These photos which were inherited from a friend are a mystery as we know nothing about the firm or the people on the photos, can anyone help to enlighten us? They are lovely photos and we felt they were worth sharing.
These photos which were inherited from a friend are a mystery as we know nothing about the firm or the people on the photos, can anyone help to enlighten us? They are lovely photos and we felt they were worth sharing.
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I lived in Lucknow Drive, off Sutton Road from 1953 to 1958.
Taylors Mill used water from Sutton Reservoir. When the sluice gates were closed many fish were marooned in rockpools below the railway bridge in “Deadman’s Valley”. The sluices were mounted on the remaining large stone squares at the side of the Res, Kings Mill Lane end.
The whole area, including the railway lines, was our adventure playground. Mother knew little of our adventures and escapades!
James Argyle Taylor was my grandfather. I believe he started his working life as a baker. In addition to Jack and Jim he had two girls, Mary Alice Argyle (my mother) and Margaret. Some time after Florence died during the war, Grandpa married again to Auntie Mabel.
During the war a sitting room in Kings Mill House was made available to American officers. One of these officers later presided at the Nuremberg Trials. There’s also a story that Gary Cooper visited. Not sure if that’s true!
My brothers and cousin used to visit the old house at Kings Mill when they were children. I seem to remember them collecting apples from the garden.
I think one of my aunts was James second wife.
Does anyone have a picture of the house?
Further to my previous comments about the photos and the Taylor family, I now have more information gleaned from the Chad archives and also from a family member, who was kind enough to get in touch with me about the photos.
It appears that the people in the photos are not members of the Taylor family as I had originally thought, but may be of an employee, Bob Bacon and possibly his children. Although it says King’s Mill on the door, the lorry is thought to have been based at their other mill at South Wingfield as Bob worked from there. The load is probably flour and the photos are believed to be dated, given the vintage and three digit telephone number, to just post-war.
King’s Mill was re-built after the fire in 1963 and was also extended and modernised. However, the Taylor brothers, James and John (their father had passed away in October 1963), moved with the times and instead of continuing to mill flour they began to mill grain and specialise in manufacturing animal feed stuffs at which they were highly successful. Apart from being the largest distributer in Nottinghamshire, they also became the main supplier of grain and raw materials to Europe’s largest poultry producer, J.B. Eastwood.
Although the mill had reached considerable proportions and they had moved away from sales it was still a family business, reflected in their staff, some of whom had worked for them for between 20 and 30 years, and reciprocal business was still welcomed.
The firm also went into imports and exports, sending considerable amounts of Nottinghamshire grain, mainly barley, to Italy, Spain, West Germany, Denmark and Poland and also had its own wharf at Carlton-on-Trent to avoid port charges at Hull. This ensured that maize and milo never hit the land but was unloaded off continental trans-shipments from America via Antwerp on to coasters, and was then brought up to Carlton by barges belonging to Mansfield born, Don Ashton.
Other outlets for grain were port mills at Manchester and Liverpool. (Chad article, April 1967)
In July 1968, the Chad carried the following on its front page that the old established Mansfield firm of flour millers, James Taylor & Co. Ltd. had gone into voluntary liquidation after 42 years in business.
I recall Jack Taylor, although the firm had finished, Edward Bingham former farmer informed me, Jack Eastwood had a problem with them although close friends, Eastwood chickens were not laying as well, Eastwood finished the firm I believe from what I was told by Edward who farmed Lower Oakham Farm. Taylors built 4 North Park, they assisted son John in the shop on Berry Hill which was popular, a likeable couple, they drove a Hillman Imp
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide some background!
A little bit more.
King’s Mill was destroyed by fire in the early hours of 1st August 1963. The fire was attended by crews from Mansfield and Sutton who had 8 hoses directed at the flames, which reached a height of about 60 feet through the roof of the mill. One fireman was treated at Mansfield Hospital for bruising and lacerations caused by falling doors.
The fire damage was estimated at about £100,000 and 300 tons of wheat, about 20 tons of flour and a similar quantity of oats were lost. At the time it was the only flour mill in Mansfield and supplied biscuit manufacturers. It had been undergoing major modernisation and extension prior to the fire and was due to return to full operations within a matter of days. New machinery had been given a trial run only the day before the fire, and two new sieving machines were lost when the floor they were on collapsed.
James (Jack) Taylor was the firm’s Managing Director, and he was also the Chairman of Mansfield Town Football Club. (all the above from Chad archives).
The Taylor family took over the running of King’s Mill around 1927-8, they lived at King’s Mill House. (Linney’s Almanac and Directory).
Having been employed at Lander’s Bakery for many years, That is certainly how the Flour was delivered in the early days. Hoisted from the rear of the delivery lorry with a rope and hook to the floor above the mixers.
James Argyle Taylor and his son James Argyle Taylor junior were directors of a flour and corn milling company at Kings Mill. I don’t know when they took over ownership of Kings Mill however they were there in 1939 up until 1963. It is thought the mill burnt down around this time so they were probably the last owners.
James Argyle Taylor (senior) was born in Alfreton in July 1878, he married Florence Hall at Pentrich in November 1906, at the time he was a Master Baker and Corn Factor. The couple had another son, John Argyle Taylor, born in July 1908 in Somercotes, who became a flour miller on Brick Kiln Lane.
James Argyle junior was born in Sept 1917, (not known if he was born in Mansfield or Somercotes), and as well as being a joint director with his father he was also a Traveller for the firm.
I don’t think the boys in the photo are John and James as there was a 9 year age gap between them, therefore the man is probably James junior and the boys may be his sons or nephews. The sacks on the lorry are probably milled flour ready for delivery to customers.
James senior died at Kings Mill in Oct 1963 and probate was granted to John Argyle Taylor and James Argyle Taylor as company directors.
Can anyone date the photos more precisely from the lorry?
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