Pede's Molen

Hundelgem (Zwalm)

Historical notes (part two)

He created the heavens and the earth with reason. He wraps the night around the day, and He wraps the day around the night. And He regulates the sun and the moon, each running along a specific course. He is indeed the Almighty, the Forgiver. - Quran, 39. Throngs (az-Zumar) (5)

Maps from the 18th and 19th centuries

On the « Cabinet Map of the Austrian Lower Countries and the Principality of Liège », published in 1777 by Joseph Johann Franz de Ferraris (° 1726 - † 1814), this mill is represented under the name « Moulin Le Bist » (see note).

Mention of Moulin Le Bist on the Cabinet Map of the Austrian Lower Countries and the Principality of Liège (1777)
Illustration #3-1: Mention of « Moulin Le Bist » on the Cabinet Map of the Austrian Netherlands and the Principality of Liège (1777).
Moulin Le Bist (detail)
Illustration #3-2: « Moulin Le Bist » (detail).

The name « Moulin Le Bist »

« Moulin Le Bist » is a name that was given to several mills in the province of East Flanders. A possible explanation for this name can be found in the Dutch word bister, a product that was made from grounded walnut husks. This type of mills also crushed oak bark. The resulting powder was used in tanneries. The crushing of walnut husks and oak bark could be carried out by means of vertical pestles driven by a camshaft. Oak bark could also be ground between millstones, which obviously had to be dressed accordingly and had to have a sufficiently big eye to enable the introduction of bark between the millstones (see note for the terms dressing and eye).

Another possible explanation for « Moulin Le Biest » can be found in older place names. Indeed, a lot of place names contain references to designate the landscape where former populations lived and worked. People who had to live from the yield of their land obviously were interested in the presence of suitable fields to plant their crops.

Watercourses and the presence of springs have always played an important role in the designation of place names. It is for instance impossible to grow cereal crops in muddy soil. On the other hand, this type of soil can provide the raw materials for the braiding of mats, baskets or the seats of chairs: reeds and rush. The word « biest » stems from « bies » (Dutch for rush), the ending -t designates the presence of rush in large quantities. Thus, « Biest » is a place where a profusion of rush can be found: a low plot of land with plenty of water. The surroundings where our water mill is situated meet this description perfectly. Besides, one of the last millers also manufactured baskets and cultivated watercress (see below).

For a third possible explanation, we refer to the note.

The miller's house

The miller's house does not yet appear on the Ferraris map, but it does on the « Atlas der Buurtwegen » (Atlas of the Byroads) of 1844 and on the map by Philippe Christian Popp dating from approximately 1850. It is likely that the miller's house was built in 1817 by the miller Jacobus Vanderstraeten. However, on the south facing side wall we find an inscription with the year 1672 in the form of anchors. It is possible that the anchors have been reused during a later reconstruction of the original miller's house, of which the construction date is unknown. However, we can assume that the miller's house would have been constructed within a short time span after the building of the mill, so the year 1672 is a plausible construction date, only eigth years after the construction of the water mill.

Side wall of the miller's house with inscription of the date 1672
Picture #3-1: Side wall of the miller's house with inscription of the date 1672. © Jan Van Laethem
Water mill, stables and miller's house, Atlas der Buurtwegen (Atlas of the Byroads) (1844)
Illustration #3-3: Water mill, stables and miller's house, « Atlas der Buurtwegen » (Atlas of the Byroads) (1844).
Miller's house and stables
Picture #3-2: Miller's house and stables. © Jan Van Laethem

We find the same disposition on the Popp map of Hundelgem (see illustration #3-4 below). In 1842, Philippe Christian Popp (° 1805 - † 1879), a former civil servant at the land registry of Bruges, started the publication of his «Atlas cadastral parcellaire de la Belgique» (Land Registry Parcel Map of Belgium). The goal was to draw land registry maps of all Belgian municipalities and to make them accessible to everybody for a modest price. At his death in 1879, 1,800 maps had already been published of the 2,566 Belgian municipalities that existed at the time. However, the publication of certain provinces remained unachieved (see note).

For each map, a specific table was established with information about each parcel, such as the owner, the size of the parcel, use of the land and land revenue. We will get back to the tables of Hundelgem and Velzeke at a later stage.

Water mill, stables and miller's house, Plan Parcellaire par Philippe-Christian Popp (Cadastral Map) (approximately 1850)
Illustration #3-4: Water mill, stables and miller's house, « Plan Parcellaire par Philippe-Christian Popp » (Cadastral Map) (approximately 1850). The black arrow indicates the direction of the watercourse. Just before the mill, the brook has been made wider, in order to be able to collect enough water before the start of a milling session.

Mills in Hundelgem and the surrouding areas

The document « Les Domaines Royaux de la Flandre Orientale n° 134 » (« Royal Domains of East Flanders #134 »), which is kept at the Royal Archives of Ghent, mentions that the mill was sold before 1718 to Jan Verhaegen and in 1770 to Frans Van Der Beken.

Pede's Mill often had a shortage of water. As a result, Jan Baptist Cnudde from Zegelsem requested authorization to construct a windmill in the same municipality of Hundelgem. On September 3rd 1770, he sent his request to the administration of the Austrian Empress Maria Theresia. At the time, a large part of Belgium was under Austrian rule. The miller had been told that:

« in the parish of Hundelgem there is only one Water mill that serves to grind wheat, and which often lacks water to serve the inhabitants of this parish» (cited from the original request, translated from Dutch).

