User:Mjroots/Vincent Pargeter

Vincent Geoffrey Pargeter (1943–2015) was a British millwright. He is also known for restoring the Norfolk wherry Maud.

Early life
Pargeter became interested in windmills at the age of five, when his father made him a model windmill. Another early influence was Stanley Freese's book Windmills and Millwrighting. He later attended Chatham House Grammar School, Ramsgate, Kent. On leaving school, he went to work in a bank, although he was spending time restoring the White Mill, Sandwich, Kent, which he started working on in 1961. Initially, he funded the cost of repairs himself. Later grants were obtained from Kent County Council, Sandwich Borough Council and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Two sails from the tower mill at Wingham, Kent were fitted in 1967. In 1968, he removed the sails from Upminster Windmill, Essex, which were replaced by new ones. Another mill he worked on in the 1960s was Davison's Mill, Stelling Minnis, Kent.

Career
Pargeter left the bank in 1969 and started millwrighting professionally in partnership with Philip Lennard. A move not approved of by his father, who wanted him to enter "a reputable occupation".

1970s
In 1970, Pargeter and Lennard built a new cap for White Roding Windmill, Essex. The work took four months, with the new cap being built in situ. They also made two new sails for Mountnessing Windmill, Essex, in that year. In 1971, they worked on Herne Windmill, Kent. In 1975. Pargeter was employed by Essex County Council (ECC) as the County Millwright. From July 1975 to November 1977, Pargeter worked on Aythorpe Roding Windmill, Essex. Following the collapse of South Ockendon Windmill, Essex in November 1977, he dismantled the remains of the mill, with the machinery being placed in storage. He them resumed work at Aythorpe Roding until February 1978. Stock Windmill was then repaired, the work lasting until November 1978. In the winter of 1978–79, Pargeter and Lennard made repairs to the cap of Denver Windmill, Norfolk. Work continued at Aythorpe Roding until August 1979, when work began on restoring Mountnessing Windmill, Essex. In November 1979, he resumed work on Aythorpe Roding mill.

1980s
In March 1980, Pargeter proposed a "Code of practice in Windmill Repair and Restoration". Work at Aythorpe Roding continued until May 1980, when he returned to Mountnessing. In November, he resumed work on Aythorpe Roding. In April 1981, he returned to Mountnessing, working on the mill until September and again from March to October 1982. Aythorpe Roding windmill was completed in April 1983. The restoration of Mountnessing Windmill was completed in November 1983. In September 1985, he made a new wooden windshaft for Duck End Mill, Finchingfield, to replace the second-hand cast iron windshaft from Gainsford End Mill, Toppesfield which had been installed in 1958.

1990s
Vincent started to make headway rebuilding the watermill at Alderford and the tide mill at Thorrington owned by ECC. in 1999 - 2000 Vincent devised a restoration and repair scheme for Mr. Mudd who bought the important smock mill at Baker Street, Orsett, Essex. The mill was on the point of collapse; it was to be restored whilst the attached former steam mill and engine house were to be converted to domestic accommodation. Vincent supervised and undertook some works and later employed two carpenters after he started working as an independant millwright, working out of a barn at White Tyrells Farm near Stock, Essex. Vincent got the barn rent free on condition of repair of the barns which were also at the point of collapse. Vincent took on more recording and repair scheme projects as well as more practical projects. These included a scheme of repair and drawings of the mill sites at Drinkstone, Suffolk; repairs to the wire machine at Stone Cross Windmill, East Sussex; removal of the fantail and shutters from Stelling Minnis Windmill, Kent; a temporary roof, and curb with reused iron work for the giant mill at Buxhall, Suffolk; repairs to the fantail, curb and cap at Thurne Dyke Windmill, Norfolk.

2000s
From 2002, Pargeter rebuilt and restored Bragg's Mill, Ashdon, Essex. He was involved with the mill until the autumn of 2014. In 2006, Pargeter was involved in a scheme backed by the Broads Authority to train five millwrights. In 2008-09, he as involved in the restoration of a drainage mill at Hardley, Norfolk. In 2009, Pargeter was involved in the restoration of the Montefiore Windmill, Jerusalem, Israel.

Wherry
In 1981, the 1899-built Norfolk wherry Maud was given to Pargeter on the condition that she was restored. She had been sunk at Ranworth Broad in the mid-1960s. Over the next eighteen years, she was restored and returned to the water in her centenary year.

Clippesby Windmill
In 1989, pargeter bought his own windmill, a drainage mill at Clippesby, Norfolk.

Death
He will leave a cavernous hole that will be impossible to fill – Rob Cumming. Pargeter died from pneumonia on 31 October 2015.

In response to his death, the sails of many windmills across the United Kingdom were set to the mourning position. Mills that displayed their sails in mourning included Hardley Windmill, Norfolk,

Many molinologists paid tribute to Pargeter in the January 2016 edition of Mill News, the journal of the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.