Conerton (Connerton, Conarditone), manor of, Connerton, Cornwall

The author of the Victoria County History deduced that the Domesday manor of Connerton likely to have been centred on the present village of Gwithian) had its mill at Loggans. If this is the case then the milling site would date from 1086 or earlier. There are :~other, perhaps less reliable, theories as to the origin of the mill. Noall (1984, 82) notes that

but does not quote his source of information and there is no correlation of this with references from elsewhere. There is also a tradition that Loggans has been the site of a mill since the reign of Henry Vill (1509-1547). This was written in an obituary of William Hosken, published in 1889. Higgans (1990, 490) suggested that Sir William Godolphin, ·who acquired Loggans as part of the larger estate including Lelant and Trevethoe in 1538, .:.might have instigated the building of a mill here.

The first secure reference to a mill at Loggans is the will and inventory of William Carnarthen, dated 1684, which provides a description of the millhouse. Carnarthen's dwelling comprised a hall, buttery and kitchen above which there were two bedrooms (ibid). By thelater 1rh century the place-name appears to have developed to Luggans and appears as such on Joel Gascoyne's map (Figure 3, Ravenhill and Padel 1991). Thomas Martyn, whose map was published in the mid-18th century (Figure 4), shows a settlement had developed at Loggans, probably the group of cottages that are visible almost a hundred years later on the Tithe Map. In 1809 the first OS survey shows Luggans Mill and the adjoining Luggans Bridge carrying the road to Gwithian over the head of Copperhouse Creek (Figure 5).

The Hosken family took over the lease of Loggans Mill in 1810 and this was the start of a long association between the site and this family of millers. The Hoskens had previously occupied mills at Sithney in Breage and Trevethoe in Lelant. William Hosken (born 1805) became miller at Loggans on the death of his father in 1827 and he started to develop the business. Until the 19th century Loggans Mill was a grist (animal feed) mill and it is described as such in 1752 (Praed papers at CRO). A set of flour milling stones were installed in 1840 (HTP, c.1937).

In 1842 the Tithe Map for Phillack parish was surveyed (see Figure 6). The accompanying Apportionment recorded Plot No.776 as a Dwelling House, Mill and Town-place, occupied

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by William Hosken and owned by the Rev W Hockin, Rector of Phillack. Loggans was at that time a relatively small mill with the accompanying dwelling shown to the west. Two other dwellings and gardens adjoined the mill site (Figure 6)

Trade directories that pre-date the middle of the 19th century tend to highlight businesses in the traditional market towns of Cornwall and the earliest entries for Hayle are usually included with St Ives. The 1844 edition of Pigot's Directory recorded William Hosking (sic) as a miller in Hayle. The 1847 edition of Williams Commercial Directory recorded William Hoskin, miller, Hayle Copperhouse.

In 1852 the mill was destroyed by a fire. Fortunately, an engraving of Loggans Mill was made before it burnt down and is reproduced here as the cover illustration. At this time (c.1850) the mill was considerably smaller than that now surviving, apparently narrower and probably three storey at this stage (HTP c.1937). A house and outbuildings adjoining are probably those shown on the Tithe Map; these continued in use until at least 1877.

After the fire the opportunity was taken to rebuild the mill on a much larger scale. The present structure originated during this phase of the site's development- a datestone now incorporated into the southern gable bears the initials of William Hosken and marks the date of the rebuild (1852).

Despite the fire the Hosken's business continued to grow. In 1852 Slater's Directory recorded William Hoskin under the heading Millers, & Corn & Flour factors. The new mill was built to five storeys high and was also longer and wider than its predecessor. William Hosken and his son Samuel also took over leases of mills at Angarrack in the middle years of the 19th century (Bliss 1978, 33). As technology developed in milling, opportunity was taken to introduce new processes at Loggans, which enabled the business to expand. In 1856 the dressing of flour through 'silks' was introduced and processes were also speeded up by the 1877 development of roller mills, rather than the traditional grinding through millstones (HTP, c.1937).

Field evidence indicates the main structure of the mill, built to five storeys high in 1852 was extended at its southern end. The 1877 OS map (Figure 7) shows an already extended mill with buildings .abutting the main structure on the southeast side. These buildings overlie the line of the mill's tailrace which runs in a shallow arched tunnel beneath. Other buildings shown on the Tithe Map were still in existence. A curved enclosure to the southwest of the mill building, recorded as a garden on the Tithe Apportionment, had become a small orchard. A complex of new buildings had been constructed along the road frontage of the site, including ranges of structures around a rectangular yard. These were probably stabling for the numerous horses that were used by the Hosken's business.

A year later, Harrods Directory recorded William Hosken as a private resident at Penmare House.. The business was entered as W Hosken & Son millers corn flour cake manure and seed merchants and agents to the Royal Fire and Life Insurance Company. Copperhouse and Loggans Mill. The old mill house apparently remained in existence until the majority of the buildings were cleared away in the 1980s so the reason for the Hosken family's move from the site was probably one of status as well as convenience, being away from the noise and bustle of the mill.

In 1883 Kelly's Directory contained the entry: William Hosken & Sons millers (water and steam) & farmers & cattle breeders, Copperhouse & Loggans, Angarrack & Trungle. The note advertising steam as well as water power is significant. An internal chimney stack at the corner of the southern extension indicates this was close to the site of the boiler. Higgans notes that steam was supplied by a Lancashire boiler built by Harvey and Company in Hayle. This boiler, like others employed on local mines, would have required a strong draught from a tall chimney. Steam was fed to a horizontal condensing engine, which not only powered the machinery but also generated electricity for lighting.

In 1884 Loggans Mill was completely re-organised as a roller mill {HTP, c.1937). Higgans records that the latest design of mill machinery was bought from 1 Harrison Carter of London. This re-organisation corresponded with another large extension to the building, this time at the northern end (see Figure 8). This part is a full six storeys high and also included a tower like structure with upper storeys of brick. It probably contained hoisting machinery for bringing grain into the top of the building.

The modernisation of the mill and extra capacity rapidly exhausted local supplies of grain. Large quantities from other parts of the country and abroad were brought into Hayle harbour and transported from Point Quay to Loggans by horse-drawn waggons and, later, by a traction engine and trailers (Higgans 1990, 492).

 In 1889 William Hosken died and a year later his descendants went into partnership with other entrepreneurs to form a large milling and agricultural supplies business.

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