Tapestry Themes #2: Cottonopolis

 

This beautiful collage was made by one of the team members during week 3 of the project.

Theme Two: Cottonopolis

In the 1850s, Manchester began being known globally for it's prominence in the cotton industry. The first textiles mill was built in 1783 by Richard Arkwright on Miller Street and was known as 'Shudehill Mill'.
We know that the history of cotton is a difficult one, as much of its success was built on the forced labour of slaves abroad and pitiful living and working conditions for the weavers, spinners & dyers in Manchester.
We think this team has done a great job of including this in their research and have been really successful in tackling such a tough subject!


We have been so impressed by the breadth of research each team have uncovered. From the mill owners, child mill workers, slavery abolitionists and the various techniques used in the cotton industry, we have all learned something new about this crucial aspect of Manchester's history.

One researcher found some information about Richard Arkwright:


'He and a man called John Kay came up with a machine - the water frame - that could spin cotton in industrial amounts, cheaply and quickly, using unskilled labour. He built a water-powered mill in Cromford, a Derbyshire village, where he employed whole families, children included, housed in company accommodation. He expanded rapidly, and made extra money by licensing his patents to other manufacturers.'



The team also discovered the sheer amount of mills in Manchester in around 1853 when the cotton industry was at it's peak:


Ashton under Lyne: 75 

Manchester (at its peak in 1853): 108 

Dukinfield: 14 

Salford: 60 

Oldham: 216 

Wigan: 70 

Rochdale: 117 

Stockport: 85 

Bolton: 65 

Bury: 114 


Another member of the team discovered information about Sarah Parker Remond, a free-born African-American abolitionist who became an international activist for human rights and women's suffrage.



Thank you again to another fantastic team for your hard work and dedication. We are so impressed with your research and the design team will have some amazing resources to design your Cottonopolis panel.