FRIELDHURST MILL

Burnley Road

Cornholme

Map Ref. SD912261

Known occupiers

1805

SUTCLIFFE Robert

1822-1830

HEAP George

1835-1836

DEAN & LAW

1838-1854

LAW John

1842-1853

HARGREAVES William

1858

WALKER & CUNLIFFE

1859-1861

BROOK Uriah

1866

TERRY John

1867-1871

HIGHAM & JACKSON

HIGHAM Eli

1873-1908

VARLEY Bros.

Additional information

researched, recorded and referenced by Mrs Sheila Wade

Hebden Bridge WEA Local History Group

Notes from John Travis, contemporary historian:

Frieldhurst Mill on Burnley Road was used as a corn mill by George Heap and bought in 1859 by Uriah Brook who had been a tenant at VALE MILL for 2 or 3 years. He kept on his room and power at Vale. He used Frieldhurst Mill to spin hard waste (cop bottoms) and made it into weft for weaving course cloth. Afterwards he took down two old cottages and extended the mill. It had a water wheel and a steam engine before he bought it. Mr. Brook “did wonders for a working man”. He later had to abandon his improvements to others.

“Cornholme, a Border Village” by Winnie Marshall

About 1825, George Heap and some friends began the first Sunday School in the valley in an upper room over two cottages at the corn mill. This became the nucleus of the Cornholme Methodist Society.

Stansfield Township valuation 1805

Frieldhurst; factory; lodges and waterfall; owner John Higson; occupier Robert Sutcliffe; annual value £30.

Crompton’s spindle enquiry 1811

Frieldhurst; 1,440 mule spindles, 6 x 20doz; 480 throstle spindles, 4 x 120.

Baines 1822

George Heap, Frieldhurst Mill, corn and flour dealers

Baines 1824

George Heap, Frieldhurst Mill, corn miller and flour dealer, maltster

Pigot 1828-29

George Heap, Frieldhurst Mill, corn dealers and millers

Parson & White 1830

George Heap, Frieldhurst Mill, corn dealers, millers and maltsters

Stansfield Rates Book 1835-36

Dean & Law; Frieldhurst Mill; rateable value £14.6s.9d.

White 1838

John Law, Frieldhurst Mill, cotton spinner

White 1842-43

William Hargreaves, Frieldhurst Mill Stansfield, spindle and flyer maker

White 1847

John Law, Frieldhurst Mill, cotton spinner & manufacturer

William Hargreaves, Frieldhurst Mill Stansfield, spindle and flyer maker

White 1853

William Hargreaves, Frieldhurst Mill Stansfield, spindle and flyer maker

Stansfield Rates Book 1854

Owner John Law; Frieldhurst Mill; empty; mill and power; rateable value £97.16s.6d.

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Advertiser 2nd January 1858

Room and Power to let at Frieldhurst Mill

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Advertiser 22nd May 1858

Notice.

Walker & Cunliffe now occupy Frieldhurst Mill as tenants of Messrs. Richard Law and Henry Law of Burnley, cotton spinners and manufacturers. The machinery matters and things therein are the joint property of the said Richard and Henry Law and George Heap of Sunnybank.

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Advertiser 3rd July 1858

To let – Room and Power for 30 looms, Frieldhurst Mill

Stansfield Rates Book 1860

Owned and occupied by Uriah Brook; Frieldhurst Mill; mill and power; rateable value £72.1s.6d; half empty.

Kelly 1861

Uriah Brook, Frieldhurst, cotton spinner & manufacturer

White 1866

John Terry, Frieldhurst Mill, cotton spinner & manufacturer

Stansfield Rates Book 1867

Occupied by Higham & Jackson; owner Uriah Brook’s assignees; Frieldhurst; mill and power; rateable value £130.13s.5; new scutch room £5.6s.6d.

Stansfield Rates Book 1868-71

Occupied by Eli Higham; owned by Richard & Henry Law; Frieldhurst; mill and power; rateable value £135.19s.11d.

Rivers Pollution Commission 1869

Frieldhurst Mill employs 50 hands. Rateable Value £135.19s.11d. Water from river and land drainage. Manufacture yearly 280,000lbs of goods, value £10,400. Both steam and water power; steam 10hp; water 15hp. Use 400 tons of coal yearly.

25th March 1870

Small fire at Frieldhurst Mill

Halifax Guardian 16th July 1870

Frieldhurst Mill occupied by Eli Higham cotton manufacturer, flooded.

Halifax Guardian 23rd July 1870

Flood damage last week. The work at Frieldhurst Mill has been resumed.

Kelly 1871

Eli Higham, Frieldhurst, cotton spinner

Census 1871

Eli Higham, Vale Manse, aged 36, cotton manufacturer

Stansfield Rates Book 1873-90

Occupied by Varley Bros; owned by Richard & Henry Law; mill and power; Frieldhurst; rateable value £135.19s.11d.

1880 – re-valued £159.15s.0d.

1890-99 – owned by Varley Bros. rateable value £119.10s.0d.

1892 – additions to dyeworks £12.15s.0d.

1894 – additional steam power £7.5s.0d.

1895 – drying stove £21.5s.0d.

1899 – rateable value £201.15s.0d.

Slater 1875

Varley Bros. Frieldhurst Dyeworks, dyers and finishers

Kelly 1877

Varley Bros. Frieldhurst Dyeworks, dyers and finishers

Slater 1887

Varley Bros. Frieldhurst Dyeworks, dyers and finishers

25th March 1888

Albert Turner, little known by that name, but widely as “Bristol”, was found lying dead in the drying stove of Frieldhurst Dyeworks, Cornholme, aged 29.

Todmorden Advertiser 7th March 1890

Frieldhurst Mill (Law Mill), Varley Bros., dyers and finishers, formed a limited company.

18th June 1890

At the annual demonstration held at Oldham, the Todmorden Corporation Fire Brigade were represented by 8 men in charge of the engine, which was drawn by 4 horses. Messrs Wilson Bros., Cornholme Mills, and Messrs Varley Bros., Frieldhurst Mill, Brigades made a capital show.

Kelly 1893

Varley Bros. Ltd., Frieldhurst Mill, Cornholme, dyers and finishers

Kelly 1908

Varley Bros. Ltd., Frieldhurst Mill, Cornholme, dyers and finishers