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CINDERHILL MILL

Halifax Road

Castle Street

Todmorden

 

Map Ref. SD951246

 

 

Known occupiers

 

1805-1820

HOWARTH John

KNOWLES Thomas

INGHAM Richard

1820-1900

INGHAM Richard & Sons

INGHAM William

INGHAM John

INGHAM John Arthur

1880-1884

BARKER Elias & GREENWOOD James

1884-1888

BARKER Elias

1890-1897

BANCROFT James & Co.

1902

THWAITE & DOBSON

1908

COLLINS Bros.

1911

HALLAS T. & Co.

2006

Due for demolition
 
Illustrated history
 
Richard Ingham was a wealthy man who, in 1788 was a worsted stuff maker. He employed various men of the neighbourhood to spin and weave his wool in their own homes, and it is known he had a raising mill at CASTLE CLOUGH. Richard died in 1810, leaving his wealth to his three sons, Richard, John and William.
   

The mill in 1905

Cinderhill Mill was built before 1801, although nothing is known of its origins it is believed it was in the hands of the Ingham family from at least 1805. It stands by the roadside at Castle Street on the main road from Todmorden to Halifax, and stretches back to the railway, which appeared in the 1830's.
   
John Howarth was the first known occupier from at least 1805, and may well have also been a part owner of the  mill along with Thomas Knowles of Dobroyd in Todmorden and Richard Ingham, eldest son of the original Richard Ingham

The same view exactly 100 years later
   

In January 1818, the following advertisement was placed in the Leeds Mercury, offering the mill and several other parts of the Ingham estate for sale by auction.

 

The Leeds Mercury, Saturday January 3rd. 1818

CINDERHILL FACTORY

And other valuable premises, in Stansfield and Langfield

To Be sold by auction by Mr. Abraham Scholfield at the house of Mr. David Cawthorn, at the Golden Lion in Todmorden, in the Parish of Halifax, in the County of York, on Thursday, the eighth day of January 1818, between the hours of four and six in the afternoon, subject to such conditions as will be then and there produced in the following Lots:-

Lot 1st

All that newly erected factory, called or known by the name of the Cinderhill Factory, situate near a place called the New Shop, in Stansfield, in the parish of Halifax aforesaid, and now in the tenure or occupation of Mr. JOHN HAUWORTH, or his undertenants. And also, all that plot, piece, or parcel of land or ground, as the same is now staked, marked and set out, in the south westerly corner of a certain close of land adjoining, on the south easterly sided of the said factory, called Cinderhill Meadow, with the said plot, piece or parcel of land or ground, including the fold and yard at the said factory, contains by admeasurement 1133 square yards.

N.B. The above mentioned factory is 24 yards in length, 12 yards in breadth, 5 stories high, well wooded, and adjoins to the Halifax and Burnley turnpike road, lies contiguous to the Rochdale Canal, and within one mile of the commercial village of Todmorden, and eleven of Halifax, and the above mentioned plot of land as now set out, is particularly eligible and well adapted for converting into a mill dam or reservoir, on account of there being an excellent strong spring of water therein, which is constant in all seasons.

Particulars from Thomas Knowles of Dobroyd, John Howarth of Cinderhill factory and Richard Ingham of Haugh.

   

Richard Ingham purchased the factory and the adjacent farm and land on 12th October 1820 in an agreement made between himself and Thomas Knowles. Thereafter, the mill was owned by Richard and his brothers John and William. Richard died in 1853, leaving the mill to his brothers who divided up the Ingham family property about 1863. John was the only brother to marry and the firm was eventually continued by his son, John Arthur Ingham.

Initially, the mill would have been water powered for spinning only, although by 1824 the Inghams had installed steam power and used Cinderhill for weaving as well as spinning. The looms were housed in rooms in the old building. About 1875, the family added a new weaving shed to contain 300 power-looms. The shed extended from the mill yard along the roadside and across the land to the railway lines at the back.

On 18th March 1893, John Arthur Ingham junior opened new rooms at the mill for the use of the workforce as a Working Men's Club. It was known as the Castle Street Working Men's club, and was fitted out with all the requisites for dining, reading and billiards. John was probably standing in for his father who suffered from Bright's Disease and was seen rarely outside his own home.
   

 

These photos, kindly submitted by John Alan Longbottom, show the state of dereliction that now prevails
   

By the time John Arthur Ingham senior died in 1900, there were no heirs prepared to carry on with the business. Despite inheriting their father's mills, John's two sons went their own ways. John Arthur junior was a solicitor and Henry lived as a gentleman, with occasional attempts at local politics. They lived at the family home, The Shaw, in Langfield with their elderly widowed mother, Sarah, and a handful of servants, later moving to live at Adamroyd in Stansfield.

