I apologize for not updating my posts for awhile but we have been busy moving and getting our new place shipshape.
In the last Journal of the Sussex Family History Group, one of the writers mentioned a book in her footnotes that caught my attention. It was titled The Windmills and Millers of Brighton by H. T. DAWES. Since I am both interested in mills and the DAWES family this was a double whammy. Another thing was the cover of the book which displayed the Round Hill Mill that my great-grandfather tore down to build his terrace houses on Belton Road. I have written about these houses in the past which you can view here.
The Windmills and Millers of Brighton is published by the Sussex Mills Group who can be contacted at http://www.sussexmillsgroup.org.uk/ I immediately contacted them and ordered the book and I am presently waiting for it to arrive.
As I said earlier, there was another thing of interest in this bit of serendipity and that is, who was H.T. DAWES, the author of this book?
Over the last couple of days I have tried to identify this family and see if they are linked to my Uckfield DAWES'.
I believe that he is Harold T. DAWES born about 1912 and who married Stella Rogers. There are more generations available but I don't post potential living information unless given permission by the individuals.
This DAWES family seems to have stayed in the Brighton area except for a brief stint in Portsmouth. Their census occupations have listed them as grocer's and baker's which would probably be the reason behind Harold's fascination with mills and millers.
Below is a chart of the family back to Thomas DAWES b. about 1810. Like my Uckfield family there is a long string of Thomases.
As a footnote to this story, during a trip to Brighton in 1993, I was working at the Brighton Library and had made a reservation for the microfilm reader. I decided that I might need more time on it so I approached the desk and asked them to add me to a blank spot later in the same day. The reference librarian pointed out to me that I had already done so as there was already an entry for DAWES. It wasn't me so I decided to stalk out the microfilm reader at the appointed time and introduced myself to the person using it. Although he gave me his card, I have misplaced it but I believe his name was Michael DAWES. We compared families without finding any links but I remember him saying that his were all bakers! I wonder...