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EASTWOOD DYEWORKS

(Eastwood Lower Mill / Cockden Mill)

Eastwood

Todmorden

Map Ref. SD964255

http://www.charlestownhistory.org.uk/

eastwood/cockden.html

 

See also EASTWOOD UPPER MILL & SHED

 

Known occupiers

 

1797-1890

EASTWOOD, William, Thomas & John

1804 -1805

BARKER Abraham

1808

HAY Hiram

1809

HALSTEAD John

1822

SUTCLIFFE Thomas

1837

SUTCLIFFE J.

1841-1861

HARGREAVES William

1854-1867

CATLOW William

1867-1871

HITCHEN Elias

1866-1932

CRABTREE Dan & Co.

1932-1937

WORRALL & Co.

1937

Closed down, later used for duck hatching and later still a nut and bolt factory.

Demolished

 

http://www.charlestownhistory.org.uk/

eastwood/cockden.html

 

Additional information

researched, recorded and referenced by Mrs Sheila Wade

Hebden Bridge WEA Local History Group

 

Stansfield Land Tax Assessments 1797 and 1798

Owned and occupied by Thomas Eastwood; factory value 4s; Cockden Lane value 2s.

 

Stansfield Land Tax Assessments 1800

Owned and occupied by Thomas Eastwood; factory value 3/8d ½; Cockden Lane value 1/10d ½

 

Deans Manchester Directory 1804

Abraham Barker, fustian, Todmorden, attending Manchester market

 

Probate of the will of Thomas Eastwood 9th July 1804

Bequests include half his mill at or near Cockden Lane, then in the occupation of Abraham Barker, to his son William, and a share in Cockden Mill to William Eastwood the 3rd son of William Eastwood. (Died childless March 1810)

 

Abstract of Title 9th July 1804

Of Thomas Eastwood to premises at Eastwood … called The Lower Mill.

Will of Thomas Eastwood, only son of John Eastwood. Left life interest to his son William, but property to William’s eldest son, Thomas. List of fields etc.

“And also all that the Testator’s mill or factory then building at Eastwood … and then intended to be finished and completed as soon as convenient at the testator’s own expenses"

… later talks about a drain

“for the purpose of conducting water from the lower factory at Eastwood to the said intended mill …”

 

Stansfield Township map 1805

Factory marked at Cockden

 

Stansfield valuation 1805

Lower Eastwood:

owned by Thomas Eastwood; occupied by William Eastwood; house, old factory buildings, waterfall, barn, cottage, fields etc; annual value £27.

Lower Eastwood:

owner Thomas Eastwood; occupier William Eastwood; old barn and spinning room therein with waste; annual value £2. New factory building and cottages, annual value £13.

Cocktin:

Thomas Eastwood owner; occupier Abraham Barker; fields, cottages etc; factory building, cottages and waterfall; measurement 7 perches; annual value £38.10s.0d.

 

Halifax Journal 9th March 1805

Married on Thursday last, Mr. Thomas Eastwood, cotton manufacturer, to Miss Sarah Barker, both of Stansfield.

 

Halifax Journal 3rd August 1805

Auction 8th August at Cockden Mill, Stansfield. Cotton machinery: 3 mules, 206 spindles each, 1 carding engine 35” wide, 1 drawing frame of 8 boxes with cans, 1 stretcher of 40 spindles, household furniture etc. Late property of Abraham Barker. Machinery nearly new.

 

Halifax Journal 7th June 1806

Meeting of creditors of Abraham Barker, late of Cockting Mill, Stansfield

 

Halifax Journal 6th February 1808

Hiram Hay, Cockden Mill Stansfield, cotton spinner, assigned estate to trustees.

 

Halifax Journal 15th October 1808

Abraham Barker, Cockting Lane Mill near Todmorden, Stansfield, cotton spinner. His creditors will be paid a dividend.

