Millers

So what does "miller" mean in 1867 in rural North Yorkshire?
What would it mean in Cork, Ireland?
Does it mean something different in rural Cork and in the City of Cork.
Does John's father work a mill, manage a mill or own a mill?
Does he come from a mill owning  and or merchant family?
What does it mean to be a miller in 1820 after the Peninsular Wars and so on.. and Canadian corn being widely imported? During and after the Famine.
Was the mill a corn mill, wool mill, paper mill, wood mill, clay mill, water or steam?


Below I use Keefe generally as it is quick to type. Dates are not accurately given here, just general impressions.

Richard O'keefe is described as a miller on son John's marriage certificate. There is a corn mill in Egton Bridge and John's wife Elizabeth,  -her family live next to that mill. The mill is rebuilt in 1871 and there are variously people there who are the millers but who do not own the mill. John's son in law, Austin Dunwell - his family eventually live in the Mill house but are not the millers and information about them includes the record of a fire which near destroyed the Mill house but luckily they were insured. I wonder what John thought of all this. Did he take an interest in the mill in Egton Bridge or was he not interested in his father's trade. He is listed in  Trade Directory as an Earthenware dealer and the Austins owned several brick ones including one near Egton Bridge ie Grosmont. There is also a sale of a tilery brick works in Egton around 1850 which I can find listed but not see on the page of the newspaper. This might be what brought the Austins from Leeds to Egton around 1865.

This is all rambling by the way. Off the top of my head. So dates and details are not going to be given, just thoughts.

It is not possible to find a Richard O'Keefe, miller, in Cork that fits with John's history. It is not possible to find John's birth record at St Finbarr's in Cork. I'll come back to this later.

Are there any Richard Keefe millers in Ireland. Yes. Quite notable examples and some other connections.

Rathangan Kildare. Richad Keefe has a mill which is recorded in Parliamentary Papers which dealt with the amounts of flour produced and no doubt, coming out of Ireland. Napoleonic Wars and all that. These records are 1780 ish and in 1798 it is known that Rathangan was the scene of bloodshed and distress in the 1798 Rebellion. The mill and stores were used by English troops and no recompense was given and there is documented protest from the family and in fact, they lost the mill. They went bankrupt. It also appears they were distillers as well. What I know from looking at Yorkshire mills and millers and bankruptcy is that people pop up again and get into business again if they are that way out. But all this has no connection to Cork City.

Rathmolyon, Kilballyporter County Meath. Another Richard Keefe this time in Griffiths Valuation circa 1840 with a mill and property too. The mill is not a good one and has no power for much of the year. The man also goes bankrupt around 1850 but the mill is still in the family a bit later. A Richard Keefe of Kilballyporter dies around 1872 and leaves something in his will. Not connected to Cork City though.

Knock/ nock/ Iffernock/Ifferknock in Trim, County Meath. This Richard Keefe is a gentleman in the end and has family that make good connection - he also connects to Dublin as would any man of standing and some substance. This mill burns in 1850 but was insured and rebuilt. It is still extant but ruinous. But this is not Cork City.

Rathronan Mills -  1852 there is a reference to a Will of one Richard Keefe of Rathronan Mills (near Clonmel and in Lismore Diocese not too far from Youghal) Rathronan Mills were burnt down in 188something and at the time they were connected to Thomas Mahoney. The fire was malicious. This is not too far from Cork, there are no references in Griffiths Valuation to this man. There does seem to be a John Keefe major landowner thereabouts. Rathronan is the burial place of William Smith O'Brien, an Irish patriot and leader (Young Ireland movement maybe?) Although the Will says this man was of Rathronan Mills it might not mean that he lived at Rathronan. This is probably the best Richard Keefe Miller that we have right now.
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Mills with connections to Keefes

Patrick Keefe - a mill in Ballymartle County Cork. This Patrick was litiginous! Around 1855 he immigrates to Australia or that way, and loses his family in the journey.

John Keefe - Brinny a corn mill with a young man from Waterford as manager seen in the Census of 1901  but goes out of business soon after that. Upton County Cork

Clonmoyle Mills Coachford near Cork - trade directory; D. Keefe, Clonmoyle mills - mills were not owned by Keefe's as far as I can make out.

Cork City - Crosses Green/St Dominic's Mill Keefe O'Keeffe miller on the River Lee - features in Parliamentary Papers and in newspapers in connection with problems of water and channel blockage on the river Lee. Also a bit of bankruptcy. In connection with Keefe we also have Francis Keefe Miller in around the same place/ date - only references are in newspaper. Keefe O'Keeffe is quite nebulous but features in Trade Directories and has another address Main Street in St Finbarr's parish. He also seems to be a merchant which was often the case, as millers might market corn or whatever they milled  and other stuff, and were into business opportunities and investment.  They might also be provisions dealers or bakers. Also, this Keefe and family, they were big distillers too. Big port, ships, trade and milling.

David Keefe of Youghal. Ship owner, coal and grain merchant, earthenware maker (bricks?) with Clay Mill, benefactor..... married Ellen Troy, owned Muckridge which was a big house in Youghal area. Not sure of date of death but his widow in conjunction with one son in law, went bankrupt... but  she is still listed as a Ship Owner after this ie after around 1870 ish. David has offices in North Main Street in Youghal and a mill and warehouses /coal yard on the harbour front. At the very least this Keefe miller gives us ideas of what it might be like to be a miller in Cork County in the middle of the nineteenth century. Connections might be John Keefe MP.

Thurles - Richard Keefe has a tuck mill there later in the century and the connection might be to Dixon Keefe of Thurles who certainly was a wealthy man with milling interests. The Horse and Jockey was an Inn with  a John O'Keefe running a grocer's shop in the village too. But the dates are late and so if this is our connection there would need to researching back which so far has produced no good connections.

Lastly in Glanworth John Sherlock of Ballyquane Mills in 1835 married Helen O'Keefe , he d 1862 and his sister Honora married a John O'Keeffe ... Woodville Buttevant. Ballyquane Mill was Glanworth Mill which has some information about it featuring in a Encumbered Estate sale .. Glanworth Mill is still extant complete with water wheel although Ballyquane might have one of a group of mills thereabouts in Glanworth.

So?
The best fit might be Richard Keefe d 1852 Rathronan Mills - this might be someone who had a mill but lived in a house in Cork City or whose family went to Cork City after his death.

But considering the St Finbarr information. We have Keefe O'Keeffe and Francis O'Keeffe milling on the River Lee in Cork City in St Finbarr parish with plenty of references to Richard Keefe(s) in the birth records at St Finbarrs just not for a son John in the right kind of date. IN Griffiths valuation one Richard Keefe (and there are not that many) is listed in Main Street City of Cork. There is a death of a Richard mid century ish who was a grocer provision dealer in Cork City. Actually I am not sure now but I will check. - Keefe O'Keeffe also has a base in Main Street Cork City. This would be much more fun as the connection to distilling is knocking around there.

That is all the Keefe millers I can think of offhand. Mill and Millers of Ireland provide a fairly complete list but I notice that Brinny Mill is not listed so there must be some omissions even in that expert document. Next I will consider all the possible Richard Keefe's that pop up in other guises but not today.