Stott and Sons

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Stott and Sons
TypeFamily firm
IndustryArchitectural Practice
FoundedA. H. Stott (1847)
A. H. Stott & Son (1847)
A. H. Stott & Sons (1847)
Stott and Sons
FounderAbraham Henthorn Stott, Senior 1822–1904
Defunct1931
Fatedissolved
Headquarters
Oldham, Lancashire (1847–)
Manchester, Lancashire
,
UK
Area served
Lancashire
Key people
Abraham Henthorn Stott Senior (1822–1904)
Jesse Ainsworth Stott (1853–1917)
Abraham Henthorn Stott Junior (1856–1931)
Products Cotton mills

Stott and Sons was an architectural practice in Lancashire between 1847 and 1931. It specialised in cotton mills, designing 191 buildings of which 130 were mills or buildings related to the cotton industry. [1] Abraham Henthorn Stott was born on 25 April 1822 in the parish of Crompton. [2] He served a seven-year apprenticeship with Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the Houses of Parliament and Manchester Art Gallery. Abraham returned to Oldham in 1847 and founded the architectural practice of A H Stott. It was known for his innovative structural engineering. His brother Joseph Stott in 1866 started his career here before leaving to start his own practice. Three of his nine children worked in the practice. Jesse Ainsworth Stott became the senior partner. Philip Sydney Stott spent three years in the practice before starting his own. [3] After Abraham's retirement his practice was renamed Stott and Sons.

Contents

History

Foundation

The firm of A. H. Stott probably started in Clegg Street, Oldham in 1847. The owner, Abraham Henthorn Stott, had finished his architectural apprenticeship with Charles Barry's practice. It is thought that he obtained this position through the influence Jesse Ainsworth. On 30 December 1851, he married Ainsworth's niece Elizabeth or Eliza Ainsworth. The Ainsworths were prominent land and property owners in Oldham; the first identified mill that A. H. Stott designed was a room and power mill, Summervale Mill on Fletcher Street Jesse or Hannah Ainsworth (née Lees). [4] The Lees were another prominent Oldham family.

Osborne Mills, Chadderton. The older mill behind was by A. H. Stott, the new mill by P. S. Stott Osborne Mills, Chadderton 695142-by-Chris-Allen.jpg
Osborne Mills, Chadderton. The older mill behind was by A. H. Stott, the new mill by P. S. Stott

Family connections were important in mid-Victorian Oldham. James and Mary Stott (née Henthorn) were married at the parish church of Prestwich-cum-Oldham on 18 June 1821. James was a stonemason, and was illiterate. They had four children in the township of Crompton, and two further children after a move to Oldham. Abraham was the first child and the first boy. Both Abraham and Joseph started work as stonemasons. A further cousin of A. H. Stott was a master cotton spinner called Abraham Stott and he owned Osborne Mills, which were built in 1872. The cousin traded under the name of Abraham Stott Ltd. A. H. Stott was a freemason. [5] The offices moved to 37a King Street, Oldham in 1854.

Building a reputation, 1860–1880

Established in Oldham Society and well connected, A. H. Stott was attracting contracts from major cotton spinners. He built mills for Callender of Manchester, then for William Houldsworth who was moving from Manchester city centre to rural Reddish, this involved ten years of work building the mills, houses and community buildings. Houldsworth Mill(1863) is a Grade II+ listed building and is a good example of an 1860s cotton mill. Work was also done for Hilton Greaves of Derker Mills, Oldham. [6]

However, in 1860, the Oldham Limiteds concept was born. Initially, workers in the industry gathered together to build their own mill, but when the concept had been proven all started to speculate. This provided A.H.Stott many new mills to build, but also he indulged in speculation. The Abbey Mill Spinning Company was registered in 1875, of the first 490 £5 shares taken up, 200 went to Abraham H. Stott and 200 to George Preston, a civil engineer. [7] As a rule of thumb, a 58,000 spindle mill would cost about £64,000 to build or about £1.10 a spindle, and the architect would claim a 2½% fee. Abraham was not as active building mills as his brother Joseph in the 1870s. Example mills may be Butler Green Cotton Spinning Ltd, Chadderton (1862), Reddish Spinning Company Mills (1874), a finishing works for J. Chadwick & Co Ltd (1875), and John Broadbent & Sons, Oakfield Mill, Droylsden. [8]