 

Advertisement 1809

Cockden Mill in Stansfield. To be sold by private contract all the cotton machinery consisting of: 1 excellent carding engine, nearly new, 1 stretcher, 1 drawing frame, 4 mules, 1 dule, a quantity of large tin cans, straps, skips, weigh beam scales and weights, scrap iron and all other apparatus thereunto belonging, late the property of Mr. John Halstead, deceased. The mill is well situated for trade, and is now to be let, and may be entered upon immediately after the machinery is sold. For particulars, apply to Mrs. Mary Halstead of Cockden Mill.

The dyeworks about 1912

 

1810 (no source)

(Ingle, 1980)

“There were two mills on this site, one of them originally a corn mill. By 1810 one was being used for cotton spinning …”

 

Stansfield Land Tax Assessments 1810

William Eastwood, owner and occupier, Cocktop (sic); tax 1s.10d.

William Eastwood, owner and occupier, factory, tax 3/8d ½.

 

Agreement 18th June 1810

Between William Eastwood, gentleman, Thomas Eastwood, cotton spinner, John Eastwood, worsted spinner, all of Lower Eastwood; and Henry Eastwood of Upper House or Upper Eastwood, cotton manufacturer, regarding water rights to respective mills:

First – that the clough at the south side of the dam at Upper Eastwood when the water is let out … for the use of the works at Lower Eastwood …

Second – that the owners or occupiers of the works at Lower Eastwood when in want of water to work machinery shall have the right of drawing water from the said dam at Upper Eastwood …

July 1810

A second agreement between the same parties as above but with the following additional information:

William, Thomas and John Eastwood are now seized of or otherwise well entitled to certain mills situated at Lower Eastwood and at Cockden in Stansfield.

(Mss. from the late E. W. Watson of Hebden Bridge).

 

1812

Thomas Eastwood of Eastwood in the account books of Jeremiah Jackson, cotton machinery maker

 

10th August 1814 Indenture of Lease and release.

William Eastwood (the son) to Thomas Eastwood (the grandson) …

“all that the said mill or factory or building situate … at Eastwood … called the Lower Mill and then occupied for the purpose of spinning cotton …”

 

Stansfield Township map 1816

Mill at Eastwood shown but not named on land owned by William Eastwood. Also 4 dams, the largest and furthest away owned by Thomas Eastwood as purchaser of William Eastwood.

 

Indenture 9th January 1818

Mr. Thomas Eastwood and Sarah his wife of Eastwood, cotton manufacturer, to Mrs. Gath.  Mortgage for securing £800. All that mill or factory … at Eastwood … Lower Mill and now occupied for the purpose of spinning cotton.

 

Stansfield Land Tax Assessments 1822

Owners William Eastwood & Sons; occupier Thomas Sutcliffe; Cockden; tax 1s.10d.

Owner and occupier William Eastwood & Sons; factory; tax 2/4d.

 

Baines 1822

John Eastwood, Eastwood, gentleman

William Eastwood, Eastwood, gentleman

Thomas Eastwood, Eastwood, gentleman

Henry Eastwood, East Lee, cotton manufacturer

 

Pigot & Deane 1824-25

John, William and Thomas Eastwood, gentlemen, Eastwood, Stansfield.

 

Baines 1825

John and William Eastwood, gentlemen, Eastwood.

Thomas Eastwood, Eastwood, cotton manufacturer.

 

Stansfield Land Tax Assessments 1825

Owners and occupiers William Eastwood & Sons; Cockden Mill; tax 1s.10d.

 

Pigot 1828-29

Thomas Eastwood, cotton spinners & manufacturers, Eastwood

 

Parson & White 1830

Thomas Eastwood, cotton manufacturers, Eastwood

 

Stansfield Land Tax Assessments 1830

Owners and occupiers William Eastwood & Sons; Cockden Mill; tax 1s.10d.

 

Stansfield Land Tax Assessments 1832

Owners and occupiers William Eastwood & Sons; Cockden Mill; tax 1s.10d.

 

Pigot 1834

Thomas Eastwood, cotton spinners, Eastwood.

