| AdminHistory | Benjamin Ashton, born 1718, was weaving cloth with linen warp and cotton weft in Gee Cross in 1745. Around 1780 his sons built a cotton factory at Gee Cross, and by 1810 they had begun manufacturing cotton in Flowery Field. It is thought that this early mill was powered by a water wheel. The other five Ashton brothers soon joined them and they developed the firm in the direction of spinning, weaving, printing, finishing and merchanting. In 1817-18, the brothers built Carrfield Mill which was intended as a combined weaving and spinning mill, and was known locally as the 'Hollow Factory' as it was built in a hollow beside Wilson brook. At this time they were cotton spinners and coal proprietors. The partnership known as Samuel Ashton and Brothers was dissolved in 1821 when Samuel left the firm. The remaining brothers traded as T J and J Ashton until 1823 when John and James took Newton Moor Mills in partnership with Robert Ashton, another brother, at Greencroft Mill. Thomas Ashton was in sole control of Carrfield Mill. In 1824-5 he built Bayleyfield Mill. The firm grew considerable and the land between the two mills was developed to include Middle Mill and a number of weaving sheds and another spinning mill. Thomas took his sons Samuel and Thomas into the firm and renamed it Thomas Ashton and Sons. He died in 1845 and in 1854 his sons split the firm into two. The merchanting part of the firm retained the name Thomas Ashton and Sons and the manufacturing arm of the business was named Ashton Brothers and Company. By the 1860s, Ashton Brothers were also running mills at Little Hayfield, New Mills and Stockport, and they added to the mills at Newton by building Throstle Bank Mill in 1869-71. In the early 1880s they built some new weaving sheds on the site of some of the old Bayleyfield Mill buildings, close to the pit head of Bayleyfield Colliery, which they also owned. Ashton Brothers and Company became a private limited company in 1888. In the early 1890s, work began on a new spinning block to replace the old Bayleyfield Mill which was designed by Stotts and Sons of Manchester, and this was complemented in 1893 by the erection of a new engine house. In 1899 the firm became a public limited company. In 1905, the weaving sheds at Flowery Field were expanded and the firm was the first European firm to install automatic looms. More automatic looms replaced the Lancashire looms in 1913. In the early 20th century the firm produced plain cloth and shirtings but towards the time of the First World War it diversified into fancy goods. The interwar period was difficult due to competition from abroad. During the Second World War, a third of the company's mills were closed and all operations were concentrated in the rest. In the 1950s and 1960s, many of the ring spindles and automatic looms were replaced with more modern equipment, much of which was supplied by Platt's. A new building to house a continuous bleaching and finishing plant was built at Flowery Field in the early 1960s, which was the only one of its kind in the country. In 1968, Ashton Brothers and Company was taken over by Courtaulds Limited and around £2.5 million was invested in the Flowery Field site in the 1970s. In 1990, Courtaulds Limited demerged into Courtaulds Industrials and Courtaulds Textiles. Ashton Brothers became the Linens Group Headquarters of the firm and the factories were used for weaving and preparation, dyeing and finishing, making up and warehousing. The firm became known as Christy. Christy was another Tameside firm, founded at Droylsden, which became part of Courtaulds in 1966. The firm later became part of the Welspun Group. |
| Related Material | Christy archives:
Manchester Archives and Local Studies hold B/CTLD dated 1930-1971which includes pension fund records etc. They also hold M269, misc papers of Wm Christy and Sons Limited, Towel Manufacturers, dated 1879-1951.
John Rylands Library on Deansgate in Manchester hold the archive of Wm Christy and Sons Limited. The records are dated 1833-1966 and include minutes, correspondence, stock, financial, personnel and premises records, etc.
Courtaulds archive:
There are various collections of records for Courtaulds. A large collection is held privately, and requests for access to this should be directed to the National Archives Archives Sector Development team. The collection is dated 19th century-20th century and records include those of home and overseas subsidiaries. Manchester Archives hold B/CTLD, dated 1913-1977 which includes the Northern Textiles Division board papers, reports, correspondence. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London hold AAD/2002/7, dated 19th century-20th century and this includes sample and design books (c200), Bocking works cost and construction books (8 boxes). Warwick University Modern Records Centre hold some 20th century staff records at MSS.31 and CGO. |
