A repurposed Army field message book labelled, "Lacey Green" comprising 4 pages of research notes, drawings and measurements from a visit to Lacey Green Windmill. The remainder of the notebook is blank.

Note entitled, 'per E.L.B.' regarding Coulsdon Common Mill as follows: 'Belonged to a man named Brigden who had a post-mill at Sydenham & a smock (hand winded) at Ewell, Surrey. The mill had two [common] sails & two springs or patents, can't say which. As a lad Brigden's man told me that his boss christened her, which might date the mill to the 50's or early 60's. Went over when a lad about 1884, when I think she had only just finished work'.

Bundle of research notes on:

• a draft address/paper relating to the Newcomen Society and the emergence of the term, 'Industrial Archaeology' (pre 1970);
• Thaxted Mill (30 November 1964);
• Broxted Mill (24 July 1938);
• an unidentified author's 'list of Post Mills In Essex that I know' addressed to 'Mr Wailes';
• brief typed notes on mills at South Ockenden, Stock and Southminster (undated);
• 8 pages of notes taken from the 'Historic Monuments Commission of the Province of Quebec' (Proulx, 1928) and from the 'Legal Archives of Quebec'. The focus is on historic 'Banal' and 'Seignorial' mills of Canada, including those listed at 'Place access points' below as well as notes about several unindexed mills (a 'First known mill on the Island of Orleans', 'Windmill [or Banal Mill] Saint Famille','The Mill Pointe aux Trembles', 'Fleming Mill, Ville La Salle', 'The Banal Mill, Vinceloth Signeur, Cap Saint Ignace', 'The Banal Mill, Grondines', 'old windmills at Fort Erie, Niagara and Windmill Point, Prescott' and the 'Old Windmill Sandwich'. An unidentified mill at 'Saint Plerve' is also noted;
• a brief note on the depiction of mills in art, 'This is not place to illustrate derelicts but mills when in their glory...' (undated);
• labels for plates in a paper or book, most of the items depicted being described as, 'in the possession of the author', for example, 'Puzzle jug inscribed, 'The Miller, the house & the mill but where is the Donkey'.

Notebook labelled, "No Mills", containing a list of buildings/works/sites in Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Shropshire with reference to possible map co-ordinates or reference/ listing numbers from a directory [perhaps for Listing or Scheduling?]. Despite the label, the list does include some mills. Examples of the locations listed include a gasworks in Fakenham, an old skating rink from c. 1870 in Bethel Street, Norwich, Ware railway station, Redbournbury watermill and Coalbrookdale Ironworks at Ironbridge

File containing a notebook and loose papers with drawings and plans of the drainage mill at Soham Mere. The notebook is labelled, 'Soham Mere 1947. R.C. Durdin's sketches made for proposed model for Science Museum. Order never placed'. The notebook also contains Wailes' own drawings for Soham Mere Mill dated 2[3] May 1947. The detailed architectural drawing of the mill is labelled 'Draining Mill. Soham Mere, Cambs' and marked 'F.D. Fyson'.

90 pages of manuscript for a paper entitled, 'The Windmills of Suffolk, Part I, Post mills' which begins, 'To paraphrase the well known saying about "All windmills are interesting but some are more so than others", the post mills of Suffolk can fairly claim to be as interesting as any in England'.
The narrative refers to a survey of all the working corn windmills in Suffolk in 1926 (prior to a meeting of the Newcomen Society) and then to subsequent surveys in 1937-1939 for SPAB and the Suffolk Preservation Society. The paper tracks the research noted in REXW-NOT-039-001 and concludes, 'It is hoped to include further notes on Suffolk millwrights in Part II of this paper'. It ends with a list of Suffolk mills visited in 1926 and 1937-1939, tracking the changes in their operational state.

