Sheering Mill Lock

SHEERING MILL LOCK

Lock	State	Date	Length	Length - Working Distance	Width	Fall
Sheering Lock	Built turfsided	1766/9	90' 0''	87' 6''	13' 5 1/2'	5' 8''
Sheering Lock	Rebuilt in brick/concrete	1917	90' 0''	87' 6''	13' 5 1/2'	5' 8''

Griggs’ Report 1844: No 10 Lock called Sheering Lock is affected by a mill. Has a Road Bridge attached to it. 6 timbers oak planking; it is an old bridge. Headway 6’ 0’’. Depth of water on lower sill 3’ 6’’. Ditto on Upper Sill 2’ 11’’. The lower gates in fair working order dated 1833. The upper gates in good order dated 1828. Some of the brickwork below the lower gates in middling repair. However this lock is in good condition. No 5 Lock house at Sheering Lock in middling order

Beardmore’s Report 1870: Shearing Lock is in good repair

Childs’ Report 1880: Sheering; Upper and lower gates and brickwork all in very good condition. Sides renewed 1875. Closed nearly to upper pool level. All in most satisfactory condition. Ample depth over sills. Lockhouse and shed lath and plaster built and tiled, old but in fair condition.

Childs' 1884 Report: "Upper and lower gates and brickwork all in very good condition. Sides renewed 1875, closed nearly to upper pool level, all in most satisfactory condition. Ample depth over sills. Lock house and shed. lath and plaster built and tiled, old but in fair condition."

Tween's 1901 Report: "Upper and lower gates and brickwork all in fair condition. Sides renewed 1875, closed nearly to upper pool level, all in fair condition. Lower sills should be lowered 12 inches. Lock house and shed. lath and plaster built, and tiled, old , but in fair condition."

The image below is from the 1901 Report

(Note the Thos. Clayton horseboat in the chamber - a long way from its home in Oldbury!)

Although a mill in Sheering was recorded in Domesday, it is not certain that that the site corresponded with the present position. The mill here was called Quickbury Mill in 1241 but the date of the change of name to Sheering Mill is not known. The Mill, from which the photograph below was taken, closed in 1914, probably due to lack of demand for its produce. It was purchased by the Lee Conservancy and demolished in November 1917. The tail race tunnels are still visible. There is a miller's plate above the top gate.

Sheering Mill Lock Cottage in the early 1950's (Jenny Snow)

Sheering Mill Lock Cottage c1986 (Peter Carr)

The 1799 lock cottage lasted until 1980 but was then allowed to deteriorate, unoccupied, until it had to be demolished. However, the original plaster plaque that was over the front door, bearing the red hand of the baronet and Sir George Duckett’s initials (see above) still survives.

The old cottage was replaced by the present building in 2000.

The photograph below is said to be taken in 1910, on the day of the Annual Survey although no record survives of any survey before 1915.

The lock keeper standing by the towing path gate is probably Edmund Higgins. His wife Caroline is to the left. Far left is possibly Elizabeth Reed, noted in the Census as a domestic servant. Higgins was first recorded as the lock keeper at Sheering Mill in the 1901 Census. He died on 1^st May 1921.

Peter Golden

Here is an earlier image, with an earlier lockkeeper.

He is almost certainly Edmund Higgins' predecessor, James Dorrington, who was born in the cottage in 1821. It is a pity his position totally blocks a view of the plaque. However, when the picture was taken, the house still had the gothic pointed windows, similar to those which are still visible at Brick Lock. The bridge has timber railings. The well-dressed lady and gentleman are unidentified.

The rebuilding of the lock chamber was commenced in September 1916 and completed by June 1917. There is a plate on the lockside commemorating the Re-opening of the River Stort in October 1924.

