TUXFORD AND SON.

William Wedd Tuxford was a miller and baker. He designed and produced a reeing (corn screening) machine, which led him into engineering. It is said that the engineering business started in 1826, but it is most likely to have been somewhat later than that (the patent for the reeing machine is dated 1830).
From these beginnings a fairly large business grew based at the Boston and Skirbeck Ironworks alongside Tuxford's windmill (the milling and baking business was continued by the Tuxfords).

Tuxford's, with Mount Bridge in the foreground and Skirbeck Church in the distance.

Above: A steeple engine of 1850. 

 Tuxfords were among the pioneers in the development of agricultural steam engines. Weston Tuxford (W. W.'s son) was probably influential in this. Their first portable engine was made in 1842, and they made a traction engine in 1857, following that with an improved design in 1861.

Above: One of Tuxford's traction engines. Below: Tuxford's exhibiting a portable steam engine at the Royal Agricultural Show at Newcastle in 1864.

The firm employed about 300 at its height, but faced difficulties as agricultural depression from the 1870s onwards reduced demand from British farmers. When Weston Tuxford, sole surviving partner, died in 1885 the business was closed. Much of the ironworks was taken over by a new firm, Collitt & Co., who seem to have continued making some of the Tuxford products. But that only lasted until 1891. The eight sails from Tuxford's mill were later taken and put on the mill at Heckington (a village between Boston and Sleaford) where they can still be seen today.

Below: Heckington mill, where Tuxford's sails ended up.

St.John's Workhouse

Prior to 1834, each parish had responsibility for looking after its own poor, which was a great drain on parish resources, and was, too often, managed inadequately. The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1837 made provision for parishes to join together in a 'Union' and thus Union workhouses came into being. The Boston Union of 28 parishes was formed in 1836 and commissioned the building of St John's workhouse in Skirbeck Road to house 350 paupers in 1837.

The building was extended several times before workhouses were abolished in 1929 when it became an old people's home. It also served other functions, including HMS Arbella (for the Navy during the war), as a boy's school, a weights and measures office and a Civil Defence headquarters. Its final closure came in the1970s and most of the buildings were demolished in 1978 leaving Scott's grand gatehouse. This steadily fell into ruin until Heritage Lincolnshire restored and repaired the structure in 2001. The building, renamed Scott House is now owned by Lincolnshire County Council and operates as a resource centre for adults with physical disabilities.

The true face of the workhouse

Letter sent from an Inmate in Boston Workhouse "When I was a child and became orphaned in 1916, along with several brothers and sisters, I was deposited at that 'place' in Skirbeck Road then known as the workhouse, or Poor law Institution. And a more heartless, cold, inhuman place for parentless children to live in is hard to imagine. In the children's section the regime was unfeeling and harsh, the building was prison-like.

I remember the flagstone floor of our living room (which we children sometimes had to wash), the playground, or exercise yard, also surfaced with flagstones, enclosed by a high brick wall.
We were always hungry, a condition somewhat relieved when the boys of nine years old upwards graduated to the men's quarters, where there were better opportunities to leave the dining hall with slices of bread up one's jumper, to be augmented after dark by slipping out of the bathroom window into the garden and returning with carrots, turnips, apple, pears etc. What a tucking we often had in our dormitory. If you've read any escape stories you will know what I mean!
To return to the beginning. In the first few weeks of my incarceration the harshness hit me so hard (I was six at the time) that I ran away (or shall I say escaped) and made the journey of nine miles back to the old family home at Wigtoft.
That did not have a happy outcome, so my next escape was in the direction of Freiston Shore. Another failure. After that I just had to grin and bear it, but forever after when I think of my life in the workhouse I think also of Wormwood Scrubs, Colditz, The Lubianka, Oliver Twist - they all go together. "
Source: Sent in by Janet Corney

Windmills

According to the book "The History and Antiquities of Boston" there was a windmill in Wormgate, Boston as far back as 1591.

By the early 1800’s there were about a dozen windmills in and around Boston, many of them on sites that had been used for centuries. Pictured below are a few of these mills.

Above and Below: The Gallows Mills which were demolished when Boston dock was built. Skirbeck Church can be seen in both sketches.

The following three pictures show the "Good Intent" mill that stood down Sleaford Road. The first was drawn by W. Brand in 1796.

Below, the Good Intent in 1888.

Below, the Good Intent in 1967 when it was demolished.

Below can be seen Tuxford's Mill which was near Mount Bridge. There were eight sails on the mill and when it was demolished they were taken and put on the mill at Heckington where they are to this day.

Below: Thompson's Mill which stood down Spilsby Road.

And finally (below) the only one remaining in Boston, the Maud Foster mill.