1775. The first machine makers in the neighbourhood of Oldham were Messrs. Edmund and Samuel Elson, of Tetlow fold, North moor. They constructed numerous jennies of fourteen and twenty spindles. The room in which these ingenious men pursued their useful labours at Tetlow fold forms a wonderful contrast to the vast and admirable machine making works of the present day. Other machine makers than the Elsons speedily appeared on the field, and the first individual who established a machine making workshop in the village of Oldham was Mr. Jonathan Ogden, grandfather of the late James Ogden, Esq., of Oak house, Hollins. Messrs. Heap and Cowper, of Glodwick, are said to have been machine makers on a small scale.

Arkwright and Hargreaves's inventions not being adapted for spinning fine qualities of yarn, this defect was remedied by the invention of the mule, which has carried the cotton manufacture to a perfection it could not otherwise have attained. This machine was the production of Samuel Crompton, of Hall in the Wood, near Bolton, father of the late Mr. William Crompton, pawnbroker, of Manchester street, Oldham. The date of the invention, was about 1776. His first machine consisted of not more than from twenty to thirty spindles, but many are now at work of eight hundred spindles each, and some of the vast number of eleven hundred spindles each, or two thousand two hundred the pair, the pair being managed by one spinner. Previously it was supposed impossible to spin eighty hanks to the pound, but now as many as three hundred and fifty hanks to the pound are frequently spun, each hank measuring eight hundred and forty yards, and forming together a thread a hundred and sixty seven miles in length! Mr. Crompton made no effort to secure a patent, and the machine became public property at once, the inventor receiving scarcely any other reward than a grant of £5000 from parliament. This extraordinary man died

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