Ancient Water Mill In France
I have been asked frequently why was a tiny English watermill built at a considerable expenditure of manpower and resources in the wilds of central France.
This was achieved during the late 10th century apparently to support English forces? The answer is that the king of England ruled over large amounts of land in France over which he had considerable but not total control.
This was the time of the crusades, which enjoyed overwhelming royal support and since wars are very expensive money was needed to support the fighting Knights in the Hold Lands.
Potential income generating lands such as held by the English crown in France were required to provide revenue.
The era of the start of this story is the early middle ages.
When Henry 11 perhaps best remembered for the killing of Thomas A 'Becket..
..
"will no one rid me of this troublesome priest" died in 1189 his son Richard inherited the English crown.
However, although Richard became King of England when Henry 11 died, he was no more English than the earlier ruler, William the conqueror.
Richard 1 known as Richard the Lionheart is remembered as a character in the Robin Hood story, but he actually spent less than a year of his ruling life in England.
Richard, on his succession to the Throne also came into possession of Aquitaine, a very large part of France, from his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine.
These assets he used to raise funds for his campaigns and to sustain the standing arms of Templar Knights.
His mother, Eleanor, as a very strong willed woman who had little time for Henry 11 spent as little time in England as possible and as much time in France.
This is not really a surprise as she had earlier been incarcerated in Salisbury by her husband, the King.
Richard had grown up in French courts and had spent most of his early adulthood fighting to protect his mother from numerous pretenders anxious to relieve the English throne and Eleanor of their French holdings.
To help maintain the Holy War men came from all over Europe to France.
These Knights were from the ruling class in Europe, usually younger sons or widowed older Knights with families.
Even today in rural France and elsewhere in the world an inhabitant from an adjoining village is seen as a stranger so it is little wonder that people from far off were treated with caution if not blatant hostility.
Many of the local population were thus reluctant to provide provisions for the foreign troops, not for nationalistic reasons, but reacting to the influence of local landowners who were continually attempting to annex land in the region.
Thus it would not be hard for the local dignitaries who sought absolute control over the territory to persuade the local inhabitants to shun trade (in this case the supply of flour for the men and feed for the horses) with the invaders.
The Templar Order of Crusader Knights maintained a standing army in the Middle East and it required enormous resources from within Europe so sustain the force.
Over the years they developed a large support structure for this army which included farms, manufacturing capabilities, artisan services, an early form of banking and transportation capabilities.
There were many more Knights in Europe occupying positions than there were fighting in the Middle East.
The Templar order was founded soon after the first crusade in 1127.
One of these support units was in south western Creuse in what is now the Limousin.
Thus, Le Moulin Chez Lord came into being.
The valuable French agricultural land belonging to Henry and then Richard, was put to work for the cause.
The man looking after the interests of his King Richard in this particular region was an English Lord.
As was normal he had with him support staff and infantry that fought alongside him when necessary, and possibly a family.
He built a house by a bridge over the River Baraude, the bridge being known as the Bridge of the Lord thus, Pont de Chez Lord was born and a water mill was built a little upstream to provide an independent source of flour, it was this that was known as Le Moulin Pont de Chez Lord.
The house has disappeared but the mill remains and was still working milling grain in 1982 shortly prior to the death of the last miller at the age of 99.
The ageing daughter succeeded her father living alone for several years at the mill before going off to more sheltered accommodation and then, once again, the mill fell into foreign hands!
This was achieved during the late 10th century apparently to support English forces? The answer is that the king of England ruled over large amounts of land in France over which he had considerable but not total control.
This was the time of the crusades, which enjoyed overwhelming royal support and since wars are very expensive money was needed to support the fighting Knights in the Hold Lands.
Potential income generating lands such as held by the English crown in France were required to provide revenue.
The era of the start of this story is the early middle ages.
When Henry 11 perhaps best remembered for the killing of Thomas A 'Becket..
..
"will no one rid me of this troublesome priest" died in 1189 his son Richard inherited the English crown.
However, although Richard became King of England when Henry 11 died, he was no more English than the earlier ruler, William the conqueror.
Richard 1 known as Richard the Lionheart is remembered as a character in the Robin Hood story, but he actually spent less than a year of his ruling life in England.
Richard, on his succession to the Throne also came into possession of Aquitaine, a very large part of France, from his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine.
These assets he used to raise funds for his campaigns and to sustain the standing arms of Templar Knights.
His mother, Eleanor, as a very strong willed woman who had little time for Henry 11 spent as little time in England as possible and as much time in France.
This is not really a surprise as she had earlier been incarcerated in Salisbury by her husband, the King.
Richard had grown up in French courts and had spent most of his early adulthood fighting to protect his mother from numerous pretenders anxious to relieve the English throne and Eleanor of their French holdings.
To help maintain the Holy War men came from all over Europe to France.
These Knights were from the ruling class in Europe, usually younger sons or widowed older Knights with families.
Even today in rural France and elsewhere in the world an inhabitant from an adjoining village is seen as a stranger so it is little wonder that people from far off were treated with caution if not blatant hostility.
Many of the local population were thus reluctant to provide provisions for the foreign troops, not for nationalistic reasons, but reacting to the influence of local landowners who were continually attempting to annex land in the region.
Thus it would not be hard for the local dignitaries who sought absolute control over the territory to persuade the local inhabitants to shun trade (in this case the supply of flour for the men and feed for the horses) with the invaders.
The Templar Order of Crusader Knights maintained a standing army in the Middle East and it required enormous resources from within Europe so sustain the force.
Over the years they developed a large support structure for this army which included farms, manufacturing capabilities, artisan services, an early form of banking and transportation capabilities.
There were many more Knights in Europe occupying positions than there were fighting in the Middle East.
The Templar order was founded soon after the first crusade in 1127.
One of these support units was in south western Creuse in what is now the Limousin.
Thus, Le Moulin Chez Lord came into being.
The valuable French agricultural land belonging to Henry and then Richard, was put to work for the cause.
The man looking after the interests of his King Richard in this particular region was an English Lord.
As was normal he had with him support staff and infantry that fought alongside him when necessary, and possibly a family.
He built a house by a bridge over the River Baraude, the bridge being known as the Bridge of the Lord thus, Pont de Chez Lord was born and a water mill was built a little upstream to provide an independent source of flour, it was this that was known as Le Moulin Pont de Chez Lord.
The house has disappeared but the mill remains and was still working milling grain in 1982 shortly prior to the death of the last miller at the age of 99.
The ageing daughter succeeded her father living alone for several years at the mill before going off to more sheltered accommodation and then, once again, the mill fell into foreign hands!
Source...