Cromford Mill, Lea Mills and the Lumsdale Valley Chris Wrigley
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Local history Out and about in Cromford Mill, Lea Mills and the Lumsdale Valley Chris Wrigley A Prospect of Derby, unknown artist, 1725. The right-hand big building in the foreground is the water-powered silk mill. Derby Museums romford Mill, one of the best appeal of this area for the establishment specified horse power to operate his Cknown, and the Lumsdale Valley, of industry in the early period of British water-frame, but he very quickly saw one of the least known of the early industrialization, its early successes in the advantages of water wheels common industrial sites, are linked today by being cotton before location and other matters in the eighteenth century, as they had managed by the Arkwright Society. They led to the area being superseded by already been successfully harnessed for have also been the subject of a recent Lancashire. corn and power. Cromford appealed BBC1 programme in a series: ‘Britain’s The significance of regional to him because the supplies of water Hidden Heritage’. They are located in industrial development in the Industrial did not freeze in winter and had been Derbyshire. Cromford Mill is just off Revolution has been emphasized by Pat successfully used by corn and other the A6 at Cromford, near Matlock. The Hudson and others. In the area discussed mills. Yet, as Stanley Chapman has Lumsdale Valley is on the outskirts of in this essay, Arkwright’s technological emphasised, the first mill at Cromford, Matlock, off the Chesterfield Road at changes led to a cluster of mills trying established in 1771, was poorly supplied Upper Lumsdale, towards Tansley. Both to exploit the fresh opportunities in by water from the Bonsall Brook.2 sites operated using waterpower, and cotton spinning, before the locational Arkwright soon realized the need for both suffered from being remote from disadvantages became very apparent and greater waterpower when he built a supplies of raw material and from their they turned away from full reliance on second, larger mill close by. Even then, markets. At the end of his life Arkwright cotton and diversified into wool, finance he needed an eight horse-power engine attempted to remedy Cromford’s poor or other interests.1 to raise water to ensure the steady location by supporting the construction Richard Arkwright’s two mills running of his water-wheel. of the Cromford Canal. Nearby is at Cromford were at the heart of late Arkwright’s choice of Cromford is another enterprise of the Arkwright era, eighteenth century industrialization also often attributed to the availability Lea Mills, but, unlike Cromford and the in the East Midlands. For a short of labour that was used to textile Lumsdale Valley cotton mill, textiles are period Arkwright (1732-92) was in work through the earlier putting-out still being produced there by the firm of the vanguard of mechanized cotton system. Factory production needed an John Smedley. This essay explores the spinning. In his 1769 patent he had ample labour force, and Arkwright at 26 The Historian / Autumn 2011 View from 1775 building over the water channel with remains of the second mill across the channel’s end. Arkwright at Cromford employed some an apprentice house for 90 pauper protective of his technological 200 people in his first mill and 450 in children.5 Early on he behaved in the innovations and his patents and, his second mill by 1777. Arkwright manner of a paternalist squire in putting unlike some other mill owners, did set up in an area with many men on festivals, involving parades and a not permit visitors to look round his engaged in lead mining while women supper from September 1772. From mills. Nevertheless, the general secrets and children were available for textiles. 1776 this annual event in September of his machinery were taken to France Arkwright liked to emphasise that marked candle-lighting. It began with a by Englishmen, two of whom, John his machinery offered poor people celebratory parade led by a band round Theakston and John Flint, had worked employment. He also advertised further Cromford, followed by consuming beer, for Arkwright at Cromford. Other afield, seeking labour from Nottingham buns, fruit and nuts, then an evening former employees of Arkwight or his and Manchester in particular. He of dancing. He also paid for balls at the partner, Jedediah Strutt (1726-97), placed an advert in The Daily Mercury Greyhound Inn for his workpeople and such as Samuel Slater (an apprentice 13 December 1771 for some skilled their families.6 of Strutt) and Thomas Marshall (a workers: ‘two Journeymen Clock- Cromford had an advantage of manager of Masson Mill), were hired Makers, or others that understand being well away from major dangers at high salaries to develop cotton