A Bibliography of his Work

Nigel S. Harris an ex Chartered Physicist (CPhys) started his working career at ERA Technology and was mainly involved in the experimental vacuum impregnation and life testing of thin film capacitors. The high-vacuum process plant used consisted in part of a liquid nitrogen trapped mercury diffusion pumped system with a mercury McCloud gauge (see photo at the bottom of the page). Nigel then spent several years working in the Medical Physics Departments of the Royal Marsden & Guys Hospitals using radioisotopes for diagnostic purposes. 

Nigel joined Edwards High Vacuum in 1970 as a Development Engineer/Physicist. He spent six years on the development of vacuum pumps including the Diffstak and a porous-element heated vapour booster pump. The latter pump was the subject of a paper presented at the 7th International Vacuum Congress & 3rd International Conference on Solid Surfaces at Vienna in 1977. During this early stage of Nigel's career he had the pleasure of being mentored by vacuum experts B.D. Power and N.T.M Dennis, both who became Technical Directors at Edwards and who were well known for their vacuum books published by Chapman & Hall. Also during this period Nigel attended (on a part-time basis) Sir John Cass College of Science & Technology, London, where he gained an MSc in “Vacuum Science & the Physics of Solid Surfaces and Thin Films”.  As part of the MSc degree he wrote a 20,000 word critical survey on the "Back-streaming of oil vapour from rotary and diffusion vacuum pumps". This later formed the basis of several articles encouraged by Professor John Yarwood for publication in the journal "Vacuum".

Nigel then decided to apply his knowledge and experience of vacuum science and technology in a training role within the company. He became Deputy Manager and then Manager of their UK Vacuum Training facility. As Edwards business grew to became a fast-expanding global division of BOC, and with a staff of six built up over several years, he reshaped the then named International Training Department from not only a training delivery team but also into a skilled training material preparation team. This standardised the appearance of global training material, reduced duplication of effort and made training more readily available (delivered by local trainers trained in the UK). He pioneered the introduction of technical  e-learning into the Company and prior to his retirement in 2001 he was promoted to Corporate Technical Training Manager, BOC Edwards. (now Edwards). His accountability was to define and articulate the strategic priorities for corporate technical training both for employees and customers and to ensure the delivery of training to meet business demand.

During his vacuum career Nigel had published more than 20 technical review papers, several booklets and the textbook "Modern Vacuum Practice" which has sold over 15,000 copies and is in its 3rd edition. During the early part of his vacuum career Nigel carried out training worldwide, including in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Eire, France, Hungary, India, Japan, Malaysia, Portugal, Sarawak, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and USA. In all it is estimated that Nigel had trained around 4000 students. Conference presentations included "A Laboratory Package for Training in Vacuum Technology". Presented at the 28th National Symposium of the American Vacuum Society, Anaheim, USA in November 1981 and published in the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. Vol 20 No 4

In 2022 Edwards Vacuum Technology Ireland Ltd made a significant investment in a training centre in Dublin. A practical laboratory within the centre has been named the "Harris Laboratory".

On retirement in 2001 Nigel lectured throughout southern England on the postal history of 19th century Canada (displaying a collection he had built up over 20 years). After disposing of his philatelic collection he researched his family history and discovered that his 4 times great grandfather (David Harris), owned a corn watermill in Gomshall, Surrey. The mill was in family ownership from 1759 until 1806. In 2005 Nigel wrote and published a booklet about the mill and his family connection. Further research into various aspect of mills and milling lead Nigel to become an independent author and publisher, specialising in the history, development & technology of flour milling. He was a Heritage Partner of the Mills Archive Trust and a Member of the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. He has published several books dealing with various aspects of flour milling and written numerous articles on the subject.

