Watermill, Waddon, Surrey
Date
1789
Creator
John Smeaton (1724 - 1792, British) , Civil engineer
Object type
Image reference
Material
Dimensions
height (drawing): 466mm
width (drawing): 343mm
width (drawing): 343mm
Subject
Description
Elevation of the wheel and sluice for the mill at Waddon, Surrey, at a scale 1:24.
Signed and dated lower right and inscribed ‘Design for WADDON MILL, shewing The UPRIGHT of the WATER WHEEL, PENTROUGH &C.’
Further inscription on verso ‘Note Respecting Waddon Mill by John Farey, he visited it on the 30th Septemb 1805, before he had seen these drawings and after that (by recollection) he thought the mill was at that time in the same state as here represented; The mill is situated a short distance from Croydon and is worked by the water of the River Wandle which rises from springs in that town. On the 29 August 1835 John Farey visited this place again, and found an entire new Mill built at the side of the old one, which was totally worn out in its machinery, and dismantled; the old machinery here represented was in part remaining, except the waterwheels, which had been rebuilt in cast iron, with iron plate buckets, but apparently the same dimensions as Mr Smeaton’s.’
Original drawing from Designs by the late John Smeaton made on various occasions in the course of his employment as a Civil Engineer from the year 175[?] to 179[?], Volume 1. Containing Designs for Wind Mills and Water Mills for Grinding Corn. Collected and arranged by John Farey, 1821.
John Smeaton (1724-1792) was a British civil engineer, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1753.
John Farey (1766-1826) was a British geologist and surveyor, he worked on the published reports of John Smeaton’s work between 1809 and 1812.
Signed and dated lower right and inscribed ‘Design for WADDON MILL, shewing The UPRIGHT of the WATER WHEEL, PENTROUGH &C.’
Further inscription on verso ‘Note Respecting Waddon Mill by John Farey, he visited it on the 30th Septemb 1805, before he had seen these drawings and after that (by recollection) he thought the mill was at that time in the same state as here represented; The mill is situated a short distance from Croydon and is worked by the water of the River Wandle which rises from springs in that town. On the 29 August 1835 John Farey visited this place again, and found an entire new Mill built at the side of the old one, which was totally worn out in its machinery, and dismantled; the old machinery here represented was in part remaining, except the waterwheels, which had been rebuilt in cast iron, with iron plate buckets, but apparently the same dimensions as Mr Smeaton’s.’
Original drawing from Designs by the late John Smeaton made on various occasions in the course of his employment as a Civil Engineer from the year 175[?] to 179[?], Volume 1. Containing Designs for Wind Mills and Water Mills for Grinding Corn. Collected and arranged by John Farey, 1821.
John Smeaton (1724-1792) was a British civil engineer, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1753.
John Farey (1766-1826) was a British geologist and surveyor, he worked on the published reports of John Smeaton’s work between 1809 and 1812.
Object history
Smeaton’s Designs were received by bequest of Mr Edward Farey in November 1913 as indicated in the copies of outgoing correspondence bound in the New Letter Books of the Royal Society, NLB/49/185 and NLB/49/312.
The collection was originally purchased after Smeaton’s death in 1795 by Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society and member of the Committee of the Smeaton Society of Civil Engineers. The committee undertook to publish a comprehensive selection of reports on the drawings which was entrusted to John Farey sr (1766-1826) and assisted by his better-known son John Farey jr (1791-1851) mechanical engineer and Fellow of the Royal Society. The work began in 1809 and resulted in three published volumes, Reports of the late John Smeaton FRS, made on various occasions of his employment as a civil engineer, London, 1812.
The collection was originally purchased after Smeaton’s death in 1795 by Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society and member of the Committee of the Smeaton Society of Civil Engineers. The committee undertook to publish a comprehensive selection of reports on the drawings which was entrusted to John Farey sr (1766-1826) and assisted by his better-known son John Farey jr (1791-1851) mechanical engineer and Fellow of the Royal Society. The work began in 1809 and resulted in three published volumes, Reports of the late John Smeaton FRS, made on various occasions of his employment as a civil engineer, London, 1812.
Associated place