ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. CV 1825 September 13th – The cotton trade still continues very bad, especially the weaving branch, and the spinning part is growing worse, every day, and great commotions between the spinners and their masters. As seen in previous annals, the operative spinners were strongly organised as trade unionists. They were at that time well paid, and as a consequence, disposed to defend their position. No doubt trade was bad, but what concern was that of theirs. I remember a tale told me by a cotton spinner some years since, which I then committed to writing, as follows:- The operative mule spinner was a great man in his way at a time when the master was more dependent on his man than the man was on his master. Gas and turning had to be paid for by the mule spinner, and when reckoning time came, which was usually every fortnight, enormous payments had to be made, not only to assistants, but to the employer. Nevertheless the mule spinner had always a good sum left for his own remuneration. This was often taken advantage of by him as an occasion for a spree – (mule spinners up to a certain period had only one mule under their care). To show how completely these mule spinners were masters of the situation, a little incident may be given:- The spinners’ club was held at a little “public” near to Lower Moor, and after a “draw” it was usual for the spinners to spend the Monday after the pay-day in ease and delectation at their little “pub.” This became such a recognised practice that the employers determined to stop it by some means, and in order to do this, in the instance I am mentioning, what was known as the side shaft was removed by the employer from the headstock of a mule which one of these easy-going mule-spinners had under his care. Going to his work on the Tuesday morning, having had his Monday’s spree, and expecting to find everything right as usual, the mule-spinner discovered that the side shaft had been removed. He returned to his club-house, and to the chagrin of his employer spent another day in idleness and waste. On the Wednesday morning he again put in an appearance at his work, but there was still no side-shaft, and he again betook himself to his clubhouse. The employer expecting meanwhile that the mule-spinner would have come to him and asked for the necessary side shaft, and apologised for his absence, but oh, no, nothing was further from the spinner’s thoughts. |
The employer was thus caught in his own trap. He was anxious that his mule should be working, and purposed extorting pains and penalties when the errant spinner should come to ask for his sideshaft. What was to be done? The spinner had gone away for the third time, and the mule had been stopped for two days and likely to be so for a third. The employer did not like to ask the spinner a reason for his absence – as nobody knew better than he – and he had a pretty good idea the spinner would not return till the money was done and the spinner starved into submission. At length the piecer came and wanted to start, and the employer bethought he might as well make him into the medium for conveying a message. The piecer showed up at the clubhouse and told the idle spinner that Mr. --------- wanted to know when he was going to his work. “Did he tell thee to ax me that?” said the spinner. “Aye,” said the piecer. “Tell him then ut awst come when he’s put that sideshaft back in its place and not before.” The spinner thus carried his point, and the employer had to submit to an ignoble defeat. This practice was carried out to such an extent that, like many other excesses, it defeated its own ends. It was found out after some time that it was not absolutely necessary to have one spinner to one mule, and an enterprising man, who was then struggling with fortune for a position, which he at length attained, , namely, that of being his own master, was the means of introducing a system by which one man should spin on a pair of mules instead of on a single mule. This was Mr. Gartside, afterwards of the firm of Messrs. Gartside and Mayall of Union Mill. It seems that he was spinning back to back with one of those drunken spinners, who left his work when it suited his convenience, and in the drunken spinner’s absence, after putting up his own mule, he simply turned on his heel and put up the other: and thus Mr. Gartside had the reputation of being the first man in Oldham, if not in the country, who spun on two mules at the same time, thus putting an end to a system by which the employers suffered great inconvenience, and throwing on the labour market such surplus labour as relieved the trade from the grinding oppression of a class. September 17th – Died awfully sudden, Betty, wife of Richard Taylor, of Fountain-street, Oldham, milk-dealer. Her age, 53 years. September 15th – A number of spinners and rovers of different factories summoned before the Rev. Mr. Holme, for leaving their work without giving fourteen days notice, when some submitted and some committed. |
