Mills & Businesses

Mills were an abundant feature in the Spen Valley and employed many of the local workforce, including men, women and children. There were three main types of mill built:
 

• by private individuals who used the premises solely for their own use.

• by landlords who would let room(s) with power

• by groups of men, who would subscribe small amounts of money in order to build and run company mills. 

Please note that at the moment, this page just contains basic "scribblings" of some details relating to mills and businesses...in time these details will be added to and expanded upon. Details for Cleckheaton and Scholes can be found in the buttons below. More areas will be added in future.

Bridge Mill, Heckmondwike
1857 - Entry in Post Office Directory for Thomas Armitage & Sons, carpet manufacturers & woollen yarn spinners at Bridge Mill.

Butts Mill, Gomersal
1857 - Kelly's Post Office Directory lists BARKER, Son & BROOK, blanket manufacturers, Butts Mill, Gomersal

California Mill, Gomersal
1857 - Kelly's Post Office Directory lists KNOWLES, HOUGHTON & Co., woollen machine makers, Little Gomersal
1858 - Messrs. Knowles & Houghton
1921 - Henry Hirst & Sons, Iron trade

Eureka Leadworks, Beck Lane, Heckmondwike
1897 - Registration of A. Barraclough & Co., lead merchants, lead pipe manufacturers, plumbers, lead & iron workers, mechanical engineers, iron & brass founders, coppersmiths, whitesmiths, etc.

Flush Mills, Heckmondwike
1857 - Entry in Post Office Directory for Edwin Firth & Sons, manufacturers of blankets, carpets, rugs, army, mohair & woollen cloths at Flush Mills.
1861 - Census entry for Edwin Firth shows he is a merchant & manufacturer employing 700 hands.
1871 - Census entry for Thomas Freeman Firth shows him a woollen manufacturer employing 430 men, 470 boys and girls.
1881 - Census entry for Thomas Freeman Firth shows him a manufacturer employing 863 hands.

Hare Park Mills, Hightown
1921 - J McCandlish Ltd., Leather curriers - director Willie Hey

Hunsworth Mills, Hunsworth
Built about 1785. Owned by Joshua Taylor of Red House fame.
1857 - Entry in Post Office Directory for John & Joshua Taylor, woollen dyers & scribbling millers at Hunsworth Mills.
1857 - Entry in Post Office Directory for Joshua Taylor, woollen & cloth merchant at Hunsworth Mills.
6 Feb 1881 - A large fire causes much damage to premises at Hunsworth Mills belonging to Messrs. J & R Taylor. Efforts to extinguish the fire were hampered by lack of water and the pressure of the mains.
Mar 1894 - The partnership heretofore subsisting between Mr George Walton and Mr Henry Fisher, dyers, Hunsworth Mills, Cleckheaton, has been dissolved by mutual consent, and will be carried on under the same style - Henry Fisher & Co. by Messrs C.V. Woodcock and Henry Fisher.

Marsh Mills, Rawfolds
1861 - Thornton Brothers. Machine makers (established c. 1840 by Isaac Thornton)
Jul 1864 - Partnership dissolved - Fearnley & Cockroft, Marsh Mills near Cleckheaton or elsewhere, woollen spinners.
1869 - Dec 21st, aged 69 years, Mr John Thornton, senior partner in the firm of Thornton Brothers, machine makers, Marsh Mills, Cleckheaton.
1871 - Joshua Thornton residing at Nether House, Rawfolds and shown as a master machine maker employing 125 men and 25 boys.
1875 - Liquidation of the affairs of George & John Henry Riley, yarn spinners & manufacturers
1890 - 30 Oct, Death of Mr Joshua Thornton, senior partner in the firm of Messrs. Thornton Bros., machine makers, Marsh Mills.
24 Feb 1892 - Chimney disaster. Numerous fatalities and injuries. Premises of Wesley Barraclough, flannel manufacturer, who then sets up at Central Mills.
4 May 1892 - Large fire at a three storey mill of Messrs. Thornton Bros., machine makers, Marsh Mills. The building was totally destroyed throwing almost 200 hands out of work.
1900 - Death of Samuel Jackson, worsted spinner of Savile Mills, which he had carried on for about 20 years. He was also a director of the Chadwick Machine Co. and of S. Haley & Sons, Ltd of Pyenot Hall Works.
23 Mar 1911 - Large fire at a 3 storey mill owned by Chadwick Machine Co. Considerable damage caused and 190 hands thrown out of work.
1921 - Foster & Surcliffe (textiles?)

