MASSON MILL ENGINE

[Stanley]

MASSON MILL ENGINE
Research as of 28 March 2004

ENGINE AT MASSON (2)
Ann Andrews told me in March 2004. Report in the High Peak News of 08/09/1900 that the Masson chimney, new engine house, east-west wing modelled for a new gassing house, yard covered in to a plan by Stott and Sons, 5 Cross Street, Manchester nearing completion. There is a reference in Holden’s book on Stott and Sons which states that Stotts started design work in 1890. In March 2004, Yvonne Daykin told me: In ‘Derwent Valley Mills and their Communities’ Pub. 2001 there is a statement that the Stott chimney dates from 1900. An article in the Drapers Record of 18/09/1897 when Masson was bought by ESC describes ‘two huge waterwheels giving an aggregate of 300 hp. There is also a steam engine to supplement the smaller water wheel.’ There was a drawing with this article which may give clues. There is an RCHM report on Masson dated 1991 but from what Yvonne tells me it isn’t very helpful in this matter. They seem to be guessing. However, the report does say that the present sprinkler pump is the original originally installed at the north end, made by Mills of Radcliffe.

MASSON MILL ENGINE. (1)
Info From Doreen Buxton, March 2004. The 1900 alterations at Masson Mill included the installation of a ’36 ton boiler and an economiser’. The boiler was delivered in May and brought to Matlock by Robinson’s of Sheffield traction engine and staff. Reported by local paper as ‘largest boiler known’. References to an engine called ‘Rebecca’ seem to refer to a Marshall engine, Gainsborough, installed in the north end of the original Arkwright mill in 1888. It was noted as being 100 hp. and must have had a boiler. On the old views of the mill there is a chimney on the north end built into the mill. The EH report on the mill mentions a sprinkler pump made by George Mills and Co, Radcliffe, probably installed in the 1890s and according to Doreen, before 1897. There is a sprinkler pump there now and I have an idea it is the same one. Ann Andrews, who runs the Matlock Bath web site says that Benjamin Bryan, in a book published in 1903 mentions the Stott chimney as being built after 1897.

Addition to file 16/07/10


From: Dave Collier [mailto:david-collier@btconnect.com]
Sent: 25 October 2005 09:51
To: chris-allen@isses3.freeserve.co.uk
Subject: Masson Mills engine

Chris, Hi. Having read Stanley Chapman’s interesting piece in the latest Bulletin I thought I’d fill in a little bit of detail if this has not been done already. The original engine in the Masson Mill engine house was a horizontal twin tandem compound engine built in 1901 by John Petrie & Co, Rochdale. This was a 500 ihp engine order Nos 490 & 491 entered in their order book in July 2005. It had Petrie’s usual Corliss HP cylinders and piston valve LP cylinders. I do not have cylinder measurements or boiler pressure. It would be interesting to search local papers for a photo of the engine at the time. Perhaps you could pass this on to Stanley Chapman as I do not have his contact details.(we think he meant me and not SChapman)
Dave Collier

Forwarded to Robert and Geoff.

[Stanley]

I put in a lot of time researching the original engine at Masson Mill because Robert Aram and I needed evidence to support our application for permission to move the Jubilee engine from Padiham to Masson. This permission was necessary as the engine at Padiham was a scheduled ancient monument.
We tend to forget the enormous amount of time and effort that was put into getting that permission......

[Stanley]

Eventually we got the permission and moved the Padiham Engine to Masson Mill where it was installed in the engine house. This was, as you can well imagine, a considerable task!