ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. XXX Oak branches, those emblems of British loyalty, could not this day, June 9, be obtained. On the 29th of May the oaks, in consequence of the unpareled coldness of the spring, where just but beginning to bud, so that Oldham Church steeple was not this year adorned with the least particle of that branch. Some of the most loyal burning enthusiasts of the day made diligent search to have found a sprig but in vain, to the joy and triumph of the Jacobine party. It seems to have been a custom to decorate Oldham Church steeple on the 29th May with oak branches. This, no doubt, arose from an Act of Parliament being passed soon after the Restoration (12th and 13th Charles II), “That in all succeeding ages the 29th of May be celebrated in every church and chapel in England, and the dominions thereof, by rendering thanks to God for the peaceable restoration to actual possession an exercise of his (King Charles’) legal authority over his subjects”. A special service was prescribed by the Church of England, which was duly observed till the year 1859, when the Act was repealed. This service is entitled “A Form of Prayer, with thanksgiving to Almighty God, for having put an end to the Great Rebellion by the restitution of the King and Royal Family and the restitution of the Government, after many years’ interruption, which unspeakable mercies were wonderfully completed upon the 29th of May, in the year 1660. An, in memory thereof, that day in every year is, by Act of Parliament, appointed to be for ever kept holy”. June 24th – This day the Oldham Association had their colours consecrated, wich where delivered by Miss Lees to the Major. The men fired some exalent volleys, and the Rev. Mr. Winter preached a sermon on the ocation. Tradition says that these colours were subscribed for by the Oldham ladies. Miss Less (afterwards Mrs. Chippendale) was daughter of Mr. John Lees, of Church-lane, who purchased Werneth. He was a man of great loyal public spirit, and made an extraordinary speech on this occasion. “Ladies”, said he, on receiving these colours, “we receive these colours wi’ gratitude. We’n defend um wi’ fortitude, an’ if th’ French shooten th’ rags away we’n bring th’ pows back”. What great general ever made a more pointed or potent speech? Mrs. Greaves, of Derker, then Miss Hilton, was a subscriber to these flags, and it was from Mr. Hilton Greaves that I learnt this story.
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But even in those days there were railers and railings. Instance the following taken from the ‘Manchester Gazette’, April 26, 1800:- “A gentleman of Oldham cavalry, an honest butcher, goaded by the pinching poverty of the times, lately seceded from the corps and sold his horse. For this act of disloyalty some of the wise Oldhamites, alias Gothamites, burnt him in effigy.” And Sarah Smith, of old Clark’s, died. June 25th – was intered wife of Mr. John Fletcher, hat manufacturer, Oldham. John Fletcher, originally of Manchester, appears to have been the first individual who established a shop in Oldham for the sale of hats. Prior to 1765 he had a small hat manufactory betwixt the top of Water-street and the top of Bent, but in a few years he erected much larger premises near Holebottom. He is said to have been descended from the same family as the Fetchers of Nottinghamshire, of whom was the memorably faithful Fletcher, the distinguished servant of the late illustrious Lord Byron. The eminent Henshaw, the princely benefactor to the indigent and blind, became an apprentice in the hatting trade to Mr. John Fletcher, about 1755. In a few years after Mr. Henshaw had completed the terms of apprenticeship to Mr. Fletcher. He entered in partnership with his late master, and they carried on business together for some time. This partnership was dissolved, and Henshaw started for himself. – (E. Butterworth) On the 6th of July died, Mary, wife of William Haywood, of Scoles Fold, Maygate-lane. July 6th – John Farrand, of Oldham, undertook, for a wager, to walk from Oldham to New Cross, Manchester, six miles and a half, in one hour and six minutes, wich wager he won by three minutes. July 13th – Died, Mary, wife of William Halliwell, of Northmoor. She had only been married 20 days. Disorder, convulsion fits. Age 22 years. July 14th – Delph, Saddleworth, this day Robert Bradbury and Ann Hollinworth arrived from York Assizes, where they had been tried on a charge of murder, but were acquitted. July 15th – A letter from the East Indies was received at Oldham, giving an account of the death of John Needham and Benjamin Needham, Ammy Jonas, William Butterworth and wife, all of the 12th Regiment of Foot. |