 

White 1837

J. Sutcliffe, bobbin turner, Cockden Mill

 

Census 1841

William Hargreaves, Cockden Mill, aged 40, spindle maker

 

Walker 1845

William Hargreaves, Cockden Mill Stansfield, spindle and flyer maker

 

Census 1851

William Hargreaves, Eastwood Mill, aged 52, master spindle maker employing 5 men. (Son John aged 15, spindle maker)

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1854-60

Occupied by William Hargreaves; owners Thomas & John Eastwood; part of mill; Cockden; rateable value £11.4s.0d.

Occupied by William Catlow; owners Thomas & John Eastwood; part of mill; Cockden; rateable value £10.17s.0d; half empty.

 

Kelly 1861

William Hargreaves, Cockden, spindle maker

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1867

Occupied by William Catlow; owner W. Mitchell executors; workshop; Cockden; rateable value 10s.

 

Stansfield Rates books 1867

Occupied by Elias Hitchen & Co; owner W. M. Eastwood; mill etc; Cockden; rateable value £1.2s.6d.

Occupier Dan Crabtree; owner W. M. Eastwood; dyeworks; Cockden; rateable value £32.4s.0d.

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1868-70

Occupied by Crabtree & Hitchen; owner W. M. Eastwood; dyeworks; Cockden; rateable value £44.16s.6d.

1868 – new cutting room £11.10s.0d.

 

Census 1871

Elias Hitchen, Eastwood, aged 48, master cotton dyer and finisher of cords.

Dan Crabtree, Woodmill, aged 63, dyer employing 66 men and 49 women.

 

December 1871

Elias Hitchen died aged 48 years

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1871-1899

Occupied by Crabtree & Hitchen & Co; owner W. M. Eastwood; dyeworks; Cockden; rateable value £44.16s.6d.

1880 – additions to dyeworks £44.10s.0d

 

Halifax Courier 13th January 1877

Fire at dyeing and finishing works of Crabtree and Thomas near Eastwood Station. Damage estimated at £150. Twenty unfinished fustian pieces destroyed, worth about £90. Buildings insured. This is the third fire at the same place in the last 15 years.

 

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Almanac 30th January 1879

Fire at Dan Crabtree’s dyeworks, Eastwood. Damage £400.

 

10th November 1886

A horse and trap driven by Mr. Dan Crabtree of Eastwood knocked down Thomas Bentley, aged 10, of 47, Lob Mill. The offside wheel passed over the boy's head causing his death the following morning. The inquest jury brought in a verdict of accidental death.

 

25th October 1901

About 1-25 this morning a disastrous fire broke out on the premises of Messrs Dan Crabtree & Sons, dyers and finishers, Cockden Dyeworks, Eastwood. The firm estimate their loss at £2,000 to £4,000.

 

Census 1901

Dan Crabtree, Eastwood, aged 63, master dyer of cotton goods.

Henry Crabtree (son) aged 36, master dyer of cotton goods

 

Notes

 

Dan Crabtree junior had 4 sons, Edward, Joseph, Henry and Frank. Each son was in charge of a department in the firm and they carried out the business of cutting, dyeing and finishing fustian. After fustian went out of fashion, they turned to velveteen. In 1932, the business was sold to Worrell’s, and it finally closed down in 1937.

 

 

Block A

Top floor – where the pieces started on their journey. They had a stiffening paste applied to the back. The lower rooms were used for the cutting process. The heavy pieces were cut on machines that had 4 knives, and circular knives cut the thinner pieces. These cut through the ridges and released the pile. They then moved over to block D.

Block B

Housed the stones for drying the pieces.

Block C

Here the pieces were dried out.

Block D

In this block the pieces were singed to get rid of loose ends, and checked that all ribs had been cut. They were then dressed and polished, and then dyed and put into spinners to extract the surplus dye. They were then hung and stretched then taken to the cylinders in block C.

Block E

This was the storeroom, built over the old dam