Luton Mill Document

The first mention of this mill was in 1848, when the owner, Thomas Mainwaring, died after working the mill for 36 years. The history of the mill before this is very unclear. When Thomas Mainwaring died, the mill was inherited by his son, William. William rented it out to a man named William Burgess. In September 1887, a fire started at the mill. The reason why it started has not been confirmed, but it is thought that the iron axle from the sails overheated due to friction and set fire to the surrounding woodwork. The fire started at the top of the mill, so it was impossible to get water to it. All the miller could do was helplessly watch as the mill was consumed by the fire. A member of the Chatham Firebrigade was riding along Luton Road when he spotted the fire. He stopped to tell the Luton fire brigade and then galloped to tell the Chatham Fire brigade. 20 minutes later, the Chatham Firemen charged through Luton to get to the mill, but the large fire engine was being pulled by two horses and so was not going very fast. By the time the firemen reached the mill, the sails had collapsed, and the whole mill was on fire. The fact that the mill was covered in tar did not help. The base of the mill was burning fiercely at this point. By this point, it was obvious that the mill was beyond saving, and so the firemen began work to stop the fire from spreading. Four hours after the fire had been reported, the site had been deemed safe by the firemen. Although the mill was insured, it was never replaced; the house to the side of it, however, went on to survive for many more years. It is shown in maps all the way up to the mid 20th century. The house was eventually demolished during the redevelopment of the area. There is now housing on the site where the mill originally was.