TEXTILE MANUFACTURE, AND OTHER INDUSTRIES, IN KEIGHLEY. BY JOHN HODGSON. KEIGHLEY: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY A. HEY, STATIONER, AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS, 1879. PREFACE. DURING a conversation, a few years ago, with one of the leading manufacturers of this town, about the old tradesmen who had been engaged in making stuff pieces in this neighbourhood, he said that we seemed to know more about the old manufacturers than any one he had ever met with, and at the same time strongly urged us to put our recollections into writing, assuring us that if we neglected to do so, a number of important facts relating to the old tradesmen of Keighley would, in a few years, be lost past recovery. We engaged to think about it, supposing that all we could manage to say would be contained in a small pamphlet. About the end of the year 1876, we suffered a very painful bereavement, and in order to divert our attention from it, and to prevent, as much as possible, excessive brooding over our heavy loss, we set about collecting materials for the present Work, and as we went on it grew in our hands, and the result is the present volume. When we began we only intended to notice the stuff piece manufacturers, but on prosecuting our inquiries, we found no less than twenty-three old Cotton Mills, or buildings where cotton yarn had formerly been spun, in this parish; and, as machine making has become one of the leading industries in this town, we have noticed the parties who have been engaged in making machinery for spinning worsted yarn and weaving stuff pieces. No one is more conscious than ourselves of the many defects this book contains; we have, however, endeavoured to place before our readers, in plain and homely language, not only our own recollections, but also a number of important facts and dates culled from old writings. A large number of legal and other documents have been placed in our hands; and for the very valuable information thus obtained, we wish to express our obligations to the following parties who have so kindly given us access to the above writings, viz: Messrs. JOHN BRIGG & Co., Messrs. J. & J. CRAVEN & Co, JOSEPH CRAVEN ESQ., ROBERT CLOUGH, ESQ., MISS CLAPHAM, of Utley, MRS. DICKSON, of Spring Gardens, ISAAC HOLDEN ESQ., RICHARD HATTERSLEY, ESQ., Messrs. WILLIAM HAGGAS & SON, of Cross Roads Mill, Messrs. JAMES HAGGAS & SONS, of Lane Ends and Ingrow, JAMES LUND, ESQ., T. B. LAYCOCK, Esq., Messrs. B. & W. MARKINER, PRINCE SMITH, Esq., Mr. ABRAHAM SHACKLETON, Braithwaite, Messrs. SHARP BROTHERS, of Whinknowle, and ABRAHAM HIRD. |