mills complex cotton mills land jersey street canal district manchester england mills built brothers adam mill site old mill begun world oldest surviving urban steam powered cotton spinning factory opened company continued expand complex largest world employing people peak opened doubling main complex formed surrounding private canal basin linked road canal opened canal basin deliver raw cotton coal transport spun cotton away complex murray fine cotton mill complex began decline early 20th century canal basin filled burnt mill replaced earliest mill built use electricity mill complex continued producing cotton 1950s mills later leased companies cases allowed fall disrepair redeveloped doubling mill offices winning award rest complex underwent regeneration proposed flats hotel history foundation establishment migrating scotland established manufacturers textile machinery moving spinning fine late 18th early 19th centuries main market fine spun weaving industry scotland dominated scottish market leased land partnership brother george began construction mill complete mill probably designed house equipment produced murray brothers known position union street purpose built steam powered spinning mill construction took approximately year worked richard factories planned building storeys high probably cotton spinning factory built high phase mill area feet feet built locally bricks machinery powered horse power steam engine construction second mill begun east height old mill doubled size complex completed time exploit economic boom cotton trade followed brief peace war france construction steam engine replaced powerful engine completion section canal raw materials longer moved cart coal cotton moved directly complex readily available supply water steam engines private basin canal entrance tunnel basin set canal short arm opposite canal feet wide posed navigation problems canal boats feet length possible cargo transferred smaller vessels journey canal complex basin construction new mill probably completed measured feet feet older mills storeys high fitted steam engines mills steam power cotton spinning factories complex extended addition storey blocks street mainly warehouses offices entrance murray street block provided access central courtyard mills entrances meant access parts site controlled mills largest mill complex manchester world complex huge compared time status complex reflected ornamentation murray street street blocks compared mills murray street block symmetrical arrangement arched windows pattern turn mirrored street block arrangement false murray prospered early 19th century firm valued nearest rival double firm place company largest cotton spinning firms manchester probably country employed people expansion early mid-19th century periods depression prosperity cotton trade period affected changes size firm engineers partner updated complex contract involved replacement line complex wrought iron line designed work higher speeds died brother george continued run firm firm nearly value additionally firm expanded street strip land jersey street canal built corner jersey street street originally storeys high additional storeys added unknown later date building covered square metres half area occupied house supplied complex gas lighting mill linked tunnel carried gas supply visited mill commented spin finest thread noted provided steam drive engines fitted smoke consumption fuel having effect reducing smoke produced despite continued expansion competitors kennedy overtaken manchester biggest cotton murray employing people reduction workforce attributed recent improvement firm machinery built corner street doubling mill storeys high engine house designed contain beam engine doubling mill doubling process combining lengths single thread cotton produced company earlier mills giving mill suggests designed cast iron beams columns timber mill mill complex built resist fire mill storeys high warehouse new mills linked original complex tunnels street firm doubled size early mid nineteenth century expanded fine markets nottingham growth firm led creation doubling december mill complex valued died sons james benjamin inherited complex registered limited liability company running hands manager joined company murray family played role company new technology reason firm continued success use new efficient technologies resulted reduction workforce murray employed people doubling mill leased september murray voluntarily wound conveyed fine cotton association idea form association cotton thirty cotton joined association association advantage great size comparison competition necessary secure raw materials managing director 1920s largest successful cotton spinning association world mills employees january fire broke caused machinery fire lasted hours caused estimated damage resulted employees mill losing jobs whilst fighting fire killed fire tender blew high winds building replaced new building storeys high shorter predecessor occupying larger area ground new mill concrete floors designed use electricity building earliest mill built use electricity decline later use ordnance survey map shows arm canal filled complex canal basin retitled reservoir suggesting canal ceased way transporting goods complex canal basin filled exactly filled unknown old reduced height storey storeys reduced height storeys storeys exact reason reduction unknown speculated structure buildings struggling cope weight increasingly heavy machinery theory given added weight fact time timber beams support ceilings replaced steel beams strengthen building street block reduced height storeys buttresses constructed south wall 1940s doubling mill occupied manufacturer break main site began sold murray street block following street block old warehouse later clothing manufacturers work strengthen structure 1960s complex allowed fall disrepair 1960s sections complex began left burned including engine block period parts complex light industrial use fell 1990s buildings fell victim vandalism arson threatened destroy remained site redevelopment appointed urban splash convert doubling mill office space completion conversion received award compulsory purchase order control main site allowed grant restoration complex additional grant regeneration project took place project included repair strengthening structure restoration canal basin new roof windows missing floors murray street block completion repairs proposals bring complex use converting flats hotel conversion including replacement demolished street block expected start years july emerged current state housing market developer wanted amend planning consent development replacing plans flats old office space working conditions like factories nineteenth century complex criticism working conditions reveal working hours complex likely workers similar work requirement hour week demanded workers neighbouring complex reduced hours hours day monday friday hours saturday hours worked youngest employees workers allowed breaks day order stop employees wandering taking breaks entitled tunnels built road main complex later mills street worst conditions mill experienced end pay scale stage raw cotton cleaning carried workers produced large amounts dust health hazard fire risk visitor complex described dust spinning floors spinning process required warm humid environment stated tried temperatures regarded paid produced left recruit train pay assistants assistants children consisted rejoined broken threads cleaned machinery child labour generally considered mill managers important way securing skilled adult work force compared trades wages cotton mills relatively high average earnings employee complex shillings week compared favourably mills unlike mill owners employees credit buy goods company owned stores provide housing employees key workers despite evidence suggests conditions better mills complex opening windows extra room floor workers wash break day afternoon luxury workers mills receive furthermore claimed unlike mill owners use children employ children age conceded parents employ children age current buildings
Murrays' Mills