Edward Jones, according to contract;
which was, for bricks, mortar, and labour, one guinea per thousand.
This mill, and also that adjoining, were erected by the late Mr. James
Pickard, and were the first steam engines that worked by a rotatory
motion, he being the person who first applied the crank to those
machines, and for which invention he obtained a patent, but I do not
know that he ever erected any others; for Messrs. Boulton and Watt,
in order to evade the patent, substituted the sun and planet wheels,
which they continued to use until the patent expired.
At the latter mill, where metal was rolled and other business carried
on, a pump was fixed, and a boy employed to work it, for the purpose
of keeping the machinery cool; but after some time, the youth being
inclined to play, fixed a pole from the engine to the lever of the
pump, which gave rise to the practise that was afterwards followed, of
making the engine supply itself with water for that purpose. The boy
for his ingenuity was afterwards employed withinside the mill.
_Union Mill._
There being a great scarcity of corn in the year 1795, the wealthy
inhabitants raised a subscription, and having purchased a large
quantity of foreign corn, at Liverpool, it was soon conveyed here,
but it very unfortunately happened that at the time, neither wind nor
water mills could be worked, to grind it.
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