1

Watermills Xubia and As Acentildeas

European worshop

ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Senior University

Ferrol (A Coruntildea)

2012-2013

2

Index

I INTRODUCTION II HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT III THE FIRST MILLS IN NARON

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS V CONCLUSIONS

3

I INTRODUCTION

In this work we present an overview of the origin evolution and present state of mills and most especially of watermills They had a great importance in the history of mankind and they remain as a clear evidence of the intelligence of man to improve the processing food industry particularly in the evolution and development of Galicia and more specifically in areas close to Ferrol

These instruments can be defined as ldquomachines capable of grinding crushing and preparing seeds grain and other products by means of rotating wheels cylinders or any similar mechanismrdquo

In a broader conception we also could call mill to the ldquobuilding or group of buildings where the various machines and items needed for the product processing are housedrdquo

There are a great variety of mills depending on the products to be treated flour mills oilers chocolate -for crushing the cocoa- and those used for minerals etchellip

Regarding energy and machines employed by each mill there are different types according to the product to be ground as well as the technical knowledge and the economic situation of the society that generates them

In our geographical area (Galician Atlantic Coast) to set up the

mills were taken into account the estuaries of rivers because they had the appropriate conditions

Besides in this work about mills a vision of the historical and technological development of them is needed as well as of the main documentary and bibliographical sources

4

II HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Possibly the process of chewing and digesting wild cereals were one of the reasons that would lead to our ancestors to devise mechanisms that would help to improve and facilitate the ingestion of these foods These early hominids like some primates could have used sticks stones etc to break and crush the berries and seeds

The first step could arise in the Paleolithic when an appropriate stone to crush the product was found

Agricultural revolution arises with human settlement in the Middle East in the Neolithic Period about 10000 years ago In this period in addition to wheat and barley two new species are grown oats and rye Little by little agricultural societies are formed and cereal consumption experiences a great increase

For that reason different kind of tools begin to develop for grinding grain and vegetables and even other mineral products

The first tools to be called mills were two flat and polished stones to grind the grains turning them into flour This flour mixed with water and placed in a stone pot on

the edge of the fire would be the origin of making bread These basic primitive instruments were refined and led to the development of the first hand mills in pre agricultural communities of the Middle East and Asia Minor around 8000 BC The hand mill in its most rudimentary form -a stone shaper roller- would allow to use both hands to grind more

amount of cereal and faster

This type of mills the most spread worldwide do not have a specific geographical origin so their origins must be diverse Old mills used by the American aborigines have survived to these days

5

An Egyptian Sculpture in the Cairo Museum shows a kneeling woman grinding grain The Hebrews used a square flat stone with a central concavity to place the grain crushing it with a roller Nowadays this process is still being used in some Arabian places

The following evolution process is based on the use of mortars and pestles made of stone or wood and a mallet in order to grind better the grain between one or more people In some prints we can also see people using hand mortars We do not know when the change of these basic mills exactly occurred It must have been a process of need and demand to the population increase so the largest basic stone area the largest room for the grain This new class of stone was called grinding-stones They date about 1600 BC There is a testimony in book V of Moses or Deuteronomy which says ldquoDo not be taken in pledge the wheel top and bottom because that would be taken as a pledge of the life itselfrdquo

The use of these two stones of flat and circular shape would form a rotary mill In this small mill the top stone has got a wooden crank and a central hole where the grain is placed and ground rotating the top stone on the bottom one expelling the flour over the edges These mills had a small capacity of production Probably they were used in domestic sphere replacing the mortars They are a classical model of the Iron Age (La Teacutene) that had a greater agricultural production and technical development

It is very remarkable the role of the armies in spreading this kind of small hand mills as well as the participation of Greek and Etruscan merchants

The growth of urban concentrations in cities and towns required a greater flour demand causing an increase in the size of grinding wheels promoting specialized centers in producing flour with people who performed these tasks

In classical cultures this work was made by slaves and convicts and in Ancient Rome was a labor for poor people and slaves

6

Blood Mills1

This type of mills mentioned by Pliny and called ldquoPompeian Millrdquo were moved by men or horses pushing or pulling wooden arms embedded in the upper wheel in which metal fragments or flint were inlaid in order to facilitate the grinding of grain

Because of the terribly efforts made by both men and animals were called ldquoblood millsrdquo They were mainly utilized in the Middle Age and the Renaissance

There is a document signed by the prince future king Felipe II in February 1552 giving a concession to Pedro Ortiz de la Sobera a citizen from Guipuacutezcua who tries to improve these mills

During the XVI and XVII centuries a lot of patents were granted in Spain to improve this kind of mills

For a long time they were used in places where geographical and climatic conditions made difficult to set up another type of mills

1 In English also

- ldquoHorse millrdquo -gt powered by horses - ldquoTreadmillrdquo -gt powered by humans

2

Index

I INTRODUCTION II HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT III THE FIRST MILLS IN NARON

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS V CONCLUSIONS

3

I INTRODUCTION

In this work we present an overview of the origin evolution and present state of mills and most especially of watermills They had a great importance in the history of mankind and they remain as a clear evidence of the intelligence of man to improve the processing food industry particularly in the evolution and development of Galicia and more specifically in areas close to Ferrol

These instruments can be defined as ldquomachines capable of grinding crushing and preparing seeds grain and other products by means of rotating wheels cylinders or any similar mechanismrdquo

In a broader conception we also could call mill to the ldquobuilding or group of buildings where the various machines and items needed for the product processing are housedrdquo

There are a great variety of mills depending on the products to be treated flour mills oilers chocolate -for crushing the cocoa- and those used for minerals etchellip

Regarding energy and machines employed by each mill there are different types according to the product to be ground as well as the technical knowledge and the economic situation of the society that generates them

In our geographical area (Galician Atlantic Coast) to set up the

mills were taken into account the estuaries of rivers because they had the appropriate conditions

Besides in this work about mills a vision of the historical and technological development of them is needed as well as of the main documentary and bibliographical sources

4

II HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Possibly the process of chewing and digesting wild cereals were one of the reasons that would lead to our ancestors to devise mechanisms that would help to improve and facilitate the ingestion of these foods These early hominids like some primates could have used sticks stones etc to break and crush the berries and seeds

The first step could arise in the Paleolithic when an appropriate stone to crush the product was found

Agricultural revolution arises with human settlement in the Middle East in the Neolithic Period about 10000 years ago In this period in addition to wheat and barley two new species are grown oats and rye Little by little agricultural societies are formed and cereal consumption experiences a great increase

For that reason different kind of tools begin to develop for grinding grain and vegetables and even other mineral products

The first tools to be called mills were two flat and polished stones to grind the grains turning them into flour This flour mixed with water and placed in a stone pot on

the edge of the fire would be the origin of making bread These basic primitive instruments were refined and led to the development of the first hand mills in pre agricultural communities of the Middle East and Asia Minor around 8000 BC The hand mill in its most rudimentary form -a stone shaper roller- would allow to use both hands to grind more

amount of cereal and faster

This type of mills the most spread worldwide do not have a specific geographical origin so their origins must be diverse Old mills used by the American aborigines have survived to these days

5

An Egyptian Sculpture in the Cairo Museum shows a kneeling woman grinding grain The Hebrews used a square flat stone with a central concavity to place the grain crushing it with a roller Nowadays this process is still being used in some Arabian places

The following evolution process is based on the use of mortars and pestles made of stone or wood and a mallet in order to grind better the grain between one or more people In some prints we can also see people using hand mortars We do not know when the change of these basic mills exactly occurred It must have been a process of need and demand to the population increase so the largest basic stone area the largest room for the grain This new class of stone was called grinding-stones They date about 1600 BC There is a testimony in book V of Moses or Deuteronomy which says ldquoDo not be taken in pledge the wheel top and bottom because that would be taken as a pledge of the life itselfrdquo

The use of these two stones of flat and circular shape would form a rotary mill In this small mill the top stone has got a wooden crank and a central hole where the grain is placed and ground rotating the top stone on the bottom one expelling the flour over the edges These mills had a small capacity of production Probably they were used in domestic sphere replacing the mortars They are a classical model of the Iron Age (La Teacutene) that had a greater agricultural production and technical development

It is very remarkable the role of the armies in spreading this kind of small hand mills as well as the participation of Greek and Etruscan merchants

The growth of urban concentrations in cities and towns required a greater flour demand causing an increase in the size of grinding wheels promoting specialized centers in producing flour with people who performed these tasks

In classical cultures this work was made by slaves and convicts and in Ancient Rome was a labor for poor people and slaves

6

Blood Mills1

This type of mills mentioned by Pliny and called ldquoPompeian Millrdquo were moved by men or horses pushing or pulling wooden arms embedded in the upper wheel in which metal fragments or flint were inlaid in order to facilitate the grinding of grain

Because of the terribly efforts made by both men and animals were called ldquoblood millsrdquo They were mainly utilized in the Middle Age and the Renaissance

There is a document signed by the prince future king Felipe II in February 1552 giving a concession to Pedro Ortiz de la Sobera a citizen from Guipuacutezcua who tries to improve these mills

During the XVI and XVII centuries a lot of patents were granted in Spain to improve this kind of mills

For a long time they were used in places where geographical and climatic conditions made difficult to set up another type of mills

1 In English also

- ldquoHorse millrdquo -gt powered by horses - ldquoTreadmillrdquo -gt powered by humans

3

I INTRODUCTION

In this work we present an overview of the origin evolution and present state of mills and most especially of watermills They had a great importance in the history of mankind and they remain as a clear evidence of the intelligence of man to improve the processing food industry particularly in the evolution and development of Galicia and more specifically in areas close to Ferrol

These instruments can be defined as ldquomachines capable of grinding crushing and preparing seeds grain and other products by means of rotating wheels cylinders or any similar mechanismrdquo

In a broader conception we also could call mill to the ldquobuilding or group of buildings where the various machines and items needed for the product processing are housedrdquo

There are a great variety of mills depending on the products to be treated flour mills oilers chocolate -for crushing the cocoa- and those used for minerals etchellip

Regarding energy and machines employed by each mill there are different types according to the product to be ground as well as the technical knowledge and the economic situation of the society that generates them

In our geographical area (Galician Atlantic Coast) to set up the

mills were taken into account the estuaries of rivers because they had the appropriate conditions

Besides in this work about mills a vision of the historical and technological development of them is needed as well as of the main documentary and bibliographical sources

4

II HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Possibly the process of chewing and digesting wild cereals were one of the reasons that would lead to our ancestors to devise mechanisms that would help to improve and facilitate the ingestion of these foods These early hominids like some primates could have used sticks stones etc to break and crush the berries and seeds

The first step could arise in the Paleolithic when an appropriate stone to crush the product was found

Agricultural revolution arises with human settlement in the Middle East in the Neolithic Period about 10000 years ago In this period in addition to wheat and barley two new species are grown oats and rye Little by little agricultural societies are formed and cereal consumption experiences a great increase

For that reason different kind of tools begin to develop for grinding grain and vegetables and even other mineral products

The first tools to be called mills were two flat and polished stones to grind the grains turning them into flour This flour mixed with water and placed in a stone pot on

the edge of the fire would be the origin of making bread These basic primitive instruments were refined and led to the development of the first hand mills in pre agricultural communities of the Middle East and Asia Minor around 8000 BC The hand mill in its most rudimentary form -a stone shaper roller- would allow to use both hands to grind more

amount of cereal and faster

This type of mills the most spread worldwide do not have a specific geographical origin so their origins must be diverse Old mills used by the American aborigines have survived to these days

5

An Egyptian Sculpture in the Cairo Museum shows a kneeling woman grinding grain The Hebrews used a square flat stone with a central concavity to place the grain crushing it with a roller Nowadays this process is still being used in some Arabian places

The following evolution process is based on the use of mortars and pestles made of stone or wood and a mallet in order to grind better the grain between one or more people In some prints we can also see people using hand mortars We do not know when the change of these basic mills exactly occurred It must have been a process of need and demand to the population increase so the largest basic stone area the largest room for the grain This new class of stone was called grinding-stones They date about 1600 BC There is a testimony in book V of Moses or Deuteronomy which says ldquoDo not be taken in pledge the wheel top and bottom because that would be taken as a pledge of the life itselfrdquo

The use of these two stones of flat and circular shape would form a rotary mill In this small mill the top stone has got a wooden crank and a central hole where the grain is placed and ground rotating the top stone on the bottom one expelling the flour over the edges These mills had a small capacity of production Probably they were used in domestic sphere replacing the mortars They are a classical model of the Iron Age (La Teacutene) that had a greater agricultural production and technical development

It is very remarkable the role of the armies in spreading this kind of small hand mills as well as the participation of Greek and Etruscan merchants

The growth of urban concentrations in cities and towns required a greater flour demand causing an increase in the size of grinding wheels promoting specialized centers in producing flour with people who performed these tasks

In classical cultures this work was made by slaves and convicts and in Ancient Rome was a labor for poor people and slaves

6

Blood Mills1

This type of mills mentioned by Pliny and called ldquoPompeian Millrdquo were moved by men or horses pushing or pulling wooden arms embedded in the upper wheel in which metal fragments or flint were inlaid in order to facilitate the grinding of grain

Because of the terribly efforts made by both men and animals were called ldquoblood millsrdquo They were mainly utilized in the Middle Age and the Renaissance

There is a document signed by the prince future king Felipe II in February 1552 giving a concession to Pedro Ortiz de la Sobera a citizen from Guipuacutezcua who tries to improve these mills

During the XVI and XVII centuries a lot of patents were granted in Spain to improve this kind of mills

For a long time they were used in places where geographical and climatic conditions made difficult to set up another type of mills

1 In English also

- ldquoHorse millrdquo -gt powered by horses - ldquoTreadmillrdquo -gt powered by humans

4

II HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Possibly the process of chewing and digesting wild cereals were one of the reasons that would lead to our ancestors to devise mechanisms that would help to improve and facilitate the ingestion of these foods These early hominids like some primates could have used sticks stones etc to break and crush the berries and seeds

The first step could arise in the Paleolithic when an appropriate stone to crush the product was found

Agricultural revolution arises with human settlement in the Middle East in the Neolithic Period about 10000 years ago In this period in addition to wheat and barley two new species are grown oats and rye Little by little agricultural societies are formed and cereal consumption experiences a great increase

For that reason different kind of tools begin to develop for grinding grain and vegetables and even other mineral products

The first tools to be called mills were two flat and polished stones to grind the grains turning them into flour This flour mixed with water and placed in a stone pot on

the edge of the fire would be the origin of making bread These basic primitive instruments were refined and led to the development of the first hand mills in pre agricultural communities of the Middle East and Asia Minor around 8000 BC The hand mill in its most rudimentary form -a stone shaper roller- would allow to use both hands to grind more

amount of cereal and faster

This type of mills the most spread worldwide do not have a specific geographical origin so their origins must be diverse Old mills used by the American aborigines have survived to these days