A government-supplied Shorthand Note Book labelled, 'Rex Wailes. No Mills. 1963. Leicester, Nottingham, Manchester' with notes on a variety of topics including:
Lecture series: Notes on talks given to: the Northampton Natural History Society (19 March 1963); the Nonsuch & Ewell Antiquarian Society (26 March 1963); in Canterbury (6-7 April 1963). These were seemingly given to generate support for forthcoming survey-work. The Canterbury notes also include observations on the Kent mills listed at 'Place access points' below. Draft letters to those attending/organising these events also feature, including one with respect to a proposed visit to 'Pilgrim's College'.
Nottinghamshire pumping stations: Notes on pumping stations at Bestwood, Papplewick, Boughton, near Ollerton, and Basford, with reference to the relevant manufacturers (e.g. Ashton Frost and Hathone Davy). Also contains a list of mills in the Southwell area of Nottingham, focusing on the River Greet and Dora Beck.
Canals: Notes taken at Manchester Public Library on surveys of the Greater Manchester/Lancashire canal network and the rivers serving them.

A Reporters' Notebook containing:
Northants: notes taken from 'Northants Notes & Queries, New Series, Vol.4, 1912-1920' relating to: a 1609 grant by James 1 of a post mill at Kettering; the history of an unindexed tower mill (located on the site of a former post mill on Rockingham Road, Kettering) which was demolished in 1893; 18th c. maps of Kettering showing the location of various mills and a 19th c. print showing a post mill at Peterborough; also notes about the post mill at Seaton, Rutland which was demolished in 1917 as well as the nearby watermill, Henry Royce being said to have worked at both mills as a boy.
Suffolk: research notes relating to Suffolk windmills including construction dates, operational status in 1926,1939 and 1955 and including the notable features listed in 'Subject access points' below.
Windmill restoration: eight pages of draft narrative rehearsing the demise of wind and watermills since the late 19th c. and extolling the efforts of John Russell to restore and preserve Union Mill, Cranbrook. The narrative rehearses the preservation efforts made by a number of local authorities (counties listed in 'Place access points' below) arguing that it should be essential for such work to be their responsibility.
Windmills still in operation: notes running from back-to-front in the notebook listing, 'How many still in use', which are 'Workable' and 'When used and why'.

90 pages of manuscript for a paper entitled, 'The Windmills of Suffolk, Part II, Tower mills' which begins, 'The tower mills of Suffolk, like the post mills, suffered heavily between the years 1926 & 1939'.
Wailes notes that whilst smock and tower mill are listed separately at the end of the paper for the purpose of comparing their operational status in 1926 and again in 1937-1939, in the remainder of the paper, 'both smock and tower mills will be dealt with as one type'. The paper then tracks the research noted in REXW-NOT-039-001.

A partially-filled, repurposed pocket diary for 1936 measuring approx. 6.5 cm x 9.5 cm containing brief notes about the date of demolition of the Sidlesham watermill (c. 1920 - according to a Mr Clayton of Norton Lea, Selsey). Also very brief notes about the 'all iron' hollow post mill at West Ashling which was 'built when Chichester Cathedral spire came down' [1861].

Notebook measuring approx. 10.5 cm x 16.5 cm and marked on the inside cover 'c.1972' containing a list of mills (one page per mill), at varying levels of detail (those with more content being listed at 'Place access points' below). The first half of the notebook is devoted to watermills but the second half features windmills (mostly smock and post mills). Notes on several of the windmills reference the work of JM Heathcote. Cross references to maps/page numbers of books occur throughout.

A repurposed diary for 1945, cover removed and measuring approx. 7 cm x 13.5 cm, containing brief notes on a variety of milling matters (as well as other topics, particularly music). The notes include: a memo regarding a call to Matheson of the National Trust regarding Bourne Ponds Mill, Colchester; a 3-page list of mills, possibly depicting the development of windmills through time (from 'The Windmill Psalter' to 'Napolean's Raft'); a list of Lincolnshire mills. There are more detailed notes about the mills listed at 'Place access points' below, including Partington's Mill, Auckland, New Zealand (unindexed).

Six loose pages from a 1953-1954 diary, the pages measuring approx. 7.5 cm x 11.5 cm. Contains two pages of notes recording an agreement between Kent County Council and the National Trust regarding the repair of an unidentified windmill. The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and the Pilgrim Trust are also referenced.

A repurposed, leather-covered diary for 1948 measuring approx. 7.5 cm x 14 cm and containing a list of mills for which photographs were required. Also contains notes of a visit to Upminster Windmill with brief recommendations as to repair/conservation.