Cotton Mills Of Preston

The author's unique record of the mills of Preston will enthral those who worked in the mills and is a rich source of information for anyone interested in cotton mills and steam power. This invaluable book is the product of the author's passionate interest in the mills which forested Preston's skyline until the latter half of the last century. Colin Dickinson has always been fascinated by the mills, and more specifically the engines which powered them. Without these astonishing machines, mass production of cotton would not have been possible. Many years of meticulous research, supported by visits to mills and interviews with mill workers, has resulted in a book which no-one else could have written in this way. Mill after mill was demolished when King Cotton died, but the author had the foresight to photograph large numbers of them before they disappeared from view. His images stand as a permanent record of an industry and way of life that survive only in the memories of the thousands of Preston folk who worked in the mills. Decade by decade this book charts the role of steam power in the great mills of Preston during the century-and-a-half of their operation.In chronological order it lists every cotton factory to appear on the scene, presenting building dates, site layouts, constructional details, spindleage, loomage, ownerships and final closure dates. Cotton Mills of Preston: The Power Behind the Thread' will enthral those who worked in the mills and is a rich source of information for anyone interested in cotton mills and steam power.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This well illustrated book is the first comprehensive study of the weaving sector of the Lancashire cotton industry to be published. The focus is on the development of weaving mills against the background of the economic development and organisation of the industry. Hand loom weaving was carried out in domestic premises or small workshops. Early power looms were installed in multi-storey mills combined with spinning, the characteristic form of single storey shed with north-light roof used solely for weaving developing later. The construction, power systems and layout of these mills are considered in detail. The book is based on original research looking at both the mills themselves and documentary sources, including plans and company records.

This book links the world of finance directly to the fate of the cotton and textile industry, long a metaphor for the rise and fall of Britain as a manufacturing economy, for the first time.

In the nineteenth-century mill towns of Preston, England; Lowell, Massachusetts; and Paisley, Scotland, there were specific demands for migrant and female labor, and potential employers provided the necessary respectable conditions in order to attract them. Using individual accounts, this innovative and comparative study examines the migrants' lives by addressing their reasons for migration, their relationship to their families, the roles they played in the cities to which they moved, and the dangers they met as a result of their youth, gender, and separation from family. Gordon details both the similarities and differences in the women's migration experiences, and somewhat surprisingly concludes that they became financially independent, rather than primarily contributors to a family economy.