5

An Egyptian Sculpture in the Cairo Museum shows a kneeling woman grinding grain The Hebrews used a square flat stone with a central concavity to place the grain crushing it with a roller Nowadays this process is still being used in some Arabian places

The following evolution process is based on the use of mortars and pestles made of stone or wood and a mallet in order to grind better the grain between one or more people In some prints we can also see people using hand mortars We do not know when the change of these basic mills exactly occurred It must have been a process of need and demand to the population increase so the largest basic stone area the largest room for the grain This new class of stone was called grinding-stones They date about 1600 BC There is a testimony in book V of Moses or Deuteronomy which says ldquoDo not be taken in pledge the wheel top and bottom because that would be taken as a pledge of the life itselfrdquo

The use of these two stones of flat and circular shape would form a rotary mill In this small mill the top stone has got a wooden crank and a central hole where the grain is placed and ground rotating the top stone on the bottom one expelling the flour over the edges These mills had a small capacity of production Probably they were used in domestic sphere replacing the mortars They are a classical model of the Iron Age (La Teacutene) that had a greater agricultural production and technical development

It is very remarkable the role of the armies in spreading this kind of small hand mills as well as the participation of Greek and Etruscan merchants

The growth of urban concentrations in cities and towns required a greater flour demand causing an increase in the size of grinding wheels promoting specialized centers in producing flour with people who performed these tasks

In classical cultures this work was made by slaves and convicts and in Ancient Rome was a labor for poor people and slaves

6

Blood Mills1

This type of mills mentioned by Pliny and called ldquoPompeian Millrdquo were moved by men or horses pushing or pulling wooden arms embedded in the upper wheel in which metal fragments or flint were inlaid in order to facilitate the grinding of grain

Because of the terribly efforts made by both men and animals were called ldquoblood millsrdquo They were mainly utilized in the Middle Age and the Renaissance

There is a document signed by the prince future king Felipe II in February 1552 giving a concession to Pedro Ortiz de la Sobera a citizen from Guipuacutezcua who tries to improve these mills

During the XVI and XVII centuries a lot of patents were granted in Spain to improve this kind of mills

For a long time they were used in places where geographical and climatic conditions made difficult to set up another type of mills

1 In English also

- ldquoHorse millrdquo -gt powered by horses - ldquoTreadmillrdquo -gt powered by humans

5

An Egyptian Sculpture in the Cairo Museum shows a kneeling woman grinding grain The Hebrews used a square flat stone with a central concavity to place the grain crushing it with a roller Nowadays this process is still being used in some Arabian places

The following evolution process is based on the use of mortars and pestles made of stone or wood and a mallet in order to grind better the grain between one or more people In some prints we can also see people using hand mortars We do not know when the change of these basic mills exactly occurred It must have been a process of need and demand to the population increase so the largest basic stone area the largest room for the grain This new class of stone was called grinding-stones They date about 1600 BC There is a testimony in book V of Moses or Deuteronomy which says ldquoDo not be taken in pledge the wheel top and bottom because that would be taken as a pledge of the life itselfrdquo

The use of these two stones of flat and circular shape would form a rotary mill In this small mill the top stone has got a wooden crank and a central hole where the grain is placed and ground rotating the top stone on the bottom one expelling the flour over the edges These mills had a small capacity of production Probably they were used in domestic sphere replacing the mortars They are a classical model of the Iron Age (La Teacutene) that had a greater agricultural production and technical development

It is very remarkable the role of the armies in spreading this kind of small hand mills as well as the participation of Greek and Etruscan merchants

The growth of urban concentrations in cities and towns required a greater flour demand causing an increase in the size of grinding wheels promoting specialized centers in producing flour with people who performed these tasks

In classical cultures this work was made by slaves and convicts and in Ancient Rome was a labor for poor people and slaves

6

Blood Mills1

This type of mills mentioned by Pliny and called ldquoPompeian Millrdquo were moved by men or horses pushing or pulling wooden arms embedded in the upper wheel in which metal fragments or flint were inlaid in order to facilitate the grinding of grain

Because of the terribly efforts made by both men and animals were called ldquoblood millsrdquo They were mainly utilized in the Middle Age and the Renaissance

There is a document signed by the prince future king Felipe II in February 1552 giving a concession to Pedro Ortiz de la Sobera a citizen from Guipuacutezcua who tries to improve these mills

During the XVI and XVII centuries a lot of patents were granted in Spain to improve this kind of mills

For a long time they were used in places where geographical and climatic conditions made difficult to set up another type of mills

1 In English also

- ldquoHorse millrdquo -gt powered by horses - ldquoTreadmillrdquo -gt powered by humans

6

Blood Mills1

This type of mills mentioned by Pliny and called ldquoPompeian Millrdquo were moved by men or horses pushing or pulling wooden arms embedded in the upper wheel in which metal fragments or flint were inlaid in order to facilitate the grinding of grain

Because of the terribly efforts made by both men and animals were called ldquoblood millsrdquo They were mainly utilized in the Middle Age and the Renaissance

There is a document signed by the prince future king Felipe II in February 1552 giving a concession to Pedro Ortiz de la Sobera a citizen from Guipuacutezcua who tries to improve these mills

During the XVI and XVII centuries a lot of patents were granted in Spain to improve this kind of mills

For a long time they were used in places where geographical and climatic conditions made difficult to set up another type of mills

1 In English also

- ldquoHorse millrdquo -gt powered by horses - ldquoTreadmillrdquo -gt powered by humans

7

Hydraulic Mills

Increasing urban populations demand more production of flour therefore it was necessary a large number of blood mills and greater labor Maybe that is why mills evolved with the use of a less expensive form of energy ldquowaterrdquo

There are two ways of getting hydropower with horizontal wheel and vertical axis or vertical wheel and horizontal axis The installation of one or another depends on the hydrographic conditions of the place adapting better horizontal wheels to small rivers and vertical wheels to large streams of water from big rivers necessary to move

the gears

The Greeks and Romans knew watermills Strabo claims to have seen hydraulic wheels in the valley of the Nile near the Pyramids and in Asia Minor about the year 65 BC but the Romans were who spread them throughout their territory

We can find a detailed description of a vertical wheel flour mill made by the Roman architect Marco Vitrubio Polion in his work ldquoDe Architecturardquo dating about 25 BC That is why some authors called them of ldquoVitrubian Wheelrdquo In 1742 several mills of this kind

have been found in the excavations carried out in Pompeia

Other remarkable discoveries made by the archeologist Fernand Benoit are ldquoBarbegal Millsrdquo a Roman watermill complex of a great size dated in the first decades of the IV AD located near Arleacutes in southern France It consists in a group of sixteen mills paired each other and with vertical wheels at their sides eight at each side that passed the movement through horizontal axes and gears to the grindstone inside the building

The oldest references to the horizontal hydraulic wheel date back to the first middle of the III BC in Bizancio (Turkey) They could be the most ancient because of their simple technical complexity and easy construction as they neither need any type of gears nor transmission systems

Muslim culture intensifies hydraulic use so that canals and ditches serve to supply populations provide irrigation to orchards and movement to flour mills In Muslim Spain there are a lot of references about the existence of large vertical wheel

8

flourmills in great rivers In the chronicle called of ldquoMoor Rasisrdquo about X century and translated into Castilian Cordoba is described as a well-equipped city of flourmills

located along the Guadalquivir and Guadalete rivers

In medieval times the use of both types of mills was common throughout the Iberian Peninsula so we find references to mills in law compiled in the mid-seventh century in the Liber Iudicum establishing severe penalties to those who attempted against the mill drives or hydraulic infrastructure

During the Renaissance various types of watermills are described in the manuscripts written by Juan Pedro Lastanosa and Francisco Lobato

The manuscript of Pedro Juan Lastanosa ldquoThe twenty books of mills and machinesrdquo written between 1564 and 1575 has studies of great

scientific and technical value The geographical location of the mills is completed with the contribution of Juan Lobatoacutes manuscript about hydraulic mills in Spain

9

Tide mills (sea mills)

As its name suggests this type of mills is powered by the tidal action but not as often thought by the direct action of the ebb and flow Its operation is quite simple the rising-tide fills a pond located in the back of the mill protected by a levee through hatches that are closed automatically under the pressure of the accumulated water During reflow when the tide reaches a low enough level the floodgates are opened

and water flow through suitable pipes driving the wheels (or turbines) that will spin the wheels Obviously the operation of these mills cannot be continuous because it is tied to the rhythm of the tides the average hours of work amounts to about 124 hours of every 24

In the development and evolution of the tide mills over the centuries various factors must be considered

bull The choice of locations and sites suitable for installation which would provide the important and necessary water power

bull The increase of population and demand for flour

bull The necessary changes regarding the technical aspects of machinery grinding wheels etc to finally achieve its transformation into major milling factories

Despite the widespread use of hydraulic mill it is difficult to find remains of these devices since the mills were built with wooden structures often on boats or taking advantage of the pillars of the bridges that were also wooden Only when the construction was done with solid stone structures the traces remain over the centuries In the locations where mills were set up the documentation is limited and with oral contribution only it is difficult to have a more accurate and higher chronological data

The use of these tide mills has unknown origins and although its use is more typical of the Atlantic coast there is a reference to the possibility of their existence in the Persian Gulf A quote from the Muslim geographer Al Maqdis (Shams al-Dini 945946-991) ldquoThe tide is a marvel and a blessing for the people of Basra The water visits them twice every day and it enters the rivers and irrigates the orchards and carries the

10

ships to the villages And when the tide ebbs it is also useful for working of the mills because they are all situated at the mouth of the river and its tributaries So when the water goes out to the sea it turns them aroundrdquo did Minchinton (1979) would raise the question of a possible eastern origin of tide mills or perhaps of its existence in the tenth century AD

We consider important to highlight some of the earliest western tidal mills

bull The Nendrum Monastery mill was a tide mill on an island in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland It is the earliest excavated tide mill dating from 787 AD Remains of an earlier mill dated at 619 AD were also found

bull Little Island mill in the year 630 (Cork Southern Ireland)

bull The Ebbsfleet mill built between 684 and 720 (Kent England)

The oldest tidal mills in the Iberian Peninsula are in Cantabria

In the year 857 the Asturian monarch Ordontildeo I and his wife Queen Mumadonna made a generous donation of property to the church of San Salvador de Oviedo among which are many goods in ldquoAsturias de Santillanardquo In a document dated April 20th 875 we can read in the village of Vivero we give to the church of San Salvador follows a list of many goods and ends with the specific mention of the establishment of mills and integral fisheries in the olga2 of the sea

Another mill is known as the Roidorio or Garbijos located in the southern sector of the marshes along the road between Noja and Argontildeos dated in 927

The mill of Cerroja Escalante (Cantabria) was built in 1047 and was cited as molino Marini indicating its marine origin

2 Olga Space that becomes flooded regularly

11

Galicia as Cantabria is a region rich in intertidal areas added to the facts of their strategic locations along the coast Their cities ports and docks are ideal places for the installation of tide mills Galicia could be named as the land of the mills In 1797 Galicia had about 8278 mills a quarter of the total mills in Spain It is difficult to establish the age of the tide mills in Galicia The information is very sparse or nonexistent and is in some cases in public records and other private documentation Some mills have the same construction system although their implementation dates differ in years or centuries One of the oldest tidal mill in Galicia built in the 12th century is called Acea Da Ma in the place of Culleredo (El Burgo A Coruntildea) Others also important are

bull The mill of Neda dating from 1609 although according to documentation this mill existed at an earlier time

bull The mill of La Seca (Cambados) 1622

bull ldquoLas Torresrdquo mill dated in 1674 (according to document granted by the owner of ldquoTorres de Cereixordquo)

bull The mill of ldquoLas Acentildeasrdquo which appears in documents from 1681 on the island of Arosa (where the mill was built) although the construction date of the mill is earlier

bull In Galicia was also built the last tide mill in Europe between 1905 and 1910 it is known simply by the name of Muintildeo das Mareas is located on the estuary of Ortigueira and operated until 19703

3 -The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and Marrie-Claire P Chaineux

12

III THE FIRST MILLS IN NARON

In these days we have two important mills in Naroacuten one is ldquoThe Royal Factoryrdquo of Juan Lestache (Reales Faacutebricas de la Casa de Juan Lestache) close to the Jubia Bridge and the other is ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo (Real Faacutebrica de Harinas) in Las Acentildeas del Ponto

On the right side of the Jubiarsquos River estuary we can find an extraordinary mill dated at the end of XVIII century which still retains a commanding presence today This Mill was part of the industrial group created by Mr John Lestache Nugue and Francisco Bucan consisting of a flour mill a paper mill a copper factory and the great ldquoTannery Royal Factoryrdquo

Very close to this mill in the Pontorsquos estuary there is one of the biggest tide dam in Spain where we can find another extraordinary construction also from the XVIII century the tide mill of ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo which is also known as ldquoAcentildeas de Lembeyerdquo

These two mills were well known for its technological characteristics and grinding ability The first one with four stones came to grind 300000 bushels4 (about three million kilos) a year while in the second case the amount was 120000 bushels (about one million two hundred thousand kilos)

Despite its lower production the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeasrdquo at that time was the only tide mill in the region

The historical situation was as follows the town of Ferrol in 1749 had only 250 residents but in no time would become one of the cities of more population in the ancient and vast Kingdom of Galicia according to Montero Arostegui words

Ferrol in 1778 exceeded 30000 inhabitants and in 1797 was over 40000 It is in the middle of this population boom when because the treaty of friendship and union with France -called Pacto de Familia- and signed by Carlos III in 1761 Ferrol became involved into a war against England and Portugal and due to the blocking and

4 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels

13

insecurity of trade the town suffered a severe shortage of cereals that caused fear among the authorities

This treaty of friendship between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France promotes the arrival of French citizens to the town of Ferrol where they found a land full of opportunities

Francisco Bucau was one of the first to arrive in 1759 Later arrived a merchant named Juan Lembeye and around the same time in 1760 came the surgeon Santiago Beujardiacuten and Mathias Dufoire Approximately six years later also arrived by sea to Ferrol with a cargo of wheat Juan Lestache born at the town of Viana in the Kingdom of France These people are the drivers of industrial infrastructure based on flour mills that we pass to describe

The Jubiarsquos Mill

Juan Lestache decided to make a partnership with his compatriot Francisco Bucau with the only purpose of the

construction of two water mills to grind grainrdquo Before the start of work they needed to manage the use of the river Jubia since Naroacuten jurisdictional lordship belonged to Antonio Noguerido and the Marquis of San Saturnino from Naroacuten and Neda respectively owners of the Jubia rivers which goes through these towns Being aware of the great value and benefits that these water mills for grinding grain would report to the county Noguerido and the Marquis had not the slightest hesitation in granting Lestache full permission and authority which by law is required for the use enjoyment and exploit of the river

