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Russian Flax/Hemp Bale Seals
The Cumbria
Site
Discovered by Ray Livermore in
2014 and currently being worked on a daily
basis under his supervision with assistance from
Julie .. for the Estate Owner.
(30 seals found to date with
0 seals awaiting upload as of 1st April 2018)
Website design, maps and photos by Ged Dodd - Director of The PeaceHavens Project. |
About PeaceHavens - This database is an ongoing project involving the daily finding and
identification of Russian Lead Flax Bale Seals from the old disused 18th/19th century Flax Mills of the Industrial Revolution in the UK. For many decades in the 18th & 19th centuries, Russia was by far the world's greatest exporter of these flax stems via Archangel, St Petersburg, Kronstadt, Narva, Riga, Libau, Memel, Konigsberg, Pilau, Pernau, Revel, and Tilsit and Great Britain was Russia's major customer. Every bale of flax stems was fastened together with a lead seal by a quality control inspector. The discarded stems of the flax with seals still attached were prized as fertilizer by local farmers and were spread onto the land mixed with night soil manure.
Russian Lead Flax Bale Seals from the Cumbria Site
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Baltic States Cross Shields |
Weather Forecast
The Baltic States Crosses
on Shield Flax Seals c.1800
A Galliot wooden trading ship
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Inspectors and Posts for Cumbria Mill
Filatov.I 1810 89 Kavelev.D 1805 66 Kostin.F 1805 32 Larionov.T 1817 22 Mikhalev.S 1805 59 Molchanov.A 1805 34 Pogankin.L 1805 31 Samrov.F 1805 73 Savostin.A 1787 25
Shilov.Ya 1807
51 Trekin 1774 307 Tomilin.T 1805 29 Varzov.S 1805 14 Verevkin.M 1814 9 Verevkin.S 1805 3 Vinakurov.I 1813 61 Vinnikov.I 1805 20 Zaitsov.S 1805 19
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Posts / Inspectors / # for Cumbria Mill
3 S.Verevkin 1805#07 9 M.Verevkin 1814#01 14 S.Varzov 1805#08 19 S.Zaitsov 1805#04 20 I.Vinnikov 1805#03 22 T.Larionov 1817#01 25 A.Savostin 1787#01 29 T.Tomilin 1805#02 31 L.Pogankin 1805#11 32 F.Kostin 1805#09 34 A.Molchanov 1805#13 51 Ya.Shilov 1807#01 59 S.Mikhalev 1805#10 61 I.Vinakurov 1813#01 66 D.Kavelev 1805#01
73 F.Samrov
1805#06 89 I.Filatov 1810#01 307 Trekin 1774#01
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How the seals got into the fields
The discarded stalks of the flax with a bale seal still attached were highly prized as fertilizer by local farmers and they were spread on to the land mixed in human & animal excrement.
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# |
OBVERSE click thumbnail |
REVERSE click thumbnail |
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Cum
+++ 01 |
Cross quartered + shield with -/-/-/- pellets |
12K GH |
Baltic States |
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Cum +++ 0 2 |
Cross quartered + shield with 5/5/5/5 pellets |
CR 12K |
Baltic States |
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Cum
+++ 0 |
Cross quartered + shield with 4/4/-/- annulets |
illegible |
- - |
Baltic States |
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Cum |
Cross quartered |
WLT 12K |
Baltic States |
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Cum |
Cross quartered |
- - - |
Baltic States |
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Cum |
Cross quartered |
CR |
Baltic States |
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Cum |
Cross quartered |
CR |
Baltic States |
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Cum |
Cross quartered |
CR |
Baltic States |
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Lead Flax Bale Seals 1774 | ||||||
# |
OBVERSE click thumbnail |
REVERSE click thumbnail |
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Cum
1774
01 |
ДЛ = DL |
NP |
307 |
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Lead Flax Bale Seals 1787 | ||||||
# |
OBVERSE click thumbnail |
REVERSE click thumbnail |
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Cum
1787
01 |
ЛД = LD А.САВОСТИ .(A.SAVOSTIN) H25 |
NP |
25 post |
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Lead Flax Bale Seals 1805 | ||||||
# |
OBVERSE click thumbnail |
REVERSE click thumbnail |
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Cum
1805
01 |
ЛД = LD Д.KABEЛEBЬ (D.KAVELEV) H66 |
NP ??12H 1 805 |
66 post |
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Cum
1805
02 |
ЛД = LD
T.TOMИЛИHЬ
(T.TOMILIN) |
NP CH12H 1805 |
29 post |
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Cum
1805
03 |
ЛД = LD И.BИHHИKOBЬ (I.VINNIKOV) H20 |
NP ?K12H 1 805 |
20 post |
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Cum
