Trouble at T’Mill – A Miller’s Life

As part of the year-long celebration of Worsbrough Mill’s 400-year anniversary, Catherine Roebuck (Visitor Services Assistant) has been delving into the history of the mill and the people who worked there. 

‘Trouble at T’Mill’ is used nowadays as a humorous phrase to refer to a problem, especially at home or at work. 

But the saying has been used for centuries to describe a situation where there is chaos or confusion, especially in a factory setting. The phrase suggests the idea that these mills were often plagued by various problems such as machinery breakdowns, labour disputes, and accidents. The phrase is spoken in the accent of northern people, especially Yorkshire, where the word ‘the’ is often not fully pronounced. 

Worsbrough Millers had hard lives, and Catherine’s blog covers some of the troubles and strife that transpired during their time at Worsbrough Mill. All these stories have been curated from newspapers, court records, census records and many other documents of the time. 

You can find Catherine’s fascinating blog, and many others at Barnsley Museums Blogsite 

The year of celebrations has been made possible through funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund and support from Barnsley Museums & Heritage Trust.