This mill was a combined corn and saw mill. The Windmill World website claims that the mill was built in 1836 by John Monk, but see below where Constance Radcliffe claims Mr. Monk bought the poroerty from William Creer, a Ramsey corn-merchant and baker. The steam mill was erected in 1862 some eleven years before the Monk family sold their property in Ramsey.
The following is taken from ‘Shining By The Sea: A History of Ramsey 1800 – 1914’ by Constance Radcliffe:
(also known as Monk's Mill, or Lezarye Mills, now Beaconsfield Tower)
‘In 1840, the Ramsey corn-merchant and baker, William Creer, having built the house Cronk Geinnee on part of the Ropewalk Brows, sold the remainder of the plot to Lieutenant John Monk (RN retired), whose family, had come to Ramsey in the early 1800s, and who himself had been living for several years in the house which has now become the ‘Royal George’ [in Ramsey’s Market Place]. In 1841, the Lieutenant’s son William was 22, and it is probable that the purchase was to set him up in a business which he pursued with varying success until 1873, when all the Monk property in Ramsey was sold and the family left the Island [i.e. the Isle of Man].’
Windmills were never common in the Isle of Man, and it is probably that this was due to the variability of the winds, ‘sometimes changing quickly from light airs to severe gales. Such a source of power as well as being unpredictable, could also be uneconomic because of possible danger to the sails.’ Because of this lack of wind milling expertise ‘Monk always employed at least one English Miller, the Brown family being notable in this respect.
Charles Brown was employed by Mr. Monk having come to the Island in 1842 or 1843 and is recorded as being the miller in 1851. Charles was followed in 1861 by his two sons Horatio Nelson and Edwin. Horatio Nelson later took over the running of the Trafalgar Hotel on the West Quay in Ramsey.
By the mid -twentieth century the mill and its building had long been converted to residential use and is today incorporated in to Beaconsfield Towers a residential care home. still is today. In the 1930’s the tower still had 6 floors, but with a flat roof. The mill was reduced to two floors in the 1960’s.
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