1805
04 |
ЛД = LD C.ЗAИЦOBЬ (S.ZAITSOV) H19 |
NP CH12K 1805 |
19 post |
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Cum
1805
05 |
ЛД = LD C.ЗAИЦOBЬ (S.ZAITSOV) H19 |
NP IH12H 1805 |
19 post |
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Cum
1805
06 |
ЛД = LD Ф.CAMPOBЬ (F.SAMROV) H73 |
NP IB12H 1805 |
73 post |
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Cum
1805
07 |
ЛД = LD C.BEPEBKИH (S.VEREVKIN) H3 |
NP ?K12H 1805 |
3 post |
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Cum
1805
08 |
ЛД = LD C.BAPЗOBЬ S.VARZOV) H14 |
NP IH12H 1805 |
14
post |
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Cum
1805
09 |
ЛД = LD Ф.KOCTИHЬ (F.KOSTIN)
H32 |
NP AШ12H 1805 |
32 post |
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Cum
1805
10 |
ЛД = LD C.MИХAЛEB (S.MIKHALEV) H59 |
NP AШ12H 1805 |
59
post |
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Cum
1805
11 |
ЛД = LD Л.ПOГAHKИHЬ (L.POGANKIN) H31 |
NP ??12? 1805 |
31
post |
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Cum
1805
12 |
ЛД = LD C.BAPЗOBЬ S.VARZOV) H14 |
NP EC12H 1805 |
14
post |
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Cum
1805
13 |
ЛД = LD |
NP |
34
post |
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Lead Flax Bale Seals 1807 | ||||||
# |
OBVERSE click thumbnail |
REVERSE click thumbnail |
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Cum
1807
01 |
ЛД =
LD |
NP IS12H 1807 |
51 post |
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Lead Flax Bale Seals 1810 | ||||||
# |
OBVERSE click thumbnail |
REVERSE click thumbnail |
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Cum
1810
01 |
ЛД =
LD |
NP HP12K 1810 |
89 post |
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Lead Flax Bale Seals 1813 | ||||||
# |
OBVERSE click thumbnail |
REVERSE click thumbnail |
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Cum1813 |
ЛД = LD |
NP |
61 |
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Lead Flax Bale Seals 1814 | ||||||
# |
OBVERSE click thumbnail |
REVERSE click thumbnail |
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Cum1814 |
ЛД =
LD |
NP |
9 |
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Cum1814 |
ЛД =
LD |
NP |
9 |
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Lead Flax Bale Seals 1817 | ||||||
# |
OBVERSE click thumbnail |
REVERSE click thumbnail |
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Cum
1817
01 |
ЛД = LD T.ЛAPИOHOB (T.LARIONOV) H22 |
NP CБ12K 1817 |
22 post |
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Lead Flax Bale Seals 18?? | ||||||
# |
OBVERSE click thumbnail |
REVERSE click thumbnail |
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Cum
18??
01 |
ЛД = LD
M.CИMAHOBЬ |
NP ??12? 18?? |
82 post |
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Initials of Russian Growers/Owners/Agents for Cumbria | ||||||||
Initial | Port | Year | Site | # | Inspector | Post | Grade | - |
?? | Cum18??01 | 18?? | Cumbria | LD | A.Kuchkov | 22 | ??12H | NP (flax) |
?? | Cum180501 | 1805 | Cumbria | LD | D.Kavelev | 66 | ??12H | NP (flax) |
?? | Cum180511 | 1805 | Cumbria | LD | L.Pogankin | 31 | ??12? | NP (flax) |
?K | Cum180503 | 1805 | Cumbria | LD | I.Vinnikov | 20 | ?K12H | NP (flax) |
?K | Cum180507 | 1805 | Cumbria | LD | S.Verevkin | 3 | ?K12H | NP (flax) |
AГ | CUM 1814 01 | 1814 | Cumbria | LD | M.Verevkin | 9 | AГ12H | NP (flax) |
AГ | CUM 1814 02 | 1814 | Cumbria | LD | M.Verevkin | 9 | AГ12H | NP (flax) |
AШ | Cum180509 | 1805 | Cumbria | LD | F.Kostin | 32 | AШ12H | NP (flax) |
AШ | Cum180510 | 1805 | Cumbria | LD | S.Mikhalev | 59 | AШ12H | NP (flax) |
CБ |
Cum181701 |
1817 |
Cumbria |
LD |
T.Larionov |
22 |
CБ12K |
NP (flax) |
CH | Cum180502 | 1805 | Cumbria | LD | T.Tomlin | # | CH12H | NP (flax) |
CH |
Cum180504 |
1805 |
Cumbria |
LD |
S.Zaitsov | 19 | CH12K | NP (flax) |
ДH |
IDS442 |
1785 |
Cumbria |
LD |
A.Babanov | 70 | ДH12H | NP (flax) |
EC | Cum1805w12 | 1805 | Cumbria | LD | S.Varzov | 14 | EC12H | NP (flax) |
HP |
Cum181001 |
1810 |
Cumbria |
LD |
I.Filatov |
89 |
HP12K |
NP (flax) |
IB | Cum180506 | 1805 | Cumbria | LD | F.Samrov | 73 | IB12H | NP (flax) |
IGH |
Cum 178701 |
1787 |
Cumbria |
LD |
A.Savostin |
25 |
IGH9K |
NP (flax) |
IH | NP189508 | 1805 | Cumbria | LD | S.Varzob | 14 | IH12H | NP (flax) |
IH |
NP180505 |
1805 |
Cumbria |
LD |
S.Zaitsov | 19 | IH12H | NP (flax) |
IS |
Cum180701 |
1807 |
Cumbria |
LD |
Ya.Shilov |
51 |
IS12H |
NP (flax) |
ИБ | Cum181301 | 1813 | Cumbria | LD | I.Vinakurov | 61 | ИБ12H | NP (flax) |
ИФ |
Cum 1805 13 |
1805 |
Cumbria |
LD |
A.Molchanov |
34 |
ИФ12H |
NP (flax) |
Baltic States Quartered Cross Shields for Cumbria | ||||||||
