The need of some means of grinding grain was felt in the Colony as early as 1620, and in the summer of that year, to meet this want, a proposition was brought forward at a General Court of the Company to send over skilful wrights to construct water-mills. In 1621, Governor Yeardley built a windmill in Virginia, which was the first building of this character erected in North America.[1] In the same year, the Treasurer of the Colony was commanded to construct a water-mill. The numerous streams of Virginia rendered it easy to secure the necessary power for grinding, and after the first mill was erected, the number steadily increased with the growth of population. In 1634, a mill was erected at Kecoughtan by the millwrights whom Claiborne had introduced into the Colony.[2] In the following year, it is found that there was a structure of this kind standing on the plantation of William Brocas, situated not far from Jamestown.[3] Corn-mills were also owned in Virginia at this time by Hugh Bullock.[4] In 1645, there were a sufficient number in the Colony to require that legislative provisions should be adopted for their regulation. As, in consequence of the small trade or local monopolies, the charges of the owners had become excessive, the law stepped in to protect the planters in the matter of rates, declaring that the miller should take as his remuneration only one-sixth of the Indian corn brought him for grinding. Means, however, were found to evade this provision in the levying of toll, and it was consequently prescribed that all mill-owners
- ↑ Governor and Council of Virginia to the Company, January, 1621-22, Neill’s Virginia Company of London, p. 283.
- ↑ Archives of Maryland, Proceedings of Council, 1667-1687, p. 236.
- ↑ Neill’s Virginia Carolorum, p. 117. See also Va. Land Patents, vol. 1623-1643, p. 533.
- ↑ Records of York County, vol. 1633-1604, p. 30, Va. State Library.