Tooth and Pinion well’, ‘a smith that can of machine-wrecking. Arkwright’s mill spinning in the United States. The forge and file’ and ‘two Wood Turners of 1777 at Birkacre, near Chorley, was French apparently thought Arkright’s that have been accustomed to Wheel- destroyed by people whose livelihoods exercise of his patent in Britain would making, Spole-turning’ and other such were threatened by the Arkwright-style harm the British economy, whereas work. In addition he wanted ‘weavers factory. In October 1779 Arkwright the unrestricted use of his machines in residing at the mill’ plus women and sufficiently feared an attack at Cromford France would enable France to overtake children.3 Such a way of attracting labour to prepare the defence of his mills with Britain in textiles.7 Arkwright, of course, was not enough. He needed to build a cannon and small arms as well as the did not see it that way. After he lost village for his workforce at Cromford support of lead miners whose wives and his patent case Arkwright talked to and to secure a supply of goods for its children worked for him. Josiah Wedgwood(1730-95) of having market place, he even offered prizes to It has also been suggested that an his machinery made public, publishing the best traders.4 Arkwright employed attraction of Cromford was that it was ‘descriptions and copper plates of all the few paupers at Cromford, unlike Samuel relatively safe from industrial espionage. parts, that it might be known to foreign Greg at Styal who spent £300 building Arkwright was understandably nations as well as our own’, something The Historian / Autumn 2011 27 Local history Chris Wrigley and Charlie Luxford filming ‘Britain’s Hidden Heritage’ in the 1775 building (linked to the first Cromford Mill, 1771). Wedgwood deprecated as making the (1728-1809), his fellow manufacturer gadgets and inventions became focused many suffer for the anti-patent action and patent holder, felt that if Arkwright on making his fortune by successfully of a few.8 The point is that Arkwright’s had not charged such high prices to use applying rollers to cotton spinning to innovations were highly important his patents and not pursued his defence supply the strong consumer demand for and the details were eagerly sought of his patents with such zeal, he would cotton goods. He had some mechanical by potential competitors at home and not have united other manufacturers skills but, generally, his innovations abroad, who offered former employees against him and ‘he might have gone on were carried out with some assistance handsome sums to divulge the details. and got £40,000 {per annum} by all the from skilled mechanics following his Perhaps in developing his machinery works he has now erected, even if there instructions. He had a magpie eye for at Cromford Arkwright could expect be some interlopers’.11 Nevertheless, successful aspects of existing mechanical his work to remain secret at least a little Arkwright’s water-frame patent lasted and other developments. He was as longer than if in a big city. from1769 to 1785, and his great wealth much an innovator as an inventor. In the At the heart of his drive for profits owed a great deal to his exploitation of case of his water frame, patented in 1769, were Arkwright’s patents. His patents his patents. he was building on earlier less successful protected him from others taking up his The original Cromford Mill was attempts to use rollers in cotton successful technological developments very much a base for testing Arkwright’s spinning. Lewis Paul, in association and patenting them as their own. innovatory machines and factory with John Wyatt, a mechanic, had Moreover, as Christine Macleod has organization. Wadsworth and Fitton developed with limited success a system observed, ‘Arkright’s water-frame observed that early on the first Cromford he patented in 1738. Arkwright may was developed to use a centralized mill was ‘then more of an experimental also have been influenced by the way power source in the context of factory machine-shop than a properly equipped rollers were used in the iron industry. production: distinctive and factory spinning factory’.12Arkwright and his He took the key matter of effective –based, it was an ideal subject for associates were learning on the job, gearing from clock making. Arkwright’s patenting’.9 However, Arkwright went adapting and adjusting as was found to big achievement was to get a system of too far. He sought to milk patents much be desirable. rollers to work well. Associated with in the way that early Stuart figures had Arkwright’s initial success lay in his this development was his second major sought wealth through monopolies. This persistence in seeking an effective means contribution to the cotton industry, his had been the route taken by Lewis Paul of using rollers in cotton spinning.