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Gray’s Flour Mill Yard

View shows the Mill Yard and Mill Cottages (left) of the former Gray’s Flour Mill off Station Road. The building on the right is the old Wages/Time Office for the mill. The yard is being used at the time of the photo as a Vehicle Depot for Garforth Urban District Council. This is now (2023) the site of Beaconsfield Court.

Image and Copy Courtesy of Leodis

  • 1847 The Peoples Cooperative Flour Mill began
  • 1855 Mill was sold again to some to a group of local business men
  • 1863 Garforth District Flour Mill Society began operations
  • 1875 The Society went into liquidation for unknown reasons.
  • 1876 Harry Goodall and Frederick Gray took over the mill – Operated as Goodall and Gray
  • 1882 the partnership was dissolved and Gray ran it alone .
  • 1909 Sold to Leeds Solicitor
  • 1910 It was sold to Garforth Urban District Council and used as a council yard until the UDC was dissolved

The peoples Cooperative Flour Mill began in 1847

In 1855 the Land and Buildings were sold again by George Lumb innkeeper, the Indenture naming him, Thomas Sibarry, book keeper; Stephen Smith, shoemaker; John Backhouse , builder; Mathew Wilkinson, farmer; Thomas Bean Tailor; Thomas Vance, Inn keeper; William Carnell, Clerk.

These were probably Trustees

1863 was the year when Garforth District Flour Mill Society began their operations. The Garforth District Flour Mill Society was formed. Members’ Entrance Fee was 1/- Members were then named on the list of Society members. Capital was raised with £1 shares. There was a President  Secretatry and 16 as a Committee of Management. 6 were chosen from Garforth and one from every District with 30 members with two extra persons chosen from the whole body.

The Committee of Management appointed three from amongst themselves to be the the “ Visiting Committee”. They visited the Mill once per week to inspect it and the accounts and report back to the Board. The Society was in operation12 years until 1875 when it went into liquidation for reasons unknown.

The conveyance of the Society (in Liquidation) to Harry Goodall took place on 4th May 1876, he being A Corn Miller originally from Heckmondwike but now residing in Garforth. The following day another conveyance involved him with Frederick Gray, and through it they became partners in flour milling business as “ Goodall and Gray”.

The partnership was dissolved on March 28th 1882, and thereafter Frederick Gray was Sole owner. Gray ran it up to October 18th 1909 when on that day it was conveyed to Lucas Whitaker, solicitor 97 Albion Street Leeds. What use the mill was put to is not stated. However on December 6th 1910 Lucas, in partnership with George Albert Walker Hemsworth, a Garforth Builder, sold the land to Garforth Urban District Council for £1500. Hemsworth in his time as part owner erected two cottages.”

Article written by Denis Astin

Acknowledgements -This information is from Garforth Historical Society Journal No 2- 2005–Compiled by Late Margaret Benn. former Acrhivist of the society which is no longer in exsistence

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