Link to Authors Amazon webpage


Published Work -  BOOKS

2019 Corn Watermills of the National Trust in England
ISBN 9780955150166  For sale @ ebay

2018 The Corn Mill Drawings of John Brandrick
ISBN 9780955150159

2017 Wheat Flour Milling from Millstones to Rollers

ISBN 9780955150142 


2015   Traditional Corn Milling Watermills

ISBN 978095510135


2014   Watermills and Stoneground Flour Milling 

ISBN 9780955150128


2005   Gomshall Mill the Harris Millers and their Shere Connection   ISBN 9780955150104


2005    Modern Vacuum Practice (3rd edition)  Revised in 2007

ISBN 9780955150111  

2001    Modern Vacuum Practice (2nd edition)

1989    Modern Vacuum Practice (1st edition) McGraw-Hill 

ISBN 9780077070991 


1979   Vacuum Engineering  Published by TAS Section of AUEW 



AUTHOR BIBLIOGRAPHY over 45 Years of Articles, Papers, Letters & Publicity material

Subject: VACUUM

1975  Diffusion Pumps and Traps. Pumps-Pompes-Pumpen. 111, 1010-1013.

1976  Design & Manufacture of Modern Mechanical Vacuum Pumps. Vacuum. 26, 525-529. Paper presented at the British Vacuum Council Symposium on 'Process Vacuum Technology' 18 March 1976.

1976  Porous-Element Heated Vapour Pumps.  Edwards High Vacuum, Publication 06681

1977  Advances in Rotary Pump Design.  Pumps—Pompes—Pumpen. 124, 15-17

1977  Vacuum Pumps are Getting Better.  Industrial Research. Sept, 95-98

1977  An Industrial Vapour Vacuum Pump Employing a Porous Element Flash Boiler.  Proc. 7th Intern. Vac. Cong. & 3rd Intern. Conf. Solid Surfaces (Vienna). pp13-16

1977  Diffusion Pump Back-streaming.  Vacuum. 27, 519-530

1977  Advances in the Design of Vapour Pumping Groups.  Pumps—Pompes—Pumpen. 134, 450-452

1977  Pumps and Pumping: Conventional Pumps. Presented at the SIRA Institute meeting “High-Vacuum Technology: Systems and Applications” London 25-26 October. SIRA Institute Ltd (Scientific Instrument Research Association)

1978  Rotary Pump Back-migration.  Vacuum. 28, 261-268

1978  BOOKLET: Vacuum Engineering. TAS Section of AUEW

1979  Manual of Experiments in Vacuum Science and Technology.  Edwards High Vacuum [83 pages]

1980  Modern Diffusion Pump vs Turbomolecular Pump SystemsVacuum. 30, 175-181

1980  Review of Visual Aids for Instruction in Vacuum Technology and Applications [Visual aids produced by the  International Union for Vacuum Science, Technique and Applications].  European Journal of Physics.

1981  Practical Aspects of Constructing, Operating and Maintaining Rotary Vane and Diffusion-pumped SystemsVacuum. 31, 173-182

1981  BOOKLET: Vacuum Technology.  Edwards High Vacuum (special edition reprint of the 1979 AUEW booklet)

1982  A Laboratory Package for Training in Vacuum Technology.  Presented at the 28th National Symposium of the American Vacuum Society, Anaheim, USA.  4 Nov 1981.   Published - Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. Vol 20. No 4, 1408-1411

1982  Vacuum Technology—Uses in the Factory.  Factory Equipment News (March), 201-21

1985  BOOKLET: Cryopumping.  Edwards High Vacuum.

1987  Vacuum and Present-day Problems for Vacuum Pumps.  Institute of Physics “Physics Bulletin”. 38, 224– 226

1989  BOOK: Modern Vacuum Practice. 1st edition. Mc-Graw Hill. ISBN 9780077070991. 315 pages

1989  Pump Up the Vacuum.  Laboratory Practice. 38, #6, 13-171989

1991  BOOKLET: Dry Pumping Technology.  Edwards High Vacuum.

1992  BOOK REVIEW: Vacuum Technology & Applications by D. Hucknell. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.  Chemistry & Industry. #15, 570

1993  High-vacuum Troubleshooting and Leak Detection.  Appendix A:5. Procedures in Electron Microscopy. John Wiley & Sons, 1-10

2001  TEXTBOOK: Modern Vacuum Practice 2nd edition. Published by Nigel S. Harris. 357 pages.

2005  No Life on Mars. "Interactions" magazine —The Institute of Physics, May, 6 

2005  TEXTBOOK: Modern Vacuum Practice. 3rd edition. Published by Nigel S. Harris. ISBN 9780955150111. 457 pages.

Subject: PHILATELY

1994  Air Crash of 1954. Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain. Maple Leaves. 23, #6, 202-204

2002  Mystery of the So-called Trade Sample Sheet.  Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain. Maple Leave. 27, #6, 259-261

Subject: TRAINING

1999  International Training Around the World. Training (Reed Business Magazine) May, 4

1999  A Good Set of Trainers Helps You Stay Ahead.  Connections Newsletter (BOC Edwards) May/June, 7

Subject: LOCAL/FAMILY HISTORY

2005  BOOKLET: Gomshall Mill, The Harris Millers & Their Shere Connection. Extracts. Published by Nigel S. Harris. ISBN 9780955150104. 28 pages.