?.? | Cum+++03 | - | Cumbria | - | 4/4/-/- pellets | - | - | (flax) |
?.? | Cum+++05 | - | Cumbria | - | -/-/-/- pellets | - | - | (flax) |
C.R | Cum+++02 | - | Cumbria | - | 5/5/5/5 pellets | - | 12K | (flax) |
C.R | Cum+++06 | - | Cumbria | - | 4/4/-/- pellets | - | 12K | (flax) |
C.R | Cum+++07 | - | Cumbria | - | 4/4/-/- pellets | - | 12K | (flax) |
C.R | Cum+++08 | - | Cumbria | - | 4/4/-/- pellets | - | 12K | (flax) |
G.H | Cum+++01 | - | Cumbria | - | -/-/-/- pellets | - | 12K | (flax) |
W.L.T | Cum+++04 | - | Cumbria | - | -/-/-/5 pellets | - | 12K | (flax) |
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A Short History of the Flax Mill Two recently discovered seals dated 1810 & 1817 give hope of a new flax seal site. The mill has been completely demolished and all that remains are a few low walls and the entrance to tunnels running under the site where the water was channelled to turn a water wheel which powered the mill. Project member Patricia Rowland has some more information about Penny bridge Mill as she is researching flax on the Cartmel Peninsula. In 1805 the owner of the mill was Thomas Pearson, a Quaker who had been in Partnership with his cousin Isaac Hall at Hill Mill, Cartmel. Thomas was bankrupt in 1808 and the mill etc were sold. Regarding Kay's ownership I have found a dispute about the patent of the machine he invented and a witness says Kay began operating at Penny Bridge about June 1825. Ray, can you do a search around Hill Mill in conjunction with Patricia..? |
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In the18th century the estuary was full of wooden sailing ships
landing at small jetties all along the coast - the best form of transport.
Email from Richard Horrocks Dear Ged, I have been reading with interest your work in identifying
lead bale seals at the Penny Bridge Flax mill site. You indicate that
you have little knowledge of the owners during its heyday. I am
researching the flax spinning history of James Kay (who bought Turton
Tower in 1835) and who is claimed by some to have revolutionised the
spinning of flax following his 1824/5 invention of wet spinning. He
owned three flax mills, Marsh Lane Mill,
Preston, the one you are prospecting in Penny Bridge and one at
Pendleton, Salford He became quite wealthy from his endeavours, and his
refurbishment of Turton Tower to its current state during the 1835-1890
period is his family’s legacy. I have little knowledge of the Penny
Bridge mill but the dates on the lead seals you are finding are
providing me with an interesting insight into the origins of the flax he
was using. James Kay’s invention is cited in Irish linen histories as
being responsible for the reinvigoration of the Irish linen industry
during the mid-18th century period. My guess is that Kay purchased
and worked the Penny Bridge Mill during the 1800-1820 period, which fits
well with the seal dates that you report, although the 1787-dated one
suggests that the mill was spinning flax before Kay purchased it. Your
information regarding the building of a new bridge downstream in 1820 is
interesting in that this probably coincided with the demise of the mill
(assisted by the reported explosion). This could also be a reason why
Baines does not report the existence of a mill at Penny Bridge in his
1825 Lancashire history , although he reports the existence of 3 cotton
and/or flax spinners in Ulverston. Kay’s Pendleton Mill appears to have
been his main focus during the post 1820-30 period since it was located
by the canal and subsequent railway, thus offering improved
communications as well as it being closer to his subsequent purchase of
Turton Tower. I am giving a lecture on James Kay’s textile
background at Turton Tower on Thursday 6th April at 1.30pm if you are
interested – please contact Margaret Bragg (maggbragg@gmail.com) for
more details if interested. |
Relative Activity at the Mills according to Seal Dates 1776
-1838 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 Bentham Mills
Aked's High Mill West House Mill
Little Patrick Mill
Knaresborough
Cumbria
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77
78
79
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91
92
93
94
95
96
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98
99
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
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09
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12
13
14
15
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Website design and photos by Ged Dodd Director of The PeaceHavens Project.
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Dodd aka PeaceHavens