Helmshore Mills Textile Museum (The Museum)

 Unpublished article for Landworker magazine 

Helmshore Mills Textile Museum (The Museum) was absolutely buzzing the day we visited during the summer holidays. People of all ages had journeyed from far and wide to take part in the machinery tours, examine the exhibitions, sit and chat and engage in arts and crafts activities at the two mills which separately produced wool and cotton. 

It was all a far cry from the drudgery and horrors experienced by thousands of workers. These had been wrenched from their homes during the industrial revolution. It came after new technology wiped out traditional hand loom family weaving practices. It left local people with no option except to enter the dark satanic mills. Fortunately, visitors today can enjoy a good day out whilst having an opportunity to learn much more about how their descendants struggled to earn, even as recently as just 50 years back, a decent living.

Lying 16 miles north of Manchester, Helmshore is a small rural village in the Lancashire Rossendale Valley. In 1789, the Turner family built two mills, parts of which are still working.  By 1820 the power looms they and other manufacturers had introduced meant a full piece of cloth that had once earned a family 25p in the late 1700s was being manufactured at a fifth of that price.

Poverty levels multiplied. In April 1826 arose open revolt. Over 1,100 power looms across Pennine Lancashire were wrecked. Known today as the Weavers Uprising or, more tragically, the Chatterton Massacre it resulted in the authorities coming down brutally on protestors, killing as many as ten people.  Many more were imprisoned.

It is a tragedy set to be remembered on its bicentennial next year with many diverse events being co-ordinated by seven prominent organisations including the museum and which Unite members might consider participating in.

Unique

In a corner of the cotton mill, Preston’s Sir Richard Arkwright can be viewed as he watches over the only remaining complete water-powered cotton spinning machine of his that he invented with clockmaker John Kay around 1750. This ended the need for skilled operators, resulting in women and, even for many decades, children becoming the main employees.

Visitors can learn more from the experienced tour guides. Plus watch some of the noisy, non-stop machines being brought to life. Deafness was just one of many occupational hazards for workers. Lung diseases from taking in fibres was another. Trade unions, at least, initially were non-existent.

Joining a large group of youngsters aged 8 to 17 years from Woking United Reformed Church (WURC), on holiday locally for a week, it was interesting to witness how guides engaged them by employing textile terms. This included asking  them where the phrases heirloom or tenterhooks or even taking the piss might have originated from.  

The answers are on page……….

According to the WURC’s Phil Ray the museum was, with the group on a tight budget, highly affordable. The visit had been chosen in part on the basis of its connection to local sheep farming, which resulted from the 12^th to 14^th century in wool exports being the largest source of England’s income.

“The children and young people have been fascinated by the old equipment and the building, plus the phrases!” 

One of the guides was Unite member Ann Butcher. After years working with homeless people, Ann joined the museum, which is run by Lancashire County Council, three years ago and “loves it. You share information but you also get visitors who tell their own stories and bring in photographs of family members who not so very long ago worked here. I incorporate some of the stories into my own talks,” The Mill ceased production and closed in 1978.

Another Unite member is assistant manager Michael Whitworth who when he previously worked at the University of Manchester was a TGWU steward.

Whitworth explained that the museum staff are working hard to develop bigger roots within the local community. “We don’t have a local library. So even though the museum is closed in the winter months we open on a Thursday as a warm space for older people. Lots of games get played. New friendships are made.

When we visited the café was busy with local people attending a book club. In another part of the large premises young children were engaging in arts and crafts activities including making woolen dolls.

“On school visits, we incorporate our working machines alongside modern technology by organising science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) where children learn how to make invisible ink and us volcano activities to simplify chemical reactions,” says Whitworth.

On strolling around the exhibitions, the quality of the mannequins – especially the red breasted soldier from 1826 – was highly impressive. The figurines used to highlight the traditional home working practices prior to the industrial revolution are also noteworthy.

At aged 8, Jessie Brandon, joined by his friend Charlie, had enjoyed his visit. “It was fun wandering around.  The best bit was the water mill. I like mills!” The young boys had also been able to have some hands-on experiences by being helped to use a hand loom to do some weaving plus they’d examined 50 Lancashire objects.

Jessie’s mum, a teacher, Helen was pleased to see her son smiling out wide. But she is also keen to make sure he discovers that his great grandad Rob Bennett was a passionate believer in trade unions and health and safety and who from a working class background studied to eventually become an HMI Inspector of Mines in the 1920s. https://www.dmm.org.uk/whoswho/b018.htm

“I was born and bred in Bury. The cotton industry is part of my heritage. I wanted my son to see what a cotton mill looks like and get a glimpse of the heat and noise. It gives an understanding of what people’s lives were previously like,” said Helen.

Answers

Heirloom – this is where on the death of the father the loom was passed on to the oldest son.

Tenterhooks – these were hooks on the tenter used to hold the cloth in place.

Taking the piss – urine was for decades collected from residents to use the ammonia in it within the textile manufacturing process.