Moorfield Mill, Heckmondwike
1857 - Entry in Post Office Directory for William Redfern, blanket manu., at Moorfield Mill.
1857 - Entry in Post Office Directory for Benjamin Rhodes, blanket manu., at Moorfield Mill.

Nell Royd Mill, Marsh
1867 - Fire in boiler house. Owner F. Sykes
1879 - Solomon Sykes & Sons. Willeying

Oak Mill, Cringles
1875 - The Endless Band Company (Leedham Binns)
1921 - E.W. Lister & Co., worsted spinners

Oakenshaw Mills, Oakenshaw
1921 - Fountain, Read & Sons, worsted spinner
1921 - J Field & Sons, worsted coating manu.

Perseverance Works, Marsh (later Briggs Mill & Providence Mill?)
Wire?
1940's? - Bulmer & Lumb, Dyers & spinners (Providence)

Pyenot Hall Works, Rawfolds
Richard & Christopher Goldthorp
10 Jan 1850 - The workforce of R & C Goldthorp were treated to a substantial dinner to mark the occasion of Guy Goldthorp's marriage. Guy being the eldest son of Christopher Goldthorp. The following day, wives and sweethearts of the workforce were also given an excellent tea.
1887 - Enos & Ai Smith become tenants of part of the premises.
Jul 1892 - S. Haley & Sons Ltd. This is a new company, registered with a capital of £85,000 in £1 shares. The objects are to acquire the businesses of card manufacturers, wire drawers etc., hitherto carried on by Lydia and Jonas Haley, at Liversedge and Cleckheaton, under the style of S. Haley & Sons.
1900 - Death of Samuel Jackson, worsted spinner of Savile Mills, which he had carried on for about 20 years. He was also a director of the Chadwick Machine Co. and of S. Haley & Sons, Ltd of Pyenot Hall Works.
S. Haley & Sons, wire manufacturers

Quarry Mills, Gomersal
1940 - Wood & Grimshaw, woollen manufacturers.

Roundhill Mill, Gomersal
Jonathan Gomersall Ltd., worsted spinners - founded by Jonathan Gomersall

Stubbins Mill, Heckmondwike
Henry Oates & Son, blanket manufacturer
1901 - W.B. Ovenden & Sons Ltd.

Valley Mill, Heckmondwike
1857 - Entry in Post Office Directory for Gomersall, Berry & Schofield, worsted & woollen yarn spinners at Valley Mills.
1857 - Entry in Post Office Directory for Abraham Stead & Sons, dryalsters, dyewood cutters & grinders of tartars, argols, lac dye, indigo, etc., at Valley Mills.
1876 - Wilcock Bros. & Co. Petition for liquidation by C Wilcock, G Wilcock, J Wilcock and F Murgatroyd trading in co-partnership as woollen spinners at Valley Mill, Heckmondwike.
1876 - Brooke & Wilcock. Petition for liquidation by A Brooke and C Wilcock trading in co-partnership as woollen spinners at Valley Mill, Heckmondwike.  

Walkley Mill, Heckmondwike
1857 - Entry in Post Office Directory for Richard & John Clarkson, blanket, horse rug & railway wrapper manufacturers & woollen flock merchants at Walkley Mill & Dewsbury Moor.