Page 10 - GFA – A Different Drumbeat
P. 10
GFA – A Different Drumbeat 10
journeyman miller. As a rule, journeyman millers, as well as master millers, have
notoriety peculiar to themselves for certain vices and crimes. Abraham had either
voluntarily or involuntarily shaken off the proclivities said to be peculiar to his
profession, and could boast that he stood upon his own individual merits and only
asked to be tested by his actions and life to know whether he was honest or
dishonest, just or unjust, virtuous or vicious. Abraham's virtues had made his name
legion, and if he was not opulent, he had an influence for good over his generation,
and was silently modifying the conduct of those who should live after him.
He was a man of few words, and as definite in his questions and answers as
the multiplication table; he seldom spoke but in the language of the Old or New
Testament, as when spoken to about the honour of his calling he said an honest
miller was a "wonder to many". No man was further removed from expediency than
Abraham Andrew. He never understood that word either philosophically or
practically. He spoke the truth for truth's sake, irrespective of results. Abraham
acted honestly, not because it was either the best or the worst policy, but because it
was just and right and his duty to both God and man so to act.
Abraham had his own system of book-keeping. His weekly accounts were
kept on one of the mill doors from which they were transposed and transferred by Mr.
Ken Kirk into their proper ledgers on Saturday afternoon. Abraham's mill door was
geometrically divided from top to bottom into two columns. At the top of each would
be the avoirdupois signs of cwt., qr. and lbs., under which he would place his
hieroglyphic figures that no scholar nor traveller but himself and his young master
could interpret. No one called into question the journeyman miller's mathematical
accuracy, such was the character of this miller of Brough Corn Mill.
Abraham was a Wesleyan Methodist, one of the old school, and of course was
a strict Sabbatarian; he was no bigot, quite tolerant, yet he was a rigorous observer
of the rites and ceremonies of Wesleyanism. He taught his son and daughters to
sing hymns, pray and make confession at class-meetings, of which he was
recognised leader at Brough. Such was Abraham Andrew, the miller, whom we must
rank as one of the worthies of Hope Dale, for, take him 'all in all, we ne'er shall look
upon his like again'."
This outstanding character, Abraham Andrew (1778 - 1841) and his wife Elizabeth (1786 -
1827), had nine children. Their sixth child and second son was also called Abraham(2).
Born in Hope Dale, probably at Brough where their father lived all his life, he married Esther
Grimshaw. Abraham(2)’s family decided to move to Reddish near Manchester where he
had a string and paper business known as "Andrew & Sons". The family attended the
Reddish Methodist Church where Isaac, the eldest son, was the organist and choir master
Reddish, at that time a semi-rural suburb of Manchester, would have attracted the family for
two reasons. Firstly, the Industrial Revolution caused a mass migration from rural areas to
the world's first industrial towns like Manchester, which saw its population double to over
journeyman miller. As a rule, journeyman millers, as well as master millers, have
notoriety peculiar to themselves for certain vices and crimes. Abraham had either
voluntarily or involuntarily shaken off the proclivities said to be peculiar to his
profession, and could boast that he stood upon his own individual merits and only
asked to be tested by his actions and life to know whether he was honest or
dishonest, just or unjust, virtuous or vicious. Abraham's virtues had made his name
legion, and if he was not opulent, he had an influence for good over his generation,
and was silently modifying the conduct of those who should live after him.
He was a man of few words, and as definite in his questions and answers as
the multiplication table; he seldom spoke but in the language of the Old or New
Testament, as when spoken to about the honour of his calling he said an honest
miller was a "wonder to many". No man was further removed from expediency than
Abraham Andrew. He never understood that word either philosophically or
practically. He spoke the truth for truth's sake, irrespective of results. Abraham
acted honestly, not because it was either the best or the worst policy, but because it
was just and right and his duty to both God and man so to act.
Abraham had his own system of book-keeping. His weekly accounts were
kept on one of the mill doors from which they were transposed and transferred by Mr.
Ken Kirk into their proper ledgers on Saturday afternoon. Abraham's mill door was
geometrically divided from top to bottom into two columns. At the top of each would
be the avoirdupois signs of cwt., qr. and lbs., under which he would place his
hieroglyphic figures that no scholar nor traveller but himself and his young master
could interpret. No one called into question the journeyman miller's mathematical
accuracy, such was the character of this miller of Brough Corn Mill.
Abraham was a Wesleyan Methodist, one of the old school, and of course was
a strict Sabbatarian; he was no bigot, quite tolerant, yet he was a rigorous observer
of the rites and ceremonies of Wesleyanism. He taught his son and daughters to
sing hymns, pray and make confession at class-meetings, of which he was
recognised leader at Brough. Such was Abraham Andrew, the miller, whom we must
rank as one of the worthies of Hope Dale, for, take him 'all in all, we ne'er shall look
upon his like again'."
This outstanding character, Abraham Andrew (1778 - 1841) and his wife Elizabeth (1786 -
1827), had nine children. Their sixth child and second son was also called Abraham(2).
Born in Hope Dale, probably at Brough where their father lived all his life, he married Esther
Grimshaw. Abraham(2)’s family decided to move to Reddish near Manchester where he
had a string and paper business known as "Andrew & Sons". The family attended the
Reddish Methodist Church where Isaac, the eldest son, was the organist and choir master
Reddish, at that time a semi-rural suburb of Manchester, would have attracted the family for
two reasons. Firstly, the Industrial Revolution caused a mass migration from rural areas to
the world's first industrial towns like Manchester, which saw its population double to over
