South Shields, windmill

It is clear that the first mill at Shields was a watermill at Mill Dam (HER no. 947). By 1530, however, it seems possible that there was also a windmill, since the extensive repairs included not only work on the Mill Dam, but also the sawing of wood for sails and mill arms. Note, however, that the bursar's rental of 1539 records only a mill let to Christopher Fenwick. By 1580 the doubt is resolved - Cuthbert Fenwick of Shele Milne was renting the watermill at $10 and the windmill at $1 6s 8d, and was due to pay a $40 fine for the grant of a lease of the latter. There is no information about the location of this mill.