MITCHELL’S MILL (LATER CLOUGH MILL)

[Stanley]

MITCHELL’S MILL (LATER CLOUGH MILL)

29 August 2000. Amendments:21/11/00,

- see Clough Mill in conjunction with these notes. Name changed, probably in 1846 when Wm Mitchell extended the old mill.
First mill was probably built as a water powered spinning mill to take advantage of breaking of Arkwright’s patents after 1785.
First mention I have is in YORKSHIRE COTTON (Ingle) who states that in 1800, Hartley, Bracewell and Co occupied a small cotton mill in Barlick, which they insured for £400.
In 1812 William Mitchell insured ‘The Old Cotton Mill’ in Barlick for £1300. This mill was stated to be four storeys high with about 1500 feet of space.
By 1827 Mitchell had extended the mill and added steam power. George Ingle has seen the records of the policy and it definitely mentions a steam engine at that date. The reference is: Sun Insurance Registers Vol 161. CR1060008 – 1827. William Mitchell, Barnoldswick, Cotton Spinner.
Mill £500, Steam engine £200, Mill work £100, Clockwork £1100, Stock £100, Stock in warehouse £100.
The insurance value in 1831 was: Cotton mill, engine house, sizing house etc. £700, Mill work £100, Machinery £1500, stock £100. Total £2,400.
This statement agrees with Atkinson who said that when Mitchell extended mill in 1846 (same time that Wm Bracewell was building Butts) there was already a boiler on site.
In 1846 Mitchell built Clough Mill next to the existing mill. This may have been an extension of the 1827 extension. It was said to be able to hold 300 looms and was driven by steam. This was the engine that Wm Atkinson said was provided by steam from the existing boiler so it looks as though there were two small beam engines running in the mill at that time. Atkinson further states that these ‘pan’ boilers were changed for flued boilers ‘in the slack time’; this would be the cotton famine of the early 1860s.
First tenants in the 146 build were William, Thomas and Christopher Bracewell who also owned Old Coates and had space in earlier Mitchell’s Mill.
Wm. Atkinson states that 1846 build was by Barlick Masons but that David Carr of Gargrave built the chimney. (This raises the interesting point as to what chimney was used before, was it a detached chimney or built into the old mill?)
Atkinson also states that the first looms brought into the 1846 build were by Pilling of Trawden and had wooden frames. They were brought to Barlick by the Clough carter, Aaron Bilsborough. Bob Foulds was the tackler from Trawden who came to gait up these ‘mongrel looms’. Atkinson got this information from William Bailey who was a tenter at Clough Shed in 1848.
In 1860 the Bracewell Brothers ceased trading.
About 1860, Mr Bennett, the Baptist minister started as a manufacturer in Clough Mill but went bankrupt very soon after.
1860, John Slater and his sons started as tenants in Clough Mill
November 1867. John Slater finished paying £3,000 for Clough Mill. (From Liverpool and Martins Bank records.)
Clough Mill extended in 1868 to take more looms and floor above used for preparing woollen weft. This was discontinued after a few years (resumption of American cotton?) and space taken by Stephen Pickles. (See S Pickles tapes in LTP)
1879 a new shed was built at Clough but abandoned shortly afterwards when Clayton Slater migrated to Canada taking his looms with him.
Slater’s let space vacated by Clayton Slater as Room and Power (Atkinson’s words)
Atkinson describes Clough in 1880 as ‘real starting point’ of Barlick prosperity. He evidently regarded Wm Bracewell hegemony as a stifling influence on the town. (Court cases over water rights with Bracewell Brothers at Old Coates? They were his cousins.)
Describes Clough as four storeys with 144 looms on each floor, 576 in all, loft was used for preparation.
C Herald of 1888 described Clough as being tenanted by Mr Brooks, Mr Stephen Pickles and Messrs. Hand J Slater. On 20/10/88 they reported rumours that Clough was to extend by 400 looms.
In 1888 Slater Edmondson and James Nutter who had been in partnership at Clough moved into new shed at Long Ing.
In 1892 Henry Slater was described as owner and tenant of Clough Mill in Urban District Council papers
Clough Mill Co described as cotton manufacturers in Barrett trade directory of 1887.
April 13 1913, Burnley Ironworks ordered packings from Universal Metallic Packing Co of Bradford for J Slater and Sons at Clough Mill. This would be for the new engine. See N Pickles in LTP.
New engine was Burnley Ironworks cross compound, 2’6” stroke, 93rpm, HP 12”, LP24”, Whitehead governor. Boiler was 7’6” Lancashire, 130psi.
There’s a problem with the engines at Clough. Sometime between the original beam engine of 1827 (working with waterwheel) and the new engine of 1913, there was another engine in there. It was far too big and numb, very uneconomical. All I know is that it was about 900ihp and when it was taken out of Clough it went to Clitheroe to the mill near the railway arches.
Newton tells how ropes used to come off flywheel under load. He rebored the HP valves and fitted new bonnets 1947/48 but never got paid as Slaters banked in 1948/49.
Tom Clark bought mill later when he moved his bedding business into the town after the war. It was a Silentnight mill until it burned down in 60’s(?)