Water mill - vertical-wheeled

The National Monuments Service's description

The precise location of a watermill in the town of Kilbeggan has not been identified. Kilbeggan town (WM038-017----) is situated on the River Brosna in the low-lying countryside of south Westmeath. In 1606 Sir Oliver Lambert was granted ‘the site and precinct of the late abbey (WM038-017007-) of the B. V. Mary of Kilbeggan, in M’Geoghogans countrie, with the stone walls of a church and other buildings therein – 3 gardens, and a waste orchard, containing half an acre – a small chapel or church (WM038-017006-) belonging to the town of Kilbeggan, and to the parishioners of said monastery – a close to said monastery adjacent, containing 1a. – 3 messuages, 6 cottages, 60a. arable, standard measure, 16a. pasture, 6a. bog, in the town and fields of Kilbeggan – a water mill, near the town of Kilbeggan, upon the river Brassnagh (Brosnagh) – 2 eel-weares (WM038-017010-), 2 mess., 3 closes or cottages, 70a. arable, 30a. pasture and common of bog’ (Erck 1846, 268). In 1618 an inquisition into the estate of the deceased of Oliver Lord Lambert listed a water mill and a fulling mill (WM038-017012-) which were powered by the River Brosna (Anon 1826, 56). It is possible that the mills may have formed part of the monastic estate of the Cistercian abbey of Kilbeggan that was granted to Sir Oliver Lambert in 1606 (Erck 1846, 268). It is not clear if there were two separate mills at Kilbeggan on the River Brosna consisting of a watermill and a fulling mill. The 1656-59 Down Survey map of Moycashel Barony depicts one watermill standing on the E bank of the River Brosna a short distance to the N of the settlement at Kilbeggan (NLI Ms. 723-724). A corn mill depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map stands roughly in the same location as that of the watermill depicted on the 1656-59 Down Survey map. This corn mill may have been built on the site of the earlier watermill or possibly incorporates fabric of the earlier mill in the masonry of the present mill.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 17 April 2014

References

Bradley, J., Halpin, A., and King, H. 1985 Urban archaeological survey - county Westmeath. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Erck, J.C. (ed.) 1846-52 A repertory of the inrolments of the patent rolls of chancery in Ireland commencing with the reign of King James I, vol. 1, parts 1-2. Dublin.

Anon. 1826 Inquisitionum in officio rotulorum cancellariae Hiberniae asservatarum, repertorium, vol. I. Dublin. George and John Grierson and Martin Keene, Printers.

Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.