BRACEWELL. CRAVEN HERALD OBITS AND REPORTS

[Stanley]

BRACEWELL. CRAVEN HERALD OBITS AND REPORTS

Items extracted from Craven Herald pertinent to Bracewell family June 1880 to September 1889. Transcribed by Stanley Challenger Graham from the newspaper 7/05/81. Digitised 03/02/2004

Saturday, June 12th 1880.
Sudden death of Mr William Bracewell Junior on Thursday night at 10pm. (10 June).

Saturday June 19th 1880.
Funeral of W M Bracewell at Bracewell Church. 148 overlookers, mechanics and warehousemen attended.

June 26th
Memorial service at Bracewell Church. Present were:
Mr and Mrs Bracewell, parents.
Mrs W M Bracewell, (widow) and children.
Mr and Mrs C G Bracewell.
Mr Bracewell of Gargrave.
Mr and Mrs Threlfall of Colne.
Mr and Mrs Smith of Colne.
Mr Abner Hartley
The Misses Bracewell (sisters of the deceased)

Sat. July 3 1880.
Obituary by Amicus.

Saturday July 10th 1880
Sermon preached for WMB.

February 21st 1885
Another breakdown at Wellhouse mill. Wheel turning the weaving shed and card room smashed. [So spinning was still going on at Wellhouse in 1885]

Feb 21st under Earby news
Owing to the continued depression in the cotton trade the Earby mills and sheds belonging to Mr C Bracewell are now running short time, the hours being 8am to 5pm.

Feb 14th 1885
Under Ingleton News: An accident was reported to a Solomon Thompson a waggoner in the employ of Mr W Bracewell at Wilson Wood Colliery.

Sat. Jan 31st 1885
The double beam engine at Wellhouse Mill which broke down on the 17th instant started again on Tuesday morning. (27 January 1885)

Saturday March 13th 1885
Mr C Bracewell’s Earby mills and sheds began to run full time on Monday after being on short time for three weeks.

Saturday March 21st 1885.

It is with deep regret that we announce the death of Mr William Bracewell of Newfield Edge Barnoldswick and also of Horton House, Horton in Craven, the founder and principal partner of the extensive and well-known firm of William Bracewell and Sons, Cotton Spinners and Manufacturers of Barnoldswick and Burnley which took place on Friday morning. (13th March 1885)

Mr Bracewell followed chiefly through life the business carried on in the neighbourhood by his father and grandfather before him. Vizt. That of Cotton Manufacturers. His father, Mr Christopher Bracewell, built Earby shed [Green End], in the village in which the subject of this notice was born in on April 5th 1913. and afterwards the mill which now finds employment for most of the villagers. [Victoria] His father was a hand loom weaver long before the days of the power loom and the deceased had, at one time or another, taken in thousands of hand-loom pieces for his father which were stored in the cellar of the shop in Barnoldswick now occupied by Mr Eccleston. [24 Church Street]. It was about fifty years ago that Mr Bracewell first commenced business in the village of Barnoldswick and from that time until his death the business had a remarkable career, and it is in fact, owing to his high business capacity that Barnoldswick owes its importance as an important manufacturing village. When between 20 and 30 years of age the deceased entered into partnership with his brother in law, Mr S Smallpage at Newtown Mills, his father making him a present of £300 on his start in life. At the present time the firm owns and runs two mills in Burnley, the yarn being spun in Barnoldswick. In 1846 he started the construction of Butts Mill which formed the nucleus of his extensive manufacturing concerns. Butts Mill was afterwards twice enlarged, each addition being about equal in size to the original structure. In 1854/55 Wellhouse Mill was built. The two mills together hold about 160,000 spindles and 1200 looms and employ about 1,300 hands. These mills, with the stone quarries, corn mill and farms belonging to the firm constituted until recent years almost the only source of employment in the village. At Burnley also Mr Bracewell carried on an extensive business as an engineer and millwright. He had also at Burnley large ironworks which were conducted for the firm under the management of Mr P Pickup. In addition to his manufacturing enterprise Mr Bracewell became a large landed proprietor and farmed himself over 1000 acres. But even this did not see the extent of Mr Bracewell’s enterprises for about 12 years ago he came into possession of the Ingleton Collieries.

About this time he partially relinquished the management of the cotton business which was entrusted to his two sons William Metcalfe Bracewell and Christopher George Bracewell who, in 1879 were admitted as partners. The firm being changed to William Bracewell and Sons. Up to this time Mr Bracewell is said to have been the largest single-handed spinner and manufacturer who attended the Manchester Exchange. The deceased also took an interest in other matters apart from his own business and as an example it may be mentioned he was a warm, if not the chief promoter, of the Barnoldswick Railway Company and held the post of chairman on the board of directors ever since the opening in 1870. In 1880 he experienced a great misfortune in the loss of his eldest son Mr W M Bracewell who died very suddenly a few hours after leaving business apparently in good health. Notwithstanding his feeble health Mr Bracewell stepped into the breach thus occasioned and attended Manchester regularly twice a week until about two months ago when increasing years and failing health compelled him to relinquish the task. He was however able to get out and devote several hours to business daily until a week before his death.

