The windmill at Thelnetham was built by millwright George Bloomfield for William Button in 1819 . It replaced a post mill which had been moved to Sandy Lane , Diss , Norfolk the previous year . The mill was set to work on Christmas Day 1819 . In 1832 , the mill was modernised by the fitting of a cast @-@ iron windshaft , Patent sails and a fantail . The new windshaft was fitted on 16 July 1832 . It was made by J Aickman , the Kings Lynn millwright , and weighs 1 ¾ tons ( 1 @,@ 780 kg ) . A new stock was fitted in September 1836 . William Button died on 11 February 1837 . The mill passed jointly to his widow Rebecca and their son Richard . Richard Button worked the mill until 1860 , at which date it was conveyed to his sons Richard and William , who sold it to Richard Peverett from Kenninghall , Norfolk in 1862 .