2007  The Y FactorPractical Family History Magazine. p52-54

Subject: FLOUR MILLING related

 "Mill News" is the quarterly magazine of the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

 "Old Mill News" is the quarterly publication of the USA Society for the Protection of Old Mills.

"Grist to the Mill" is the quarterly  newsletter of the Mills & Millers of Ireland.

"International Molinology" is the half-yearly journal of the International Molinoligical Society

2014  Raising the Stone Nut.  Mill News #138, 20. 

2014  Illustrated Flour Mill Billheads.  Mill News #138, 36-37

2014  Double Rows of Alternating Cogs.  Mill News #139 (April), 20

2014  Gomshall Watermill, Surrey. Mill News #139 (April),  21

2014  One-Piece French Burr Millstones.  Mill News #139 (April), 22

2014  Mill Postcards and Associated Original Artwork.  Mill News #139 (April), 28-30

2014  Memorials to Millers and Millwrights. Mill News #139 (April), 34-35

2014  Medieval Lead Tokens with Possible Mill Connections.  Mill News #139 (April), 38-39

2014  Beaulieu Tide Mill Restoration.  Mill News #140 (July), Front page + 2-3

2014  A Cone Clutch in a South African Mill. Mill News #140 (July), 13. 

2014  Two Watercolours of Flour Mill Workers c1900. Mill News #140 (July), 20

2014  A Survey of Watermill Gear Ratios.  Mill News #141 (Oct), 8-9

2014  Illustrated Flour Mill Billheads - Part 1. Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #104, 6

2014  Mill Models at Bishop’s Lydeard Watermill, Somerset.  Mill News #141 (Oct), 20

2014  Raising the StonenutHampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #104, 8. 

2014  Notes on a tour of Beaulieu Tide Mill - April 2014. Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #105, 5

2014  Illustrated Flour Mill Billheads - Part 2. Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #105, 7

2014  The Origins of My Interest in Watermills and particularly Gomshall Mill, Surrey. Hampshire MIlls Group Newsletter. 106, 7

2014  One-Piece French Burr MillstonesHampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #107, 7

2015  Warnham Mill Pond Sluice Failure.  Mill News #142 (Jan), 22

2015  Gomshall Watermill—Mill Race Refurbishment.  Mill News #142 (Jan), 27

2015  Air Flow Through a Eureka Grain Cleaner.  Mill News #143 (Apr), 16-18

2015  17th Century Repairs to Gomshall Watermill, Surrey.  Mill News #143 (Apr), 20-21

