1. Agnes Bell (Toll Keeper) 2. Andrew Bell (Inn Keeper) 3. Thomas Bell (Weaver) - two feus
4. James Bell (Mason) 5. John Trail (Carter) 6. Brewery/Bakery 7. Bleaching Green
4. James Bell (Mason) 5. John Trail (Carter) 6. Brewery/Bakery 7. Bleaching Green
The toll house at Lundin Mill has been mentioned previously. Back in the mid-19th century the toll-keeper was Mrs Agnes Bell, mother of innkeeper at the neighbouring inn - Andrew Bell. One could imagine Agnes Bell directing passing travellers to her son's inn (pictured above some decades later). And the 'family affair' didn't end there, as the five feus clustered around the junction of what is now Leven Road, Links Road and Emsdorf Street (see top image above) were all occupied by members of the Bell family. One of Agnes's other sons - James Bell - was a mason and had the narrow plot that is now 'Ivanhoe'. Her nephew, Thomas Bell, cousin to Andrew and James, had a feu on each side of Emsdorf Street. So it looks very much like Andrew Bell's family lived to the left of the inn and Thomas Bell's family to the right, as shown above.
The story of how the family came to dominate this key locality seems to stretch back to the origins of the inn itself. The earliest recorded innkeeper seems to be a 'Mrs Wood'. Records point to Mrs Wood being an Elspeth Cornfoot, who married a James Wood. She was recorded as innkeeper in 1794 and perhaps remained so up until the time of her death in 1814. Soon after that her relative Nathan Cornfoot stepped into her shoes at the inn. In 1817 there is a reference to "Cornfoot's Tavern" in Lundin Mill in the Caledonian Mercury. Interestingly, when Nathan Cornfoot died at the inn on 12 February 1840, an inventory of his possessions was compiled. This provides tantalising insights into life at the inn around that time.
As well as the usual tables, chairs, tablecloths, beds (described as "chaff beds" - effectively straw mattresses), bedding, pillows, dressers, cutlery and crockery, there were many items you would expect to find at an inn, including stoups (used for collecting water from the well), a gross of bottles, wine glasses, goblets, tumblers and measures (including 'gill', 'mutchin' and 'donald' sizes) and no less than 22 gallons of whisky! Apparently the consumption of whisky per person per year in Scotland then was around 1.6 gallons back then, compared to 0.4 gallons now.
Also listed were grates, fire irons, bellows, shovels, a bread toaster and a tea kettle. More refined items included mahogany tea trays, brass candlesticks, lanterns, silver teaspoons and an eight-day clock (with a movement requiring winding only once per week). Meanwhile, out in the byre were two cows - one brown, one black, a corn chest, a wheelbarrow, a scythe, rake and ladder, among many other items.
Andrew Bell eventually took over as innkeeper. He too, looks to have had a family connection to Elspeth Wood (nee Cornfoot) - as one of her daughters (Janet Wood) married into the Bell family. When, Andrew Bell died in 1849, his wife Janet (nee Berwick) took over as inn keeper and remained so for many years.
The story of how the family came to dominate this key locality seems to stretch back to the origins of the inn itself. The earliest recorded innkeeper seems to be a 'Mrs Wood'. Records point to Mrs Wood being an Elspeth Cornfoot, who married a James Wood. She was recorded as innkeeper in 1794 and perhaps remained so up until the time of her death in 1814. Soon after that her relative Nathan Cornfoot stepped into her shoes at the inn. In 1817 there is a reference to "Cornfoot's Tavern" in Lundin Mill in the Caledonian Mercury. Interestingly, when Nathan Cornfoot died at the inn on 12 February 1840, an inventory of his possessions was compiled. This provides tantalising insights into life at the inn around that time.
As well as the usual tables, chairs, tablecloths, beds (described as "chaff beds" - effectively straw mattresses), bedding, pillows, dressers, cutlery and crockery, there were many items you would expect to find at an inn, including stoups (used for collecting water from the well), a gross of bottles, wine glasses, goblets, tumblers and measures (including 'gill', 'mutchin' and 'donald' sizes) and no less than 22 gallons of whisky! Apparently the consumption of whisky per person per year in Scotland then was around 1.6 gallons back then, compared to 0.4 gallons now.
Also listed were grates, fire irons, bellows, shovels, a bread toaster and a tea kettle. More refined items included mahogany tea trays, brass candlesticks, lanterns, silver teaspoons and an eight-day clock (with a movement requiring winding only once per week). Meanwhile, out in the byre were two cows - one brown, one black, a corn chest, a wheelbarrow, a scythe, rake and ladder, among many other items.
Andrew Bell eventually took over as innkeeper. He too, looks to have had a family connection to Elspeth Wood (nee Cornfoot) - as one of her daughters (Janet Wood) married into the Bell family. When, Andrew Bell died in 1849, his wife Janet (nee Berwick) took over as inn keeper and remained so for many years.
In the days before the railway, everything and everyone was closely interconnected at a local level. The vast majority of goods would be locally produced within a small radius. Villagers would be inter-dependent on one another rather than reliant on more distant communities. In Lundinmill there was a brewery and bakery just over the other side of the Keil Burn from the inn. The above advert from 1836 shows the range of processes that must have gone on there, with its storehouse, malt barn, kiln, granary, shop, dairy, flour room, bake-house, stable, barn, byre, cart shed and coal house. This business must surely have supplied the inn. Right next door to the inn was the carting business of John Trail (item 5 on the map at the top). Presumably, he was well-placed to meet the transport needs of the inn and its customers.
Anyway, it was from the already established corner site of the inn and toll bar, that the newly formed 'Emsdorf' had began to spread - eastwards, from 1802 - in the general direction of Drummochy. More on Emsdorf to follow...
Anyway, it was from the already established corner site of the inn and toll bar, that the newly formed 'Emsdorf' had began to spread - eastwards, from 1802 - in the general direction of Drummochy. More on Emsdorf to follow...
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