He was last at his place of business on Thursday the 5th instant when he left about 4pm in the afternoon in good spirits and apparently in rather better health. On the following morning he was much worse. Dr Roberts attended and found him to be suffering from congestion of the lungs.

Deceased was a prominent member of the Wesleyan body in Barnoldswick and for twenty years held the post of Superintendent of the Sunday Schools. About eight years ago he presented this body with their new chapel at a cost of £8,000 and their handsome and commodious school premises are also the result of his munificence. In politics he was an ardent Liberal. He was born at Green End, Earby on 5th April 1813.

Ingleton Correspondent: Nearly 150 hands were employed in the collieries. Mr E Dawson was the manager of the collieries at Ingleton.

William Bracewell was buried at Bracewell church (Oak coffin with lead lining)

Saturday March 28th 1885.
Rev. T Underwood at Bracewell Church in a sermon said: He asked his hearers to imagine such a village as Barnoldswick as Barnoldswick was 40 or 50 years ago where a few labourers and hand-loom weavers toiled hard early and late to keep body and soul together. There were sources of wealth in the village and a mastermind came and opened them up.

Saturday April 11th, 1885. Barnoldswick news.
Reduction in the price of milk in Barnoldswick. On Monday the firm of William Bracewell and Sons reduced the price of milk from 2 ½ d to 2d per quart.
Butts Mill. The above mill started work again on Monday morning after having been stopped owing to a breakdown. The large double beam engine which has been undergoing extensive repairs has now been completely renovated.

Saturday April 25th, 1885.
Breakdown at Wellhouse Mill. Connecting rod broke.
Fire in blow room at Wellhouse on Tuesday.[Evidence of spinning]

Saturday November 6th 1886.
Barnoldswick cotton manufacturers, asked for a 20% increase have given 5% on Burnley List. Spinners at William Bracewell and Son’s Butts Mills went on strike on Wednesday afternoon after the Masters slowed machines one tooth which will drop wages 5%. [Still spinning at Butts on this date]

Saturday November 13th 1886.
Weft spinners at Butts still on strike.
Saturday November 20th 1886.
Spinners back at work after C G Bracewell said he would give them back the tooth of speed when the particular batch of material was used up. Work commenced last Monday.

Saturday December 11th 1886.
Letter to the paper asked what would happen if the contents of the cesspools of Barnoldswick were tipped on the fields of Messrs. W and T Bracewell’s two farms at Calf Hall. 9W Bracewell’s drains to Calf Hall Beck which comes to Butts Mill. T Bracewell’s drains into Moses Lee Beck and down to Gillians and hence to Barlick.)

[See BUDC papers: PCRO. UDBk. W & T Bracewell got contract for scavenging.]

Saturday June 16th 1888.
Advertisement; Wellhouse Mill stoneyard, Barnoldswick. Bracewell v Smith (In the Chancery of the County Palatine of Lancaster, Manchester District) Sale of loose effects at ‘New Gasworks’.

June 23rd 1888
Messrs. William Bracewell and Sons affairs.
Weavers employed at William Bracewell and Sons at Wellhouse Mill and Butts Mill are weaving warps out. ‘The town is in a very low state. Large numbers of families have left and others intend to go.’

Saturday June 2nd 1888.
Sale of machinery at Corn Mill (William Bracewell and Sons) All machinery new and installed by William Barron of Leeds in 1886.

Saturday June 30th 1888.
At Butts and Wellhouse only 100 out of 1200 looms are running.

Saturday August 4th 1888.
No change in the state of trade in the town. No move to sell Wellhouse and Butts Mills.

Saturday September 8th 1888.
No move yet to restart Wellhouse or Butts. 200 to 300 houses empty in the town.

September 14th 1889.
Report of the death of Christopher George Bracewell, youngest son of William Bracewell. CGB was 43 and died 11th September 1889. He left a widow and four children. Deceased managed firm of William Bracewell and Sons from his father’s death until June 1888 when the firm was closed pending Chancery proceedings.

September 21st 1889
Funeral of Mr C G Bracewell of Bank Hall took place last Saturday, 14th September.

Mrs C G Bracewell was accompanied by Mr Sam. Catlow, Master Herbert Smith and George Edwin Bracewell, Miss bertha Bracewell. Mr and Mrs Smith Smith, Misses MJ and MS Bracewell. Mrs Sam. Catlow. Mr and Mrs Threlfall, Mr and Mrs Mercer, Misses Lily and Emma Bracewell, Miss Bracewell (Gargrave), Mr Henry Bracewell of Gargrave etc.

Buried at Bracewell in new vault built by E Smith. The undertaker was Procter Barrett, Joiner.

Transcribed SCG/03 February 2004