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Oldham was struggling for supremacy, and there seems to have been a feeling among the operatives that “Jack was as good as his master.” The law at that time was strong on the operative who left work without notice. Sometimes warrants were served on such delinquents, and they were temporarily deprived of their liberty. The remedy certainly seems to have been a severe one, but we must remember that the spirit displayed by the operatives was not always what it should have been. September 13th – Died, Jane, wife of John Ivison, saddler, of Lord-street, Oldham. Disorder, child-birth. She was the daughter of the late Mr./ John Radcliffe, of Bank, Oldham. Her age, 25 years. September 18th – Uncommon fine warm weather still continues. September 20th – Was intered at Oldham, Hannah, daughter of Joseph Barrett, of Chadderton Fold, her age 21 years. September 23rd – Nanny, wife of Thomas Hall, late of the Trap Inn, Royton-street, summoned on a charge of hush selling, but the charge was dismissed by the magistrates. September 28th – Was the day for granting licenses for public-houses at Oldham, which was holden at Oldham, which was held at the Angel Inn, in Oldham, when all the old landlords had theirs renewed, and the following had new ones granted (the Rev. John Holme, Mr. Besswick, and Mr. Crossley, the magistrates):- Mr. Horrobin, a house in Werneth,; Mr. Stewart Mills, a house at the bottom of West-street, which was formerly called Bent Hall; Mr. Whittaker, a house in Holebottom, called the Slaughter-house; Mr. George Ashworth, one in Broadway-lane; Mr. Gartside, one at Higginshaw; Mr. Mellor, one in Manchester-street, near Sally Kay’s; Mr. Taylor, one in Fog-lane, near where the Roebuck formerly stood; and Charles Fletcher made application for a house in Lord-street, late residence of Mr. Nield, the solicitor, but he was refused. Then he and Mrs. Nield made application at Ashton-under-Lyne on the 30th, and obtained one. There were 26 applications for new licenses at Oldham. September 29th – Was intered, Mr. Thomas Broadoak, cotton manufacturer and spinner, of Millbottom (Waterhead Mill). E. Butterworth says: “In 1802 Mr. Thomas Brideoake, a native of the parish of Leigh, erected the first mill built expressly for the purpose of a cotton mill.” |
September 29th – Died at Manchester-street, Oldham, Mr. William Jackson, carding engine maker. In the Bolton Express of October 1st the following statement of the prices of corn:- At Dantzig: Wheat, from 26s. 6d. to 27s. 5d.; barley, 11s. 5d.; oats, 8s. 9d.; peas, 15s. 6d per quarter. In England: Wheat, from 55s. to 72s.; barley, from 34s. to 46s.; oats, from 26s. to 33s.; peas, from 50s. to 68s. per quarter. A better sermon could not be preached on the iniquitous corn laws than is preached by this annal. In 1822 the importation price was reduced from 80s. to 70s. per quarter on foreign corn, except corn from British North America, the importation price of which was 59s. We see by this annal what the effect was. Wheat in England was kept up at more than double its natural price, and barley, oats, and peas at nearly four times their natural price. October – Horrid murder was committed at a lonesome house midway between Rochdale and Bury where one Benj. Cass, aged 65 years, and his wife 75, were on the night between the 1st and 2nd of October most inhumanly murdered; and on the 4th inst. one John Digles was apprehended at Royton offering the murdered persons’ property for sale. On the 5th he was conveyed to Bury under a strong guard near where the coroner and jury were sitting. But further events are at present unknown. The murder happened in the township of Birtle-cum-Bamford. October 7th – Last night Joseph Kershaw and John Halkyard (iron turners) from Greenacres Moor, were detected having robbed Henry Coates of Joseph Gartside and John Woolstencroft, of Northmoor. They were taken before the Rev. Robert Holme and by him committed to the New Bailey for trial. October 9th – Child found this morning in Oldham Church yard made up in a small box. The coroner and jury sat on the business on the 10th, and returned a verdict of wilful murder against some person unknown. October 12th – Miles Meadowcroft, in a fit of despair hung himself. He was a manufacturer and shopkeeper at Royton. October 15th – Uncommon fine weather, such as can scarcely be remembered by the oldest person living. The air is serene an warm, and by the heavy dews grass and flowers are making a grand effort as in a fine spring. Upon the whole, it has been such a spring, such a summer, and promises for an autumn as was seldom before seen. |
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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