H.S. Pledge & Sons Ltd
Encyclopedia
H. S. Pledge & Sons Ltd was a business engaged in the milling
industry. The firm was started by Henry Sturgess Pledge who learnt his trade at the Black Mill
, Barham
, Kent
, United Kingdom
.
c.1850. Upon leaving Barham some time before 1882, Pledge ran the Wind, Steam and Water Mills at Kennington
until 1892. Pledge ran the company with his sons Lawrence John Pledge and Walter Ebeneser Pledge. H S Pledge & Sons Ltd were millers and corn merchants owning two mills in Ashford
; Victoria Mills and East Hill Mill.
East Hill Mill –
East Hill Mill was a watermill
and steam mill
. It is still standing at the bottom of East Hill Road, Ashford. As of 2010, it is a nightclub owned by Luminar Leisure
called Liquid and Envy.
On the mill it states the date when it was built "Flour Mill 1901". In the 1901 census of West Ashford the Miller was Pledge's son Lawrence, he lived at the mill with his wife Ellen and six children.
Victoria Mills –
The Victoria Mills was a steam mill. It was built in 1890. The date was prominently displayed on the mill building. In the 1901 Census of West Ashford the Miller was Pledge's son Walter, he lived at the Mill with his wife Emma. Victoria Mills were working until 1982, when the building was gutted by fire. The mill was then demolished due to it being left in an unsafe condition. The company had been taken over by the Garnham Family. In 1995 the company was dissolved.
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
industry. The firm was started by Henry Sturgess Pledge who learnt his trade at the Black Mill
Black Mill, Barham
Black Mill or Barham Downs Mill was a smock mill at Barham, Kent, England which was accidentally burnt down in 1970 whilst under restoration.-History:thumb|left|The machinery displayed on the village green....
, Barham
Barham
-Places:England*Barham, Cambridgeshire*Barham, Suffolk*Barham, KentAustralia*Barham, New South Wales-People:* Baron Barham, any of several, most notably:** Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham , Royal Navy admiral and politician...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
The firm was started in 1890 by Henry Sturgess Pledge. He was apprenticed at the Black Mill, BarhamBlack Mill, Barham
Black Mill or Barham Downs Mill was a smock mill at Barham, Kent, England which was accidentally burnt down in 1970 whilst under restoration.-History:thumb|left|The machinery displayed on the village green....
c.1850. Upon leaving Barham some time before 1882, Pledge ran the Wind, Steam and Water Mills at Kennington
Kennington, Kent
Kennington is a suburb of Ashford in Kent, England. It is about a mile northeast of the town centre and north of the M20 motorway, and contains the 12th century church, St Mary's. The main A28 Canterbury Road and A251 Faversham Road run through the village...
until 1892. Pledge ran the company with his sons Lawrence John Pledge and Walter Ebeneser Pledge. H S Pledge & Sons Ltd were millers and corn merchants owning two mills in Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
; Victoria Mills and East Hill Mill.
East Hill Mill –
East Hill Mill was a watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
and steam mill
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...
. It is still standing at the bottom of East Hill Road, Ashford. As of 2010, it is a nightclub owned by Luminar Leisure
Luminar Leisure
Luminar Group Holdings plc is a public limited company operating leisure and entertainment venues throughout the United Kingdom. Luminar currently specialises in nightclubs, bars and restaurants but is struggling due to difficult market conditions, it has recently started struggling to pay its...
called Liquid and Envy.
On the mill it states the date when it was built "Flour Mill 1901". In the 1901 census of West Ashford the Miller was Pledge's son Lawrence, he lived at the mill with his wife Ellen and six children.
Victoria Mills –
The Victoria Mills was a steam mill. It was built in 1890. The date was prominently displayed on the mill building. In the 1901 Census of West Ashford the Miller was Pledge's son Walter, he lived at the Mill with his wife Emma. Victoria Mills were working until 1982, when the building was gutted by fire. The mill was then demolished due to it being left in an unsafe condition. The company had been taken over by the Garnham Family. In 1995 the company was dissolved.