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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 76 NW 288
Type of record:Monument
Name:Site of Stewart and Spencer's oil mills, Canal Road, Rochester

Summary

An oil seed mill was constructed 1878, near the river at Rochester Bridge. It burned down in 1884, but was subsequently rebuilt and reopened alongwith the addition of a refinery (1890) and a vegetable oil soap plant (1894). These were burnt down in 1899, and the company merged with British Oil and Cake Mills Ltd. Compound cake presses were installed, as later nutting macines added. The Crushing mill and refinery closed in 1949, and the whole site in 1953 after a flood. It has since been demolished.

Grid Reference:TQ 7404 6921
Map Sheet:TQ76NW
Parish:ROCHESTER & CHATHAM, MEDWAY, KENT

Monument Types

  • OIL MILL (Post Medieval to Modern - 1878 AD to 1949 AD)
  • OIL REFINERY (Post Medieval to Modern - 1890 AD to 1949 AD)
  • OIL WORKS (Post Medieval to Modern - 1894 AD to 1953 AD)

Full description

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Stewart Brothers and Spencer constructed an oilseed crushing mill in 1878-80. Burnt down 1884, rebuilt, refinery added 1890, vegetable oil soap plant 1894. Crushing mill and refinery closed 1949, the whole siye closed 1953. Since demolished. (1)
Stewart Brothers an Spencer constructed a mill at Strood in 1878-80 but it burnt down on Nov 9th 1884. Following rebuilding the mill reopened in 1885. An oil refinery was built at the site in 1890 and shortly before 1894 a plant for making vegetable oil soap was added. Both these were burnt down in 1899, the year the company merged with British Oil and Cake Mills Ltd. Compound cake presses were installed the same year and enlarged in 1909 and 1912. The first Schueler nutting machine was installed in 1916, all the compounders being replaced in 1925. The crushing mill and refinery closed in 1949 and compounding finished in 1953 after a flood had inundated the works.(2)


<1> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, Brace 1960 Hist Seed Crushing in GB p 155-6 (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<2> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, Preston, JM 1977 'Industrial Medway: an Historical Survey' (Rochester: JM Preston) (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>Miscellaneous Material: Not applicable. SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry. Brace 1960 Hist Seed Crushing in GB p 155-6.
<2>Miscellaneous Material: Not applicable. SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry. Preston, JM 1977 'Industrial Medway: an Historical Survey' (Rochester: JM Preston).

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