CRESCENT MILL & SIZE WORKS
(HALL ING MILL)
Foundry Street
Todmorden
Map Ref. SD934239
Known occupiers
Pre 1818-
PARKINGTON Giles
c1824-c1841
GREGSON Edward
GREGSON Jane
Pre1851-1895
WHITEHEAD Henry & Bros.
WHITEHEAD George
1851
PARKINGTON Samuel
PEMBERTON Thomas
1861-1902
ASHWORTH Thomas & Bros.
1861-1897
GLEDHILL, ASHWORTH & Co.
1861
CRABTREE William
1861
BARNES John
1861
HILEY Joseph
1863
FARRAR & HARGREAVES
1866
LORD Edmund
1866
SUTCLIFFE William
1971
Lakeann Ltd.?
Bentwood, sewing shop for M&S
1979
GREENWOOD & Co. [Todmorden] Ltd.
Additional Information
partly researched, recorded and referenced by Mrs Sheila Wade Hebden Bridge WEA Local History Group
Notes from John Travis, contemporary historian
Henry Whitehead & Bros built a tin plate works on part of Buckleys Dam, and Gledhill, Ashworth & Co. came from Bradford to work in the place as warp sizers. They then erected Dam Top weaving shed on the same site about 1860. The boiler belonging to the size works across the street powered the weaving shed, for 200 looms. The shed was let as Room and Power. The name was changed to Crescent Mill.
The Tin Plate Works
White 1837
John Whitehead, brazier and tinner, Sutcliffes Buildings.
Census 1841
- Thomas Whitehead, Sutcliffes Buildings, aged 45, tinner.
- George Whitehead (son) aged 20, tinner’s apprentice
- William Whitehead (son) aged 14, tinner’s apprentice.
Census 1851
- George Whitehead, Hall Ing, aged 30, tin plate worker - partnership of 3 employing 3 apprentices.
- Henry Whitehead, Hall Ing, aged 23, tin plate worker - partnership of 3 employing 3 apprentices.
- John Whitehead, Hall Ing, aged 60, iron & tin-plate worker
- Mary Whitehead, Hall Ing, aged 47, tin plate worker - partnership of 3 employing 3 apprentices.
Slater 1855
Whitehead Bros. tin plate and braziers, Hall Ing
Todmorden Rates Books 1860-71
Owned and occupied by Whitehead Bros; workshop etc; Hall Ing; rateable value £5.6s.8d.
1866 – rateable value £10.4s.0d.
Census 1861
- George Whitehead, Foundry Street, aged 40, iron and tin plate worker
- Henry Whitehead, Hall Ing, aged 42, iron and tin plate worker
Todmorden Post Office Directory 1861
John Barnes, joiner, Hall Ing Mill
Fielden papers schedule of deeds 29th November 1873
Crescent property. Whiteheads to Fielden Bros. Conveyance of freehold land, shed, cottages and premises (now known as Hall Ing).
“… All that plot of land situate at Hall Ing in Todmorden and containing 268 superficial square yards or thereabouts, and which said plot is described in an indenture of conveyance bearing the date 29th November 1873 between John Fielden of the first part, James Byrom Bamford of the second part; Henry Whitehead, George Whitehead and William Whitehead of the third part … and also all those 5 cottages or dwelling houses and other buildings erected on the said plot of land …”
Todmorden Rates Book 1873
Occupiers Whitehead Bros; owners Fielden Bros; workshop etc; Hall Ing; rateable value £10.4s.0d.
1874 – empty
Todmorden Rates Book 1876-85
Occupied by Gledhill & Ashworth; owners Fielden Bros; warehouse (late Whitehead’s workshop); Hall Ing; rateable value £10.4s.0d.
1880 – rateable value £5.10s.0d.
Todmorden Rates Book 1874
Owned and occupied by George Whitehead; workshop; Hall Ing; rateable value £7.4s.0d
1875 – empty
1876 – demolished
Todmorden Rates Book 1875-90
Owned and occupied by George Whitehead; workshop; Crescent; rateable value £10.14s.0d.
1880 – rateable value £15.5s.0d.
Todmorden Rates Book 1890
Occupied by Whitehead Bros; owners Fielden Bros; tinner’s shop; Hall Ing; rateable value £4.
