Mill on the Soar: a personal and company narrative
Full details
| Authors & editors | |
| Publisher | Published Privately |
| Year of publication | 1978 |
| Languages | English (main text) |
| Medium | Book |
| Edition | 1 |
| Topics | |
| Tags | |
| Scope & content | Wool stapling and worsted spinning were once central to Leicester's prosperity but have largely disappeared and not much has been recorded of their history. This book tells the story of Friar's Mill, Leicester, a textile mill making sewing and yarn threads for industry. It is the oldest industrial building in the city and stands on the banks of the River Soar. The book has six chapters: first, the growth of Leicester and the area immediately around Friar's Mill from Roman times to the end of the Industrial Revolution with evidence of the mills origin; the second traces the history of the Ellis family and their reputation as wool staplers and the creation of George Ellis & Sons; the third is about the Donisthorpe family, worsted spinners, who founded the company and includes the development of the wool combing machine that they invented; the later chapters carry the history of both families' involvement in the firm and the mill throughout the 20th century up to 1978 including the introduction of synthetic fibres. This is a history of the company from the personal perspective of the author who started work there in 1923. Appendix 1: a list of Leicester worsted spinners in 1826, 1888 and 1906. Appendix 2: a list of Wool Staplers in 1877, 1888 and 1906. Appendix 4 and 5: correspondence. Appendix 6: production output in 1908. |
Copies held
Accession no. 229696
- Shelf location: Z00
- Donor: Michael Dufau Collection
