"The two important inventions of spinning by rollers and spindles broke down the barrier which had so long obstructed the advance of the cotton manufacture. The invention of Arkwright led to the adoption of the factory system, whilst that of Hargreaves, though it had ultimately the same effect, was at first introduced into the houses and cottages of the Lancashire weavers. By the aid of the jenny, a woman was enabled to spin as much yarn as sixteen or even twenty persons could produce with the common wheel. The new system of carding cotton by machinery, tended still further to concentrate the processes of the manufacture within large rooms or single buildings. One of the first improvements made in the carding machine, was the fixing of a perpetual revolving cloth, called a feeder, on which a given weight of cotton wool was spread, and by which it was conveyed to the cylinder." This was invented in 1772, by Mr. John Lees, a quaker, resident in Turf lane, in Royton, but sometimes described as of Manchester. Mr. Lees established a small concern at Turf lane for carding cotton, which was worked by horse power. He successfully proved in evidence on the trial respecting Sir Richard Arkwright's patent, June 25, 1785, that he was the inventor of the feeder. This ingenious man, who died at Turf lane, was the father of Mr. James Lees, who built a small cotton mill at Fowleach, Greenacres moor, and was grandfather of the late Mr. Earnshaw, surgeon, of Mumps. It has been erroneously asserted that Mr. Lees invented the crank and comb, but there is no doubt that Arkwright produced this invention. As the manufacturers soon found that the cotton yarn produced by Arkwright's machines was of a superior quality to that obtainable by the old methods, and might be purchased at a lower price, many of them applied for and procured by purchase grants of permission to establish cotton mills in conformity with the patent. The greater part of the earliest cotton mills were moved by horse power. I have no information of the existence of any cotton mills in Oldham prior to 1776.

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