8th December 1894
Mr. Frank Whitehead of Stansfield Street, Todmorden, of the firm of G. Whitehead & Sons, iron and tin plate workers, died suddenly at the age of 42 years. On the Sunday following, 100 members of the Independent Order of Oddfellows met at the Oddfellows Hall, Todmorden, and walked in procession to Christ Church, the deceased being the Grand Master of the District.
Kelly 1895
George Whitehead & Sons, sizing and drying machines, tin and copper cylinder and roller makers, Hall Ing & Salford.
The Size Works
Hebden Bridge Times and Caldervale Gazette, 15th March 1882
Recollections of Todmorden 50 to 60 years ago.
Salford
Giles Parkington had his warehouse in the premises of the tinner’s shop of Henry Whitehead.
Following the road by Back Salford – first on one side were the boiler and engine house of The Steam Factory, on the other side the yard of James Stansfield; then Giles Parkington’s sizehouse.
I may furnish a little episode relative to this. It was burnt out during Giles’ tenancy and subsequently put into order when Edward Gregson of Burnley came and ran it. There occurred disputes as to the turning of it by shafting, which went underground, the power being supplied from the Steam Factory engine. William Crabtree of Banks, Dulesgate, was the person who objected, being then owner of adjoining property, and claiming a right to part of the street between his property and the sizehouse. The shafting was disconnected, and in order to meet the difficulty the turning was arranged to be done by a chain and pulleys a sufficient height from the ground, the pulleys being fixed on the Steam Factory engine house and the sizehouse respectively. This was continued for a time, but William Crabtree (usually called Billy Brush) as he had objected to the shafting underground so did he set against the chain overground. Thomas Thomas, who, like John Ratcliffe of Sourhall, seemed to be a sort of confidential man and advisor extraordinary of different people as to their legal rights, became connected with this dispute in the interest of Gregson and others.
One summer evening William Crabtree brought implements and aides and abetters in the work of cutting the aforesaid chain, and thereby asserting his invaded rights, the other opposing parties being also present with their authority, Mr. Thomas Thomas. The circumstances gave rise to a good deal of acrimony and curiosity in that quarter. A song of several verses in reference to the occasion was composed by someone watching. I remember only the lines of it following.
Thomas Thomas did say Billy Brush had no right
To cut down the chain either morning or night
And if he did so they would let him feel
If he touched Mr. Gregson, his chain or his wheel.
He went up the ladder to cut the chain down,
The people about they called him a clown,
They called him a fool, and they called him a thief
For cutting the chain without any leave.
How the matter was terminated I have not in my mind, but I think the turning of the sizehouse by the chain continued for a long time after that.
Notes from John Travis, contemporary historian:
… Gilbert Holden lived in Todmorden for near upon 30 years and in the earlier part of the time used to be employed in Mrs. Jane Gregson’s size house in Salford, which was only a small place …
Leigh’s directory 1818
Giles Parkington, sizer, Todmorden
Baines 1824/25
Edward Gregson, sizer, Salford
Census 1841
Cheapside, Jane Gregson, aged 35, sizer
Census 1851
- Salford, Thomas Pemberton, aged 52, sizer
- Salford, Samuel Parkington, aged 61, sizer
Todmorden Rates Book 1860
Occupied by T. Ashworth & Bros; owners Whitehead Bros; size house; shed; 6hp etc; Hall Ing; rateable value £38.13s.7d.
Census 1861
Thomas Ashworth, Shade, aged 32, warp sizer employing 9 men.
Todmorden Post Office Directory 1861
Thomas Ashworth & Bros. cotton warp sizers, Lower Crescent and Bradford.
Todmorden Rates Book 1861-65
Occupied by T. Ashworth & Bros; owners Whitehead Bros; size house; shed; 6hp etc; Hall Ing; rateable value £54.5s.7d.
Todmorden Rates Book 1866-90
Owners and occupiers Ashworth Bros; shed, size house, power etc; Hall Ing; rateable value £164.9s.0d.
1869 – new office £5.10s.0d.
1871 – new size house £32.3s.0d.
1880 – rateable value £191.15s.0d.
River Pollution Commission 1869
Gledhill, Ashworth & Co. Size Works. Employ 24 hands. Rateable value £84.14s.0d. Water from Rochdale Canal. Size yearly 12,000,000lbs of goods, value £700,000. Use yearly 1,113 tons of flour as size, and 780 tons of clay. Steam nominal 14hp. Use 2,400 tons of coal yearly.
