A funny historical tidbit courtesy of David Morris, showing the exercise of papal power over wind power:
“In Northern Europe, one of the earliest records of windmills were the ones in England recorded in 1185…Also, in 1191, records show that a windmill in Bury St. Edmunds was constructed in defiance of the local abbot. The windmill was ultimately destroyed, as an end result.
Windmills were governed by the “miling soke” division of the manor’s charter. The windmill was the property of the lord of the manor, possessing the monopoly over the windmill. The lord was also responsible for the repairs, maintenance and amount of mills needed to meet the demands of the people.
The church also had involvement with windmills. Pope Celestine III claimed that air used by windmills belong to the church. He made the assertion that windmills must be built with the expressed consent of a papal tithe.”
