The Town Mill, as the name implies, was a corporation enterprise, run for the benefit of the 'Commonality' of Southwold and leased to a succession of millers. The price which the lessees were permitted to charge the townsfolk for milling their grain was strictly controlled by the Town Bailiffs. This distinguishes it from Black Mill and New Mill which were privately owned and run. The Town Mill was an open trestle post mill, that is it was supported on an exposed timber framework. Southwold's two other post mills were mounted atop brick roundhouses. The date when the Town Mill was first constructed is not known.

1723
Thomas Badrum - pays £4 - 6s - 8d to hire the mill (Source Ida Critten, Story of Southwold)

1727
Robert Godeall (possibly Goodall) - hires the mill for one year for a rent of £5 (M)

1733
Robert Allgar - takes the mill for a 15-year term, paying £2 - 13s - 4d per half year.(M)

1748
George Nelson - rents the mill. (M)

1764
Edward Allgar - hires the mill initially for one year for a rent of £10 but, in fact, retains it for 39 years, negotiating lower rentals of under £8 pa. (M)

1778
The mill is virtually destroyed by a freak December storm, killing a woman called Rebecca Chilvers. (M) The structure is demolished and rebuilt from scratch by millwright John Pepper of Halesworth under contract to the corporation. (Source Ida Critten, Story of Southwold)

1795
The Mill is blown down again. Maggs doesn't record its rebuilding but it presumably is made serviceable again. Both diisasters appear to have occurred during the tenancy of Edward Allgar.

1803
Peregrine Edwards - takes a 40-year lease on the mill, initially for £10 pa. He actually keeps it for a total of 36 years, by the end of which time he is paying £25 pa. (M).

For most of this period Peregrine Edwards has a virtual monopoly of milling in the Town. He is the outright owner of the neighbouring Black Mill , the only other mill in Southwold until the Revd Rous-Birch opens his own so-called New Mill in 1841.

Peregrine Edwards is a town Chamberlain. His contract with the Bailiffs for his lease of Town Mill includes this clause:

"At all times to grind bread and corn for the poor inhabitants of the said town at the rate or price of 1/- per coom."

1839
William Crisp - takes the unexpired term remaining in Peregrine Edwards' lease. (M)

William Crisp is the owner of Southwold Brewery (Later to become Adnams). He became Southwold's first mayor in 1836 after the Municiple Corporation Reform Act brought an end to the town's archaic and dysfunctional system of governance based on Bailiffs. The 1830s was a time when Southwold Corporation's conduct was held up to great public anger and ridicule, nationally as well as locally, to the extent that few people wished even to put themselves forward for office. There were only two candidates for mayor in 1836. Both received an equal number of votes. William Crisp, as chairman of the meeting, had the casting vote and duly appointed himself! William's residence was on the site where Barclay's Bank now stands

1844
The lease is put up for auction by James Maggs following William Crisp's death this February, but is not let. After the auction, the outgoing tenant's son, Read Crisp makes a private offer and rents it for 8 years at £20 pa. A year later,in 1845, he purchases Black Mill and a year after that, takes a lease on New Mill from Revd Rous-Birch. (M)

1850
Read Crisp - decides to give up milling altogether to become a bookseller and stationer in Beccles. The remaining two years of his lease are taken by William Boyden who also purchases from him the freehold of Black Mill for £1000. Wiliam Boyden then sub-lets Town Mill to Daniel Stammers who, very quickly has second thoughts. It goes to auction once more - unsuccessfully - but is eventually hired by the year for £12 pa by John J Goff who keeps renewing for the next six years. (M)

1856
Charles M Marsden - Hires the Mill, taking over from John J Goff. In the same year he also takes over Black Mill from the same John J Goff

Charles Marsden publicises his acquisition of the two mills with a leaflet dated October 29, which reads:

"C M Marsden, Miller, Corn and Coal Merchant, Southwold, respectfully informs the inhabitants of Southwold that he has entered upon the mills lately in the occupation of Mr Goff and earnestly and respectfully solicits their patronage, support and recommendation."

1863
The mill burns down in a fire during a storm.

1874
Mill is demolished

1897
An oak tree is planted on the site to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.