leon21 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Back in the late 70s-80s and early 90s my first hobby was Photography. Born in a Lancashire cotton town I was always interested in the history of the Cotton Mills and their machinery. So for me it seemed natural to photograph them, to make a photographic record of the Industrial buildings and landscapes which was fast disappearing, to make way for houses, shopping centres and industrial units. I must have taken hundreds of photos over the 10-15 years. Heres a small sample of the photos I took.......( none have ever been published ). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LACKIE14 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 great pics leon, a bet most of those chimneys are gone now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STUKA STEVE Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 My family generations ago worked in the Coats mills in Paisley,they were managers for Thomas Coats who employed thousands of workers and famous for the Paisley Pattern shawl.My great great uncle went out to St Petersburg at the request of the Russians to run their new mills there,this was around 1905-10.My grandfather was born in St Petersburg and he and the family had to flee across the baltic to Sweden when the Revolution happened. They had wonderful memories of that beautiful city and i have photos of them on their own winter sleigh with a big cossack driver they employed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 the Cotton Industry started to decline back in the 1930s due to too many mill companys competing in a shinking globel market. By the 1950/60 I would say 75% of the mills were closed in the town. Some were being used by other industries, ie- engerneering-mailorder-shoemanufacturing ect. Here are some more photos, the first one is a mill being cleared of carding machines for scrap, it was converted for use as a mail order company were I worked for 14 years. the second photo was given to me by a work mate of his father in the late 70s still working in one of the last cotton mills in the town. The last two photos were when I changed to colour in the 1990s. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Andrew Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I think Gandhi had allot to do with the decline too with his boycott of British cotton.It's very sad to see those pictures but great that you have captured them in time before they were demolished.I remember my uncle telling me that we have a relative who invented something to do with the loom, his name was Grierson, have you ever come across that name in your research? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Yes Kenny, Iv'e come across several people with that name who at sometime have invented different things to do with looms. Iv'e come across a Grierson who was involved with the American Loom, one who was involved with the French made Loom, and several who helped to advance the British made Loom. If you could let me know their first name were they lived and what period they lived in ie- 18th-or-19th century, I maybe able to narrow it down a bit to find your relative and what they invented. Heres my favourite photo taken in the late 1890s, (no cars or vans here). The mill in the background is still standing and been converted into flats. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Andrew Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Thanks Leon, I'll see what I can find out ,I would imagine most likely a Scottish conection.It's actually my uncle who is married to Hedi who's father Erich we wrote the book about,unfortunetley he is battling cancer at the moment so will need to wait to see how he gets on, hopefully all will be well and I can ask him. Keep the pictures coming,very interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Sorry to hear about your uncle Kenny, hope he gets well. I'll take another look and see if I can find the Scottish connection. Heres a photo of the mill I worked at for 14 years. Ceased cotton production in 1933, stood empty till the second world war when it was used as a Army Barracks, and later as a Demob centre. and later converted for use as a mail order company, and as far as I know is still going. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Andrew Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Thanks Leon ,possibly Lanarkshire ,I've just got a new home computer and have lost all my old email addresses so can't even email him, he is in Australia ,will ask my parents to ask him when they are next in contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 Heres a few more photos for you. Pic 1 Taken during WW2 the mill was hit by a bomb when Heinkels jettisoned their bombs over the town, returning from a raid on Manchester. The bombs also hit a pub and nine houses. Pic 2 taken in 1927 shows the damage caused to the engine house. The engine was running at full speed when the main driving wheel burst sending huge pieces of metal flying in all directions. Pic 3 taken in 1978 shows the mill as it was. Pic 4 taken in 1985 the morning after a fire started in the mill during the night, the mill had to be demolished. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted January 13, 2012 Author Share Posted January 13, 2012 Hi Kenny, Iv'e come across a name that could be your relative, I need to do more research on this person first anything you can find out about your relative will be a great help. In the mean time here are a few more photos for you. Pic 1 taken in 1920/30s not sure, I'm going off the WW1 tank on display in the bottom right hand corner of the park to date this photo. Pic 2 taken in 1988 by me when I'd started to take several photos, and join them together to give a more overall view. Pic 3 taken in 1910. Pic 4 taken in 1988 of the same view, very little has changed of the overall view. pic 5 taken in 1990 again two photos joined together to give an overall view of the area. Pic 6-7-8 are of a notice board I salvaged from a Cotton Mill canteen, the mill was being demolished in 1990. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Andrew Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I like the picture with the tank, can't get much more historical than that.I asked my parents to contact my uncle and ask for more details, they think the inventor was on his mothers side so the name might not be Grierson at all.Apparently my grandmother received royalties for the invention up until her death.It was not allot as there were problems with the patent.Will hopefully have some news soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Okay Kenny, will leave it there for now till I here further from you. Last photos for now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Andrew Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Hi Leon, my uncle was just in the shop he has beaten cancer and although his memory is pretty hazy he is pretty sure his relative was called James Dixon Grierson and invented something to do with the cotton shuttle, perhaps had something to do with tartan too he was based in Hawick round about the 19th Century. Maybe this will help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share Posted September 4, 2012 Hi Kenny, glad to here your uncle is okay, he's lucky alot don't. Will see what I can find out and let you know. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon21 Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 Hi Kenny, have now started looking for your relative,have obtained a list of wollen and tweed manufacturers in Harwick in the 19th century. have found a R.Grierson & Co Mansholme Mills Hawick. Did James Dixon Grierson have any relatives in Hawick?. Have also come across a Grierson linked to Wilton Mills of Dickson.& Laings.& Co manufacture of wollen,tweeds,tartans,& shawls. And others with the name Grierson.Do you know if he was born in Hawick?. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Andrew Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Hi Colin, the second one sounds promising, he is back in Australia now so can't ask him, to be honest he seemed a bit mixed up when he was over so James Dixon might not even be the correct name.If you find a James Dixon Grierson then that will be him, however it is possible he got the name wrong as I think his medical treatments had an effect on him. I asked him how my relatives in Canada were getting on and he told me my uncle had died , however I already new this, as he died 15 years ago! He did tell me his mother used to get patent money every year from the company, which would have been passed to him but unfortunately the company went bust and he never got a payment. I know it's difficult to trace some one and does not help when we are now not even sure of the name Keep looking for JD Grierson hopefully that will be him,if you can't find one then I think the one who was connected to Dickson.& Laings.& Co is very likely as he did mention tartan. might be an impossible task. thanks Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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