Quarry Bank Mill. Development Timeline
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Knowledge Organiser: Quarry Bank Mill. Development history. • 1779 - Samuel Crompton invents the Spinning Mule. • 1783 - Samuel Greg tours Cheshire looking for a site to for a new spinning mill. He chooses Styal, Cheshire. • 1784 - Quarry Bank Mill begins operating. • 1785 - First recorded apprentices. • 1789 - Samuel Greg marries Hannah Lightbody. • 1790 - Samuel Greg builds an Apprentice House and begins to build housing in Styal • 1796 - Samuel Greg begins to build a house for himself at Quarry Bank. - Samuel Greg goes into partnership with, engineer and fellow industrialist, Peter Ewart. 18th Century • 1817 - Robert Hyde Greg joins his father at Quarry Bank as a junior partner • 1820 - Oak cottages, a chapel, school and shop are all built in Styal Village. • 1828 - Freed slave Mary Prince come to England to relate the horrors of slavery in the Caribbean and joins the Anti-Slavery Society. • 1832 - The Great Reform Act introduces wide-ranging changes to the electoral system. - John Doherty publishes a radical journal entitled ‘The Voice of the People’, focussing on the plight of the factory and mill workers - calling for reform. • April 1833 - Robert Greg gives evidence to the Royal Commission set up to investigate the employment of children in mills. • June 1833 - John Doherty speaks at Wibsey Low Moor to a gathering of 100,000 workers supporting the fight for the Ten Hour Movement. Location of Quarry • 1833 - The Factory Act Bank Mill in Cheshire - The Ten Hour Movement fails to be passed and children continued to work 12 hour days. - The abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. • 1834 - Samuel Greg interviewed by Factory Commission, regarding the factory’s health regulations. The whole enquiry lasted two years, 1833 -1834. - Samuel Greg dies, having never recovered from an attack by a deer on his estate two years earlier. • 1836 - Esther Price and Lucy Garner are punished for running away from Quarry Bank Mill – both are placed in solitary confinement. • 1837 - Queen Victoria ascends to the throne, aged 18. • 1847 - Factory Act: Ten Hour Bill introduced, limiting working hours for women and children. • 1901 - Factory Act raises minimum working age to 12 years. - End of Apprentice System at Quarry Bank Mill. • 1939 - Mill Given to National Trust • 1870 - Education Act - ground-breaking act that imposes state education for all. • 1959 - Mill ceased working • 1976 – Reopens as a museum and tourist attraction 19th Century 20th Century Key Words Key People Industrial The rapid development of industry that occurred in Britain in the late Samuel Born in Ireland in 1758, Samuel went on to found Quarry Bank Mill in Revolution 18th and 19th centuries, brought about by the introduction of Greg 1784 and built up an extensive cotton empire. He had a large family with machinery. It was characterized by the use of steam power, the his wife Hannah, and passed on his business to his sons when he died in growth of factories, and the mass production of manufactured goods. 1834. Greg was quick to adopt innovations in the rapidly developing technologies of manufacturing and a partnership with Peter Ewart enabled him to exploit developments in water wheel and steam power. Greg built up a model village of modest but salubrious housing on the Styal estate, not for philanthropic reasons but as an essential element in his vision of the efficient factory system. After he married, his wife Hannah's religious and social views influenced his approach to the workers' welfare. Apprentice Many parents were unwilling to allow their children to work in these Hannah Hannah Greg was Samuel's wife and was incredibly influential in new textile factories. To overcome this labour shortage factory Greg providing a greater level of care for the workers and apprentices. When owners had to find other ways of obtaining workers. One solution to the mill was extended they built workers houses, and an apprentice the problem was to obtain children from orphanages and house for the indentured children. After a thirteen-hour shift Hannah workhouses. These children became known as pauper apprentices. organized that they had lessons in reading, writing and arithmetic. When This involved them signing contracts that virtually made them the she was in Styal she delivered the lessons to the girls, and preached to property of the factory owner. them on Sundays. Hannah’s children were expected to take part in the teaching- as it was part of her dissenting belief that all men should mix together, be frugal and accept their responsibilities to others. In developing the community of Style they built Norcliffe Chapel. Factory During the industrial revolution conditions in factories for workers Edward Robert Hyde Greg was Samuel's son and he took over Quarry Bank Mill in Legislation were poor. Pressure was placed on the government by influential Hyde 1834 upon Samuel's death. He brought many technological innovations individuals, groups of workers and religious organisations to introduce Greg to the mill, and was the figurehead of the family business for nearly 40 laws to improve and regulate conditions for workers and children. years. Despite this, he was an opponent of factory reform, trades The government led investigations into conditions called Commissions unions and worker health and safety legislation. were witnesses gave evidence about conditions. Legislation (laws) was introduced relating to hours, child labour and education. Water The Mill relied on water power. The first wheel was built in 1784 and Steam Experiments began in 1801, due to the erratic levels of the River Bollin. Power was a simple overshot wheel based on water channelled from the power The beam steam engine was introduced in 1835 to power weaving looms. River Bollin. In 1790’s Greg worked with the engineer Ewart to As the mill pool silted up and the water wheel required more repairs a develop a second water wheel that made use of dam in the valley horizontal condensing engine was introduced in 1871. Robert Hyde above the mill. 1807 saw the introduction of an iron suspension complained about steam power, particularly the smoke it created near to wheel. The great wheel was installed in 1807. the garden of the family house..