Sheering Mill Lock

Census/Date	Name	Title		Wife	Location given by enumerator/Comments		Source Reference
c. 1.1962	Albert Ernest Todd			Appointed from Aqueduct Lock			Mick Welsh
4.10.1954	William Frederick Watkins	Labourer/Lock keeper		Appointed at £7.14.11. Died 1.3.1962.			LCB Records
4.10.1954	Charles Edward Welsh	Lock keeper		Transferred to Spellbrook Lock			Jenny Snow 9.2.2010
20.9.1950	Charles Edward Welsh	Lock keeper		Appointed ex LCB Police Constable at £4.18.6			LCB Records
1939	David O'Brien (b. 30.11.1894)	Lock keeper		Iris b. 3.2.1915			1939 Register
1.4.1939	D O’Brien	Lock keeper		£1.6.0 to £1.7.0			NA Rail 845/123
15.7.1938	David O’Brien	Lock keeper		Appointed 26/- per week			NA Rail 845/122
31.7.1938	A Hammond	Lock keeper		15.7.1938 Retired with pension 7/2 per week with lump sum of £41.5.6			NA Rail 845/122
1.4.1938	A Hammond	Lock keeper		£1.5.0 to £1.6.0			NA Rail 845/122
5.11.1937	A E Hammond (67)	Lock keeper		To retire after 17 years service			NA Rail 845/121
6.11.1936	A E Hammond (66)	Lock keeper		16 years service			NA/Rail 845/120
1.4.1935	A Hammond	Lock keeper		£1.1s to £1.2s			NA Rail 845/119
5.10.1928	A Hammond	Lock keeper		Increase to £1.1s (minimum wage)			NA Rail 845/112
13.5.1921	A Hammond	Lock keeper		Increase from 15/- to 17/- per week			NA/Rail 845/48
1.5.1921	Hammond	Lock keeper		Ex Police constable, appointed at 15/- per week			NA/Rail 845/48
1.5.1921	E Higgins (74)	Lock keeper		Died
23.7.1920 “That a uniform was due to Lock keeper Higgins for the year 1919, but that as he was then and still was very unwell….” It was agreed that “…the cost viz £6.5.6, should be given to him” (NA/Rail 845/47)
14.11.1919	E Higgings	Lock keeper		17/- + house, garden, and uniform			NA/Rail 845/46
5.2.1918	E. Higgings	Lock keeper		15/- per week			NA/Rail 845/66
31.11.1916	E Higgins (70+)	Lock keeper		12/- up to 13/- per week with house , garden and uniform. Allowed to keep boats for hire			NA/Rail 845/43
4.3.1915	E T Higgins		Lock keeper	+2/- per week				NA Rail 845/42
13.10.1911	E T Higgings	Lock keeper		Into the service of the Board at 10/- per week			NA/Rail 845/38
2.4.1911	Edmund Thomas Higgins (66)	Lock keeper		Caroline Eliza		Lock House, Sheering	RG14PN9803 RG78PN517 RD189 SD3 ED10 SN118
31.3.1901	Edmund T Higgins (56)	Lockman to Stort Nav.		Caroline E.D		Back Lane Cottage	Ex/Sheering/10/19
6.2.1892	James Dorrington			“James Dorrington, the well-known lock-keeper at Sheering mill lock on the river Stort, died on Wednesday from bronchitis, following an attack of influenza.” James Dorrington, of Sheering Mill Lock House, lock-keeper, died 3^rd February 1892, leaving an estate of £205. However, two newspapers reported that he left property of the value of £3,000. “The late Mr. Dorrington, of Sheering Lock, who died last month, has, it is reported, left property of the value of £3,000.” “SHEERING. Wealthy Lockkeeper.—It is stated that the late Mr. Dorrington, Sheering lock, who died recently from influenza, has left property of the value £3,000.”			Essex Herald: 9.2.1892 Probatesearch.service.gov.uk/ Barking, East Ham & Ilford Advertiser, Upton Park and Dagenham Gazette: 27.2.1892 Chelmsford Chronicle: 26.2.1892
5.4.1891	James Dorrington (71)	Lock keeper		Maria		Sheering Mill Lane Lock House	Ex/Sheering/14/19
4.4.1881	James Dorrington (61)	Lock keeper		Jane		Back Lane	Ex/Sheering/14/23
2.4.1871	James Dorrington (50)	Lock keeper		Jane		Sheering Lock House, River Stort	Ex/Sheering/14/23
9 or 16.7.1861	Henry Prior (32) with Samuel Turner and John Judd were taking the barge Endeavour from Sawbridgeworth to Harlow. Prior went ahead to set Sheering Lock. He slipped and was drowned						Bishops Stortford Observer 20.7.1861
8.4.1861	James Dorrington (41)	Lock keeper		Jane		River Stort Lock House	Ex/Sheering/14/9
30.3.1851	George Dorrington (71)	Lock keeper		Widr		Lock House	Ex/Sheering/7b/3
7.6.1841	George Dorrington (60)	Lockman		Susannah		Lock house (James D 20y)	Ex/Sheering/14/5
11.6.1833	George Dorrington					Sheering Lock House	Essex RO D/DU 283/52

This site was last updated 09-Oct-2021