GAUXHOLME COTTON MILL

Gauxholme Place

Walsden

Map Ref. SD 930231

Known occupiers

1784-1865

HARDMAN Robert and James (owners)

1784-86

WHITEHEAD

1794

THOMPSON George

1799-1800

LEEDS Thomas & Co.

-1810 no start date

WOODCOCK David

1803-1817

HUDSON J. Edward

1822-1825

KAY James

1829 no end date

WRIGLEY Edmund

1842-1843

SUTCLIFFE John

1844

For Sale

1847-1869

WEST, HORSFALL & WEST (John Horsfall, Thomas and John West)

1870-1875

Empty

1874

To let

1876

Demolished

The site of the cotton mill

For later information on this site see ROCK SPRINGS BREWERY

See GAUXHOLME CORN MILL for further details of the Hardman family.

See WATERSTALLS MILL for further details of Edmund Wrigley.

Notes from John Travis, contemporary historian:

The old cotton mill was partly burnt down in 1871. Messrs. West, Horsfall and West becoming the tenants at the time. They sold out the machinery and utensils, and immediately cleared away, and no effort was made to rebuild the place. The mill had been partly burnt before on two occasions, once when Edmund Wrigley (cousin of the owner) was tenant, on February 29th 1829, at which date Mr. Wrigley lived at Shade in the parlour house where the late Mr. John Sutcliffe, carrier, formerly resided.

Additional information

most of which was researched, recorded and referenced by Mrs Sheila Wade, Hebden Bridge WEA Local History Group

Land Tax Assessments 1784

Robert Hardman owner. Occupied by Mr. Whitehead, New Mill, tax 4s-6d.

Land Tax Assessments 1786

Robert Hardman owner. Occupied by Mr. Whitehead, New Mill, tax 8s-6d.

Land Tax Assessments 1786

Robert Hardman owner. Occupied by Mr. Whitehead, Mill, tax 3s-8d.

Land Tax Assessments 1792

Robert Hardman owner Occupied by George Thompson, cotton mill, tax 8s-8d.

George Thompson of Gauxholme New Cotton Mill, owned by Robert Hardman, supported the bill for the Rochdale Canal in 1794.

Royal Exchange Insurance Policy Registers 1799

Thomas Leeds & Co. of Manchester; cotton factory at Gauxholme, £150; mill work £50; machinery £600; stock £100; Total £900.

Land Tax Assessments 1803

Proprietor Robert Hardman, occupier J. E. Hudson, for cotton mill, tax 13s.6d.

Land Tax Assessments 1804

Proprietor Robert Hardman, occupier J. E. Hudson, factory, tax 13s.6d.

London Metropolitan Archives: Apprentices. P82/915/167 Box 4.St. Giles in the Fields. 29 folded indentures for John Edward Hudson of Todmorden, Lancashire. Cotton manufacturer 1807.

Halifax Journal 10th November 1810

Assignment from David Woodcock, cotton spinner of Gauxholme near Todmorden.

Crompton’s 1811 spindle enquiry

Gauxholme (no firm stated) 2880 mule spindles, 12 x 20doz.; 720 throstle spindles 6 x 120.

Blackburn Mail 30th July 1817

Gauxholme: sale of machinery: 13 throstles, 12 mules. Mill late in the occupation of Mr. Hudson.

Baines Directory 1825

James Kay, Gauxholme Mill, cotton spinners

John Travis “General Memorials of the Fieldens of Walsden and Todmorden”

John Fielden of Old Lane, Knowlwood, worked for Mr. Kay at Gauxholme cotton mill, then went with him to Whitworth Valley as a carter.

Parson and White Directory 1830

Edmund Wrigley, cotton spinner

The Leeds Mercury, Saturday, February 15th 1840

To be let

To spinners and manufacturers

To be let by private contract with immediate possession, a waterpower mill situate in Gauxholme near Todmorden and contiguous to the Halifax and Todmorden and Bacup turnpike roads, the Manchester and Leeds railway, and the Rochdale Canal. Coals at hand cheap, should the building be enlarged and steam power required. Apply to James Hardman, surgeon, Todmorden.

The Leeds Mercury, Saturday August 10th 1844

All that valuable freehold cotton mill situate at Gauxholme near Todmorden in the county of Lancashire, together with the warehouses, yards, lands, water wheel, steam engine, steam pipes, shafting, gas pipes, dams, goits, reservoirs, water courses, waterfall, rights, privileges, late in the occupation of Mr. John Sutcliffe of Horsfall. Also two cottages adjoining and near to the said mill, one of which is in the occupation of Mr. John Robinson and the other is unoccupied. The site and premises occupies 3 acres or thereabouts. The waterpower is estimated at 8 horses and the supply of water is abundant throughout the year. The waterwheel is nearly new. The steam engine is a good high pressure one of 8hp and coal may be had in the immediate vicinity at a low price. There is ample scope for enlarging the buildings for which purpose stone may be obtained on the premises …

1851 census:

John Horsfall, John West and Thomas West are living with their respective families at Gauxholme Place. They are all cotton spinners and manufacturers.

Walsden Rates Book 1860-65

Occupied by West, Horsfall & West, owner James Hardman, cotton mill, Gauxholme Place, RV £100

Walsden Rates Book 1866-69

Occupied by West, Horsfall & West, owner James Hardman, cotton mill, Gauxholme Place, RV £72.15s.0d.

Halifax Guardian 27th November 1869

Fire at cotton mill of West, Horsfall & West at Gauxholme. Fielden Bros. fire engine used. 2 mules destroyed and portion of roof fell in. Damage £490, insured.

Walsden Rates Book 1870-75

Empty, owner James Hardman, cotton mill, Gauxholme Place, RV £72.15s.0d.

Halifax Guardian 7th Feb 1874

To let: Gauxholme Cotton Mill. Plentiful spring water, water wheel 5hp. Steam engine, boiler etc. Also sundry plots of building land at Gauxholme and Smithyholme, notably one plot on the site of the old dam formerly used in connection with the cotton mill. Apply John Horsfall, 20 Dale Street, Todmorden.

Walsden Rates Book 1876