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July 20th – Oldham this morning, John Clegg, alias Babby, was apprehended for breaking into the dwelling-house of Robert Mayall, grocer, and stealing a quantity of monny. He was taken before the magistrates, who committed him for tryal. On the 27th. at the Sessions of Salford, he was tried, found guilty, and sentence seven years’ transportation. July 31st – This month, as in general, been wet and cold, and what little grass has been cut it is feared it is much spoiled, for the earth is so spungy and soft through the continual rain that if it comes a few hours sun it is naturally weakened by the chilliness of the earth. Pottatoes have thus far been both scarce and dear. On the 2nd of this month they were sold at Rochdale at 4d. a pond, the finest sort, but they are sold at Oldham this day 1½ pond for 1d. Goosberrys are exceeding scarse, and are sold 5d. a quart. Everey necessary of life is extreemly dear. Cotton such as is wove into velveteens is now selling at the amazeing price of 4s. 2d. a pond. Then great must be the misirys of poor fustian weavers. The year 1799 seems to have been a year of high prices for cotton. It will be noted that the price of this class of cotton had gone up from 2s. 10d. in January to 4s. 2d., an advance of 16d. a pound, in six months. This advance was not caused by the scarcity of the article, for we find the import of raw cotton that year to have been greater than in any previous year, the import being 43,379,278 lbs., while in the previous year, 1798, it was only 31,880,278 lbs. The kind of cotton used for fustians and velvets was chiefly what was called West Indian, or what we now call Sea Island cotton. The price of this cotton in 1799 ranged from 18d. to 55d. per lb., and of American from 17d. to 60d. per lb. Some idea may be formed of the proportionate supply of cotton from 1796 to 1800 from various sources by the following table, the figures representing bales of 400 lbs. each:-
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Ellison, from whom I have quoted all these figures, says:- A very unsatisfactory state of things existed in 1799, owing to the high prices then current. On the whole, however, the disturbed state of the Continent during the closing years of the eighteenth and the opening years of the nineteenth centuries wasdecidedly beneficial to the cotton industry in particular, and to the trade of the country in general. Internal peace and immunity from invasion admitted of uninterrupted progress in our domestic manufactures, while the victories of our admirals and the successes of our privateers threw the carrying trade of Europe almost entirely into the hands of British shipowners. In 1797 prices gained 9d. to 15d. per lb. The upward movement continued in 1798 and 1799, and in the last-named year Brazils touched 4s. 2d. to 4s. 8d., Orleans 3s. 2d. to 3s. 3d., Boweds 2s. 11d. to 3s., Sea Islands 5s. to 5s. 3d., and Surats 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. per lb. Once more Manchester appealed to the East India Company to stimulate the shipment of cotton from their Eastern possessions. The imports of Surats and Bengals in 1799 and 1800 averaged 16,000 bales of 400 lbs each, against only 4,400 in 1798 and 2,000 in 1797, but they could not be sold, and the company, writing to the governor of Bombay in May, 1800, trusted to his exertions for providing tonnage for our returning shipping without the aid of this article. The consequence was that the import of “this article” fell from 16,000 bales of 400 lbs. in 1800, to 1,700 bales in 1805. Our machinery at that time was evidently not adapted to spin short-stapled cotton. Poor old Rowbottom thought the world was coming an end when the price of cotton in Oldham got to 4s. 2d. per lb. The average price for the year seems to have been 3s. 4d., and the selling price of 40’s twist was only 7s. 6d., leaving a margin for capital and labour of 4s. 2d. per lb. Great indeed must have been the “miserieis of the poor fustian weavers” – at least from Rowbottom’s point of view. Did he not remember 40’s twist in 1779 at 16s. per lb., and cotton only 2s. per lb., leaving a margin of 14s. per lb., and even in later times, in 1784, was not 40’s sold at 10s. 11d. per lb., and cotton only2s., leaving a margin of 8s. 11d. per lb. These were the good old times for cotton spinners. When the margin had been so reduced well might Rowbottom write his jeremiads. With regard to the high prices of cotton and other products, it must not be overlooked that paper money had a great deal to do with them, some trading commodities being enhanced in vale 30 to 40 per cent. Rowbottom, however, only wrote of the fustian trade as carried on in the old style. August 2nd – Joseph Starkey, our worthy sheriff, with his neighbours, set out from Royton Hall to attend the assizes at Lancaster, wich commence to-morrow. The Oldham Association Cavallarey atended early in the morning. And one Richard Pimle walked from Oldham to Manchester in one hour and six minutes. |
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William Rowbottom's Diary as published in the Oldham Standard |
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