And so the construction of the four mills and two buildings attached began in place of Jubia Bridge The two mills at the south belonged to Lestache and to Bucan the two at the North The cost of the complex was 300000 ldquorealesrdquo in 1789

The Jubia River called Rio Grande de Jubia had plenty of water throughout the year making it the most suitable place for the construction of mills with an estuary close by and until recently a navigable port for galleons and suitable for loading and unloading of flour They could not have chosen a better place for this building where Lestache built the mill similar to his familys at Vianne in the Lot-et-Garonne

14

For unknown reasons the first disagreement between both owners arise in the year 1779 the following year made crises and ended in Law Courts The dispute was resolved in 1786 Lestache paid Bucan 300000 ldquorealesrdquo for the two mills

This factory of Jubiarsquos Bridge had an annual milling capacity hitherto unknown in Galicia estimated in seventy thousand bushels5 of wheat one half of extra fine flour (ldquoharina de florrdquo) and the other half of second class flour (ldquoharina de segunda suerterdquo) (about 3885000 liters and a weight of approximately 3027500 kg) The factory had five cleaners to eliminate dust and to separate rye oats and stones The clean wheat comes out from one side and the dust through another That is the reason of the whiteness of bread

The high production capacity of this industry allowed to supply of flour to Ferrol and region including troops prisoners land and naval officers and the many workers and laborers of all classes used in the construction of hulls and weapons of His Majestys ships more than thirty thousand peoplerdquo and besides to export large surpluses To send flour to America and other places

two thousand barrels were built per year seven kilos and a half each making a total of 172500 kg of flour a year

It was important the necessity to supply different types of cereal either from nearby places as Bayonne Bordeaux and London or from more remote cities as Amsterdam Hamburg St Petersburg and even from Philadelphia so Lestache decides to form a trading company with the brothers Santiago and Dionisio Beaujardin

In the year 1791 Lestache had a ldquoRoyal Licencerdquo to obtain 50000 bushels of wheat from Castilla He shipped them from the port of ldquoLa Requejadardquo in Santander to Ferrol The cost of the transportation was much cheaper by sea 6

John Lestachersquos health was weak and for this reason he moved to Ferrol with the expectation of getting better Finally he passed away on May 2th 1802 and was buried in the parish church of San Juliaacuten

5 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels 6 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-xuvia-2

15

Las Acentildeas Mill

As for the other existing mill in Naron (Molino de las Acentildeas y Reales Faacutebricas de Harinas del Ponto) it was built by the French Santiago Beaujardin at the time Vice Consul of France in the town of Ferrol Beaujardin obtained on October 10th 1785 from the Quartermaster General of the Navy the license for the

construction of a flour mill at ldquoAcentildeas del Pontordquo in Freixeiro estuary and close to a dilapidated salt marsh of Roman origin Shortly after Beaujardi also received license from the prior of the monastery of San Martiacuten de Jubia to build on the site of Outeiro store house orchard and other necessary buildings Finally Joseacute Mariacutea Bermuacutedez Lord of Jubia its ports and salt marshes and ldquoperpetual ruler of the town of Ferrolrdquo granted permission for the works

With works already advanced and fully operational two of the three mills planned on September 12th 1791 Santiago Beaujardin associated with his compatriot Juan Lembeye wealthy merchant in the town of Ferrol since 1762 Royal supply commissioner for arsenals and director of the Royal shipping company among other important positions In 1796 Beaujardin and Lembeye decide to dissolve their partnership leaving Lembeye sole owner of the watermills

This tide mill the largest of those in Galicia and until not long ago one of the best preserved was built in the parish of St Martin de Jubia accessible by sea with small vessels

With its three mills artifacts warehouses and frameworks the mill had a crushing capacity of about 37500 bushels of wheat per year (1387500 liters) and like the other mills in the area attended the high demand of a population in constant growth since in 1750 Ferrol hosted the most important State Shipyard in Spain

The necessary supply of wheat was guaranteed by the corporation created by Santiago Beaujardin his brother Dionisio and the businessman Juan Lestache also French receiving grain from Philadelphia in addition to regular shipments from the ports of Bayonne Bordeaux London Amsterdam Hamburg and St Petersburg whose destination was the port of Ferrol

In the context of current economic policy the mills received the title of ldquoRoyal Factoriesrdquo granted by Carlos IV in Aranjuez the June 11th 1798 The Royal Decree also establish exemptions from tariffs and free trade with America authorizing to make provision of wheat in other regions and to cut wood for the barrels of flour in the forests at that time confiscated by the Navy for shipbuilding With the losses suffered by the millers industrial sector where it was cheaper to bring to the port of Ferrol the sacks of flour ground in Santander Bilbao or San Sebastiaacuten these mills were neglected

16

in the last years of Juan Lembeyersquos life Finally he passed away in 1823 leaving the company in a difficult situation

The property passed to John Prevarte and after to Maria Josefa Lembeye and her husband Manuel Joseacute Ciaran In 1860 the inheritors of Ciaran sold the mills to the partnership formed by Nicolas Fernandez and Jose Rodriguez who took advantage of the milling recovery in the region developed from 1849 by special municipal regulations and the favorable situation of the increased cereal demand in Europe (Crimean War 1854-55) and in the region for a new shipbuilding apogee of Ferrol stable and prosperous during the five year period of government of the Liberal Union founded by Leopoldo ODonnell (1809-1867)7

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS

The passage of time despite his attempts of modernizing made to appear new technologies and marketing systems that led to the closure of these facilities during the second half of the twentieth century unable to survive in an economy more and more globalized and why not in a cultural environment that does not appreciate the work of the craftsman patient and proud of his work

At the beginning of 2010 the City Council of Naroacuten tried to exploit the industrial heritage which represents the network of mills that had contributed to the splendor of flour production sector in the late eighteenth century enhancing the research and the rehabilitation of these facilities Considering the mill of Xubia as the banner of this network the City Council purchased it and

began a process of rehabilitation to install inside a museum that contextualizes the visitor about the rise of the milling industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries8 Unfortunately this project up to the present day has not come true unlike others such as Gradaiacutelle and Pedroso which have been restored and can be visited

With respect to the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo the Coasts Administration made a project also in 2010 to rehabilitate this 18th century flour factory including the land expropriation by the City of Naroacuten so that the mill works again with the movement of the tides9 As in the case of Xubia mill this project is

7 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-marea-no-ponto 8 Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia jueves 29 de enero de 2009 9 Raquel Iglesias La Voz de Galicia martes 14 de septiembre de 2010

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

8

flourmills in great rivers In the chronicle called of ldquoMoor Rasisrdquo about X century and translated into Castilian Cordoba is described as a well-equipped city of flourmills

located along the Guadalquivir and Guadalete rivers

In medieval times the use of both types of mills was common throughout the Iberian Peninsula so we find references to mills in law compiled in the mid-seventh century in the Liber Iudicum establishing severe penalties to those who attempted against the mill drives or hydraulic infrastructure

During the Renaissance various types of watermills are described in the manuscripts written by Juan Pedro Lastanosa and Francisco Lobato

The manuscript of Pedro Juan Lastanosa ldquoThe twenty books of mills and machinesrdquo written between 1564 and 1575 has studies of great

scientific and technical value The geographical location of the mills is completed with the contribution of Juan Lobatoacutes manuscript about hydraulic mills in Spain

9

Tide mills (sea mills)

As its name suggests this type of mills is powered by the tidal action but not as often thought by the direct action of the ebb and flow Its operation is quite simple the rising-tide fills a pond located in the back of the mill protected by a levee through hatches that are closed automatically under the pressure of the accumulated water During reflow when the tide reaches a low enough level the floodgates are opened

and water flow through suitable pipes driving the wheels (or turbines) that will spin the wheels Obviously the operation of these mills cannot be continuous because it is tied to the rhythm of the tides the average hours of work amounts to about 124 hours of every 24

In the development and evolution of the tide mills over the centuries various factors must be considered

bull The choice of locations and sites suitable for installation which would provide the important and necessary water power

bull The increase of population and demand for flour

bull The necessary changes regarding the technical aspects of machinery grinding wheels etc to finally achieve its transformation into major milling factories

Despite the widespread use of hydraulic mill it is difficult to find remains of these devices since the mills were built with wooden structures often on boats or taking advantage of the pillars of the bridges that were also wooden Only when the construction was done with solid stone structures the traces remain over the centuries In the locations where mills were set up the documentation is limited and with oral contribution only it is difficult to have a more accurate and higher chronological data

The use of these tide mills has unknown origins and although its use is more typical of the Atlantic coast there is a reference to the possibility of their existence in the Persian Gulf A quote from the Muslim geographer Al Maqdis (Shams al-Dini 945946-991) ldquoThe tide is a marvel and a blessing for the people of Basra The water visits them twice every day and it enters the rivers and irrigates the orchards and carries the

10

ships to the villages And when the tide ebbs it is also useful for working of the mills because they are all situated at the mouth of the river and its tributaries So when the water goes out to the sea it turns them aroundrdquo did Minchinton (1979) would raise the question of a possible eastern origin of tide mills or perhaps of its existence in the tenth century AD

We consider important to highlight some of the earliest western tidal mills

bull The Nendrum Monastery mill was a tide mill on an island in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland It is the earliest excavated tide mill dating from 787 AD Remains of an earlier mill dated at 619 AD were also found

bull Little Island mill in the year 630 (Cork Southern Ireland)

bull The Ebbsfleet mill built between 684 and 720 (Kent England)

The oldest tidal mills in the Iberian Peninsula are in Cantabria

In the year 857 the Asturian monarch Ordontildeo I and his wife Queen Mumadonna made a generous donation of property to the church of San Salvador de Oviedo among which are many goods in ldquoAsturias de Santillanardquo In a document dated April 20th 875 we can read in the village of Vivero we give to the church of San Salvador follows a list of many goods and ends with the specific mention of the establishment of mills and integral fisheries in the olga2 of the sea

Another mill is known as the Roidorio or Garbijos located in the southern sector of the marshes along the road between Noja and Argontildeos dated in 927

The mill of Cerroja Escalante (Cantabria) was built in 1047 and was cited as molino Marini indicating its marine origin

2 Olga Space that becomes flooded regularly

11

Galicia as Cantabria is a region rich in intertidal areas added to the facts of their strategic locations along the coast Their cities ports and docks are ideal places for the installation of tide mills Galicia could be named as the land of the mills In 1797 Galicia had about 8278 mills a quarter of the total mills in Spain It is difficult to establish the age of the tide mills in Galicia The information is very sparse or nonexistent and is in some cases in public records and other private documentation Some mills have the same construction system although their implementation dates differ in years or centuries One of the oldest tidal mill in Galicia built in the 12th century is called Acea Da Ma in the place of Culleredo (El Burgo A Coruntildea) Others also important are

bull The mill of Neda dating from 1609 although according to documentation this mill existed at an earlier time

bull The mill of La Seca (Cambados) 1622

bull ldquoLas Torresrdquo mill dated in 1674 (according to document granted by the owner of ldquoTorres de Cereixordquo)

bull The mill of ldquoLas Acentildeasrdquo which appears in documents from 1681 on the island of Arosa (where the mill was built) although the construction date of the mill is earlier

bull In Galicia was also built the last tide mill in Europe between 1905 and 1910 it is known simply by the name of Muintildeo das Mareas is located on the estuary of Ortigueira and operated until 19703

3 -The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and Marrie-Claire P Chaineux

12

III THE FIRST MILLS IN NARON

In these days we have two important mills in Naroacuten one is ldquoThe Royal Factoryrdquo of Juan Lestache (Reales Faacutebricas de la Casa de Juan Lestache) close to the Jubia Bridge and the other is ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo (Real Faacutebrica de Harinas) in Las Acentildeas del Ponto

On the right side of the Jubiarsquos River estuary we can find an extraordinary mill dated at the end of XVIII century which still retains a commanding presence today This Mill was part of the industrial group created by Mr John Lestache Nugue and Francisco Bucan consisting of a flour mill a paper mill a copper factory and the great ldquoTannery Royal Factoryrdquo

Very close to this mill in the Pontorsquos estuary there is one of the biggest tide dam in Spain where we can find another extraordinary construction also from the XVIII century the tide mill of ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo which is also known as ldquoAcentildeas de Lembeyerdquo

These two mills were well known for its technological characteristics and grinding ability The first one with four stones came to grind 300000 bushels4 (about three million kilos) a year while in the second case the amount was 120000 bushels (about one million two hundred thousand kilos)

Despite its lower production the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeasrdquo at that time was the only tide mill in the region

The historical situation was as follows the town of Ferrol in 1749 had only 250 residents but in no time would become one of the cities of more population in the ancient and vast Kingdom of Galicia according to Montero Arostegui words

Ferrol in 1778 exceeded 30000 inhabitants and in 1797 was over 40000 It is in the middle of this population boom when because the treaty of friendship and union with France -called Pacto de Familia- and signed by Carlos III in 1761 Ferrol became involved into a war against England and Portugal and due to the blocking and

4 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels

13

insecurity of trade the town suffered a severe shortage of cereals that caused fear among the authorities

This treaty of friendship between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France promotes the arrival of French citizens to the town of Ferrol where they found a land full of opportunities

Francisco Bucau was one of the first to arrive in 1759 Later arrived a merchant named Juan Lembeye and around the same time in 1760 came the surgeon Santiago Beujardiacuten and Mathias Dufoire Approximately six years later also arrived by sea to Ferrol with a cargo of wheat Juan Lestache born at the town of Viana in the Kingdom of France These people are the drivers of industrial infrastructure based on flour mills that we pass to describe

The Jubiarsquos Mill

Juan Lestache decided to make a partnership with his compatriot Francisco Bucau with the only purpose of the

construction of two water mills to grind grainrdquo Before the start of work they needed to manage the use of the river Jubia since Naroacuten jurisdictional lordship belonged to Antonio Noguerido and the Marquis of San Saturnino from Naroacuten and Neda respectively owners of the Jubia rivers which goes through these towns Being aware of the great value and benefits that these water mills for grinding grain would report to the county Noguerido and the Marquis had not the slightest hesitation in granting Lestache full permission and authority which by law is required for the use enjoyment and exploit of the river

And so the construction of the four mills and two buildings attached began in place of Jubia Bridge The two mills at the south belonged to Lestache and to Bucan the two at the North The cost of the complex was 300000 ldquorealesrdquo in 1789

The Jubia River called Rio Grande de Jubia had plenty of water throughout the year making it the most suitable place for the construction of mills with an estuary close by and until recently a navigable port for galleons and suitable for loading and unloading of flour They could not have chosen a better place for this building where Lestache built the mill similar to his familys at Vianne in the Lot-et-Garonne

