Oldham Historical Research Group

Scan and page transcript from:
Historical Sketches of Oldham by Edwin Butterworth
Pub. 1856

Historical Sketches of Oldham by Edwin Butterworth

with the number of looms, the amount of horse power of the engines, and various other interesting particulars relating to this branch of trade. From these we find that the 96 mills in the municipal borough belong to 93 different owners, whilst the number of occupiers, including both owners and tenants, is 143. The total number of looms is 8841, and the aggregate nominal horse power amounts to 3370. The number of persons employed in spinning is - men, 5713; women, 4836; boys, 632; girls, 246; total, 11,427. In the weaving department the numbers are - males, 1323; females, 3266; boys, 38; girls, 67; total, 4694; making a grand total of 16,121. If we take the number of persons employed by the firm which refused the information to be 400 (the number said to have been employed by them in 1846) it will show the total number of persons employed in the cotton factories in Oldham to be 16,521. There are at present three new cotton factories in course of erection in the borough, one at Hollinwood by Mr. Joseph Baxter, another in King street, by Mr. Joseph Jones, and a third in Union street by Mr. David Heyes. It may be stated as a further proof of the prosperity of the cotton manufacture, that there is only one mill in the whole borough not working - the Acre factory.

In the township of Chadderton we find that there are at present 6 factories, all occupied by the owners, employing 1119 persons, male and female, with a nominal horse power of 323. In Royton there are 13 cotton mills, and in Crompton there are 22, but we are unable to give the numbers employed in them, some of the employers having declined to afford us the necessary information.

The iron trade of Oldham has shared abundantly in the advancing prosperity of the town. Since the year 1847, 11 new foundries and machine shops have been erected, 1 has re-built, and 4 have been enlarged. The total number of iron works in the borough is 31, with

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