Other textile firms working at the mill during the late 1800's were Messrs. Barker & Greenwood, Mr. Elias Barker, and Messrs. James Bancroft & Co. In 1908, the mill became an engineering works trading as Thwaite & Dobson, followed by T. Hallas & Co. (a rubber works). It was then converted back to cotton preparation, and until a few years ago, it was still in use as a textile mill (one of the very few remaining in the area), employing 30 hands for scutching, carding and spinning cotton. The mill is now closed and up for sale.

 

John Arthur Ingham

 

There are two events recorded in the Annals of Todmorden:

31st October 1907

Death, in Halifax Infirmary, of Joe Farrer (37), engine tenter, 342 Castle Street, who fractured his spine by falling from a boiler at Cinderhill Mill on September 9th.

 

26th March 1911

Disastrous fire at the rubber works of Messrs. T. Hallas & Co, Cinderhill Mill. Damage over £2,000.

The Ingham family also owned WOODHOUSE MILL across the road by the canal, and their story is detailed in the article on that mill.
 
 

Additional information

researched, recorded and referenced by Mrs Sheila Wade

Hebden Bridge WEA Local History Group

 

Township of Stansfield 1805

Cinderhill Factory Building; owned by Lob Mill Co; occupied by Ingham, Haworth & Co; annual value £56.15s.0d.

 

Leeds Mercury 3rd January 1818

For sale, Cinderhill Factory near New Shop. Newly erected, 5 storeys, 24yds by 12yds. Adjoining the Halifax to Burnley Turnpike and the Rochdale Canal. Tenant John Howarth.

 

Leeds Mercury 27th February 1819

Auction 4th March. Cinderhill Factory and farm.

Lot 1: newly erected Cinderhill factory near New Shop, Stansfield now occupied by John Howarth. (and land). 24yds by 12yds, 5 storeys adjoining Halifax to Burnley turnpike and contiguous to Rochdale Canal, 1 mile from Todmorden. Also a plot of land well suited for mill dam. Particulars from Thomas Knowles of Dobroyd, John Howarth of Cinderhill factory and Richard Ingham of Haugh.

 

Sutcliffe papers Leeds Archives 12th October 1820

Agreement. Thomas Knowles of Dobroyd in the Parish of Rochdale, maltster and agent for John Knowles of Burnley, surgeon, and Richard Ingham, Castle Lodge, Stansfield, gentleman. Richard Ingham is buying property, house and land plus Cinderhill Factory for £1,300.

 

Sutcliffe papers Leeds Archives 8th January 1823

Peel Williams & Co to Richard Ingham & Co. to furnish a 26hp engine and 1 boiler at 30hp all for £840. Half to be paid when engine delivered and half when set to work. To be delivered by or before the middle of August 1823. Engine did not arrive until Spring 1824.

 

Sutcliffe papers Leeds Archives 5th July 1824

Letter to Richard Ingham & Sons from Peel Williams & Co. Manchester about supply of mill engine – a beam engine. There has been a stoppage on the canal, which has held up the parts.

Full details of engine from Peel Williams & Co. Soho Foundry, Manchester.

20hp engine.

Peel Williams & Co. had to pay for board and lodgings for 1 engineer from Manchester, including ale, at the setting of the boiler. Bill came to £6.9s.1d.

 

Pigot & Deane 1824-25 and 1828-29

Richard Ingham & Sons, Cinderhill and Millsteads, cotton spinners & manufacturers.

 

Parson & White 1830

Richard Ingham & Sons, Cinderhill, cotton spinners & manufacturers.

 

Factory Enquiry Commission 1833

Cinderhill; cotton spinning; 28 hanks of weft and twist. Mill built 1824; 20hp steam engine; 12 hour day; 9 hours on Saturday.

 

White 1842 and 1843

Richard Ingham & Bros. Cinderhill, cotton spinners & manufacturers.

 

Walker 1845

Richard Ingham & Sons, Cinderhill, cotton spinners & manufacturers.

 

White 1847

Richard Ingham & Sons, Cinderhill, cotton spinners & manufacturers.

 

White 1853

William and John Ingham, Cinderhill, cotton spinners & manufacturers

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1854-1860

Owned and occupied by Ingham Bros; Cinderhill; mill and power; rateable value £256.7s.0d.

 

1863

Division of property between surviving sons of Richard Ingham who died about 1810. His eldest son, Richard junior, died in 1853.

