One of the first fruits of the transcription of the Minute Books.

CALF HALL ENGINE START 1889[Extract from The Craven Herald of Friday December 6^th 1889.]

PRESENTATION. On Monday evening part of the weavers employed by Messrs. Eastwood and Maudsley, Long Ing Shed, met to make a presentation to their late tackler, Mr H Middleton, who has left the employ of Eastwood and Maudsley and gone to work for Messrs. S Pickles and Sons at Calf Hall Shed.

TRADE. The cotton trade here is reviving, all the looms which commenced running a few weeks ago being still kept going by Stephen Pickles and Sons, and Messrs Slater and Bailey have got their looms moved from Clough Shed to the new Calf Hall Shed as have also Messrs Holden Brothers from the Long Ing Shed. New looms have arrived for those manufacturers who are occupying Calf Hall Shed which is ready for starting as soon as these looms are ready for running. A number of new looms have also arrived for Mr E Ormerod of Long Ing Shed who is filling part of the space occupied by Holden Brothers at this shed.

CHRISTENING AND STARTING OF ENGINES. The starting and christening of the engines of the Calf Hall New Weaving Shed took place on Saturday afternoon last in the presence of a large number of people including the Board of Directors viz: Mr B Banks (chairman), Messrs T Dent, S Parker, J Edmondson, W Houldsworth, R Clark, E Smith, P Barrett, W Perry, W P Brooks, L Houldsworth, J Hartley (secretary). There were also present: Mr J R Smith, Mr W Varley, Colne. Mr Stanworth, Burnley. Mr J Thompson, Colne. Mr Atkinson, Cone. Mr Roberts, Nelson. Rev. E R Lewis. Mr I Barrett. And Mesdames B Banks, T Dent, P Barrett, Roberts (Nelson), Parker, W P Brooks, Smith, Perry, Clark and many others including a large number of shareholders. The engine was started at 3:45pm by Mrs B Banks and Mrs T Dent and allowed to run for about a quarter of an hour. Mr Brooks Banks then addressed the meeting. He said he was very glad to see so many there, who were met to rejoice with them that could rejoice. Many would be glad to hear of this day, as it looked but a day since they had met on purpose to form a company. They succeeded better than a great number thought they would seeing that they had to make bricks without straw. Many of them no doubt heard that the company would never succeed when the prospectus was issued, which was certainly a very modest one. “The promoters of the company had got no wool on their backs” was the reason given why it would never succeed. He would rather take 100 sheep with little wool than one blustering tup with it all. He was glad to tell them that very few shareholders had sold their shares even under adverse circumstances, thus shewing that the company had been well-accepted. He then read letters of apology from Mr W Roberts, Nelson. Mr Varley, Colne. Dr Roberts (a director). Mr M Hawley, Nelson also a telegram from Mr T Hart of Blackburn. Mr Atkinson of Colne, the architect, then gave a description of the building. The shed is built upon the parallel girder system, the following being the dimensions: Shed 169ft 6inches by 211ft, and containing an area of 33,332 square feet. The warehouse, ground floor, is 203ft by 42ft with an area of 8505 square feet; first floor 206ft by 42ft, an area of 8658 square feet. Top room 61ft by 21 feet, area being 1281 square feet making a total for warehousing of 18,444 square feet. The shed will hold 828 looms at 40” reed space and gives 40¼ square feet to each loom, the largest he thought, in the district with 22¼ square feet Warehouse space for each loom, besides spacious engine and boiler houses and other necessary buildings. Mr Roberts then gave a description of the engines made by W Roberts and Co. of Nelson. The engines are a pair of horizontal engines on the [cross] compound principle working high and low pressure, 4ft stroke working at 63rpmthus having a piston speed of 504ft/per minute and are capabler of driving about 450 indicated horse power. The high pressure cylinder is 19½ inches diameter and the low pressure 38 inches diameter. The pistons are on Mather’s principle with steel spiral springs. The high pressure cylinder is fitted with valves on the improved principle by Roberts and Co. The low pressure cylinder has double slide valves with extra ports. The connecting rods are made with the best faggoted scrap iron