The relations between our former cotton spinner and his workpeople may be said to have been to some extent of a patriarchal nature. The system so common at one time in Oldham of an employer providing cottages for his workpeople, no doubt arose from this patriarchal feeling. In some cases this idea was carried so far as to the adoption of workpeople into the employer’s family. If a promising youth had been left an orphan, many a time it has been known that some good-natured cotton spinner would take him, bring him up, teach him his business, and finally make him into a principal servant. Thus it was that employers and the workpeople often knew a great deal of each other’s affairs, and this tended to produce a feeling of confidence, and I had almost said familiarity, between employers and employed. There can be no doubt that under such circumstances when wages disputed occurred they did not always cause an estrangement between master and workman. An anecdote was told me the other day which illustrates this, and also puts before us the self-mastery of one of our former cotton spinners, who was a splendid sample of his class. It was in the year 1834, a wages dispute had arisen in Oldham between the hand mule spinners and their employers. A strike had been carried on for twenty-six weeks, and most of the smaller firms had given way to the demands of the workpeople. I believe only six of the principal firms were left to fight out the battle, and it happened one day that this cotton spinner was taking a walk among the fields when he was met by a body of his own turnout spinners, who accosted him as if no dispute had occurred, and entered into conversation with him. “Eh mestur!” said one, “before this strike’s done we shan brake you.” “Nay you will not.” Said the master, “for I can live on treacle cakes.” In treating the manner of life of our former cotton spinner, we have the word of Polonius for it that “the apparel oft proclaims the man;” and so it is with our ideal. His strong hob-nailed shoes – clogs occasionally – were a type of his substantial character, and then, if we take into account his knee-breeches and gaiters, his swallow-tailed coat, his flowered waistcoat his white cravat (or maybe his silk neckerchief, with trim bow), his linen collar often propping his ears (or sometimes no collar at all), his clean shaven chin, and last, but not least, his solemn hat, with the inevitable pocket handkerchief safely deposited in the crown – this may give us some idea of his appearance. . His habits were for the most part very frugal – milk and porridge in the morning, a plain but substantial, prandial meal; while his post-prandial cravings would seldom be satisfied without a nip of the old English fare of cheese and bread (and perhaps a jug of home-brewed beer) before going to bed. A few anecdotes may illustrate our cotton spinner’s sentiments on manners of life. One whom I knew, who had been a poor man himself, though of a very respectable family, kept up a custom of neighbouring among his workpeople almost to his dying day. Entering one of his workmen’s cottages just as the cottager had arrived from the factory (in those old days when factories worked till eight o’clock at night), he found him drawing up to the table to discuss a dish of meal porridge, and blowing away the “reech” which arose from the newly-teemed mess, the workman, (who it is said was always fonder of his belly than his work), beholding his master-visitor as he entered the in-door, exclaimed “Eh, mester! If I’d nobbut your brass I’d a noane o’these porridge. I’d have a good blow out every day.” |
His master in a very ironical vein, replied, “Thee ha’ brass! Theau’rt no’ fit ha’ brass! Mon; it is not everyone ut con stond prosperity – according to thi own showin’ theau’d soon kill thisell wi’ good livin’, and if theau vallies thi’ loife, theau ought to thank God ut theau’t poor.” Another anecdote is that of an old cotton spinner's wife, who laid it down as a certainty that “thoose families ut liv’n o’ warm mowffins, an’ han their coal I’ jackass fadges, are sure to be awlus poor.” I may note that Lancashire housewives considered it extravagant to make too many muffins at a baking – not so much, perhaps from a sanitary point, as that it consumes the dough which ought to be made into loaves; and as to “jackasss fadges” of coal, it was customary for the employer to supply his own workpeople with full loads of coal in his own carts, then allow them to be paid for by instalments from their earnings. The business habits of our cotton spinner next come under notice, and nobody believed more strongly than he, that “punctuality was the soul of business.” It may, indeed, be said of him, that “he hasted to rise up early,” and late took rest. Next to his frugality, it may be said that punctuality was his next leading feature – being often at his mill to see the first turn of the steam engine in the morning, and the last turn at night – except, indeed, on market days, which in those times were held three times a week namely, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. And this brings me briefly to notice the mode of travelling. The earlier portion of the period of which I speak was before railways were invented – the means of communicating between Oldham and Manchester being by coach, thus not only causing great loss of time, but long days to be made on account of the weary journey, especially in bad weather. No regular terms of payment were followed in those primitive days, and it consequently required a great deal of manoeuvring to manage the financial department of a cotton concern. In one instance I know the spinner had been promised an account for yarn by a customer who failed to come up on the day with his payment. Not to be