Horsmonden Paper Mill

A paper mill on the River Teise

Horsmonden Paper Mill stood on the parish boundary of Horsmonden and Goudhurst. It was first mentioned in 1683, possibly replacing a fulling mill. Owners include George Culvin in 1716, Thomas West in 1725 and Edward Blackwell in the 1730s and 1740s. The mill had closed by 1755.

Appeal for Information

“Between 1724 and 1746, my ancestral grandfather, Thomas West, operated a papermill in Horsmonden. I am trying to locate any information about the mill, and its’ ownership prior to and after that of Thomas West.”

See other correspondence further below.

Learn more: Fulling Mill

From the medieval period, the fulling of cloth often was undertaken in a water mill, known as a fulling mill. Fulling is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth – particularly wool – to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a Fuller.

Timeline

1683 – First mentions of paper mill

1716 – George Culvin owner

1725 – Thomas West owner

1730 – Edward Blackwell in the 1730s and 1740s

1755 – Mill closed

Useful Links

Approximate location on Google Maps

Papermaking in the Weald of Kent

Correspondence

I’ve seen the message asking about the history of the fulling mill being operated by Thomas West. I have been tracing ancestry of Robert Tate, a Clothier of Goudhurst who must have been operating/renting the mill up to 1725 when he went bankrupt. I have a copy of a memorandum of that date which refers to work on the mill which he undertook – and then his inability to pay the rent. I think the original is in the Kent Archives, but unfortunately I don’t have the reference. I could send a scan of the document, but can’t attach it to this message. It mentions various owners, but no West so far as I can see. I too am very keen to hear any information about the Tates of Goudhurst and nearby villages!

Jim from Edinburgh, May 2020

Thanks for your response. I attach the copy of the memorandum I referred to (I was given it by my Uncle, Maurice Oswald-Jones who lived at Lampkyns near Horsmonden and was very active in local history. I thought that the Fulling Mill was at Broadford (as suggested in the Goudhurst Local History page), but the memorandum seems to imply that it was much closer to the furnace pond – I see on a copy of a 1769 map that Cowden Mill lies to the west of the pond? Maybe it was that, although that doesn’t fit really as up-stream? Hopefully you can advise! I’d be very interested in anything you can tell me about the mill (I don’t have Facebook unfortunately).

I’m also keen to find out where the messuage called ‘Tates’ and some pieces of land which must have been local to Horsmonden & Goudhurst (where Robert Tate lived), see the TNA record.