JOHN RYLANDS
Gorton Mills
[Fig. 34]
Gorton Mills, 1842
Gorton Mills – was the first independent leasehold of John Rylands in 1843[1]. Gorton Mills was built in 1825 by the architect James Lillie. The warehouse was strategically in a good location - right next to Ashton Canal but also conjoined with the Manchester - Sheffield railway[2]. According to directories held at Manchester Central Library, Gorton Mills were registered on 14 Bread Street in Manchester. The building itself was fireproof and was made of the highest quality material possible, at that time. The building included three mills 26,264 spindles, 886 power looms with 121 cottages provided for the workers of the mill. Gorton Mills provided the jobs mainly for the female workers, whereas men did railroad works. In 1845 - Gorton Mills opened a school, a library containing 600 publications and news - room for his employees. His true kind-heartedness towards his workforce not only promoted education but also supported their erudition and thus he was awarded with public appreciation and gratefulness.
In 1864, the Mills expanded to 63,000 spindles, 1,500 looms and 150 cottages[3]. The same year, John Rylands purchased the warehouse "when their twenty - one year lease expired"[4].
In 1848, power loom weavers began a 2 month strike at Gorton, D. A. Farnie explains: "He survived a two - months' strike against a reduction of 12 per cent in the wage - rates for weaving and enlarged the opportunities for employment by building new weaving sheds in 1848 and 1854"[5].
Despite the fire - proof material and doors built in the factory, the fire broke out on February 1st 1877. Huge damage had been done to the warehouse, luckily all the workers exited the mill safe therefore no one got injured[6]. It is believed, that the fire broke out in a room, with a wooden floor, due to the Manchester Fire Brigade efforts, the fire was successfully stopped without it spreading to adjoining buildings.
After the visit to Belgium in 1843, he participated in the Anti - Corn Law League therefore stopped Gorton Mills production on the third of August 1846, in order to revoke the legislation of Corn Law[7].
The directors of the warehouse closed Gorton Mills in 1921[8] due to its diminution of capital. However, new branches were opened in Newcastle in 1923 and Birmingham in 1929[9].
[Fig. 35]
Gorton Mills construction plan.
[Fig. 36]
Courtesy of The Manchester Guardian, 1877 on fire at Gorton Mills.
[Fig. 37]
Back of Gorton Mills in 1910.
Copyright of the Manchester Library
[1]Farnie, D. A., John Rylands of Manchester (Manchester: John Rylands University Library, 1993), p. 12.
[2]Ibid.
[3]Farnie, D. A., John Rylands of Manchester (Manchester: John Rylands University Library, 1993), p. 15.
[4]Farnie, D. A., John Rylands of Manchester (Manchester: John Rylands University Library, 1993), p. 15.
[5]Farnie, D. A., John Rylands of Manchester (Manchester: John Rylands University Library, 1993), p. 13.
[6]‘Disastrous fire at Gorton’, The Manchester Guardian, 2 February 1877, p. 5.
[7]Farnie, D. A., John Rylands of Manchester (Manchester: John Rylands University Library, 1993), p. 14.
[8]Religion, Business and Wealth in Modern Britain, ed. by David J. Jeremy (London: Routledge, 1998), p. 96.
[9]Farnie, D. A., John Rylands of Manchester (Manchester: John Rylands University Library, 1993), p. 74.