Ca 200 BC stone quern invented in Roman Empire

1215 the bushel (8 gallons by volume) and the quarter (8 bushels) became legal measures in the Magna Carta

1420 first reference to a tower mill in France

1526 first reference to a smock mill in Holland

1604 100 feet high tower mills began to be built in Holland

1660s grain imports began in England

1700-1800 cast iron introduced in windmill gears, wheels, racks, cross

1745 ground level fantail invented by Edmund Lee

1750 fantail on cap invented by Andrew Meikle; this had a worm gear on a toothed rack on the curb ring

1759 five sails engineered by John Smeeton

1768 rotating grain cleaner patented by Andrew Meikle and Robert Mackell

1772 spring sail invented by Andrew Meikle

1785 roller reefing sails patented by Robert Hilton

1787 ball governor patented by Thomas Mead

1789 another version of roller reefing sails patented by Captain Stephen Hooper

1796 payment by toll for milling abolished, fixed fees became mandatory

1807 patent sails introduced by William Cubitt; these are the type now on Holgate Windmill

1834 roller milling process for flour invented by Jakob Sulzberger in Hungary

1885 roller mill built at dockside in Hull by Joseph Rank, made 1.6 tons of flour per hour