Corn Mill — Stephenstown

The Corn Mill on Tanner's Lane, depicted on the 1837 ed. OSi 6-inch map, probably stands on the site of a watermill shown on the 1655-9 Down Survey Parish map of Balrothery (NLI, MS 714/3).  On this map a watermill is shown standing on the west bank of a watercourse running roughly N-S in the NE quadrant of the townland of Stephenstown.  On the map the watermill is shown standing on a watercourse which forms the boundary with glebe land which today forms the boundary of the townland of Glebe North.  The location of the Corn Mill depicted on the 1837 ed. OSi 6-inch map closely matches the location of the mill on the Down Survey parish map.  The E boundary of the townland of Stephenstown follows the line of the watercourse depicted on the Down Survey map.  A second watermill (DU005-050----) on the Down Survey parish map is shown standing on the E bank of the same watercourse to the N in an area annotated on the map as the ‘little Farme of Ballebriggan’.  The 1654-56 Civil Survey of Dublin recorded that in 1641 the townland of ‘Stevenstowne’ measuring 180a in size was in the possession of Elizabeth Finglas of Stephenstown an ‘Irish Papist’ held by ‘her Joineture by Richard ffinglas of Westpellstowne her late husband’ (Simington 1945, 6).  The Civil Survey recorded that on the lands of Stephenstown there stood ‘one burnt castle [DU005-004----] & one Mill valued by ye Jury at ten poundes’ (ibid.).   The 1769 Will of Roger Palmer of Palmerstown listed ‘Millstown with the mill race, part of Milestown cut across by the river adjoining Christopher Darcy’s holding, Knock, the castle lands and Plunkets parks, Turkinstown and Stephenstown with the mill thereof, in co. Dublin’ as part of his estate (Abstract of Wills 1536-1858, 222-3).   Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien