Messrs. Lord Brothers, Cotton Spinners and Manufacturers, Machine Makers and Ironfounders.

Canal Street Works,Todmorden

(The above drawing kindly supplied by Alison Stansfield)

The beginnings of this important mill started modestly enough with a father and his sons working as mechanics at Waterside Mill in the 1830's.The urge to have his own works gave John Lord the necessary incentive into taking a spare room with power at CLOUGH MILL, and by 1839 they had a workshop on Roomfield Lane. In 1848 they expanded from being just a machine works, commenced cotton spinning and went on to build their own works on Canal Street, Todmorden.

Edward Lord

A passage from The History of Todmorden describes one of the specifications of a patent from 1852, which covered seven processes:

A cotton mixing machine which spread the raw cotton on a flexible feed (previously done by hand); two improvements to scutching and carding machinery, designed to leave the cotton cleaner; improved formation of laps at the end of the blowing machines, including automatic adjustments to the speed of the lap take-up roller to compensate for the increased diameter of the roller on filling; a new arrangement of rollers on the drawing-frame; improvements to the ring traveller throstle; and a better method of winding yarn onto the warp beam.

Edward Lord is first left on back row

The foundry in 2006

The sons also had to earn their keep by working and were not allowed to laze around the house, as privileged sons of gentlemen were sometimes prone to doing.

In 1858 Josiah Lord was the chairman of the Todmorden Joint Stock Mill Company and Edward Lord was the engineer. Both were of the Lord Brothers Mill, Canal Street, Todmorden. The company, formed in 1857, sold shares to raise capital, and built CROW CARR INGS MILL as a weaving shed for 726 looms. Not as much capital was needed for this venture as the company did not install or operate looms, but let the mill out in eleven sections, each capable of holding 66 looms. This was a venture into the co-operative business, which was coming into play at that time.

the foundry in 2006

York Place

Adamroyd House

With his death, much of the driving force went from the works, although Walter carried on the tradition of improving the working of machinery. In November of 1877 a patent was sealed by him and George Jackson of Todmorden for an improvement in weaving looms.

The younger generation began to gradually come to the fore and Walter and Will Lord, sons of Edward, carried on the business of the mill after the deaths of the older generation and they became highly thought of by the townspeople.

Walter was a well-respected member of the town and took an active interest in many of the societies including the Todmorden Floral and Horticultural Society of which he was elected chairman in 1895.

Lt. Walter Lord, as he was in 1884, was commander of G Company of the 2nd. Volunteer Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers stationed at Todmorden and under his command they were awarded £5 for being the best-drilled company. By 1885 he had been made Captain.

He also enjoyed riding and saddled a mare called Victoria and the pair was well known in the show rings of the country and in 1889 she won Best Hunter mare in Show at the Islington Horse Show.

Walter's wife, Margaret died in 1898 at Adamroyd, Todmorden and Walter suffered ill health for a while and died in 1902 at his home, 131, Plymouth Grove, Manchester, aged 49. They are both buried in Christ Church in the same grave as Will and Florence, their respective brother and sister. They had a son, Edward Wilfred who was born in 1888 who followed his father into the mill and who marked his 21st . birthday by giving the workforce of the mill a day trip to Blackpool in May 1908. In July 1908 he was presented with a writing bureau and silver inkstand by the office staff and workpeople of the mill. He married Jean Lawson Russell, daughter of Dr. Lawson Russell, on 2 July 1913 at the Parish Church.

As printed in a supplement to the Todmorden Advertiser July 25th 1913

Marriage of Mr. Edward Wilfred Lord to Miss Jean Lawson Russell.

Walter and Margaret's daughter, Evina, married Capt. J. Gledhill of the 6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers in 1910.

Will, the younger son of Edward, married Florence Sutcliffe of Greenhirst Hey, in 1887; she was also a daughter of William Sutcliffe, the owner of Harley House Mill. The workforce was treated to a trip to the Manchester Exhibition in honour of the wedding and 770 took advantage of this rare trip out.

Will and Florence had two sons, John Sutcliffe and Douglas and in 1891they were all living at Calder House, Todmorden. He was a member of the Todmorden Gun Club and once won the President's Cup by killing 6 birds out of 7.

Langfield House

photo by very kind permission of Richard Jeffery August 2001

To the glory of God and to the beloved memory of Will Lord of Langfield House and the firm of Lord Bros. Todmorden. Born March 26th 1857. Died February 16th 1897.

This tablet is erected by the employees of the firm.

Lord all pitying Jesu blest

Grant him Thine eternal rest

Will's wife, Florence Edith, lived on to be 70 and died in 1926 at her home, Adamroyd. They are both buried in Christ Church in the same grave as their respective brother and sister. Also in the grave are the two sons of Will and Florence, John Sutcliffe Lord and Douglas. John died at 26, Riversleigh Ave., Lytham aged 48 in 1937 and Douglas died in 1939 aged 48.