Kelly 1871
Gledhill, Ashworth & Co. cotton warp sizers.
Census 1871
Thomas Ashworth, Rose Bank, aged 42, master cotton warp sizer.
Slater 1877
Thomas Ashworth & Bros. Crescent Size Works, sizers.
Halifax Courier 24th May 1884
Accident at Ashworth Bros size house, Hall Ing.
Worrall 1891
Thomas Ashworth & Bros. Crescent Size Works, sizers.
Kelly 1893
Gledhill, Ashworth & Bros. Foundry Street, warp sizers
Kelly 1897
Gledhill, Ashworth & Bros. Foundry Street, warp sizers.
11th January 1900
Death of Mr. Richard Gledhill of Horton Villa, Bradford, in his 77th year, formerly a member of Messrs. Gledhill & Ashworth, sizers, Hall Ings, Todmorden.
Todmorden in Coronation Year 1902
Alderman Fred Ashworth, Todmorden Hall, senior partner in old local firm.
Alderman Fred Ashworth
The Weaving Shed
Todmorden Rates book 1861-65
Owners and occupiers Ashworth Bros; shed & warehouse; 178 looms at 11.5hp; Crescent; rateable value £93.9s.6d
Census 1861
Joseph Hiley, 9 Patmos, aged 39, cotton manufacturer employing 8 men, 1 women, 3 boys.
Todmorden Post Office Directory 1861
- William Crabtree, cotton manufacturer. Hall Ing Mill
- Joseph Hiley, cotton manufacturer, Hall Ing Mill
Halifax Guardian 25th April 1863
County Court On Saturday, a court was held before C. Temple, Esq., Judge. The following cases were tried. Stansfield v Farrar and Hargreaves - Plaintiff was Mr. Joseph STANSFIELD, Vale Mill and the defendants Messrs. FARRAR and HARGREAVES of Crescent Mill. The action was for the balance owing on the sale of eight warps, the price of which was 1s-9d per pound, and the total amount was £57-2s-9d. They were sold on the 10th September and £30 was paid on account in October. Some deduction had to be made for short weight, which left a balance owing of £5-9s-7d halfpenny. The defence was that the warps were represented to be good ones, that they were not so, but actually incapable of being woven; that the plaintiff knew they were not good, having actually tried to wind one on, when, according to his own admission, it would try whether they were good or not. His honour gave a verdict for the plaintiff for the full amount sought.
Todmorden Rates Book 1866-90
Owners and occupiers Ashworth Bros; shed, size house, power etc; Hall Ing; rateable value £164.9s.0d.
1869 – new office £5.10s.0d.
1871 – new size house £32.3s.0d.
1880 – rateable value £191.15s.0d.
White 1866
- Gledhill, Ashworth & Co. (Thomas Ashworth house 13 York Place), cotton manufacturers.
- Edmund Lord (house Inchfield Bottom), Crescent Mill, cotton manufacturer
- William Sutcliffe, Crescent Mill, cotton spinner & manufacturer
Slater 1877
Gledhill, Ashworth & Co. (Thomas Ashworth house 13 York Place), cotton manufacturers.
The Leeds Mercury Friday November 1st. 1878
Todmorden trade depressed. Crescent Mill, 130 looms full time. (No firm stated)
Halifax Courier 12th July 1879
Gledhill and Ashworth, Crescent Mill, running full time.
Todmorden Advertiser 4th February 1881
Crescent Mill (Ashworth’s), weavers turned out on Wednesday morning because the pick of their looms had been altered I such a way as to prejudice them. They had not returned on Friday. A deputation of weavers was offered an advance equivalent to the change of pick, but would not accept it.
Todmorden Advertiser 11th February 1881
Mr. Ashworth advances wages to weavers’ demands and they re-start work on Monday.
Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Advertiser 1st August 1897
Crescent Mill, 187 looms, running 4 days a week.
Slater 1887
Thomas Ashworth & Bros. cotton manufacturers.
Worrall 1891
Thomas Ashworth & Bros. Crescent Mill, cotton spinners and manufacturers
Kelly 1893
Gledhill, Ashworth & Bros. Foundry Street, cotton manufacturers.
Kelly 1895
Gledhill, Ashworth & Co. 196 looms, Crescent Works, Foundry Street.
Kelly 1897
Gledhill, Ashworth & Bros. Foundry Street, cotton manufacturers. |