14

For unknown reasons the first disagreement between both owners arise in the year 1779 the following year made crises and ended in Law Courts The dispute was resolved in 1786 Lestache paid Bucan 300000 ldquorealesrdquo for the two mills

This factory of Jubiarsquos Bridge had an annual milling capacity hitherto unknown in Galicia estimated in seventy thousand bushels5 of wheat one half of extra fine flour (ldquoharina de florrdquo) and the other half of second class flour (ldquoharina de segunda suerterdquo) (about 3885000 liters and a weight of approximately 3027500 kg) The factory had five cleaners to eliminate dust and to separate rye oats and stones The clean wheat comes out from one side and the dust through another That is the reason of the whiteness of bread

The high production capacity of this industry allowed to supply of flour to Ferrol and region including troops prisoners land and naval officers and the many workers and laborers of all classes used in the construction of hulls and weapons of His Majestys ships more than thirty thousand peoplerdquo and besides to export large surpluses To send flour to America and other places

two thousand barrels were built per year seven kilos and a half each making a total of 172500 kg of flour a year

It was important the necessity to supply different types of cereal either from nearby places as Bayonne Bordeaux and London or from more remote cities as Amsterdam Hamburg St Petersburg and even from Philadelphia so Lestache decides to form a trading company with the brothers Santiago and Dionisio Beaujardin

In the year 1791 Lestache had a ldquoRoyal Licencerdquo to obtain 50000 bushels of wheat from Castilla He shipped them from the port of ldquoLa Requejadardquo in Santander to Ferrol The cost of the transportation was much cheaper by sea 6

John Lestachersquos health was weak and for this reason he moved to Ferrol with the expectation of getting better Finally he passed away on May 2th 1802 and was buried in the parish church of San Juliaacuten

5 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels 6 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-xuvia-2

15

Las Acentildeas Mill

As for the other existing mill in Naron (Molino de las Acentildeas y Reales Faacutebricas de Harinas del Ponto) it was built by the French Santiago Beaujardin at the time Vice Consul of France in the town of Ferrol Beaujardin obtained on October 10th 1785 from the Quartermaster General of the Navy the license for the

construction of a flour mill at ldquoAcentildeas del Pontordquo in Freixeiro estuary and close to a dilapidated salt marsh of Roman origin Shortly after Beaujardi also received license from the prior of the monastery of San Martiacuten de Jubia to build on the site of Outeiro store house orchard and other necessary buildings Finally Joseacute Mariacutea Bermuacutedez Lord of Jubia its ports and salt marshes and ldquoperpetual ruler of the town of Ferrolrdquo granted permission for the works

With works already advanced and fully operational two of the three mills planned on September 12th 1791 Santiago Beaujardin associated with his compatriot Juan Lembeye wealthy merchant in the town of Ferrol since 1762 Royal supply commissioner for arsenals and director of the Royal shipping company among other important positions In 1796 Beaujardin and Lembeye decide to dissolve their partnership leaving Lembeye sole owner of the watermills

This tide mill the largest of those in Galicia and until not long ago one of the best preserved was built in the parish of St Martin de Jubia accessible by sea with small vessels

With its three mills artifacts warehouses and frameworks the mill had a crushing capacity of about 37500 bushels of wheat per year (1387500 liters) and like the other mills in the area attended the high demand of a population in constant growth since in 1750 Ferrol hosted the most important State Shipyard in Spain

The necessary supply of wheat was guaranteed by the corporation created by Santiago Beaujardin his brother Dionisio and the businessman Juan Lestache also French receiving grain from Philadelphia in addition to regular shipments from the ports of Bayonne Bordeaux London Amsterdam Hamburg and St Petersburg whose destination was the port of Ferrol

In the context of current economic policy the mills received the title of ldquoRoyal Factoriesrdquo granted by Carlos IV in Aranjuez the June 11th 1798 The Royal Decree also establish exemptions from tariffs and free trade with America authorizing to make provision of wheat in other regions and to cut wood for the barrels of flour in the forests at that time confiscated by the Navy for shipbuilding With the losses suffered by the millers industrial sector where it was cheaper to bring to the port of Ferrol the sacks of flour ground in Santander Bilbao or San Sebastiaacuten these mills were neglected

16

in the last years of Juan Lembeyersquos life Finally he passed away in 1823 leaving the company in a difficult situation

The property passed to John Prevarte and after to Maria Josefa Lembeye and her husband Manuel Joseacute Ciaran In 1860 the inheritors of Ciaran sold the mills to the partnership formed by Nicolas Fernandez and Jose Rodriguez who took advantage of the milling recovery in the region developed from 1849 by special municipal regulations and the favorable situation of the increased cereal demand in Europe (Crimean War 1854-55) and in the region for a new shipbuilding apogee of Ferrol stable and prosperous during the five year period of government of the Liberal Union founded by Leopoldo ODonnell (1809-1867)7

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS

The passage of time despite his attempts of modernizing made to appear new technologies and marketing systems that led to the closure of these facilities during the second half of the twentieth century unable to survive in an economy more and more globalized and why not in a cultural environment that does not appreciate the work of the craftsman patient and proud of his work

At the beginning of 2010 the City Council of Naroacuten tried to exploit the industrial heritage which represents the network of mills that had contributed to the splendor of flour production sector in the late eighteenth century enhancing the research and the rehabilitation of these facilities Considering the mill of Xubia as the banner of this network the City Council purchased it and

began a process of rehabilitation to install inside a museum that contextualizes the visitor about the rise of the milling industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries8 Unfortunately this project up to the present day has not come true unlike others such as Gradaiacutelle and Pedroso which have been restored and can be visited

With respect to the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo the Coasts Administration made a project also in 2010 to rehabilitate this 18th century flour factory including the land expropriation by the City of Naroacuten so that the mill works again with the movement of the tides9 As in the case of Xubia mill this project is

7 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-marea-no-ponto 8 Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia jueves 29 de enero de 2009 9 Raquel Iglesias La Voz de Galicia martes 14 de septiembre de 2010

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

9

Tide mills (sea mills)

As its name suggests this type of mills is powered by the tidal action but not as often thought by the direct action of the ebb and flow Its operation is quite simple the rising-tide fills a pond located in the back of the mill protected by a levee through hatches that are closed automatically under the pressure of the accumulated water During reflow when the tide reaches a low enough level the floodgates are opened

and water flow through suitable pipes driving the wheels (or turbines) that will spin the wheels Obviously the operation of these mills cannot be continuous because it is tied to the rhythm of the tides the average hours of work amounts to about 124 hours of every 24

In the development and evolution of the tide mills over the centuries various factors must be considered

bull The choice of locations and sites suitable for installation which would provide the important and necessary water power

bull The increase of population and demand for flour

bull The necessary changes regarding the technical aspects of machinery grinding wheels etc to finally achieve its transformation into major milling factories

Despite the widespread use of hydraulic mill it is difficult to find remains of these devices since the mills were built with wooden structures often on boats or taking advantage of the pillars of the bridges that were also wooden Only when the construction was done with solid stone structures the traces remain over the centuries In the locations where mills were set up the documentation is limited and with oral contribution only it is difficult to have a more accurate and higher chronological data

The use of these tide mills has unknown origins and although its use is more typical of the Atlantic coast there is a reference to the possibility of their existence in the Persian Gulf A quote from the Muslim geographer Al Maqdis (Shams al-Dini 945946-991) ldquoThe tide is a marvel and a blessing for the people of Basra The water visits them twice every day and it enters the rivers and irrigates the orchards and carries the

10

ships to the villages And when the tide ebbs it is also useful for working of the mills because they are all situated at the mouth of the river and its tributaries So when the water goes out to the sea it turns them aroundrdquo did Minchinton (1979) would raise the question of a possible eastern origin of tide mills or perhaps of its existence in the tenth century AD

We consider important to highlight some of the earliest western tidal mills

bull The Nendrum Monastery mill was a tide mill on an island in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland It is the earliest excavated tide mill dating from 787 AD Remains of an earlier mill dated at 619 AD were also found

bull Little Island mill in the year 630 (Cork Southern Ireland)

bull The Ebbsfleet mill built between 684 and 720 (Kent England)

The oldest tidal mills in the Iberian Peninsula are in Cantabria

In the year 857 the Asturian monarch Ordontildeo I and his wife Queen Mumadonna made a generous donation of property to the church of San Salvador de Oviedo among which are many goods in ldquoAsturias de Santillanardquo In a document dated April 20th 875 we can read in the village of Vivero we give to the church of San Salvador follows a list of many goods and ends with the specific mention of the establishment of mills and integral fisheries in the olga2 of the sea

Another mill is known as the Roidorio or Garbijos located in the southern sector of the marshes along the road between Noja and Argontildeos dated in 927

The mill of Cerroja Escalante (Cantabria) was built in 1047 and was cited as molino Marini indicating its marine origin

2 Olga Space that becomes flooded regularly

11

Galicia as Cantabria is a region rich in intertidal areas added to the facts of their strategic locations along the coast Their cities ports and docks are ideal places for the installation of tide mills Galicia could be named as the land of the mills In 1797 Galicia had about 8278 mills a quarter of the total mills in Spain It is difficult to establish the age of the tide mills in Galicia The information is very sparse or nonexistent and is in some cases in public records and other private documentation Some mills have the same construction system although their implementation dates differ in years or centuries One of the oldest tidal mill in Galicia built in the 12th century is called Acea Da Ma in the place of Culleredo (El Burgo A Coruntildea) Others also important are

bull The mill of Neda dating from 1609 although according to documentation this mill existed at an earlier time

bull The mill of La Seca (Cambados) 1622

bull ldquoLas Torresrdquo mill dated in 1674 (according to document granted by the owner of ldquoTorres de Cereixordquo)

bull The mill of ldquoLas Acentildeasrdquo which appears in documents from 1681 on the island of Arosa (where the mill was built) although the construction date of the mill is earlier

bull In Galicia was also built the last tide mill in Europe between 1905 and 1910 it is known simply by the name of Muintildeo das Mareas is located on the estuary of Ortigueira and operated until 19703

3 -The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and Marrie-Claire P Chaineux

12

III THE FIRST MILLS IN NARON

In these days we have two important mills in Naroacuten one is ldquoThe Royal Factoryrdquo of Juan Lestache (Reales Faacutebricas de la Casa de Juan Lestache) close to the Jubia Bridge and the other is ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo (Real Faacutebrica de Harinas) in Las Acentildeas del Ponto

On the right side of the Jubiarsquos River estuary we can find an extraordinary mill dated at the end of XVIII century which still retains a commanding presence today This Mill was part of the industrial group created by Mr John Lestache Nugue and Francisco Bucan consisting of a flour mill a paper mill a copper factory and the great ldquoTannery Royal Factoryrdquo

Very close to this mill in the Pontorsquos estuary there is one of the biggest tide dam in Spain where we can find another extraordinary construction also from the XVIII century the tide mill of ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo which is also known as ldquoAcentildeas de Lembeyerdquo

These two mills were well known for its technological characteristics and grinding ability The first one with four stones came to grind 300000 bushels4 (about three million kilos) a year while in the second case the amount was 120000 bushels (about one million two hundred thousand kilos)

Despite its lower production the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeasrdquo at that time was the only tide mill in the region

The historical situation was as follows the town of Ferrol in 1749 had only 250 residents but in no time would become one of the cities of more population in the ancient and vast Kingdom of Galicia according to Montero Arostegui words

Ferrol in 1778 exceeded 30000 inhabitants and in 1797 was over 40000 It is in the middle of this population boom when because the treaty of friendship and union with France -called Pacto de Familia- and signed by Carlos III in 1761 Ferrol became involved into a war against England and Portugal and due to the blocking and

4 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels

13

insecurity of trade the town suffered a severe shortage of cereals that caused fear among the authorities

This treaty of friendship between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France promotes the arrival of French citizens to the town of Ferrol where they found a land full of opportunities

Francisco Bucau was one of the first to arrive in 1759 Later arrived a merchant named Juan Lembeye and around the same time in 1760 came the surgeon Santiago Beujardiacuten and Mathias Dufoire Approximately six years later also arrived by sea to Ferrol with a cargo of wheat Juan Lestache born at the town of Viana in the Kingdom of France These people are the drivers of industrial infrastructure based on flour mills that we pass to describe

The Jubiarsquos Mill

Juan Lestache decided to make a partnership with his compatriot Francisco Bucau with the only purpose of the

construction of two water mills to grind grainrdquo Before the start of work they needed to manage the use of the river Jubia since Naroacuten jurisdictional lordship belonged to Antonio Noguerido and the Marquis of San Saturnino from Naroacuten and Neda respectively owners of the Jubia rivers which goes through these towns Being aware of the great value and benefits that these water mills for grinding grain would report to the county Noguerido and the Marquis had not the slightest hesitation in granting Lestache full permission and authority which by law is required for the use enjoyment and exploit of the river

And so the construction of the four mills and two buildings attached began in place of Jubia Bridge The two mills at the south belonged to Lestache and to Bucan the two at the North The cost of the complex was 300000 ldquorealesrdquo in 1789

The Jubia River called Rio Grande de Jubia had plenty of water throughout the year making it the most suitable place for the construction of mills with an estuary close by and until recently a navigable port for galleons and suitable for loading and unloading of flour They could not have chosen a better place for this building where Lestache built the mill similar to his familys at Vianne in the Lot-et-Garonne

14

For unknown reasons the first disagreement between both owners arise in the year 1779 the following year made crises and ended in Law Courts The dispute was resolved in 1786 Lestache paid Bucan 300000 ldquorealesrdquo for the two mills

This factory of Jubiarsquos Bridge had an annual milling capacity hitherto unknown in Galicia estimated in seventy thousand bushels5 of wheat one half of extra fine flour (ldquoharina de florrdquo) and the other half of second class flour (ldquoharina de segunda suerterdquo) (about 3885000 liters and a weight of approximately 3027500 kg) The factory had five cleaners to eliminate dust and to separate rye oats and stones The clean wheat comes out from one side and the dust through another That is the reason of the whiteness of bread

The high production capacity of this industry allowed to supply of flour to Ferrol and region including troops prisoners land and naval officers and the many workers and laborers of all classes used in the construction of hulls and weapons of His Majestys ships more than thirty thousand peoplerdquo and besides to export large surpluses To send flour to America and other places

two thousand barrels were built per year seven kilos and a half each making a total of 172500 kg of flour a year

It was important the necessity to supply different types of cereal either from nearby places as Bayonne Bordeaux and London or from more remote cities as Amsterdam Hamburg St Petersburg and even from Philadelphia so Lestache decides to form a trading company with the brothers Santiago and Dionisio Beaujardin