John Sutcliffe Lord was married in 1918 and such was his prominence in society that it was reported in the Yorkshire Weekly Post:

Yorkshire Weekly Post

6th April 1918 p.16   

Todmorden Officer's Marriage.

Great interest was shown in the marriage at Todmorden parish church on Wednesday of Capt. John Sutcliffe Lord, Lancashire Fusiliers, and Miss Mary Barker, 3rd daughter of Mr. & Mrs. John Barker of Thorn Hill, Todmorden.

Capt. Lord is a member of the firm of Lord Bros. Textile machine makers and cotton mfrs of Canal Street Works, Todmorden. He was in the local Territorials before the war, and was mobilised with them on 4th August 1914, and was one of the first volunteers for service overseas.

He served in Egypt, in Gallipoli (where he was wounded), in the Sinai Peninsula, and in France. In May 1917 he returned to England, and after serving at Scarborough, was placed on the Territorial Officer's Reserve, being unfit for active service.

The bride has also done a considerable amount of war work, having assisted at Centre Vale Military Hospital from the beginning, and her father has also taken a leading part locally in all movements connected with the war, besides acting as chairman of the local Advisory Committee.

(information supplied by John Alan Longbottom)

Another member of the family business was John, born in 1830, and in 1881 is listed in the census as being a machinist, cotton manufacturer. His wife Priscilla and 3 children are at home, all unmarried. Herbert is 23 and works as an overlooker in the family mill, Emily is 18 and Annie, 16, is recorded as being an imbecile. They are all living at Cliff Villas, Langfield.

Cliff Villas

John died in 1884 at Cliff Villas and his wife and daughter Annie went to live at Southport. Their daughter Emily also went with her mother and sister to Southport where she met and married a local man, Mr. Harry Calvert at Holy Trinity Church, Southport in 1894. Annie died in1893 and Priscilla in 1899, both at Southport. They are buried in Christ Church with John. Herbert carried on in the family firm and as a machine maker. He continued to live at Cliff Villas, with his wife Sarah. He was also to die young, like many of the Lord family before him. He died at the early age of 42 in 1899 and his wife Sarah died five years later in 1904 aged 43 in the Nurses' Home, Halifax. Both are buried together in Christ Church.

There are other members of the Lord family buried in Christ Church and they are listed underneath with the burial dates:

Grave 1

Martha Lord of York St. 6/1/1862 aged 21

Hannah Law of Adamroyd 30/1/1869 aged 35

Mary Lord of Adamroyd 19/10/1874 aged 58

Edward Lord of Adamroyd 14/9/1875 aged 63

Frank Lord 1875 aged 29

Fred Lord of Adamroyd 6/12/1876 aged 22

Grave 2

Ann Lord infant 1854

Charles Lord of Dale St. 17/5/1862 aged 11months

Ann Lord of Dale St. 7/12/1870 aged 37

Frank Lord of Dale St. 12/10/1871 aged 10 month

Martha Lord of Dale St. 22/1/1874 aged 7

Edward Lord of York Place 29/9/1885 aged 53

Sarah Ann Lord 1899 aged 69

Robert Lord of 3, Vernon St. 29/4/1909 aged 50.

In the early 1900's, most of the machinery produced by the firm was exported, and in a way contributed to the decline of the cotton industry in England. Production increased during the First World War when ammunition was needed in great quantity. The workforce was mainly female as most able-bodied men were fighting at the front.

In 1920 the Manchester firm of Brooks & Doxey had bought this leading textile and machine makers and in 1929 the Canal Street works was shut, putting the workforce of 250 on the dole. The business was transferred to Manchester as it was easier to access transport routes from Manchester than from Todmorden and it was the end of an era for the town. It was also the end of the dream of one man and his sons all those years ago.

The mill itself had its fair share of ups and downs like most mills of the time. By far the worst was the fatal BOILER EXPLOSION in 1875. The full story can be seen from the link.

In 1884 a fire broke out and again in 1886. This latter one caused a lot of damage and the cost ran into several thousands of pounds. It was discovered about 2-45pm and it destroyed the pattern room and a quantity of patterns belonging to the firm, from which their celebrated cotton spinning machinery is made.

In 1894 the moulders ceased work for refusing to do piecework at the price stated. The moulders went on strike again in 1896, again over the issue of piecework. They had been granted 2s per hour increase in pay, but the firm wanted to have the hands put on piecework, and they wouldn't agree to this, hence the strike.

In May 1906 the mechanics, fitters and turners came out on strike on account of an advance of wages being refused. By June, they got 1s. per week advanced and a promise of a further 1s in 3 months time. They returned to work.

On the 19th May 1913, 100 labourers went on strike but the mayor intervened and a settlement was reached on May 30th.

Employees of Lord Brothers' Canal Street Works are pictured at the entrance to their

Lower George Street workshop, 1905-10. The apprentices are seated at the front.

Photo by very kind permission of Roger Birch.

The site once occupied by Lord Brothers is now the home of Poly Hi Solidur, which is a subsidiary of the Menasha Corporation of Wisconsin, USA manufacturers of chemical and corrosion resistant polymers.

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