John Lawn, who has died at the age of 63, was one of Norfolk's last millwrights. Mr. Lawn, an ex-pupil of Diss Grammar School, joined the Royal Air Force after leaving school aged 16. He left the RAF in 1966 and began work as a plant maintenance engineer at the Thetford Thermos factory. Mr. Lawn bought Caston Mill in 1969 with a view to its restoration, and shortly afterwards became a full-time millwright. He worked on several privately-owned windmills but was mainly involved in the restoration and maintenance of those controlled by Norfolk Windmills Trust, including mills and pumps at Stracey Arms, Wicklewood, Turf Fen and the water powered sawmill at Gunton Park.

He developed cancer in 1993, but recovered sufficiently to complete the restoration of Old Buckenham Mill in his childhood village in 1997.

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Brief details of the mills referred to will be found on the Norfolk Windmills Trust web-site at <http://www.ecn.co.uk/norfolkwindmillstrust> and details of their history and the milling families involved will be found in my uncle's book: Harry Apling, Norfolk Corn Windmills, Norwich: Norfolk Windmills Trust, 1984 [ISBN 0 9509793 0 9]

John Lawn Memorial [From Wayland News, May, 2001]
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