Johnston's Mill is also mentioned by name several times within Lamont's Diary (1650s-1660s) (using various spellings). The map above dates to 1775 (Ainslie) and the mill is clearly shown in the lower right corner, just east of the salt pans at Viewforth. The advert below from 21 May 1796 (Caledonian Mercury) shows the mill for let, as well as the adjoining Broomhall Farm. At this time the mill was possessed by a George Mitchell.
Lying at the boundary of Largo Parish and Newburn Parish, where a burn drains into Largo Bay, the area once known as 'Johnston's Mill' has a long history. The name first appears on record in the 1560s as 'Johnnestounes Mylne'. The first reference to named Johnstons dates to 1597 when a dispute over the "watter maill" and duties at the mill arose between John Johnston, "miller of the mill of Johnstons Mill" and John Lundy of Strathairly. A Thomas Johnston gave evidence relating to damage done at the mill dam (source: Laing Charters). The book "The Place Names of Fife Volume Two" by Simon Taylor states that "the Johnston family must have been hereditary millers here from at least the 1560s". Johnston's Mill is also mentioned by name several times within Lamont's Diary (1650s-1660s) (using various spellings). The map above dates to 1775 (Ainslie) and the mill is clearly shown in the lower right corner, just east of the salt pans at Viewforth. The advert below from 21 May 1796 (Caledonian Mercury) shows the mill for let, as well as the adjoining Broomhall Farm. At this time the mill was possessed by a George Mitchell. Moving forward to the 1820s, and the Greenwood map below from 1828 still prominently shows the mill and associated buildings. An advert from around this time shows that George Smith had possessed the land for a spell. Interestingly, Largo is described as a "sea-port town" in this advert - the harbour being heavily used during this pre-railway era. However, this time must have marked the last of the years of there being a working mill on the site. By the 1850s, the Ordnance Survey Name Book stated that 'Johnston's Mill' was the name of a house near to "where a corn-mill once stood", "which belonged to a man called Johnston". The name persisted for a long time after the mill itself ceased operation and beyond the time when the imposing Carrick Villa was built upon the site (circa mid-1880s). Below is both an advert for Carrick Villa to let (from 22 April 1885 Scotsman) and an 1893 map that shows both names side by side. By the time the 1912 OS map was published, 'Johnston's Mill' had dropped off and only 'Carrick Villa' was labelled. A later mention of the old name pops up in 1929 (2 March Scotsman) when "Merlindene" (as Carrick Villa was known for a spell) was for sale. 'Johnston's Mill' was still placed in brackets afterwards, presumably as this was the name that many folk still knew the place by. At the foot of the post is a recent photograph of the site, with Carrick Villa at centre with the remains of an old railway bridge in front. Interestingly, the ruins of the old millhouse were recently incorporated into a new building (studio/garage/workshop) within the grounds of the villa.
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AboutThis blog is about the history of the villages of Lundin Links, Lower Largo and Upper Largo in Fife, Scotland. Comments and contributions from readers are very welcome!
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