Marvells Mill
Marvell's Mill on the River Nene at Northampton.
Marvell's mill is apparently identical with the Merewyns mill of 1253, the Merthensmylne of the Hundred Rolls and the Mervyns mylne of the Valor Ecclesiasticus.
It also was held by St. Andrew's, like St. Andrew's mill north-west of the town and Rushmill to the south-east. A postern in the town wall and a causeway seven feet wide led to it.
After the Dissolution it was acquired by the town, and a windmill was erected alongside of the water mills.
The mills having been leased to a succession of tenants, were employed about 1740 for a new venture in cotton-spinning, financed by Edward Cave, the founder and editor of the Gentleman's Magazine and one of the original patrons of the Northampton infirmary.
The carding and roller spinning machinery invented by Lewis Paul, which anticipated Cartwright's inventions, was set up in them under the management of T. Wyatt and for a while Marvell's Mills were known as the Cotton Mills.
The venture failed, for lack of capital as much as of good management
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] British History Online