Rillamill  1660 to 1881

 

1660

Rillamill was mentioned in the poll tax of 1660 when the following persons all paid the standard rate of 1/-;   Richard Landry, Sibley Landry, Thomas Courtis and wife, John Penly and wife, Roger Penly, Johan Penly, Alice Penly, Marvell Harper, John Harper, Armenell Harper, Katherine Harper, Joseph Jenking and wife. These would be the total of people in the village who owned land, the remainder of the village would probably comprise servants and labourers.

 

1727

This description comes from a book ”A Large & New Description of the Parish of Linkinhorne In the County of Cornwall; With all its Bounds, Limits, Rivers, Brooks, Highways, Villages, Situations, Nature Valve, Fetility, Rates, Rents,etc.” The author was ‘WH’ a schoolmaster of the parish.

“RILLAMILL is bounded on the East with Livers; on the South with the river; on the West with the lane going from Rillamill to Halwinnick butts; and on the North with Livers lane. ‘Tis only one entire tenement of the manor of Rillaton; and the mills adjoining is no part of the tenement. The tenement is the estate of Matthew Rowe; valued in £17 a year; and pays to the Prince for rent yearly 2s 6d.; and for fine 2s. 3d. Tis a very fine tenement, and lieth low and against the sun; with a singular orchard, and a good house. The mills are the aforesaid Wm Clobbery’s Esq.; valued at £16 a year; and pays to the Prince for yearly rent 33s. 4d. and for fine 1s. 8d.  They are very good mills, and I have known very great custom heretofore to them.”

 

1841

In the 1841 census there were about 25 dwellings in Rillamill which housed around 121 individuals. John Hall, who lived with his wife and his 7 children was the miller and John Brown was the innkeeper. S Croft was the schoolmaster and both Thomas Hicks & Thomas Sanders were masons. There were two shoemakers, John Crabb & Francis Rogers (who had 5 miners lodging with him). Robert Reynolds was the tailor and Charles Bennett a carpenter. The remaining households were mostly miners or agricultural labourers.

 

 

1851

Ten years later, when the mining boom was in full swing, the population of Rilla Mill had increased to 174 persons, but the number of dwellings had only increased by 3 making an average of over 6 persons per dwelling. Sampson Ball who was a mine smith not only housed his own family of 9 but had 4 lodgers who were miners. Robert Reynolds who was now 75 was still a tailor, and John Brown was still the innkeeper  John Crabb, Samuel Lampen & John Mitchell were all cordwainers with Joseph Harris a shoemaker (a similar craft).  William Line, John Hobbs & Samuel Dingley were all masons, but the two Thomas’s from 1841 had obviously moved.  William Adams was a mine engineer. Thomas & Jacob Manuel were the village blacksmiths. The only farmer listed for the village was John Bonaford who farmed 11 acres, but he was also the butcher. Of all the remaining households the vast majority were those of mining families. Ann Halls and Jane Richards were miner’s widows as was Mary Thomas who was a pauper. 5 other persons were listed as paupers and they would have been receiving small payments from the parish fund.

 

1876

This description was added to the 1727 book when it was reprinted in 1876 by  ‘JP’.

“RILLAMILLS This large village extends to both sides of the Lynher, over which there is a commodious stone bridge. The eastern side, the principal part, is pleasantly located on the natural acclivity of the river’s bank, and terminates in a beautifully situated Wesleyan premises, comprising a handsome chapel, cemetery, schoolrooms, and chapel-keepers residence. The immunities of this ancient village included a cucking-stool for scolding women, the remains of which have existed within memory, - and a fair on the 6th December.”

 

1881

By 1881 the mines were beginning to fail and this is reflected by the fact that of the 32 dwelling in Rillamill seven are uninhabited. However the tradesmen that are still left reveal what a bustling little community it was. John Hobbs was the postmaster and shopkeeper with Matilda Mitchell being a grocer and draper and John Smetheram a greengrocer. It looks like James Pearse who was listed as a draper  and agricultural labourer and William H Masters who is the innkeeper and farmer of 20 acres might have been struggling. William Jane was the shoemaker and William Turner the tailor with Alfred Truscott the corn miller with two pair of stones. Thomas Richards was a master carpenter and there were three masons but one of them was unemployed. Richard Veall was the schoolmaster and John Burnaford now farmed 90 acres and employed 3 men. The different spellings of his surname reflected the low level of literacy of the time. However by 1881 all children up to the age of 14 were listed as scholars, in the earlier census there are children from 10 years upwards listed as servants, farm labourers and mine workers.

Lynda Small

 

Rillamill from an Ordnance Survey map of 1888

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rilla Mill from Ordnance Survey made of 1888

 

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