done, however, the spinner waited the whole night through for his account, which when paid on the following morning, the customer requested further consignments of yarn. “Nay, nay, lad,” said the spinner, “it will never do for two poor ‘uns to be together.” Perhaps the word plod best described our early cotton spinner. It was by little and little that he built up his splendid concern. Many an instance could be quoted where what are our leading private firms in Oldham to-day started cotton spinning, it is said, with only one engine, and it was only by dint of the most dogged perseverance, amid difficulties, almost insurmountable, that he attained success. We have only to read the accounts of the disturbed state of the country from the years 1818 to 1848 to derive some idea of what our struggling spinner had to cope with, and even that fails to illustrate the practical experience of the Oldham cotton spinner during those thirty years. Depreciation of money – popular discontent – machinery smashing – banks breaking – political tumult – new inventions – strikes – plugging stirs and commercial failures. Notwithstanding all these Oldham grew, and is still growing, but it is owing to these pioneers who first found the way to success, and left their example for us to follow. Faults and failings no doubt this ideal cotton spinner had, not the least of which was that in his pursuit of wealth he allowed the ancient grammar school of his native town to lapse into a bakehouse and lumber room. Just like him. Though taking him for all in all he was a useful and remarkable personage. |
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ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. CIII 1825 The following is the price of the following articles: Meal, 1s. 11d. to 2s. a peck, flour 2s. 6d. to 2s. 7d., malt 2s. 6d. to 2s. 8d. a peck, treacle 3 1/2d. to 4d. per lb., candles from 6d. to 6 1/2d. per lb., cheese 7 1/2d. to 8 1/2d. per lb., pork 5d. to 5½. per lb., beef 5d. to 7d. per lb., mutton 6d. to 7d. per lb., old butter 10d. to 1s. per lb., bacon 8d. to 9d. per lb., hops 1s. 2d. to 1s. 4d., per lb., salt 1/2d. per lb., sugar 6d. to 9d. per lb., potatoes 11d. per score, straw, 7d. per stone, hay 10d. per stone. January 19th – Died at Royton, John Smith, formerly of Bear Trees; disorder, a fever; age, 37 years. January 20th – Died suddenly at Holebottom, Oldham, George Barlow, hat manufacturer. January 23rd – Died at Royton Thomas Cowper, a considerable dealer and manufacturer; a man much respected. He was truly a worthy and honest man. And daughter of James Scholes of Naylors, a farmer. She was 19 years old; disorder, typhus fever, with which most of the family are at this time afflicted. This kind of fever is very prevalent in most parts of this country at this time. According to Prentice, on the 29th January, 1825, a prospectus was published of a Manchester and The weather for several months has been very unpleasant. Owing to its continued wetness the air is continually filled with watery vapours. The roads are very disagreeable, being in a wet spongy state, and the fever is encreacing in different parts of the country. January 27th – Died, wife of James Scholes, farmer, of Naylor, within Thornham, of a fever; age, 52 years. A few days since died, at Chatterton Fold, Samuel Sidebottom, of that place – a man advanced in years. February 3rd – Last night an extreem rough, cold, boisterous, wet night. The wind extreem high at south-west, which drove the rain through brick walls and under slates, which was the cause of houses being in a very wet and disagreeable situation. |
The rapidity with which new houses had been built in Oldham, and chiefly of brick, may be some explanation of this discomfort. The old thatched cottage, which had weathered the storm of many a generation was proof against the weather, but the thin brick wall and blue slate were a comparatively new invention, and the builders were more concerned in fulfilling a contract than in making their buildings weatherproof. Even in cases where old houses were covered with gray slate, the ancient householder well knew the art of “mossing his roof” a precaution which seems to have been omitted in building the “jerry” cottages of that period. I wonder of those jerry buildings were the cause of so much typhus fever at that time? February 4th – Yesterday very stormy, with rain, sleet, and snow, and at night there was snow and froze very keenly. February 5th – Last night it snowed and froze very keen. February 6th – The frost very keen and very cold, and a moderate quantity of snow. February 6th – Died at Bent, Oldham, Thomas Jackson, ale-seller and hatter of that place, age upwards of 60 years. A few days since died at Manchester, Mr. John Clegg, formerly of Mill End, Oldham, considerable timber merchant, age 77 years. February 13th – Died at Royton-street, Maygate-lane, James Clough, age 81 years. And J. Hargreaves, Esq., of Ormrod House, High Sheriff for 1825. February 22nd – Died George Scholes, son of James Scholes, of Naylor. He died at Tonge Hall of typhus fever. His mother and sister died a short time since of the same disorder. A few days since died, near Lees, Mr. Thomas Taylor, of that place, aged 66 years. February 25th – Was intered Elizabeth, wife of John Haigh, of Acre Mill, near Greenacres Moor; her age, 54 years. February 26th – Died at Tonge-lane, near Mills Hill, Jonathan Hide, brother to Edward Hide, of Cock Alehouse, Tonge, age 54 years. February 27th – Was intered at Oldham James Schofield and his wife. They were followed to their grave by 12 of their own children. They resided at Holebottom, Failsworth. The above funeral took place on Sunday. There age were 56 years each. |
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