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SOUTH MILL LOCK
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Lock |
State |
Date |
Length |
Length - Working Distance |
Width |
Fall |
|
South Mill Lock |
Built turfsided |
1766/9 |
90' 0'' |
87' 6'' |
13' 4 1/2'' |
5' 5'' |
|
South Mill Lock |
Rebuilt in brick/concrete |
1923 |
90' 0'' |
87' 6'' |
13' 4 1/2'' |
5' 5'' |
1884 Report: "Brick ends, open sides nearly all renewed
last year and deepened. Lower Gates new; Upper gates old, about to
be renewed next week. Wing walls below, brick, new built, depth over
sills sufficient. Lock-house, about 1/4 mile above (at
Bridge No 50) is a brick built and slated Cottage in fair condition,
with new and commodious outbuildings."
1901 Report:''Brick ends, open sides, nearly all renewed
in 1883, and deepened. Lower gates fair order. Upper gates 1884.
Wing walls below, brick, new built open timber sides, all good.
This is the best lock on the River. Upper sill lowered 1 foot.
Cost £200. Lockhouse built by Sir W Gilbey, not far from lock"
The name was recorded in
1785 but on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map in 1805, it was uniquely
called Sow Mill. It was also called Thorley Lock on some early 20th
century postcards. 
A sign bearing the inscription "Notice.
The Punishment
for Tampering with these Works is Transportation", was found at this
lock and can be seen in the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne, Northants.
The shape of the sign has caused a
certain amount of speculation. The answer can be deduced from a
photograph
of Feakes Lock, further downstream.
Enlargement of the sign above the door of the shed reveals the same
wording.
 However,
the shed here at South Mill has an apex roof, as can be seen from the
image below.
The picture below shows the
lock in its original turf sided condition.. It was rebuilt with
concrete sides in 1923, the last of the Stort Locks to be rebuilt.
The original Lock Cottages were
built next to the Tanners Arms Public House. on London Road about 700
yards upstream from the lock. In the early 20th century postcard
below, the Tanners Arms is to the right and the cottages are central.
The Navigation flows under the London Road Bridge to the left and turns
sharply right towards the foreground. The cottages have now
been demolished to provide access to a development built on the former
timber yard which was out of view to the right hand side.
A newer house was provided at the lock, situated just to
the south of the chamber. The building date of this
house is unknown, but it was occupied by the lock keeper
in the mid 1970's.
Photograph from late 1970's, courtesy of Tony Ford, son
of former lock keeper Danny Ford
South Mill Lock House
|
Census/Date |
Name |
Title |
Wife |
Location given by
enumerator/Comments |
Source Reference |
|
31.3.1957 |
Alfred Field |
Lock keeper |
Appointed ex Feildes Weir Lock |
M Welsh |
|
31.3.1957 |
Sidney Barnard (67) |
Lock keeper |
Retired |
LCB Records |
|
2.8.1950 |
Sidney Barnard |
Lock keeper |
£4.18.6 per week NJIC award |
LCB Records |
|
9.6.1948 |
Sidney Barnard |
Lock keeper |
£4.15.0 |
LCB Records |
|
30.11.1946 |
Sidney Barnard (55) |
Lock keeper |
Transferred ex Bow Locks |
LCB Records |
|
30.11.1946 |
H V Stock (70) |
Lock keeper |
Retired |
NA Rail 845/127 |
|
1.4.1939 |
H V Stock |
Lock keeper |
To £1.7.0 |
NA Rail 845/123 |
|
1.4.1938 |
H V Stock |
Lock keeper |
£1.5.0 to £1.6.0 |
NA Rail 845/122 |
|
1.4.1936 |
H V Stock |
Lock keeper |
£1.1s to £1.2s |
NA Rail 845/120 |
|
10.11.1933 |
A B Chapman |
Lock keeper |
Resigned |
NA/Rail 845/117 |
|
27.11.1931 |
A B Chapman |
Lock keeper |
Appointed |
NA/Rail 845/115 |
|
4.11.1931 |
A G Woolner |
Lock keeper |
Resigned |
NA/Rail 845/115 |
|
12.2.1931 |
A G Woolner |
Lock keeper |
Appointed at 21/- per week with
uniform |
NA/Rail 845/115 |
|
14.11.1930 |
W J Webb |
Lock keeper |
Retired with pension of 10/- per
week
Died 17.10.1935 |
NA Rail 845/114
NA/Rail 845/119 |
|
31.10.1930 |
W Webb (74) |
Lock keeper |
14 years service, 21/- per week
and house. Wife has pension |
NA Rail 845/114 |
|
5.10.1928 |
W Webb |
Lock keeper |
Increase to £1.1s (minimum wage) |
NA Rail 845/112 |
|
14.11.1919 |
W Webb |
Lock keeper |
18/- + house, garden, and uniform
|
NA/Rail 845/46 |
|
5.2.1918 |
W Webb |
Lock keeper |
16/- p.w. |
NA/Rail 845/66 |
|
11.2.1916 |
William Webb |
Lock keeper |
Appointed at 16/- per week plus
house and uniform |
NA/Rail 845/43 |
|
24.9.1915 |
William Gilbey |
Lock keeper |
See below |
NA Rail 845/42 |
|
“left on the 20th
August 1915, without giving notice, to join the Royal Engineers
and had left for France; that his wife was sill living in the
lock cottage and had stated that she could not, at present, find
another one.” |
|
4.3.1915 |
Walter Gilbey |
Lock keeper |
+2/- per week |
NA Rail 845/42 |
|
13.10.1911 |
Walter Gilbey |
Lock keeper |
Into the service of the Board at
16/- per week |
NA/Rail 845/38 |
|
2.4.1911 |
Walter Gilbey (38) |
Lock keeper |
Alice Mary |
South Mill |
RG14PN7493 RG78PN365 RD134 SD1 ED2 SN151 |
|
31.3.1901 |
|
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No record |
|
1899 |
James Patmore |
Lock keeper |
|
South Mill |
Kelly's Directory |
|
5.4.1891 |
George W Dorrington (38) |
Lock keeper |
Annie |
South Mill |
He/BshpsStfd/2/39 |
|
4.4.1881 |
George Searle (24) |
Lock keeper |
Sarah Ann |
South Mill |
He/BshpsStfd/2/6 |
|
4.4.1881 |
William Searle (80) (Boarder) |
Retired Lock keeper |
Widr |
South Mill |
He/BshpsStfd/2/6 |
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2.4.1871 |
William Searle (70) |
Lockman |
Elizabeth |
South Mill |
He/BshpsStfd/2/7 |
|
8.4.1861 |
William Searle (60) |
Lock keeper on R Stort |
Elizabeth |
South Mill Lockhouse |
He/BshpsStfd/2g/40 |
|
30.3.1851 |
William Searle (50) |
Lock keeper on the River |
Elizabeth |
Hockerill Rd |
He/BshpsStfd/2a/24 |
|
7.6.1841 |
William Searle (35) |
Lock keeper |
Elizabeth |
South Mill Lockhouse |
He/BshpsStfd/1/18 |
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