A petition to Parliament was presented from South East Lancashire in the reign of Edward IV (1482) against these fulling mills, showing with what jealousy improved machinery was regarded even at that early period. The petition sets forth that, “Whence bonettes and capes were truly to be made, wrought, fulled, and thickked by the might and strength of men – that is to say with hande and fote – and they that have so wrought, made etc., such bonettes, etc., have well and honestly afore this gotten their lyvying thereby, and thereupon kept apprentices, servaunts, and good householdes, it is so that there is a subtile means found now of late, by reason of a fulling mill, whereby mo (more) capes may be fulled and thikked in one day than by the might and strength of four score men by hane and fote may be fulled and thikked in the same day.” February 10th – Oldham meal sells nearly same as last statement. Flour, 4s. 6d., a peck, and barley flour 2s. 2d to 2s. 4d. a peck. Pottatoes 11d. a score. Pork, beff, and mutton 7d. a pond. February 12th – John Millne, of Higginshaw, intered this day. The Milnes have a long record in Oldham and district, Adam of the Mill, or Milne, paying imperial taxes in Royton over 5½ centuries ago. E. Butterworth mentions a John Milne, gent., of Oldham in 1846. The name of Mylne appears in a list of those who were probably amongst our earliest manufacturers in 1526, when the wife of Geoffrey Mylne paid imperial taxes on her manufactured goods. In 1624 I find a manufacturer named Abraham Mylne in Crompton. Among the protestators I find at least half-a-dozen Mylnes in Oldham, but in the list the name is spelt Milnes. About the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th I find several of the Milnes engaged in promoting Church singing. They contributed largely to the support of the singing society formed by Elias Hall in 1695 at Oldham Church. Of Abraham Milne, of Heyside, Elias speaks with great respect. He terms him “that ancient and pious man”. After Abraham’s death, however, Elias seems to have fallen out with some of the other members of the Milne family. A long altercation seems to have ensued. Elias wrote a satire on a second Abraham Milne, copy of which is in my possession, but I would rather be excused reproducing it here. The Milnes however, were great pillars of the Church, the satire notwithstanding. There was scarcely a period in the 18th century when the name of Milne is not found in some official connection, either with the Church or the parish.
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As illustrating one side of Oldham life in the eighteenth century, I have the record of Samuel Milner (probably of Higginshaw) who in 1746 had an Irish boy bound apprentice to him by the overseers of the poor. A premium amounting altogether £5 2s. 2½d. seems to have been paid with this parish apprentice, but the expenses of binding were evidently deducted from this amount, leaving only £3 5s. as the net premium paid to Samuel Milne. Moreover, the overseers paid Samuel Milne 1s. 3d. a week for the maintenance of the boy for a certain time, probably till he was old enough to enter his apprenticeship. Some of the particulars are as follow:-
No name is given either of the Irish woman or her lad, and whether he was a mere cowboy or an apprentice to the weaving of fustian does not appear, probably the latter. These particulars are from “James Low’s accounts for the year 1745, overseer of the poor for the township of Royton”. The Milnes purchased Higginshaw during the 17th century, and some of the family were among the earlier cotton spinners of Oldham. Mr. G. F. H. Milne still owns the estate. A young member of the Milne family (W. H. Milne), son of Mr. Wm. Milne, of Manchester, distinguished himself as a scholar of Balliol College, Oxford. Some years ago he was a young gentleman of great promise, and died prematurely. A tablet in Balliol Chapel, Oxford, erected by his college friends, and some of the dons, commemorates him. A brother of this young gentleman (J. G. Milne) is now a scholar of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Both received their early education at the Manchester Grammar School. Mr. W. Milne married into the Grafton family. |
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ANNALS OF OLDHAM No. XXXIII 1800 February 3rd – Ashton-under-Lyne. A large mob assembled here in consequence of the dearness of provisions, when the Ashton Association were cald out to quell them. The mob made a violent assault on the militaria with a shower of stones, which dangerously wounded several, both officers and privates wich caused the militari emidately to disperse. The mob then went to one Newtons, a considerable corndealer, where they took possession of his goods, and sold meal and flour at reduced prices. Order and tranquillity was restored by some militari from Manchester, when some of the mobbers were sent to Lancaster, some to the New Bailey to take their trials, and a large number have fled the country. February 12th – Died, Betty, wife of James Bardsley, of Thorp Clough. She had been a long time afflicted with lameness. Her age about 40 years. February 16th – Died in an advanced age, John Booth, of Edge-lane, yeoman. Although not a numerous family in Oldham, the Booths are very ancient and respectable. The third name in the Oldham baptismal register is “Andrew Booth, bap. April 26th, 1558”. Among the Protestators in 1641-2 was John Booth. E. Butterworth says the Booths were amongst the most ancient yeomanry families of the hamlet. In the “Great Book” for 1684 and in the Rate Book for 1685 I find the names of John Booth and William Booth, both of Royton, who would probably have some connection with the Booths of Edge-lane. We find the Booths in other parts of the district, say at Lees and Greenacres, but whether the Royton branch belonged to them I cannot say. Sir George and William Booth owned considerable land in Strinesdale, and also at Shelderslow, in the earlier part of the seventeenth century; indeed, it seems to have been the Booths who brought the Shelderslow Taylors into this country from Walton le Dale. Possibly some branch of these Booths settled here at an early period, and these local families are off shoots of the great county family of that name.
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With regard to the Oldham Booths, E. Butterworth says the late John and Joseph Booth, of Greenacres, yeomen, the former of whom died in 1812, and the latter in 1835, were partners with Messrs. Lees, Jones, and Co., the extensive colliery proprietors. Mr. John Booth, of Southport, and late of Greenacres, is the present representative of the family. Another branch of the Booth family originated from Booth Hall, near Bury, an ancient domicile dating from the 7th Henry’s time. Possibly this might be the Royton branch.
February 18th – Died at Chadderton workhouse Ann Beswick, commonly cald Joe Jessey’s wife. February 17th – Oldham, the meal sells 3s. 9d. to 3s. 10d. a peck; flour from 4s. 4d. to 4s. 6d a peck; barley flour 2s. 4d. to 2s. 6d. a peck. Butterworth says: “In February, 1800, a large crowd made an attack on two car loads of flour, the property of Mr. Robert Cooper, of Royton, when passing near Earnshaw Green opposite Hargreaves in Oldham. The rioters sold the flour forthwith at half-a-crown per peck, not allowing any individual to purchase more than two pecks at a time, and at the termination of the affair handed the money received to Mr. Cooper’s carriers. February 18th – It has been severe cold for a week past. It as froze with uncommon fury, with a small setterment of snow. February 19th – It is turned to fine and pleasant, and thaws very rapidly without rain. February 20th – Oldham: Last night some daring villains robbed a wagon of a large quantity of Lynn cloth, with wich they made clear off. The wagon was set at Samuel Horrock’s door, the Lamb Inn. Poor Samuel Horrocks is long since dead, but I believe the Lamb Inn in Oldham still exists under its varying fortunes. What stories these old fashioned inns could tell if only they had a tongue. February 24th – a severe but very fine frost commenced. February 25th – File de se – Ann Colclough, a young woman, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in consequence of crosses in love put an end to her existence by poison. The coronor’s jury brought in ther verdict ‘file de se’ in consequence of wich she was buried at the road side. |
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