Book Description

A survey of the early textile mills of the famed English town, and work and life amid the Industrial Revolution, with photos and illustrations. In this fascinating survey, Vivien Teasdale documents the mills of Huddersfield—some now demolished, others repurposed, and a few still connected with the modern textile industry. Teasdale also recalls the people whose livelihood depended on the mills—the owners, the workers, and their families. Their combined efforts over generations created the prosperity and growth that gave birth to the town we see today, and this book gives a keen insight into their work and their lives. All kinds of mills are featured here—woolen, worsted, yarn spinners, and shoddy. The people who worked in them are brought vividly to life—where they lived, how much they earned, what their working conditions were like. Early union disputes are recalled, giving a glimpse of the organized labor for which Huddersfield is so rightly famous. Some of the names may live on mainly in the streets or buildings named after them; others have long been forgotten, despite their influence on the town in the early days. But the era in Huddersfield’s history that they represent, and the lost community of individuals and families who lives revolved around them, are well remembered here.