The word « meuleken » in the original text (literally « little Water mill ») clearly refers to the reduced dimensions of the building where the water mill was located. Water mills in this part of Belgium are usually part of a larger building. A water mill as a separate building is quite unique in this area.

There was no opposition to his request and Jan Baptist Cnudde received the patent on January 26th 1771. Other sources mention 1775 as construction year and Jacobus Meersschaut as the first miller. It is possible that Jacobus Meersschaut rented the mill from the owner Jan Baptiste Cnudde. If the year 1775 can be confirmed as the construction date of the competing windmill, it corresponds to the conversion date of Pede's Mill. The reconstruction and enlargment of our water mill was carried out by the owner Frans Van Der Beken after the purchase in 1770. This fact can be considered as a reaction to the construction of a competing mill, as the new windmill was erected at a distance of only 750 metres and was situated much closer to the centre of a small rural village with a limited population.

This windmill is known today as « Oude Madrienne » and is also depicted on the Ferraris map of 1777 (see illustrations below). Only the trunk of this windmill remains to this day.

Mention of the water mill Moulin Le Bist and of the windmill in Hundelgem on the Cabinet Map of the Austrian Netherlands and the Principality of Liège (Carte de Cabinet des Pays-Bas autrichiens et de la Principauté de Liège) (1777)
Illustration #3-5: Mention of the water mill « Moulin Le Bist » and of the windmill in Hundelgem on the Cabinet Map of the Austrian Netherlands and the Principality of Liège («Carte de Cabinet des Pays-Bas autrichiens et de la Principauté de Liège») (1777).
Windmill of Hundelgem detail)
Illustration #3-6: Windmill of Hundelgem (detail).

The map of L. A. Dupuis, dating from the same year 1777, also gives us the location of both mills. Source: « Chorographic Map of the Austrian Netherlands, dedicated to the Imperial and Royal Majesties by the Duque de Ferraris, lieutenant-general of their armies » («Carte chorographique des Pays-Bas autrichiens dédiée à Leurs Majestés impériales et royales par le comte de Ferraris, lieutenant-général de leurs armées»), engraved by L.A. Dupuis, geographer of Duque Charles Alexandre of Lotharingen and Bar in 1777.

Mention of the water mill ter Bist and of the windmill in Hundelgem on the Map of L. A. Dupuis (1777)
Illustration #3-7: Mention of the water mill « ter Bist » and of the windmill in Hundelgem on the Map of L. A. Dupuis (1777).

In this context, it is also interesting to situate the water mill « ter Bist » in a slightly larger picture and to indicate the localisation of water mills and windmills in the neighbouring villages and hamlets.

Water mills and windmills in the vecinity of the mill ter Bist on the Map of L. A. Dupuis (1777)
Illustration #3-8: Water mills and windmills in the vecinity of the mill « ter Bist » on the Map of L. A. Dupuis (1777). The mill « ter Bist » is indicated by a yellow circle, the other water mills by a blue circle and the windmills by a red circle.

The water mill and windmill of Hundelgem (one constructed in 1664 and the other in approximately 1775) are further mentioned in a report to establish the borders of the village. This report is dated April 12th 1817.

This is a translation of the original text, which was written in French :

« The village has two mills, one windmill and one water mill. The windmill situated in the district known as Den Drigt #243 is the property of (name not quoted) and only serves to grind cereal. Although it is built with bricks, the construction is only average. The place where it stands is not very elevated, which makes it almost inaccessible to the winds and prevents it from taking benefit from the proximity of the dwellings. Taking into account these considerations and the information gained about its rental value, the expert estimates its gross income at f. 180,00 (expressed in the old currency gulden florijn). If a third is deducted for the maintenance costs, the net income is f. 120,00. »

« The water mill also serves to grind cereals. It is situated in the district known as Steenveld #271, on a watercourse that is often lacking water in the summer. It only has one overshot water wheel with a wooden head race » (see note) . « The expert has not been able to determine its rental value, but following the information gained, he estimates its gross income at f. 135,00 and its net income at f. 90,00 ».

On the « Atlas der Buurtwegen » (Atlas of the Byroads), we can clearly see the distance between the water mill and the centre of the village of Hundelgem, indicated by a red line along Footh Path #17. The windmill near the top of the map stands very close to the village centre. Hence Pede's Mill mainly provided the hamlets of Steenveld (spread across the current municipalities of Hundelgem and Munkzwalm) and Velzeke-Ruddershove (currently part of Zottegem, situated just on the other side of the brook).

Incidentally, this footh path still exists today. The son of the last miller, Robert Flamand, has confirmed that he and his brother used this footh path on a daily basis when they attended school in the village center during the 1950s.

Water mill ter Bist and windmill in Hundelgem, Atlas der Buurtwegen (Atlas of the Byroads) (1844)
Illustration #3-9: Water mill « ter Bist » and windmill in Hundelgem, « Atlas der Buurtwegen » (Atlas of the Byroads) (1844). The red line indicates the track of Footh Path #17, the shortest way on foot from Pede's Mill to the village centre of Hundelgem. The blue line is the course of the brook Zwedebeek.

The next chapter at a glance:

In this last chapter of the Historical Notes, we look at the more recent history, the gradual decline of Pede's Mill and its complete restauration.