polished throughout. The fly wheel shaft is made from homogeneous iron and the flywheel is put together in one boss, ten arms and ten segments and weighs about 22 tons. The outer rim of the wheel is grooved to receive 12 ropes. [Geoff Shackleton is of the opinion that this was the first Roberts’ engine made for rope driving.] The wheel is 18ft diameter and the power is transmitted by 12 ropes to two pulleys, 9ft 6 inches in diameter. The governors are on the pendulum principle. The Christening ceremony then took place when Nrs Banks had the honour of naming the high pressure engine after her daughter “Emily”. The low pressure engine was named “Annie” by Mrs Dent after her fourth daughter. Mr P Barrett, in proposing a vote of thanks to the ladies for naming the engines, said that any improvement in Barnoldswick could be done by its own people. Mr J Edmondson seconded the proposition. Mr B Banks and Mr T Dent acknowledged the compliment and said they hoped the affair would be successful both for the shareholders and tenants. The ceremony being over the engines were again started amid cheers and allowed to run for some time. The party then wended their way to the Seven Stars Assembly Rooms where dinner was provided and over 100 sat down. The Chairman of the Company, Mr B Banks presided and after the repast the following toasts were gone through: Mr Roberts of Nelson, in proposing the toast of the “Calf Hall Shed Company” complimented the company on the position of its shed upon which a great deal depended for the success he hoped they would have. Mr J Thompson of Colne also widhed them every success as he said it was a large undertaking. He was pleased to see so many shareholders present, it shewed they were in sympathy with the board of directors and acting harmoniously together. “The Director of the Board” was then submitted by Mr J Edmondson of Bingley. He said their directors were men he had spent a good deal of time with and he always found them honourable, upright and honest. They could not boast of having men on the board who had titles except a FRCS. They were men who had raised themselves up to the positions they occupied that day by their own exertions. He thought if it did not succeed none would and it was his best wish that the concern would succeed. Mr S Hartley spoke to the same effect. “Our Tenants” was proposed by Mr C J Turner of Colne who thought the tenants of this concern a very important item, for it was through the tenants it would pay and if there had not been any tenants it would have been a great loss. Mr J Hartle hoped that it would be the best business the tenants had done in their life. Mr S Parker proposed “Our Architect” and Mr Atkinson in responding said it was with pleasure he was there on that occasion. It was now about twelve months since they had started the building but many people believed it would not be running now. This he thought would not have been had they not had an efficient army of contractors who he thought had done their best to bring it to a successful issue. Mr T Dent proposed the toast of “The Secretary and Other Officers”. “The Chairman” was submitted by Mr Turner of Colne who said he was sorry Dr Roberts could not be there owing to indisposition and he had taken his place. Mr B Banks, in reply, said that they were now only waiting for a report of a good lively dividend. This concluded the toast list and afterwards the evening was spent in singing etc. The contractors for the various works in connection with the building are as follows: Mason’s work, Messrs J & M Hawley of Colne and Nelson. Joiner, Mr J R Smith, Barnoldswick. Plasterers Messrs Heap and Thornton, Barnoldswick. Slater, Mr W Stanworth of Burnley. Plumber, Mr W Varley of Colne. Engineers Messrs W Roberts and Co of Nelson. Millwrights, Messrs J Thompson and Co of Colne. Gas and steam pipes, Mr W Walton, Burnley. Boiler, Mr W Yates, Blackburn. Ropes, Mr T Hart of Blackburn. Economisers Mr Lowcock of Manchester. All the space in the shed is taken up by the following firms: Messrs S Pickles and Sons, 400 looms. Messrs Holden Brothers, 230 looms. Messrs Slater and Bailey 198 looms. All these gentlemen have taken the spaces on a lease for a term of five years which commenced on Monday last.

[Transcribed by Stanley Challenger Graham. 29/11/10]


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk