De Rat, IJlst
Encyclopedia
De Rat is a smock mill
in IJlst
, Friesland
, Netherlands
, which was originally built in the seventeenth century at Zaanstreek, Noord Holland. In 1828 it was moved to IJlst, where it worked using wind power
until 1920 and then by electric motor until 1950. The mill was bought by the town of IJlst in 1956 and restored in the mid 1960s. Further restoration in the mid 1970s returned the mill to full working order. De Rat is working for trade and is used as a training mill. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument
(No. 39880).
and an inscription in an old beam show the mill was actually built in 1711.
Following the Napoleonic Wars
, the mill fell out of use. At the same time, agriculture
in Friesland was enjoying a boom, with many farms being built or having their old buildings replaced, creating a demand for sawn timber
. In 1828, De Watterrot was bought at auction
by William Ringnalda and Hessel Aten Vellinga. It was dismantled and ship
ped across the Zuiderzee to IJlst, where it was named De Rat. In 1852, the mill was in the joint ownership of Jan Janszoon Ringnalda and his wife Boukje Hessels; and Gerben Ringnalda and his wife Johanna Hartgerink. In 1854, the firm of H A Ringnalda & Co was formed. The Leeuwarden Courant reported that the mill was also a flour mill at this time.
In 1859, the mill was purchased by Walle Melisz Oppendijk, who was related to the Ringnalda family via William Ringnalda's marriage to Richtje Oppendijk. This year saw the last mention of the mill also being a corn mill. By 1868, it had reverted to being solely a saw mill. Oppendijk now owned two sawmills. The other mill was burnt down in 1873 and rebuilt as a steam powered
sawmill in 1874. In the second half of the 19th Century, De Rat was known for the high quality of timber produced. In 1918, a 30 hp electric motor
was installed. The cap, sails and stage were removed in 1920, and the mill was then worked entirely by electricity.
The mill closed in 1950. On 5 December 1955, then-owners NV Houthandel asked for permission to demolish the mill. In April 1956 it was reported that the mill was not in bad condition. It was recommended that permission to demolish it be refused and that the town of IJlst take over the mill. On 17 September 1956, De Rat was purchased by the town for ƒ3,000.
In 1966, the mill was restored by millwright
J D Medendorp of Zuidlaren
, Drenthe
. The cap and brake wheel came from a drainage mill
at Scheemderzwaag, Groningen
, which had been demolished in 1959. The windshaft came from the Monnikenmolen, Sint Jansklooster, Overijssel
. The mill was used to house a pottery
and afterwards was used by a sailing school. Between 1976 and 1980, the mill was restored to working order. The work was done by millwrights Tacona BV of Stiens
. The fully restored mill was officially reopened on 27 May 1978. Further restoration work was carried out in 1987 and 1996. In 2005, a new cap was made for the mill, replacing the one fitted in 1966 and replicating the original cap in appearance. The new cap was fitted on 19 April 2005.
Ownership of the mill now lies with the Gemeente Wymbritseradiel
, while the mill is operated by Stichting Houtzaagmolen De Rat (Wood saw mill De Rat Society). The mill is used as a training mill by the Gild de Fryske Mounders (Frisian Millers' Guild).
on a three storey base. The stage is at second floor level, 7.6 metre above ground level. The smock and cap are thatched. The mill is winded by tailpole and winch. The sails are Common sails, fitted with leading edges on the Fok System. They have a span of 21.48 metre. The sails are carried on a cast iron windshaft, which was cast by Zallinda of Zwolle
, Overijssel. The windshaft also carries the brake wheel, which has 59 cogs. This drives the wallower (29 cogs) at the top of the upright shaft. At the bottom of the upright shaft, a crown wheel with 43 cogs drives a crankshaft
via a gear with 40 cogs. The crankshaft converts the circular motion into the reciprocal motion for three vertical frame saws. The mill can handle logs up to 27.6 metre long.
IJlst
References for above:-
Smock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind...
in IJlst
IJlst
IJlst is a city in Friesland, Netherlands. It is located about 3 km southwest of Sneek. It lies within the municipality of Wymbritseradiel. It received city rights in 1268 and is one of the eleven cities in Friesland. The little city counts approximately 3800 people.-Name:The name IJlst...
, Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, which was originally built in the seventeenth century at Zaanstreek, Noord Holland. In 1828 it was moved to IJlst, where it worked using wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
until 1920 and then by electric motor until 1950. The mill was bought by the town of IJlst in 1956 and restored in the mid 1960s. Further restoration in the mid 1970s returned the mill to full working order. De Rat is working for trade and is used as a training mill. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument
Rijksmonument
A rijksmonument is a National Heritage Site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.-History and criteria:...
(No. 39880).
History
De Rat was originally built in the seventeenth century in the Zaanstreek area of Noord Holland. It was known there as De Walrot (The Water Rat) which was generally shortened to De Rot. Earlier it was thought the mill was in existence in 1683 but archival research, dendrochronologyDendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
and an inscription in an old beam show the mill was actually built in 1711.
Following the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, the mill fell out of use. At the same time, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
in Friesland was enjoying a boom, with many farms being built or having their old buildings replaced, creating a demand for sawn timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
. In 1828, De Watterrot was bought at auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
by William Ringnalda and Hessel Aten Vellinga. It was dismantled and ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
ped across the Zuiderzee to IJlst, where it was named De Rat. In 1852, the mill was in the joint ownership of Jan Janszoon Ringnalda and his wife Boukje Hessels; and Gerben Ringnalda and his wife Johanna Hartgerink. In 1854, the firm of H A Ringnalda & Co was formed. The Leeuwarden Courant reported that the mill was also a flour mill at this time.
In 1859, the mill was purchased by Walle Melisz Oppendijk, who was related to the Ringnalda family via William Ringnalda's marriage to Richtje Oppendijk. This year saw the last mention of the mill also being a corn mill. By 1868, it had reverted to being solely a saw mill. Oppendijk now owned two sawmills. The other mill was burnt down in 1873 and rebuilt as a steam powered
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
sawmill in 1874. In the second half of the 19th Century, De Rat was known for the high quality of timber produced. In 1918, a 30 hp electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
was installed. The cap, sails and stage were removed in 1920, and the mill was then worked entirely by electricity.
The mill closed in 1950. On 5 December 1955, then-owners NV Houthandel asked for permission to demolish the mill. In April 1956 it was reported that the mill was not in bad condition. It was recommended that permission to demolish it be refused and that the town of IJlst take over the mill. On 17 September 1956, De Rat was purchased by the town for ƒ3,000.
In 1966, the mill was restored by millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
J D Medendorp of Zuidlaren
Zuidlaren
Zuidlaren is a village in the province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands. Zuidlaren has just over 10,000 inhabitants and is situated on natural heightened land which is called the Hondsrug....
, Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
. The cap and brake wheel came from a drainage mill
Windpump
A windpump is a windmill used for pumping water, either as a source of fresh water from wells, or for draining low-lying areas of land. Once a common fixture on farms in semi-arid areas, windpumps are still used today where electric power is not available or too expensive.-History:Windmills were...
at Scheemderzwaag, Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
, which had been demolished in 1959. The windshaft came from the Monnikenmolen, Sint Jansklooster, Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
. The mill was used to house a pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
and afterwards was used by a sailing school. Between 1976 and 1980, the mill was restored to working order. The work was done by millwrights Tacona BV of Stiens
Stiens
Stiens is the largest town within the municipality of Leeuwarderadeel, with a population of about 7,800. The town hall of the municipality is located in Stiens....
. The fully restored mill was officially reopened on 27 May 1978. Further restoration work was carried out in 1987 and 1996. In 2005, a new cap was made for the mill, replacing the one fitted in 1966 and replicating the original cap in appearance. The new cap was fitted on 19 April 2005.
Ownership of the mill now lies with the Gemeente Wymbritseradiel
Wymbritseradiel
Wymbritseradiel is a former municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Its official name was in West Frisian, but the municipality was also known by its Dutch name Wymbritseradeel...
, while the mill is operated by Stichting Houtzaagmolen De Rat (Wood saw mill De Rat Society). The mill is used as a training mill by the Gild de Fryske Mounders (Frisian Millers' Guild).
Description
De Rat is what the Dutch describe as a "stellingmolen" . It is a three storey smock millSmock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind...
on a three storey base. The stage is at second floor level, 7.6 metre above ground level. The smock and cap are thatched. The mill is winded by tailpole and winch. The sails are Common sails, fitted with leading edges on the Fok System. They have a span of 21.48 metre. The sails are carried on a cast iron windshaft, which was cast by Zallinda of Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
, Overijssel. The windshaft also carries the brake wheel, which has 59 cogs. This drives the wallower (29 cogs) at the top of the upright shaft. At the bottom of the upright shaft, a crown wheel with 43 cogs drives a crankshaft
Crankshaft
The crankshaft, sometimes casually abbreviated to crank, is the part of an engine which translates reciprocating linear piston motion into rotation...
via a gear with 40 cogs. The crankshaft converts the circular motion into the reciprocal motion for three vertical frame saws. The mill can handle logs up to 27.6 metre long.
Sawyers
Zaanstreek- Cornelis Gijs (1683- )
- Jan Janszoon Koningh ( -1707)
- Jan IJsbrandsz Koningh (1707-27)
- Koningh family
- IJsbrand Koningh ( -1805)
- Jacob Schippers (1810- )
IJlst
- William Hotzes Ringnalda (1828- )
- Jan Janszoon te Velde (1852-54)
- Gerben Ringnalda (1952-54)
- H A Ringnalda & Co (1854-91)
- Wed. W.J. Oppedijk (1891- )
- NV Houthandel ( -1950)
References for above:-