same month, a meeting of the principal inhabitants of the district tool; place to consider the state of affairs. Sir Watts Horton attended, and pointed out to the provision dealers present the propriety of selling articles of food at as low a rate of profit as possible. The parties addressed argued the principles of trade with the baronet, and by way of demonstrating that they were not actuated by motives of extreme selfishness, they consented to sell meal at 2s. per peck for the succeeding three weeks, the ordinary price being then 2s. 6d. per peck. Another meeting of the distressed workmen being expected to take place on Greenaeres moor on Saturday, the 8th of the same month, Sir Wfatts Horton and Mr. Pickford, attended by fifty special constables and fifty soldiers (light horse), were on the spot at an early hour, but no riotous crowd appearing, Sir Watts addressed to the few individuals who had casually assembled some pithy and conciliating remarks on the lamentable condition of public affairs. His observations were highly applauded, and caused all the parties to separate in good humour with each other.

Though suffering from the pressure of the times, manufactures continued to increase. In 1795, Mr. Daniel Lees, brother of Mr. John Lees, of Church lane and Werneth, and grandfather of John Lees Ainsworth, Esq., and Mrs. Ainsworth, of Pit bank, erected a cotton mill in New road, or Manchester street, called Bankside mill. Mr. Lees originally commenced cotton spinning in Duke street, where he carried on business before 1791. In his latter years he became one of the most opulent manufacturers of the district. His death occurred March 1, 1822. Messrs. Jones had become possessed of Fog lane or King street mill, previous to 1796, and let it to several individuals, who commenced the cotton spinning business on a small scale, forming about one of the first instances of a system since become extremely common, particularly at Oldham, the appropriation of mills to various concerns of moderate extent. A second

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