 

White 1866

Richard Ingham & Sons, Cinderhill, cotton spinners & manufacturers

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1867

Occupier John A. Ingham; owners Ingham Bros; Castle Street; mill etc; rateable value £261.4s.3d; loomshed £28.16s.0d; new warehouse £8.17s.0d.

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1868

Occupier John A. Ingham; owners Ingham Bros; Castle Street; mill etc; rateable value £298.17s.3d. New shed (empty) £14.5s.0d.

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1869

Occupier John A. Ingham; owners Ingham Bros; Castle Street; mill etc; rateable value £313.2s.3d; new smithy £8.8s.0d.

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1870-75

Occupier John A. Ingham; owners Ingham Bros; Castle Street; mill etc; rateable value £321.10s.3d; new warehouse (empty) £13.6s.6d.

 

Kelly 1871

Richard Ingham & Sons, Cinderhill, cotton spinners & manufacturers.

 

Slater 1875

Richard Ingham & Sons, Cinderhill and Woodhouse, cotton spinners & manufacturers.

 

Notes from John Travis

Inghams, who had power looms in part of Cinderhill Mill since before 1840, built a weaving shed for 300 looms about 1875.

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1876-78

Occupier John A. Ingham; owners Ingham Bros; Castle Street; mill etc; rateable value £334.16s.9d; new weaving shed £60.5s.0d.

 

The Leeds Mercury Friday November 1st 1878

Todmorden trade depressed.

Messrs. Ingham, Cinderhill and Woodhouse Mills; 420 looms; 19,000 spindles; running full time but second reduction of 10% recently come into operation.

 

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Advertiser 1st August 1879

Cinderhill Mill; 9,000 spindles; 420 looms; running full time but throstles running 4 days.

 

Halifax Courier 20th December 1879

Richard Ingham, Castle Street, strike against bad material and for increase in wages.

 

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Advertiser 9th January 1880

R. Ingham & Sons, Cinderhill Mill, weavers on strike for short time.

 

Leeds Archives Sutcliffe papers 1880

Partnership agreement between Elias Barker and James Greenwood, cotton spinners, at Cinderhill Mill and shed, and Woodhouse Mill.

 

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Advertiser 23rd April 1880

Barker and Greenwood, Cinderhill Mill, Castle Street, weavers wages advanced 3.75%.

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1880-81

Occupied by Barker & Greenwood; owner J. A. Ingham; mill and power; Castle Street; rateable value £402.15s.0d.

1881 – rateable value £349.15s.0d.

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1882

Occupied by Elias Barker and others; owner J. A. Ingham; weaving shed; Castle Street; rateable value £60.5s.0d.

 

Factory Act Prosecutions

8th February 1883

Messrs Barker and Greenwood, cotton spinners and manufacturers of Cinderhill and Woodhouse Mills, Stansfield.

2 Cases heard before A. Ormerod and J. Ingham Esqrs at Todmorden.

1 – Employing 2 women during part of a meal time, to wit, after 5.30 p.m.

Penalty of £3 and costs of 17s.

2 – Employing a young person without a certificate of fitness more than 7 days

Penalty £1 and costs of 13s.6d.

 

Halifax Courier 12th April 1884

Partnership dissolved. Barker & Greenwood, Cinderhill near Todmorden, cotton spinners.

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1885-88

Occupied by Elias Barker; owner J. A. Ingham; mill and power; Castle Street; rateable value £259.

 

Halifax Courier 18th April 1885

Mr. J. A. Ingham of The Shaw has commenced building a new chimney for Cinderhill Mill as the present one is not safe.

 

Halifax Courier 5th September 1885

Strike of weavers employed by Elias Barker at Cinderhill Mill

 

Manchester Examiner 22nd July 1887

Elias Barker, Cinderhill and Woodhouse Mills, 24,000 spindles; 450 looms; working 5 days a week.

 

Stansfield Rates Book 1890-97

Occupier James Bancroft & Co; owner J. A. Ingham; mill and power; part unused; 1 engine dismantled; Cinderhill; rateable value £215.

 

1900

John Arthur Ingham died without an interested heir.

 

Worrall 1891

James Bancroft & Co. Ltd; Millstead and Cinderhill Mills; 1,000 looms; lustres, grandrills, oxfords, zephyrs, drills, twills etc; and at Burnley. Manchester Office Carr Street, Blackfriars.

 

Coronation Souvenir 1902

T. Thwaite & Dobson, Cinderhill Mill, Castle Street, Todmorden; makers of lathes, hand planes and other fine tools, also chucks, drills etc.

 

Kelly 1908

Collins Bros; Cinderhill Mill; cotton manufactuers

 

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