In the year 1791 Lestache had a ldquoRoyal Licencerdquo to obtain 50000 bushels of wheat from Castilla He shipped them from the port of ldquoLa Requejadardquo in Santander to Ferrol The cost of the transportation was much cheaper by sea 6

John Lestachersquos health was weak and for this reason he moved to Ferrol with the expectation of getting better Finally he passed away on May 2th 1802 and was buried in the parish church of San Juliaacuten

5 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels 6 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-xuvia-2

15

Las Acentildeas Mill

As for the other existing mill in Naron (Molino de las Acentildeas y Reales Faacutebricas de Harinas del Ponto) it was built by the French Santiago Beaujardin at the time Vice Consul of France in the town of Ferrol Beaujardin obtained on October 10th 1785 from the Quartermaster General of the Navy the license for the

construction of a flour mill at ldquoAcentildeas del Pontordquo in Freixeiro estuary and close to a dilapidated salt marsh of Roman origin Shortly after Beaujardi also received license from the prior of the monastery of San Martiacuten de Jubia to build on the site of Outeiro store house orchard and other necessary buildings Finally Joseacute Mariacutea Bermuacutedez Lord of Jubia its ports and salt marshes and ldquoperpetual ruler of the town of Ferrolrdquo granted permission for the works

With works already advanced and fully operational two of the three mills planned on September 12th 1791 Santiago Beaujardin associated with his compatriot Juan Lembeye wealthy merchant in the town of Ferrol since 1762 Royal supply commissioner for arsenals and director of the Royal shipping company among other important positions In 1796 Beaujardin and Lembeye decide to dissolve their partnership leaving Lembeye sole owner of the watermills

This tide mill the largest of those in Galicia and until not long ago one of the best preserved was built in the parish of St Martin de Jubia accessible by sea with small vessels

With its three mills artifacts warehouses and frameworks the mill had a crushing capacity of about 37500 bushels of wheat per year (1387500 liters) and like the other mills in the area attended the high demand of a population in constant growth since in 1750 Ferrol hosted the most important State Shipyard in Spain

The necessary supply of wheat was guaranteed by the corporation created by Santiago Beaujardin his brother Dionisio and the businessman Juan Lestache also French receiving grain from Philadelphia in addition to regular shipments from the ports of Bayonne Bordeaux London Amsterdam Hamburg and St Petersburg whose destination was the port of Ferrol

In the context of current economic policy the mills received the title of ldquoRoyal Factoriesrdquo granted by Carlos IV in Aranjuez the June 11th 1798 The Royal Decree also establish exemptions from tariffs and free trade with America authorizing to make provision of wheat in other regions and to cut wood for the barrels of flour in the forests at that time confiscated by the Navy for shipbuilding With the losses suffered by the millers industrial sector where it was cheaper to bring to the port of Ferrol the sacks of flour ground in Santander Bilbao or San Sebastiaacuten these mills were neglected

16

in the last years of Juan Lembeyersquos life Finally he passed away in 1823 leaving the company in a difficult situation

The property passed to John Prevarte and after to Maria Josefa Lembeye and her husband Manuel Joseacute Ciaran In 1860 the inheritors of Ciaran sold the mills to the partnership formed by Nicolas Fernandez and Jose Rodriguez who took advantage of the milling recovery in the region developed from 1849 by special municipal regulations and the favorable situation of the increased cereal demand in Europe (Crimean War 1854-55) and in the region for a new shipbuilding apogee of Ferrol stable and prosperous during the five year period of government of the Liberal Union founded by Leopoldo ODonnell (1809-1867)7

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS

The passage of time despite his attempts of modernizing made to appear new technologies and marketing systems that led to the closure of these facilities during the second half of the twentieth century unable to survive in an economy more and more globalized and why not in a cultural environment that does not appreciate the work of the craftsman patient and proud of his work

At the beginning of 2010 the City Council of Naroacuten tried to exploit the industrial heritage which represents the network of mills that had contributed to the splendor of flour production sector in the late eighteenth century enhancing the research and the rehabilitation of these facilities Considering the mill of Xubia as the banner of this network the City Council purchased it and

began a process of rehabilitation to install inside a museum that contextualizes the visitor about the rise of the milling industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries8 Unfortunately this project up to the present day has not come true unlike others such as Gradaiacutelle and Pedroso which have been restored and can be visited

With respect to the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo the Coasts Administration made a project also in 2010 to rehabilitate this 18th century flour factory including the land expropriation by the City of Naroacuten so that the mill works again with the movement of the tides9 As in the case of Xubia mill this project is

7 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-marea-no-ponto 8 Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia jueves 29 de enero de 2009 9 Raquel Iglesias La Voz de Galicia martes 14 de septiembre de 2010

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

10

ships to the villages And when the tide ebbs it is also useful for working of the mills because they are all situated at the mouth of the river and its tributaries So when the water goes out to the sea it turns them aroundrdquo did Minchinton (1979) would raise the question of a possible eastern origin of tide mills or perhaps of its existence in the tenth century AD

We consider important to highlight some of the earliest western tidal mills

bull The Nendrum Monastery mill was a tide mill on an island in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland It is the earliest excavated tide mill dating from 787 AD Remains of an earlier mill dated at 619 AD were also found

bull Little Island mill in the year 630 (Cork Southern Ireland)

bull The Ebbsfleet mill built between 684 and 720 (Kent England)

The oldest tidal mills in the Iberian Peninsula are in Cantabria

In the year 857 the Asturian monarch Ordontildeo I and his wife Queen Mumadonna made a generous donation of property to the church of San Salvador de Oviedo among which are many goods in ldquoAsturias de Santillanardquo In a document dated April 20th 875 we can read in the village of Vivero we give to the church of San Salvador follows a list of many goods and ends with the specific mention of the establishment of mills and integral fisheries in the olga2 of the sea

Another mill is known as the Roidorio or Garbijos located in the southern sector of the marshes along the road between Noja and Argontildeos dated in 927

The mill of Cerroja Escalante (Cantabria) was built in 1047 and was cited as molino Marini indicating its marine origin

2 Olga Space that becomes flooded regularly

11

Galicia as Cantabria is a region rich in intertidal areas added to the facts of their strategic locations along the coast Their cities ports and docks are ideal places for the installation of tide mills Galicia could be named as the land of the mills In 1797 Galicia had about 8278 mills a quarter of the total mills in Spain It is difficult to establish the age of the tide mills in Galicia The information is very sparse or nonexistent and is in some cases in public records and other private documentation Some mills have the same construction system although their implementation dates differ in years or centuries One of the oldest tidal mill in Galicia built in the 12th century is called Acea Da Ma in the place of Culleredo (El Burgo A Coruntildea) Others also important are

bull The mill of Neda dating from 1609 although according to documentation this mill existed at an earlier time

bull The mill of La Seca (Cambados) 1622

bull ldquoLas Torresrdquo mill dated in 1674 (according to document granted by the owner of ldquoTorres de Cereixordquo)

bull The mill of ldquoLas Acentildeasrdquo which appears in documents from 1681 on the island of Arosa (where the mill was built) although the construction date of the mill is earlier

bull In Galicia was also built the last tide mill in Europe between 1905 and 1910 it is known simply by the name of Muintildeo das Mareas is located on the estuary of Ortigueira and operated until 19703

3 -The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and Marrie-Claire P Chaineux

12

III THE FIRST MILLS IN NARON

In these days we have two important mills in Naroacuten one is ldquoThe Royal Factoryrdquo of Juan Lestache (Reales Faacutebricas de la Casa de Juan Lestache) close to the Jubia Bridge and the other is ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo (Real Faacutebrica de Harinas) in Las Acentildeas del Ponto

On the right side of the Jubiarsquos River estuary we can find an extraordinary mill dated at the end of XVIII century which still retains a commanding presence today This Mill was part of the industrial group created by Mr John Lestache Nugue and Francisco Bucan consisting of a flour mill a paper mill a copper factory and the great ldquoTannery Royal Factoryrdquo

Very close to this mill in the Pontorsquos estuary there is one of the biggest tide dam in Spain where we can find another extraordinary construction also from the XVIII century the tide mill of ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo which is also known as ldquoAcentildeas de Lembeyerdquo

These two mills were well known for its technological characteristics and grinding ability The first one with four stones came to grind 300000 bushels4 (about three million kilos) a year while in the second case the amount was 120000 bushels (about one million two hundred thousand kilos)

Despite its lower production the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeasrdquo at that time was the only tide mill in the region

The historical situation was as follows the town of Ferrol in 1749 had only 250 residents but in no time would become one of the cities of more population in the ancient and vast Kingdom of Galicia according to Montero Arostegui words

Ferrol in 1778 exceeded 30000 inhabitants and in 1797 was over 40000 It is in the middle of this population boom when because the treaty of friendship and union with France -called Pacto de Familia- and signed by Carlos III in 1761 Ferrol became involved into a war against England and Portugal and due to the blocking and

4 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels

13

insecurity of trade the town suffered a severe shortage of cereals that caused fear among the authorities

This treaty of friendship between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France promotes the arrival of French citizens to the town of Ferrol where they found a land full of opportunities

Francisco Bucau was one of the first to arrive in 1759 Later arrived a merchant named Juan Lembeye and around the same time in 1760 came the surgeon Santiago Beujardiacuten and Mathias Dufoire Approximately six years later also arrived by sea to Ferrol with a cargo of wheat Juan Lestache born at the town of Viana in the Kingdom of France These people are the drivers of industrial infrastructure based on flour mills that we pass to describe

The Jubiarsquos Mill

Juan Lestache decided to make a partnership with his compatriot Francisco Bucau with the only purpose of the

construction of two water mills to grind grainrdquo Before the start of work they needed to manage the use of the river Jubia since Naroacuten jurisdictional lordship belonged to Antonio Noguerido and the Marquis of San Saturnino from Naroacuten and Neda respectively owners of the Jubia rivers which goes through these towns Being aware of the great value and benefits that these water mills for grinding grain would report to the county Noguerido and the Marquis had not the slightest hesitation in granting Lestache full permission and authority which by law is required for the use enjoyment and exploit of the river

And so the construction of the four mills and two buildings attached began in place of Jubia Bridge The two mills at the south belonged to Lestache and to Bucan the two at the North The cost of the complex was 300000 ldquorealesrdquo in 1789

The Jubia River called Rio Grande de Jubia had plenty of water throughout the year making it the most suitable place for the construction of mills with an estuary close by and until recently a navigable port for galleons and suitable for loading and unloading of flour They could not have chosen a better place for this building where Lestache built the mill similar to his familys at Vianne in the Lot-et-Garonne

14

For unknown reasons the first disagreement between both owners arise in the year 1779 the following year made crises and ended in Law Courts The dispute was resolved in 1786 Lestache paid Bucan 300000 ldquorealesrdquo for the two mills

This factory of Jubiarsquos Bridge had an annual milling capacity hitherto unknown in Galicia estimated in seventy thousand bushels5 of wheat one half of extra fine flour (ldquoharina de florrdquo) and the other half of second class flour (ldquoharina de segunda suerterdquo) (about 3885000 liters and a weight of approximately 3027500 kg) The factory had five cleaners to eliminate dust and to separate rye oats and stones The clean wheat comes out from one side and the dust through another That is the reason of the whiteness of bread

The high production capacity of this industry allowed to supply of flour to Ferrol and region including troops prisoners land and naval officers and the many workers and laborers of all classes used in the construction of hulls and weapons of His Majestys ships more than thirty thousand peoplerdquo and besides to export large surpluses To send flour to America and other places

two thousand barrels were built per year seven kilos and a half each making a total of 172500 kg of flour a year

It was important the necessity to supply different types of cereal either from nearby places as Bayonne Bordeaux and London or from more remote cities as Amsterdam Hamburg St Petersburg and even from Philadelphia so Lestache decides to form a trading company with the brothers Santiago and Dionisio Beaujardin

In the year 1791 Lestache had a ldquoRoyal Licencerdquo to obtain 50000 bushels of wheat from Castilla He shipped them from the port of ldquoLa Requejadardquo in Santander to Ferrol The cost of the transportation was much cheaper by sea 6

John Lestachersquos health was weak and for this reason he moved to Ferrol with the expectation of getting better Finally he passed away on May 2th 1802 and was buried in the parish church of San Juliaacuten

5 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels 6 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-xuvia-2

15

Las Acentildeas Mill

As for the other existing mill in Naron (Molino de las Acentildeas y Reales Faacutebricas de Harinas del Ponto) it was built by the French Santiago Beaujardin at the time Vice Consul of France in the town of Ferrol Beaujardin obtained on October 10th 1785 from the Quartermaster General of the Navy the license for the

construction of a flour mill at ldquoAcentildeas del Pontordquo in Freixeiro estuary and close to a dilapidated salt marsh of Roman origin Shortly after Beaujardi also received license from the prior of the monastery of San Martiacuten de Jubia to build on the site of Outeiro store house orchard and other necessary buildings Finally Joseacute Mariacutea Bermuacutedez Lord of Jubia its ports and salt marshes and ldquoperpetual ruler of the town of Ferrolrdquo granted permission for the works

With works already advanced and fully operational two of the three mills planned on September 12th 1791 Santiago Beaujardin associated with his compatriot Juan Lembeye wealthy merchant in the town of Ferrol since 1762 Royal supply commissioner for arsenals and director of the Royal shipping company among other important positions In 1796 Beaujardin and Lembeye decide to dissolve their partnership leaving Lembeye sole owner of the watermills

This tide mill the largest of those in Galicia and until not long ago one of the best preserved was built in the parish of St Martin de Jubia accessible by sea with small vessels

With its three mills artifacts warehouses and frameworks the mill had a crushing capacity of about 37500 bushels of wheat per year (1387500 liters) and like the other mills in the area attended the high demand of a population in constant growth since in 1750 Ferrol hosted the most important State Shipyard in Spain

The necessary supply of wheat was guaranteed by the corporation created by Santiago Beaujardin his brother Dionisio and the businessman Juan Lestache also French receiving grain from Philadelphia in addition to regular shipments from the ports of Bayonne Bordeaux London Amsterdam Hamburg and St Petersburg whose destination was the port of Ferrol

In the context of current economic policy the mills received the title of ldquoRoyal Factoriesrdquo granted by Carlos IV in Aranjuez the June 11th 1798 The Royal Decree also establish exemptions from tariffs and free trade with America authorizing to make provision of wheat in other regions and to cut wood for the barrels of flour in the forests at that time confiscated by the Navy for shipbuilding With the losses suffered by the millers industrial sector where it was cheaper to bring to the port of Ferrol the sacks of flour ground in Santander Bilbao or San Sebastiaacuten these mills were neglected

16

in the last years of Juan Lembeyersquos life Finally he passed away in 1823 leaving the company in a difficult situation

