A WOODEN panel scrawled with signatures from more than a century ago has set the rumour mill turning.

Workmen discovered the Victorian vestige while re-roofing Wantage's Wessex Mill earlier this month.

Now the Munsey family, who have run the business since 1953, have appealed for information about the un-known scribblers.

Trainee flour miller Emily Munsey, whose dad Paul is the current director, said: "They just brought it down last week.

"We have a lot of old machinery here from the 40s so we're used to old things, but this was a bit of a surprise."

The beam is adorned with the date September 17, 1898, and the family believe that was the date their mill was built.

But there are also two names written on it: one is Hayward but the other is more difficult to decipher.

Underneath the names it appears to say 'Blumbers Wantage' – a family name, but not one that means anything to the Munseys.

It's all the more curious because the Munsey family have been milling in Oxfordshire for more than 100 years, though not always in Wantage.

Paul Munsey's great grandfather William Henry started running Osney Mill in Oxford in 1898 – the exact same year as on the plank.

William Henry had come to Oxford in 1895 after his farming business in Cambridge was devastated by foot and mouth.

He originally ran Osney Mill with Archer Cowley, but the pair parted ways in 1911 and the business became W.H. Munsey Ltd.

His sons eventually took over the trade – Ellis Munsey carried on the flour milling side and Keith Munsey traded as a corn merchant.

In 1945, Osney Mill was destroyed by a fire and, rather than rebuild, the family decided to buy Mr Clark's flour mill at Wantage.

At the time the Wantage was an all-biscuit flour mill, but the family began producing bread flour and over the years have supplied Cadbury's, Mars and United Biscuits.

Wessex Mill now supplies flour to more than 1,000 farm shops and fine food outlets including Harrods, Fortnum and Masons and Selfridges.

The Munseys even supply Michelin-starred restaurants in Budapest, Hungary.

If you have any information about the names on the beam email news@nqo.com