2015  Book Review: Watermills and Stoneground Flour Milling. TIMS E-News Issue 18, (Spring 2015), Page 19 & 20

2015  Redesign of Gomshall Watermill—1839. Mill News #144 (July), 7-9

2015  A Visit to Wessex Mill, Wantage Oxfordshire.  Mill News #145 (July), 6-7

2015  A Cone Clutch in a South African Mil. Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #110, 4

2015  Medieval Lead Tokens with Possible Mill Connections.  Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #111, 4

2016  Memorials to Millers and MillwrightsHampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #112, 4

2016  Double Row of Alternating Cogs. Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter #113, 5

2016  A Tour of House Mill, Bromley-by-Bow.  Mill News #146 (Jan), 15-17

2016  A Watermill at Thaxted Church.  Mill News #146 (Jan), 27

2016  A Visit to Marriage's Mill, Chelmsford, Essex. Mill News #147 (Apr), 14-15

2016  Reconstruction of a Pompeian-style Mill. Mill News #147 (Apr), 32

2016  A Visit to Botley Mills, Hampshire. Mill News #148 (July), 14-15

2016  A Visit to Headley Mill, Hampshire. Mill News #149 (Oct), 30-31

2016  Reconstruction of a Pompeian-style MillHampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #115, 6

2017  G.R. Wright & Sons Ltd, London. Pt 1. The millstone mill. Mill News #150, (Jan), 30-32

2017  G.R. Wright & Sons Ltd, London. Pt 2. Wright’s roller milling heritage. Mill News #151 (Apr), 32-33  

2017  Visit to Headley MillHampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #116, 6

2017  Help Out Mill, Shackerstone, Leicestershire. Mill News #152, (July), 10-11

2017  Botley Mills. Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #117, 6

2017  Rebirth of the Henry Simon Brand. Mill News #153, (Oct), 25-29 

2018  What is a Chondrometer? Mill News #154, (Jan), 23-24

2018  Book Review "Wheat Flour Milling from Millstones to Rollers" World Grain. (Jan) 76, 78

2018  Mill Postcards & Associated Original Artwork. Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #120, 8 

2018  The Watermill Paintings of Richard Ward.  Mill News #155, (April), 15-17 

2018 Millstones versus Roller Mills, continued. Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #121, 7 

2018 17th-century St. Saviour Mill Token. Mill News #156, (July), 25

2018 Possible Image of the Medieval Tilty Abbey Watermill. Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #122, 19  

2018 An Early Joseph Thornton Roller Mill. Mill News #157, (Oct), 11

2018 Book Review: The Corn Mill Drawings of John Brandrick. Mill News #157, (Oct), 22 

2018 A Possibly Unique Daverio Roller Mill at Wath Mill  Hampshire Mills Group Newsletter. #123, 7  

2018 Pompeian-style Mill in the Museum of London SPOOM Old Mill News. #184, 12 

2019 Some Scottish Horizontal-wheeled Watermills. Mill News #158, (Jan), 26-28 

2019 Pompeian-style Mill in the Museum of London Sussex Mills Group Newsletter. #181, 16/17

2019 Grain Measures (Chondrometers) Hampshire Mill Group Newsletter #124, 4

2019 William Gardner, Millstone Manufacturer Mill News #159, (Apr), 22/23

2019 Three Horizontal-Wheeled Scottish Mills "Grist to the Mill" #35 (Spring), 6-8

2019 Some Scottish 'Norse' Mills SPOOM Old Mill News, #186, (Spring), 13-15

2019 BOOK REVIEW: "Corn Watermills of the National Trust in England" Hampshire Mill Group Newsletter #125, 3

2019 Eureka-style Grain Cleaners - Air Flow Through a Typical Unit Hampshire Mill Group Newsletter #125, 5

2019 Historical Survey of an English Watermill at Gomshall, Surrey International Molinology #98, 2-15

2019 Two Orkney Vertical-wheeled Watermills. Mill News #160, (Jul), 7-9

2019 BOOK REVIEW: Corn Watermills of the National Trust in England Mill News #160, (Jul). 33
2019 Eureka-style Grain Cleaners - The Air Flow Through a Typical Unit SPOOM Old Mill News, #188, (Fall), 14-15

2019 BOOK REVIEW: Corn Watermills of the National Trust in English International Molinology #99, 46 

2020 Some Late 19th Century Ideas and Machines for the Milling of Wheat by Percussion International Molinology #100 (June), 2-10

2020 BOOK REVIEW: Wheat Flour Milling from Millstones to Rollers. (In Dutch). De nieuwe Molenwereld. # 6, 27-29

2021 Historical Survey of the Watermill at Gomshall, Surrey. Mill News #166, (Jan), 2-12 

2021 The Remains of Horizontal-wheeled watermills on Fair Isle. Mill News #167 (Apr), 28 - 30

2021 A Satellite Survey of the Horizontal-wheeled Watermills of the Shetland Isles. International Molinology #102 (June), 34 - 42

2021 Two Shetland Horizontal-wheeled watermills used for Small-scale Electrical Generation.  Mill News #168 (Jul), 7-11

2021 Horizontal-wheeled watermills of the Faroe Islands. Mill News #169 (Oct), 27 - 30

2022 Restored horizontal-wheeled watermills of the Shetland Isles. Mill News #170  (Jan), 2 - 5
2022 Moarfield Mill, Yell, Shetland - update. Mill News #170 (Jan), 18
2022 Vertical-wheeled watermills of the Shetland Isles. Mill News #171 (Apr), 2,3 

2022 Letter to the Editor.  Horizontal-wheeled watermills of the Shetland Isles.  Mill News #171 (Apr), 14


Donations to the Mills Archive Trust (Images/documents)  The Nigel Harris Collection 

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