Mr.. Riley,

In my research on saw mills I have come across the term quite
frequently.  In a saw mill it is those iron parts of the mill that
connect the power shaft to the business part of the mill be it sawing or
grinding. I thought that I had a reference to some of these being
shipped to Virginia from Holland but can't seem to find it.  The Dutch
had more experience with power saw mills than did the English during the
16th, 17th and early 18th century.  The English Sawyer Guilds restricted
the development of power saw mills in England.

You might try:
America's Rise to Woodworking Leadership, Rosenberg, Nathan

Early Lumbering: A Pictorial Essay, Peterson, Charles E.

Hope that helps some.

Rolland Miner
Director
New World Dutch Barn Survey 2000
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Website: http://nwdb2000.homestead.com/home.html
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