The property passed to John Prevarte and after to Maria Josefa Lembeye and her husband Manuel Joseacute Ciaran In 1860 the inheritors of Ciaran sold the mills to the partnership formed by Nicolas Fernandez and Jose Rodriguez who took advantage of the milling recovery in the region developed from 1849 by special municipal regulations and the favorable situation of the increased cereal demand in Europe (Crimean War 1854-55) and in the region for a new shipbuilding apogee of Ferrol stable and prosperous during the five year period of government of the Liberal Union founded by Leopoldo ODonnell (1809-1867)7

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS

The passage of time despite his attempts of modernizing made to appear new technologies and marketing systems that led to the closure of these facilities during the second half of the twentieth century unable to survive in an economy more and more globalized and why not in a cultural environment that does not appreciate the work of the craftsman patient and proud of his work

At the beginning of 2010 the City Council of Naroacuten tried to exploit the industrial heritage which represents the network of mills that had contributed to the splendor of flour production sector in the late eighteenth century enhancing the research and the rehabilitation of these facilities Considering the mill of Xubia as the banner of this network the City Council purchased it and

began a process of rehabilitation to install inside a museum that contextualizes the visitor about the rise of the milling industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries8 Unfortunately this project up to the present day has not come true unlike others such as Gradaiacutelle and Pedroso which have been restored and can be visited

With respect to the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo the Coasts Administration made a project also in 2010 to rehabilitate this 18th century flour factory including the land expropriation by the City of Naroacuten so that the mill works again with the movement of the tides9 As in the case of Xubia mill this project is

7 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-marea-no-ponto 8 Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia jueves 29 de enero de 2009 9 Raquel Iglesias La Voz de Galicia martes 14 de septiembre de 2010

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

11

Galicia as Cantabria is a region rich in intertidal areas added to the facts of their strategic locations along the coast Their cities ports and docks are ideal places for the installation of tide mills Galicia could be named as the land of the mills In 1797 Galicia had about 8278 mills a quarter of the total mills in Spain It is difficult to establish the age of the tide mills in Galicia The information is very sparse or nonexistent and is in some cases in public records and other private documentation Some mills have the same construction system although their implementation dates differ in years or centuries One of the oldest tidal mill in Galicia built in the 12th century is called Acea Da Ma in the place of Culleredo (El Burgo A Coruntildea) Others also important are

bull The mill of Neda dating from 1609 although according to documentation this mill existed at an earlier time

bull The mill of La Seca (Cambados) 1622

bull ldquoLas Torresrdquo mill dated in 1674 (according to document granted by the owner of ldquoTorres de Cereixordquo)

bull The mill of ldquoLas Acentildeasrdquo which appears in documents from 1681 on the island of Arosa (where the mill was built) although the construction date of the mill is earlier

bull In Galicia was also built the last tide mill in Europe between 1905 and 1910 it is known simply by the name of Muintildeo das Mareas is located on the estuary of Ortigueira and operated until 19703

3 -The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and Marrie-Claire P Chaineux

12

III THE FIRST MILLS IN NARON

In these days we have two important mills in Naroacuten one is ldquoThe Royal Factoryrdquo of Juan Lestache (Reales Faacutebricas de la Casa de Juan Lestache) close to the Jubia Bridge and the other is ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo (Real Faacutebrica de Harinas) in Las Acentildeas del Ponto

On the right side of the Jubiarsquos River estuary we can find an extraordinary mill dated at the end of XVIII century which still retains a commanding presence today This Mill was part of the industrial group created by Mr John Lestache Nugue and Francisco Bucan consisting of a flour mill a paper mill a copper factory and the great ldquoTannery Royal Factoryrdquo

Very close to this mill in the Pontorsquos estuary there is one of the biggest tide dam in Spain where we can find another extraordinary construction also from the XVIII century the tide mill of ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo which is also known as ldquoAcentildeas de Lembeyerdquo

These two mills were well known for its technological characteristics and grinding ability The first one with four stones came to grind 300000 bushels4 (about three million kilos) a year while in the second case the amount was 120000 bushels (about one million two hundred thousand kilos)

Despite its lower production the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeasrdquo at that time was the only tide mill in the region

The historical situation was as follows the town of Ferrol in 1749 had only 250 residents but in no time would become one of the cities of more population in the ancient and vast Kingdom of Galicia according to Montero Arostegui words

Ferrol in 1778 exceeded 30000 inhabitants and in 1797 was over 40000 It is in the middle of this population boom when because the treaty of friendship and union with France -called Pacto de Familia- and signed by Carlos III in 1761 Ferrol became involved into a war against England and Portugal and due to the blocking and

4 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels

13

insecurity of trade the town suffered a severe shortage of cereals that caused fear among the authorities

This treaty of friendship between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France promotes the arrival of French citizens to the town of Ferrol where they found a land full of opportunities

Francisco Bucau was one of the first to arrive in 1759 Later arrived a merchant named Juan Lembeye and around the same time in 1760 came the surgeon Santiago Beujardiacuten and Mathias Dufoire Approximately six years later also arrived by sea to Ferrol with a cargo of wheat Juan Lestache born at the town of Viana in the Kingdom of France These people are the drivers of industrial infrastructure based on flour mills that we pass to describe

The Jubiarsquos Mill

Juan Lestache decided to make a partnership with his compatriot Francisco Bucau with the only purpose of the

construction of two water mills to grind grainrdquo Before the start of work they needed to manage the use of the river Jubia since Naroacuten jurisdictional lordship belonged to Antonio Noguerido and the Marquis of San Saturnino from Naroacuten and Neda respectively owners of the Jubia rivers which goes through these towns Being aware of the great value and benefits that these water mills for grinding grain would report to the county Noguerido and the Marquis had not the slightest hesitation in granting Lestache full permission and authority which by law is required for the use enjoyment and exploit of the river

And so the construction of the four mills and two buildings attached began in place of Jubia Bridge The two mills at the south belonged to Lestache and to Bucan the two at the North The cost of the complex was 300000 ldquorealesrdquo in 1789

The Jubia River called Rio Grande de Jubia had plenty of water throughout the year making it the most suitable place for the construction of mills with an estuary close by and until recently a navigable port for galleons and suitable for loading and unloading of flour They could not have chosen a better place for this building where Lestache built the mill similar to his familys at Vianne in the Lot-et-Garonne

14

For unknown reasons the first disagreement between both owners arise in the year 1779 the following year made crises and ended in Law Courts The dispute was resolved in 1786 Lestache paid Bucan 300000 ldquorealesrdquo for the two mills

This factory of Jubiarsquos Bridge had an annual milling capacity hitherto unknown in Galicia estimated in seventy thousand bushels5 of wheat one half of extra fine flour (ldquoharina de florrdquo) and the other half of second class flour (ldquoharina de segunda suerterdquo) (about 3885000 liters and a weight of approximately 3027500 kg) The factory had five cleaners to eliminate dust and to separate rye oats and stones The clean wheat comes out from one side and the dust through another That is the reason of the whiteness of bread

The high production capacity of this industry allowed to supply of flour to Ferrol and region including troops prisoners land and naval officers and the many workers and laborers of all classes used in the construction of hulls and weapons of His Majestys ships more than thirty thousand peoplerdquo and besides to export large surpluses To send flour to America and other places

two thousand barrels were built per year seven kilos and a half each making a total of 172500 kg of flour a year

It was important the necessity to supply different types of cereal either from nearby places as Bayonne Bordeaux and London or from more remote cities as Amsterdam Hamburg St Petersburg and even from Philadelphia so Lestache decides to form a trading company with the brothers Santiago and Dionisio Beaujardin

In the year 1791 Lestache had a ldquoRoyal Licencerdquo to obtain 50000 bushels of wheat from Castilla He shipped them from the port of ldquoLa Requejadardquo in Santander to Ferrol The cost of the transportation was much cheaper by sea 6

John Lestachersquos health was weak and for this reason he moved to Ferrol with the expectation of getting better Finally he passed away on May 2th 1802 and was buried in the parish church of San Juliaacuten

5 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels 6 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-xuvia-2

15

Las Acentildeas Mill

As for the other existing mill in Naron (Molino de las Acentildeas y Reales Faacutebricas de Harinas del Ponto) it was built by the French Santiago Beaujardin at the time Vice Consul of France in the town of Ferrol Beaujardin obtained on October 10th 1785 from the Quartermaster General of the Navy the license for the

construction of a flour mill at ldquoAcentildeas del Pontordquo in Freixeiro estuary and close to a dilapidated salt marsh of Roman origin Shortly after Beaujardi also received license from the prior of the monastery of San Martiacuten de Jubia to build on the site of Outeiro store house orchard and other necessary buildings Finally Joseacute Mariacutea Bermuacutedez Lord of Jubia its ports and salt marshes and ldquoperpetual ruler of the town of Ferrolrdquo granted permission for the works

With works already advanced and fully operational two of the three mills planned on September 12th 1791 Santiago Beaujardin associated with his compatriot Juan Lembeye wealthy merchant in the town of Ferrol since 1762 Royal supply commissioner for arsenals and director of the Royal shipping company among other important positions In 1796 Beaujardin and Lembeye decide to dissolve their partnership leaving Lembeye sole owner of the watermills

This tide mill the largest of those in Galicia and until not long ago one of the best preserved was built in the parish of St Martin de Jubia accessible by sea with small vessels

With its three mills artifacts warehouses and frameworks the mill had a crushing capacity of about 37500 bushels of wheat per year (1387500 liters) and like the other mills in the area attended the high demand of a population in constant growth since in 1750 Ferrol hosted the most important State Shipyard in Spain

The necessary supply of wheat was guaranteed by the corporation created by Santiago Beaujardin his brother Dionisio and the businessman Juan Lestache also French receiving grain from Philadelphia in addition to regular shipments from the ports of Bayonne Bordeaux London Amsterdam Hamburg and St Petersburg whose destination was the port of Ferrol

In the context of current economic policy the mills received the title of ldquoRoyal Factoriesrdquo granted by Carlos IV in Aranjuez the June 11th 1798 The Royal Decree also establish exemptions from tariffs and free trade with America authorizing to make provision of wheat in other regions and to cut wood for the barrels of flour in the forests at that time confiscated by the Navy for shipbuilding With the losses suffered by the millers industrial sector where it was cheaper to bring to the port of Ferrol the sacks of flour ground in Santander Bilbao or San Sebastiaacuten these mills were neglected

16

in the last years of Juan Lembeyersquos life Finally he passed away in 1823 leaving the company in a difficult situation

The property passed to John Prevarte and after to Maria Josefa Lembeye and her husband Manuel Joseacute Ciaran In 1860 the inheritors of Ciaran sold the mills to the partnership formed by Nicolas Fernandez and Jose Rodriguez who took advantage of the milling recovery in the region developed from 1849 by special municipal regulations and the favorable situation of the increased cereal demand in Europe (Crimean War 1854-55) and in the region for a new shipbuilding apogee of Ferrol stable and prosperous during the five year period of government of the Liberal Union founded by Leopoldo ODonnell (1809-1867)7

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS

The passage of time despite his attempts of modernizing made to appear new technologies and marketing systems that led to the closure of these facilities during the second half of the twentieth century unable to survive in an economy more and more globalized and why not in a cultural environment that does not appreciate the work of the craftsman patient and proud of his work

At the beginning of 2010 the City Council of Naroacuten tried to exploit the industrial heritage which represents the network of mills that had contributed to the splendor of flour production sector in the late eighteenth century enhancing the research and the rehabilitation of these facilities Considering the mill of Xubia as the banner of this network the City Council purchased it and

began a process of rehabilitation to install inside a museum that contextualizes the visitor about the rise of the milling industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries8 Unfortunately this project up to the present day has not come true unlike others such as Gradaiacutelle and Pedroso which have been restored and can be visited

With respect to the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo the Coasts Administration made a project also in 2010 to rehabilitate this 18th century flour factory including the land expropriation by the City of Naroacuten so that the mill works again with the movement of the tides9 As in the case of Xubia mill this project is

7 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-marea-no-ponto 8 Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia jueves 29 de enero de 2009 9 Raquel Iglesias La Voz de Galicia martes 14 de septiembre de 2010

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

12

III THE FIRST MILLS IN NARON

In these days we have two important mills in Naroacuten one is ldquoThe Royal Factoryrdquo of Juan Lestache (Reales Faacutebricas de la Casa de Juan Lestache) close to the Jubia Bridge and the other is ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo (Real Faacutebrica de Harinas) in Las Acentildeas del Ponto

On the right side of the Jubiarsquos River estuary we can find an extraordinary mill dated at the end of XVIII century which still retains a commanding presence today This Mill was part of the industrial group created by Mr John Lestache Nugue and Francisco Bucan consisting of a flour mill a paper mill a copper factory and the great ldquoTannery Royal Factoryrdquo

Very close to this mill in the Pontorsquos estuary there is one of the biggest tide dam in Spain where we can find another extraordinary construction also from the XVIII century the tide mill of ldquoThe Royal Flour Factoryrdquo which is also known as ldquoAcentildeas de Lembeyerdquo

These two mills were well known for its technological characteristics and grinding ability The first one with four stones came to grind 300000 bushels4 (about three million kilos) a year while in the second case the amount was 120000 bushels (about one million two hundred thousand kilos)

Despite its lower production the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeasrdquo at that time was the only tide mill in the region

The historical situation was as follows the town of Ferrol in 1749 had only 250 residents but in no time would become one of the cities of more population in the ancient and vast Kingdom of Galicia according to Montero Arostegui words

Ferrol in 1778 exceeded 30000 inhabitants and in 1797 was over 40000 It is in the middle of this population boom when because the treaty of friendship and union with France -called Pacto de Familia- and signed by Carlos III in 1761 Ferrol became involved into a war against England and Portugal and due to the blocking and

4 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels

13

insecurity of trade the town suffered a severe shortage of cereals that caused fear among the authorities

This treaty of friendship between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France promotes the arrival of French citizens to the town of Ferrol where they found a land full of opportunities

Francisco Bucau was one of the first to arrive in 1759 Later arrived a merchant named Juan Lembeye and around the same time in 1760 came the surgeon Santiago Beujardiacuten and Mathias Dufoire Approximately six years later also arrived by sea to Ferrol with a cargo of wheat Juan Lestache born at the town of Viana in the Kingdom of France These people are the drivers of industrial infrastructure based on flour mills that we pass to describe

The Jubiarsquos Mill

Juan Lestache decided to make a partnership with his compatriot Francisco Bucau with the only purpose of the

construction of two water mills to grind grainrdquo Before the start of work they needed to manage the use of the river Jubia since Naroacuten jurisdictional lordship belonged to Antonio Noguerido and the Marquis of San Saturnino from Naroacuten and Neda respectively owners of the Jubia rivers which goes through these towns Being aware of the great value and benefits that these water mills for grinding grain would report to the county Noguerido and the Marquis had not the slightest hesitation in granting Lestache full permission and authority which by law is required for the use enjoyment and exploit of the river

