Place Name
William Allen Vernon (November 10, 1860 – February 16, 1939) was a miller whose award-winning Millennium Flour made the family wealthy. Vernon had entered into business with his father (also called William), and his elder brother, John Herbert Vernon in 1885. The family had a large mill in Birkenhead. According to Grace’s Guide the family turned their attentions to the south after their flour “selected from ‘the best wheats of the world’ and was put through a carefully designed industrial process” had conquered the northern market “proving particularly popular in the mining districts” where it was known for making “beautiful white bread sandwiches”. In 1905, William junior was sent south to oversee the construction of the firm’s huge new Millennium Mills – named after their Miller Challenge Cup winner product – being erected at the Royal Victoria Dock, W. A. Vernon described the mills, that had a capacity of 100 sacks per hour, as “palatial”. He made Bohun Lodge, the family home, moving in his wife Elizabeth and seven children. In 1920, the family sold their milling business to Spillers, which also acquired Millennium Mills. This was not before the death of their son, Lieutenant William Ham Vernon who was killed in action in France in October 1916, during the First World War. The family donated the organ at St Mary the Virgin Church in his memory, which was dedicated Christmas Day 1920. The family were the last to live at Bohun Lodge. In 1928, both Bogun Lodge and neighbouring Oakhill were bequeathed to found a theological college, but it was demolished in the 1950s.
