JanBenedictine Museum
FebPool Meadow to Priory Street
MarPool Meadow to Priory Street
AprPool Meadow to Priory Street Excavations
MayBull Ring, Pottery Kiln, Hippodrome
JunHippodrome, Rex Cinema
JulBablake Excavations
AugCow Lane Site Excavations

1938

MayRex Site, Trinity Street
JulBroadgate Excavations
SepBablake Excavations, Co-op Site, West Orchard
OctTrinity Street, Bull Ring
NovSt. Mary's Cathedral Site, Bull Ring
DecSt. Mary's Cathedral Site, Bull Ring

1939

JanPost Office Excavations
FebSt. Mary's Cathedral Site
MarArt Gallery and Museum
AprArt Gallery and Museum
MayArt Gallery and Museum
JunBablake Excavations

Priory Pool & Mills

December 1934

PRIORY POOL AND MILLS

Excavations revealed the depth of the Priory Pool. It is not known when the pool was made, but by what was revealed I should say about 13th century, or at least enlarged then. Its water was stored for the Prior's Mill, which stood where the three brick houses still stand in front of the office of Messrs. Newark's, timber merchants. At the rear still stands the old Mill House, converted into two cottages. Its original small windows are filled up with brick, also one gable end has been restored while the other is in its original state but hidden by other houses. The Mill was destroyed by the man who built the three brick houses in 1848. The Mill wheel stood at the north end of the Mill and the water race was discovered when making the new river bed. The wheel must have been an undershot one as the race was 14 feet 6 inches in depth. Around the race which carried the water, large sand stones had been placed for the purpose of keeping the mud and grit from entering. It is interesting to know that an assize was kept of the storage of water, for no mill further down the river could grind until the first mill released its water. If a miller kept too much water he was fined 6/8; half of which went towards the building of the city wall, and the other half to his Craft. At the time of floods the flood gates were to be opened under penalty of a fine of 20 shillings.

In 1430, one penny per strike was charged for the grinding of wheat or rye. No toll was to be taken, under penalty of a fine of 20 pence to the Mayor and 20 pence to the Bailiffs, Also, Millers were sworn twice a year to be true. They also had to join in the procession on Corpus Christi day, and for Watch on Midsummer even. In 1474, they were only allowed to have measures at the Mill that were sealed according to the King's standard.

At this time the leet ordered that they should have 1 quart of wheat for the grinding of one bushel, and another quart if he should fetch the corn to be ground; whilst only one pint for each purpose was allowed if grinding malt. They were not to water any man's corn to make it weigh heavier, nor to give inferior corn in place of good. In order, also, to help keep the miller honest, he was only allowed to keep 3 hens and 1 cock, under penalty of a fine of 40 pence. If, after being fined three times he still offended, he was put in the pillory. In 1541 a charge of 7d. per quarter only was allowed for grinding the baker's breadcorn, and he was forbidden to keep either pigs or ducks under penalty of a fine of 6/8. In 1544 it was ordered that the millers should be a fellowship and Craft of their own, but in 1551 it was ordered that they should hold no assembly, as in time past. In 1549 it was enacted that all bakers should have their corn ground by resident millers and not foreign millers, and that the charge be 8d. per quarter under penalty of a fine of 3/8.

Near the Fire Station wall the race that carried the water from the mill wheel and emptied into the stream was discovered. Also a mill wheel made of oak, 41/2 ins. in width and about 17 ins. in diam., having 8 peg holes, pegs still in part of holes, while in the centre of the wheel was a square hole for fitting onto the shaft; the pegs would fit into 8 corresponding holes in the large wheel. Lower down the river, about 30 yards beyond the Fire Station, the flood gates stood.

About 20 yards of the river bed was paved with stone. In the centre were large square shaped stones, and in them a groove cut about 4 ins. deep and 6 ins. wide for the gate to fit into for a stay against the floods. The gate was at least 17 feet long, and at each end a well was sunk and oak posts placed in for the wheels and chains necessary to raise or lower the gate as required. Two other mills stood between this gate and the Earl's mill in Cox Street. Altogether, from Spon End to Whitley mills were placed as often as possible.

Next month I will give a further account of discoveries in and near the pool.


 
 
 
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