And so the construction of the four mills and two buildings attached began in place of Jubia Bridge The two mills at the south belonged to Lestache and to Bucan the two at the North The cost of the complex was 300000 ldquorealesrdquo in 1789

The Jubia River called Rio Grande de Jubia had plenty of water throughout the year making it the most suitable place for the construction of mills with an estuary close by and until recently a navigable port for galleons and suitable for loading and unloading of flour They could not have chosen a better place for this building where Lestache built the mill similar to his familys at Vianne in the Lot-et-Garonne

14

For unknown reasons the first disagreement between both owners arise in the year 1779 the following year made crises and ended in Law Courts The dispute was resolved in 1786 Lestache paid Bucan 300000 ldquorealesrdquo for the two mills

This factory of Jubiarsquos Bridge had an annual milling capacity hitherto unknown in Galicia estimated in seventy thousand bushels5 of wheat one half of extra fine flour (ldquoharina de florrdquo) and the other half of second class flour (ldquoharina de segunda suerterdquo) (about 3885000 liters and a weight of approximately 3027500 kg) The factory had five cleaners to eliminate dust and to separate rye oats and stones The clean wheat comes out from one side and the dust through another That is the reason of the whiteness of bread

The high production capacity of this industry allowed to supply of flour to Ferrol and region including troops prisoners land and naval officers and the many workers and laborers of all classes used in the construction of hulls and weapons of His Majestys ships more than thirty thousand peoplerdquo and besides to export large surpluses To send flour to America and other places

two thousand barrels were built per year seven kilos and a half each making a total of 172500 kg of flour a year

It was important the necessity to supply different types of cereal either from nearby places as Bayonne Bordeaux and London or from more remote cities as Amsterdam Hamburg St Petersburg and even from Philadelphia so Lestache decides to form a trading company with the brothers Santiago and Dionisio Beaujardin

In the year 1791 Lestache had a ldquoRoyal Licencerdquo to obtain 50000 bushels of wheat from Castilla He shipped them from the port of ldquoLa Requejadardquo in Santander to Ferrol The cost of the transportation was much cheaper by sea 6

John Lestachersquos health was weak and for this reason he moved to Ferrol with the expectation of getting better Finally he passed away on May 2th 1802 and was buried in the parish church of San Juliaacuten

5 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels 6 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-xuvia-2

15

Las Acentildeas Mill

As for the other existing mill in Naron (Molino de las Acentildeas y Reales Faacutebricas de Harinas del Ponto) it was built by the French Santiago Beaujardin at the time Vice Consul of France in the town of Ferrol Beaujardin obtained on October 10th 1785 from the Quartermaster General of the Navy the license for the

construction of a flour mill at ldquoAcentildeas del Pontordquo in Freixeiro estuary and close to a dilapidated salt marsh of Roman origin Shortly after Beaujardi also received license from the prior of the monastery of San Martiacuten de Jubia to build on the site of Outeiro store house orchard and other necessary buildings Finally Joseacute Mariacutea Bermuacutedez Lord of Jubia its ports and salt marshes and ldquoperpetual ruler of the town of Ferrolrdquo granted permission for the works

With works already advanced and fully operational two of the three mills planned on September 12th 1791 Santiago Beaujardin associated with his compatriot Juan Lembeye wealthy merchant in the town of Ferrol since 1762 Royal supply commissioner for arsenals and director of the Royal shipping company among other important positions In 1796 Beaujardin and Lembeye decide to dissolve their partnership leaving Lembeye sole owner of the watermills

This tide mill the largest of those in Galicia and until not long ago one of the best preserved was built in the parish of St Martin de Jubia accessible by sea with small vessels

With its three mills artifacts warehouses and frameworks the mill had a crushing capacity of about 37500 bushels of wheat per year (1387500 liters) and like the other mills in the area attended the high demand of a population in constant growth since in 1750 Ferrol hosted the most important State Shipyard in Spain

The necessary supply of wheat was guaranteed by the corporation created by Santiago Beaujardin his brother Dionisio and the businessman Juan Lestache also French receiving grain from Philadelphia in addition to regular shipments from the ports of Bayonne Bordeaux London Amsterdam Hamburg and St Petersburg whose destination was the port of Ferrol

In the context of current economic policy the mills received the title of ldquoRoyal Factoriesrdquo granted by Carlos IV in Aranjuez the June 11th 1798 The Royal Decree also establish exemptions from tariffs and free trade with America authorizing to make provision of wheat in other regions and to cut wood for the barrels of flour in the forests at that time confiscated by the Navy for shipbuilding With the losses suffered by the millers industrial sector where it was cheaper to bring to the port of Ferrol the sacks of flour ground in Santander Bilbao or San Sebastiaacuten these mills were neglected

16

in the last years of Juan Lembeyersquos life Finally he passed away in 1823 leaving the company in a difficult situation

The property passed to John Prevarte and after to Maria Josefa Lembeye and her husband Manuel Joseacute Ciaran In 1860 the inheritors of Ciaran sold the mills to the partnership formed by Nicolas Fernandez and Jose Rodriguez who took advantage of the milling recovery in the region developed from 1849 by special municipal regulations and the favorable situation of the increased cereal demand in Europe (Crimean War 1854-55) and in the region for a new shipbuilding apogee of Ferrol stable and prosperous during the five year period of government of the Liberal Union founded by Leopoldo ODonnell (1809-1867)7

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS

The passage of time despite his attempts of modernizing made to appear new technologies and marketing systems that led to the closure of these facilities during the second half of the twentieth century unable to survive in an economy more and more globalized and why not in a cultural environment that does not appreciate the work of the craftsman patient and proud of his work

At the beginning of 2010 the City Council of Naroacuten tried to exploit the industrial heritage which represents the network of mills that had contributed to the splendor of flour production sector in the late eighteenth century enhancing the research and the rehabilitation of these facilities Considering the mill of Xubia as the banner of this network the City Council purchased it and

began a process of rehabilitation to install inside a museum that contextualizes the visitor about the rise of the milling industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries8 Unfortunately this project up to the present day has not come true unlike others such as Gradaiacutelle and Pedroso which have been restored and can be visited

With respect to the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo the Coasts Administration made a project also in 2010 to rehabilitate this 18th century flour factory including the land expropriation by the City of Naroacuten so that the mill works again with the movement of the tides9 As in the case of Xubia mill this project is

7 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-marea-no-ponto 8 Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia jueves 29 de enero de 2009 9 Raquel Iglesias La Voz de Galicia martes 14 de septiembre de 2010

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

13

insecurity of trade the town suffered a severe shortage of cereals that caused fear among the authorities

This treaty of friendship between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France promotes the arrival of French citizens to the town of Ferrol where they found a land full of opportunities

Francisco Bucau was one of the first to arrive in 1759 Later arrived a merchant named Juan Lembeye and around the same time in 1760 came the surgeon Santiago Beujardiacuten and Mathias Dufoire Approximately six years later also arrived by sea to Ferrol with a cargo of wheat Juan Lestache born at the town of Viana in the Kingdom of France These people are the drivers of industrial infrastructure based on flour mills that we pass to describe

The Jubiarsquos Mill

Juan Lestache decided to make a partnership with his compatriot Francisco Bucau with the only purpose of the

construction of two water mills to grind grainrdquo Before the start of work they needed to manage the use of the river Jubia since Naroacuten jurisdictional lordship belonged to Antonio Noguerido and the Marquis of San Saturnino from Naroacuten and Neda respectively owners of the Jubia rivers which goes through these towns Being aware of the great value and benefits that these water mills for grinding grain would report to the county Noguerido and the Marquis had not the slightest hesitation in granting Lestache full permission and authority which by law is required for the use enjoyment and exploit of the river

And so the construction of the four mills and two buildings attached began in place of Jubia Bridge The two mills at the south belonged to Lestache and to Bucan the two at the North The cost of the complex was 300000 ldquorealesrdquo in 1789

The Jubia River called Rio Grande de Jubia had plenty of water throughout the year making it the most suitable place for the construction of mills with an estuary close by and until recently a navigable port for galleons and suitable for loading and unloading of flour They could not have chosen a better place for this building where Lestache built the mill similar to his familys at Vianne in the Lot-et-Garonne

14

For unknown reasons the first disagreement between both owners arise in the year 1779 the following year made crises and ended in Law Courts The dispute was resolved in 1786 Lestache paid Bucan 300000 ldquorealesrdquo for the two mills

This factory of Jubiarsquos Bridge had an annual milling capacity hitherto unknown in Galicia estimated in seventy thousand bushels5 of wheat one half of extra fine flour (ldquoharina de florrdquo) and the other half of second class flour (ldquoharina de segunda suerterdquo) (about 3885000 liters and a weight of approximately 3027500 kg) The factory had five cleaners to eliminate dust and to separate rye oats and stones The clean wheat comes out from one side and the dust through another That is the reason of the whiteness of bread

The high production capacity of this industry allowed to supply of flour to Ferrol and region including troops prisoners land and naval officers and the many workers and laborers of all classes used in the construction of hulls and weapons of His Majestys ships more than thirty thousand peoplerdquo and besides to export large surpluses To send flour to America and other places

two thousand barrels were built per year seven kilos and a half each making a total of 172500 kg of flour a year

It was important the necessity to supply different types of cereal either from nearby places as Bayonne Bordeaux and London or from more remote cities as Amsterdam Hamburg St Petersburg and even from Philadelphia so Lestache decides to form a trading company with the brothers Santiago and Dionisio Beaujardin

In the year 1791 Lestache had a ldquoRoyal Licencerdquo to obtain 50000 bushels of wheat from Castilla He shipped them from the port of ldquoLa Requejadardquo in Santander to Ferrol The cost of the transportation was much cheaper by sea 6

John Lestachersquos health was weak and for this reason he moved to Ferrol with the expectation of getting better Finally he passed away on May 2th 1802 and was buried in the parish church of San Juliaacuten

5 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels 6 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-xuvia-2

15

Las Acentildeas Mill

As for the other existing mill in Naron (Molino de las Acentildeas y Reales Faacutebricas de Harinas del Ponto) it was built by the French Santiago Beaujardin at the time Vice Consul of France in the town of Ferrol Beaujardin obtained on October 10th 1785 from the Quartermaster General of the Navy the license for the

construction of a flour mill at ldquoAcentildeas del Pontordquo in Freixeiro estuary and close to a dilapidated salt marsh of Roman origin Shortly after Beaujardi also received license from the prior of the monastery of San Martiacuten de Jubia to build on the site of Outeiro store house orchard and other necessary buildings Finally Joseacute Mariacutea Bermuacutedez Lord of Jubia its ports and salt marshes and ldquoperpetual ruler of the town of Ferrolrdquo granted permission for the works

With works already advanced and fully operational two of the three mills planned on September 12th 1791 Santiago Beaujardin associated with his compatriot Juan Lembeye wealthy merchant in the town of Ferrol since 1762 Royal supply commissioner for arsenals and director of the Royal shipping company among other important positions In 1796 Beaujardin and Lembeye decide to dissolve their partnership leaving Lembeye sole owner of the watermills

This tide mill the largest of those in Galicia and until not long ago one of the best preserved was built in the parish of St Martin de Jubia accessible by sea with small vessels

With its three mills artifacts warehouses and frameworks the mill had a crushing capacity of about 37500 bushels of wheat per year (1387500 liters) and like the other mills in the area attended the high demand of a population in constant growth since in 1750 Ferrol hosted the most important State Shipyard in Spain

The necessary supply of wheat was guaranteed by the corporation created by Santiago Beaujardin his brother Dionisio and the businessman Juan Lestache also French receiving grain from Philadelphia in addition to regular shipments from the ports of Bayonne Bordeaux London Amsterdam Hamburg and St Petersburg whose destination was the port of Ferrol

In the context of current economic policy the mills received the title of ldquoRoyal Factoriesrdquo granted by Carlos IV in Aranjuez the June 11th 1798 The Royal Decree also establish exemptions from tariffs and free trade with America authorizing to make provision of wheat in other regions and to cut wood for the barrels of flour in the forests at that time confiscated by the Navy for shipbuilding With the losses suffered by the millers industrial sector where it was cheaper to bring to the port of Ferrol the sacks of flour ground in Santander Bilbao or San Sebastiaacuten these mills were neglected

16

in the last years of Juan Lembeyersquos life Finally he passed away in 1823 leaving the company in a difficult situation

The property passed to John Prevarte and after to Maria Josefa Lembeye and her husband Manuel Joseacute Ciaran In 1860 the inheritors of Ciaran sold the mills to the partnership formed by Nicolas Fernandez and Jose Rodriguez who took advantage of the milling recovery in the region developed from 1849 by special municipal regulations and the favorable situation of the increased cereal demand in Europe (Crimean War 1854-55) and in the region for a new shipbuilding apogee of Ferrol stable and prosperous during the five year period of government of the Liberal Union founded by Leopoldo ODonnell (1809-1867)7

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS

The passage of time despite his attempts of modernizing made to appear new technologies and marketing systems that led to the closure of these facilities during the second half of the twentieth century unable to survive in an economy more and more globalized and why not in a cultural environment that does not appreciate the work of the craftsman patient and proud of his work

At the beginning of 2010 the City Council of Naroacuten tried to exploit the industrial heritage which represents the network of mills that had contributed to the splendor of flour production sector in the late eighteenth century enhancing the research and the rehabilitation of these facilities Considering the mill of Xubia as the banner of this network the City Council purchased it and

began a process of rehabilitation to install inside a museum that contextualizes the visitor about the rise of the milling industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries8 Unfortunately this project up to the present day has not come true unlike others such as Gradaiacutelle and Pedroso which have been restored and can be visited

With respect to the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo the Coasts Administration made a project also in 2010 to rehabilitate this 18th century flour factory including the land expropriation by the City of Naroacuten so that the mill works again with the movement of the tides9 As in the case of Xubia mill this project is

7 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-marea-no-ponto 8 Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia jueves 29 de enero de 2009 9 Raquel Iglesias La Voz de Galicia martes 14 de septiembre de 2010

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

14

For unknown reasons the first disagreement between both owners arise in the year 1779 the following year made crises and ended in Law Courts The dispute was resolved in 1786 Lestache paid Bucan 300000 ldquorealesrdquo for the two mills

This factory of Jubiarsquos Bridge had an annual milling capacity hitherto unknown in Galicia estimated in seventy thousand bushels5 of wheat one half of extra fine flour (ldquoharina de florrdquo) and the other half of second class flour (ldquoharina de segunda suerterdquo) (about 3885000 liters and a weight of approximately 3027500 kg) The factory had five cleaners to eliminate dust and to separate rye oats and stones The clean wheat comes out from one side and the dust through another That is the reason of the whiteness of bread

