mills

Popular Mills in Padiham were:

Jubilee Mill (old part)-Holme Mill, Levant Mill, Green Lane Mill, Greenbridge Mill,(with Bobbin Works on North side), Green Bank Works (Station Rd), Victoria Foundry, Spa Mill, Orchard Mill, Brittannia Mill, Riverside Mill, Albert Mill, Vale Mill (next to Alma Mill), Alma Mill, Wellington Mill, Commercial Mill, Enterprise and Industry Mills, Bridge End Mill, Perseverance Mill, Victoria Mills(Blezards), Grove Mill, Gas Works (Station Road), also Smithygate Mill, Guy Yates Mill, Claybank Mill.

In 1906 there were 20 cotton Mills, with at least a total of 11,600 looms.

weavers strike

March 1859 which lasted for 6 months. approximately 13 mills (3 exclusively spinning) 4 remained at work during the strike and 6 wholly or partially at a stand still. Part of disputes involved re-coating the emery beams (cloth roller) which increased their circumference. The Padiham operative weavers were known amongst the Lancashire operatives as a rude and independent lot. Some years before the strike, they had established 2 co-operative concerns - Commercial Company for weaving and Cotton League Co., for weaving and spinning - neither met with success. Part of dispute included lower rates than the Blackburn Standard list. The difference in wages was from 3d to 6d a week and if the masters would have agreed to this, there would have been no strike.

A boy or girl of 15 could superintend 3 looms and earn 15/- to 17/- per week, whereas a grown man could not undertake more than 4, where he would need an assistant who he would have to pay. This left him with about £1 per week.

When on strike the weavers and overlookers were paid 6/- rising to 7/- per week - warehouse boys 4/- to 5/-, and tenters 3/- to 3/6d.

Photographs courtesy of Jack Swindlehurst, Padiham Photographic Society. ©