thirlage law. The 1799 Thirlage Act The Act allowed those suckeners bound by thirlage to make a one-off payment that 'bought' them out of the various legal requirements: Section 55 of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 abolished the last vestiges of thirlage as of 28 November 2004. Transporting millstones Under thirlage the suckeners had to convey new millstones to their thirled mill, sometimes over significant distances. The width of some of the first roads was determined by the requirement to have at least two people on either side of a new grindstone being transported, with a wooden axle called a 'mill-wand' passed through the hole in the centre. Aid to the poor Suckeners would place a small amount of grain in a bag at the mill which would be used to help feed the poor or those suffering hard times. See also List of Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain, 1780–1800 Museum of Ayrshire Country Life and Costume References External links A Researcher's Guide to Local History terminology Feudalism in the British Isles