The high production capacity of this industry allowed to supply of flour to Ferrol and region including troops prisoners land and naval officers and the many workers and laborers of all classes used in the construction of hulls and weapons of His Majestys ships more than thirty thousand peoplerdquo and besides to export large surpluses To send flour to America and other places

two thousand barrels were built per year seven kilos and a half each making a total of 172500 kg of flour a year

It was important the necessity to supply different types of cereal either from nearby places as Bayonne Bordeaux and London or from more remote cities as Amsterdam Hamburg St Petersburg and even from Philadelphia so Lestache decides to form a trading company with the brothers Santiago and Dionisio Beaujardin

In the year 1791 Lestache had a ldquoRoyal Licencerdquo to obtain 50000 bushels of wheat from Castilla He shipped them from the port of ldquoLa Requejadardquo in Santander to Ferrol The cost of the transportation was much cheaper by sea 6

John Lestachersquos health was weak and for this reason he moved to Ferrol with the expectation of getting better Finally he passed away on May 2th 1802 and was buried in the parish church of San Juliaacuten

5 1 Fanega = 15 Bushels 6 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-xuvia-2

15

Las Acentildeas Mill

As for the other existing mill in Naron (Molino de las Acentildeas y Reales Faacutebricas de Harinas del Ponto) it was built by the French Santiago Beaujardin at the time Vice Consul of France in the town of Ferrol Beaujardin obtained on October 10th 1785 from the Quartermaster General of the Navy the license for the

construction of a flour mill at ldquoAcentildeas del Pontordquo in Freixeiro estuary and close to a dilapidated salt marsh of Roman origin Shortly after Beaujardi also received license from the prior of the monastery of San Martiacuten de Jubia to build on the site of Outeiro store house orchard and other necessary buildings Finally Joseacute Mariacutea Bermuacutedez Lord of Jubia its ports and salt marshes and ldquoperpetual ruler of the town of Ferrolrdquo granted permission for the works

With works already advanced and fully operational two of the three mills planned on September 12th 1791 Santiago Beaujardin associated with his compatriot Juan Lembeye wealthy merchant in the town of Ferrol since 1762 Royal supply commissioner for arsenals and director of the Royal shipping company among other important positions In 1796 Beaujardin and Lembeye decide to dissolve their partnership leaving Lembeye sole owner of the watermills

This tide mill the largest of those in Galicia and until not long ago one of the best preserved was built in the parish of St Martin de Jubia accessible by sea with small vessels

With its three mills artifacts warehouses and frameworks the mill had a crushing capacity of about 37500 bushels of wheat per year (1387500 liters) and like the other mills in the area attended the high demand of a population in constant growth since in 1750 Ferrol hosted the most important State Shipyard in Spain

The necessary supply of wheat was guaranteed by the corporation created by Santiago Beaujardin his brother Dionisio and the businessman Juan Lestache also French receiving grain from Philadelphia in addition to regular shipments from the ports of Bayonne Bordeaux London Amsterdam Hamburg and St Petersburg whose destination was the port of Ferrol

In the context of current economic policy the mills received the title of ldquoRoyal Factoriesrdquo granted by Carlos IV in Aranjuez the June 11th 1798 The Royal Decree also establish exemptions from tariffs and free trade with America authorizing to make provision of wheat in other regions and to cut wood for the barrels of flour in the forests at that time confiscated by the Navy for shipbuilding With the losses suffered by the millers industrial sector where it was cheaper to bring to the port of Ferrol the sacks of flour ground in Santander Bilbao or San Sebastiaacuten these mills were neglected

16

in the last years of Juan Lembeyersquos life Finally he passed away in 1823 leaving the company in a difficult situation

The property passed to John Prevarte and after to Maria Josefa Lembeye and her husband Manuel Joseacute Ciaran In 1860 the inheritors of Ciaran sold the mills to the partnership formed by Nicolas Fernandez and Jose Rodriguez who took advantage of the milling recovery in the region developed from 1849 by special municipal regulations and the favorable situation of the increased cereal demand in Europe (Crimean War 1854-55) and in the region for a new shipbuilding apogee of Ferrol stable and prosperous during the five year period of government of the Liberal Union founded by Leopoldo ODonnell (1809-1867)7

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS

The passage of time despite his attempts of modernizing made to appear new technologies and marketing systems that led to the closure of these facilities during the second half of the twentieth century unable to survive in an economy more and more globalized and why not in a cultural environment that does not appreciate the work of the craftsman patient and proud of his work

At the beginning of 2010 the City Council of Naroacuten tried to exploit the industrial heritage which represents the network of mills that had contributed to the splendor of flour production sector in the late eighteenth century enhancing the research and the rehabilitation of these facilities Considering the mill of Xubia as the banner of this network the City Council purchased it and

began a process of rehabilitation to install inside a museum that contextualizes the visitor about the rise of the milling industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries8 Unfortunately this project up to the present day has not come true unlike others such as Gradaiacutelle and Pedroso which have been restored and can be visited

With respect to the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo the Coasts Administration made a project also in 2010 to rehabilitate this 18th century flour factory including the land expropriation by the City of Naroacuten so that the mill works again with the movement of the tides9 As in the case of Xubia mill this project is

7 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-marea-no-ponto 8 Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia jueves 29 de enero de 2009 9 Raquel Iglesias La Voz de Galicia martes 14 de septiembre de 2010

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

15

Las Acentildeas Mill

As for the other existing mill in Naron (Molino de las Acentildeas y Reales Faacutebricas de Harinas del Ponto) it was built by the French Santiago Beaujardin at the time Vice Consul of France in the town of Ferrol Beaujardin obtained on October 10th 1785 from the Quartermaster General of the Navy the license for the

construction of a flour mill at ldquoAcentildeas del Pontordquo in Freixeiro estuary and close to a dilapidated salt marsh of Roman origin Shortly after Beaujardi also received license from the prior of the monastery of San Martiacuten de Jubia to build on the site of Outeiro store house orchard and other necessary buildings Finally Joseacute Mariacutea Bermuacutedez Lord of Jubia its ports and salt marshes and ldquoperpetual ruler of the town of Ferrolrdquo granted permission for the works

With works already advanced and fully operational two of the three mills planned on September 12th 1791 Santiago Beaujardin associated with his compatriot Juan Lembeye wealthy merchant in the town of Ferrol since 1762 Royal supply commissioner for arsenals and director of the Royal shipping company among other important positions In 1796 Beaujardin and Lembeye decide to dissolve their partnership leaving Lembeye sole owner of the watermills

This tide mill the largest of those in Galicia and until not long ago one of the best preserved was built in the parish of St Martin de Jubia accessible by sea with small vessels

With its three mills artifacts warehouses and frameworks the mill had a crushing capacity of about 37500 bushels of wheat per year (1387500 liters) and like the other mills in the area attended the high demand of a population in constant growth since in 1750 Ferrol hosted the most important State Shipyard in Spain

The necessary supply of wheat was guaranteed by the corporation created by Santiago Beaujardin his brother Dionisio and the businessman Juan Lestache also French receiving grain from Philadelphia in addition to regular shipments from the ports of Bayonne Bordeaux London Amsterdam Hamburg and St Petersburg whose destination was the port of Ferrol

In the context of current economic policy the mills received the title of ldquoRoyal Factoriesrdquo granted by Carlos IV in Aranjuez the June 11th 1798 The Royal Decree also establish exemptions from tariffs and free trade with America authorizing to make provision of wheat in other regions and to cut wood for the barrels of flour in the forests at that time confiscated by the Navy for shipbuilding With the losses suffered by the millers industrial sector where it was cheaper to bring to the port of Ferrol the sacks of flour ground in Santander Bilbao or San Sebastiaacuten these mills were neglected

16

in the last years of Juan Lembeyersquos life Finally he passed away in 1823 leaving the company in a difficult situation

The property passed to John Prevarte and after to Maria Josefa Lembeye and her husband Manuel Joseacute Ciaran In 1860 the inheritors of Ciaran sold the mills to the partnership formed by Nicolas Fernandez and Jose Rodriguez who took advantage of the milling recovery in the region developed from 1849 by special municipal regulations and the favorable situation of the increased cereal demand in Europe (Crimean War 1854-55) and in the region for a new shipbuilding apogee of Ferrol stable and prosperous during the five year period of government of the Liberal Union founded by Leopoldo ODonnell (1809-1867)7

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS

The passage of time despite his attempts of modernizing made to appear new technologies and marketing systems that led to the closure of these facilities during the second half of the twentieth century unable to survive in an economy more and more globalized and why not in a cultural environment that does not appreciate the work of the craftsman patient and proud of his work

At the beginning of 2010 the City Council of Naroacuten tried to exploit the industrial heritage which represents the network of mills that had contributed to the splendor of flour production sector in the late eighteenth century enhancing the research and the rehabilitation of these facilities Considering the mill of Xubia as the banner of this network the City Council purchased it and

began a process of rehabilitation to install inside a museum that contextualizes the visitor about the rise of the milling industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries8 Unfortunately this project up to the present day has not come true unlike others such as Gradaiacutelle and Pedroso which have been restored and can be visited

With respect to the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo the Coasts Administration made a project also in 2010 to rehabilitate this 18th century flour factory including the land expropriation by the City of Naroacuten so that the mill works again with the movement of the tides9 As in the case of Xubia mill this project is

7 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-marea-no-ponto 8 Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia jueves 29 de enero de 2009 9 Raquel Iglesias La Voz de Galicia martes 14 de septiembre de 2010

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

16

in the last years of Juan Lembeyersquos life Finally he passed away in 1823 leaving the company in a difficult situation

The property passed to John Prevarte and after to Maria Josefa Lembeye and her husband Manuel Joseacute Ciaran In 1860 the inheritors of Ciaran sold the mills to the partnership formed by Nicolas Fernandez and Jose Rodriguez who took advantage of the milling recovery in the region developed from 1849 by special municipal regulations and the favorable situation of the increased cereal demand in Europe (Crimean War 1854-55) and in the region for a new shipbuilding apogee of Ferrol stable and prosperous during the five year period of government of the Liberal Union founded by Leopoldo ODonnell (1809-1867)7

IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS

The passage of time despite his attempts of modernizing made to appear new technologies and marketing systems that led to the closure of these facilities during the second half of the twentieth century unable to survive in an economy more and more globalized and why not in a cultural environment that does not appreciate the work of the craftsman patient and proud of his work

At the beginning of 2010 the City Council of Naroacuten tried to exploit the industrial heritage which represents the network of mills that had contributed to the splendor of flour production sector in the late eighteenth century enhancing the research and the rehabilitation of these facilities Considering the mill of Xubia as the banner of this network the City Council purchased it and

began a process of rehabilitation to install inside a museum that contextualizes the visitor about the rise of the milling industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries8 Unfortunately this project up to the present day has not come true unlike others such as Gradaiacutelle and Pedroso which have been restored and can be visited

With respect to the mill of ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo the Coasts Administration made a project also in 2010 to rehabilitate this 18th century flour factory including the land expropriation by the City of Naroacuten so that the mill works again with the movement of the tides9 As in the case of Xubia mill this project is

7 httpwwwasociacionbuxacom200902muino-de-marea-no-ponto 8 Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia jueves 29 de enero de 2009 9 Raquel Iglesias La Voz de Galicia martes 14 de septiembre de 2010

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

17

stalled by budget problems

The two mill complex after many years of neglect and barely able to stand have nowadays severe damage on roofs and floors Without a cleaning and a significant consolidation the ruin will be inevitable A sample of the current state of the mills can be given by the fact that despite our intention to visit them it was impossible because of the risk of accident

Condition of the access to the tidal mill ldquoAs Acentildeas do Pontordquo

ldquoA forgotten eighteenth century jewelrdquo

(Antiacutea Urigorri La Voz de Galicia 29082009)

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

18

V CONCLUSIONS

Among the many aspects that could be considered along the history of these mills and its relationship with the region of Ferrol we would like to highlight the following

- The importance that despite its apparent humility these mills have had on the economic and social aspect from the late eighteenth century in our region being considered Ferrol (factories of Lestache and Lambeye) together with Bilbao and Toulouse one of the major flour centers of the country To the relevance of the production of flour must be added other not minor factors as trade export and import of grain and other craft type activities such as blacksmithing carpentry cooperage etc Xuvia mills were highly praised in the eighteenth century Larruga defined them as an advantageous construction while Cornide considers the Lestachersquos initiative as worthy of public memory10

- In the eighteenth century the influence of the French community in Ferrol doesnrsquot reach a dimension really important from a quantitative point of view but they took advantage of the political and economic moment that allowed them to play a prominent role in the social and employment scheme of the Ferrol military-industrial facilities as in in other economic activities reaching many important positions in the socioeconomic structure of the region11

10 Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea JAVIER MORENO LAacuteZARO (Universidad de Valladolid) 11 La colectividad francesa en el Ferrol del siglo XVIII ALFREDO MARTIacuteN GARCIacuteA I Coloquio Internacional Maacutelaga 2003

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

19

European workshop ldquoMore Than Neighboursrdquo

Teamwork

Antonio Domiacutenguez Bemposta

Arantza Ajuria Mendoza

Beleacuten Ruano Santamarina

Fernanda Faraldo Roca

Javier Solloso

Luz Calderoacuten Garciacutea

Mordf Carmen Varela Guntiacuten

Teacher Pilar Millor

BIBLIOGRAFIacuteA

- httpeswikipediaorgwikiMolinos_de_aguaMolinos_hidrC3A1ulicos_

AceC3B1as_y_molinos_de_caz - Wind Water work Ancien and Medieval technology Adam Lucas

Technology and change in History - httpwwwtidemillinstituteorg - The rise and fall of the tide mills Roger H Charlier Loic Menanteau and

Marrie-Claire P Chaineux - Las primeras menciones de molinos de marea en Galicia Begontildea Bas Loacutepez

(Museo Arqueoloacutexico e Histoacuterico Castelo de San Antoacuten A Coruntildea) - wwwmolinosdemareacom - The tide mill living museum (wwwwoodbrigetidemilorguk) - Los inicios de la produccioacuten fabril de harina en Espantildea (1770-1801) Javier

Moreno Laacutezaro (Universidad de Valladolid) - El empresarismo industrial del negociante franceacutes J Lestache en El Ferrol del

siglo XVIII Antonio Meijide Pardo (miembro de las RRAA Gallega y de la Historia y del Instituto ldquoJoseacute Corniderdquo de Estudios Coruntildeeses

- Buxa Asociacioacuten Gallega do Patrimonio Industrial Manuel Lara Coira - Imaacutegenes Internet

20

• I INTRODUCTION
• II HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
• III THE FIRST MILLS IN NARON
• IV CURRENT STATUS OF THESE MILLS
• V CONCLUSIONS