It was in 1871 he filed a patent for "Improvements in the construction of Fireproof and other Flooring". He had previously in 1864 attempted to file a patent on improvements to the design of steam boilers with limited success. By 1873, A. H. Stott was describing himself as an "Engineering Architect". The firm opened its first Manchester Office in 1875. His sons Jesse Ainsworth Stott and Abraham Henthorn Stott, jnr. joined the business in 1875 and 1877, and the company name was altered to accommodate the changes. [9]

Mature firm

In 1883, the firm moved their Manchester offices to 60 Haworth Buildings, Cross Street a prestigious address and it was here that it remained until 1931. This building was designed in 1876–8 by Alfred Waterhouse. A. Henthorn Stott, Jnr moved his home to Bowdon, Cheshire in 1894 and the Oldham office closed in 1896. Jesse Ainsworth Stott moved to Broomfield Rd, in Heaton Moor 1890 and built himself Greystead, on Buxton Road, Stockport in 1895. The peaks and troughs of their mill building activity matched that of the industry. [10] The majority of mills were now for Limited Liability Companies and the partners often took shares in the mills they built.

Work was forthcoming outside the Lancashire cotton belt. In 1884 they designed a mill of 30,000 spindles in Oldenzaal in the Netherlands, and designs were made for mills for the Lings Spinning Company in Pennsylvania.

Arson 1887

As would be fitting for an upwardly mobile Manchester family, A. H. Stott bought the Pensychnant Estate, near Conway in Gwynedd. The new house was completed in 1882. On 5 April 1887, fire broke out in the old part of the house, and A .H. Stott was charged with arson. He stood trial on 12–13 July 1887 before Mr Justice Denman at the Caernarfon assizes. He was acquitted on grounds of insufficient evidence. His brothers had been concerned about his mental health saying he talked of suicide because he could not persuade his wife and other family members to move to the Pensychnant Estate. [11]

Edwardian mills

Broadstone Mill shows all the design features of a typical Edwardian Stott and Son mill. Broadstone Mill - geograph.org.uk - 707883.jpg
Broadstone Mill shows all the design features of a typical Edwardian Stott and Son mill.

Stott and Son led by A. Henthorn Stott, Jun., were big players in mill building in the 20th century. Of the 16.8 million spindles that were added between 1900 and 1914, 2.61 million were in the 24 mills designed by Stott and Son. These mills were distinctive, embracing the flamboyant architecture of that time. Considerable attention was given to the water tower that would usually advertise the name of the mill, or when the water tower was too elaborate, on the parapet of the main mill block. They used pitched roofs shielded by parapets. Stott and Son favoured Byzantine-style water towers, the use of horizontal bands of yellow brick above the window, and terracotta ornamentation. Examples are the Goyt Mill, Marple (1905), Broadstone Mill, Reddish (1904) and Coppull Ring Mill (1905) that had identical water tower, Fernhurst Mill, Chadderton (1905), Butts Mill, Leigh (1907), Pear Mill, Stockport (1907), Ram Mill, Chadderton (1907). [12]

Decline

The Edwardian boom ended in 1908, and many mills that had been started were left uncompleted for 5 years. When the economy turned investment started again, which in many cases was unwise. The final mill was the Swan Lane Number3 Mill in 1914. Jesse Ainsworth Stott died in 1917, and the business was continued by his brother A. Henthorn Stott. Jesse'ś two sons were both involved in the running of J. Chadwick and Co Ltd, a private limited liability company, who were calico printers, bleachers, finishers and dyers. Jesse was married to Chadwick's daughter, and A. Henthorn Stott was the managing director. For the next fourteen years little work was done in the cotton sector, A. Henthorn Stott who had built a house, Plas Dolydd on the Pensychnant Estate showed and interest in conservation issues such as quarrying at Penmaenmawr and the preservation of Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge. [13] He died in 1931, the architectural practice was dissolved and his wealth of £132,439 divided.

Structural engineering innovation

Family tree

{{Stott family of Oldham}}

[3]

Related Research Articles

The Stotts were a family of architects from Oldham, North West England, of Scottish descent who specialised in the design of cotton mills. James Stott was the father, Joseph and his elder brother Abraham Stott had rival practices, and in later years did not communicate. Their children continue their practices.

Sir Philip Sidney Stott, 1st Baronet, usually known by his full name or as Sidney Stott, was an English architect, civil engineer and surveyor.

History of Oldham

The history of Oldham is one of dramatic change, from obscure Pennine hamlet to preeminent mill town and textile processing capital of the world. Oldham's industrial history includes hatting, coal mining, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, textile machinery manufacture and cotton spinning - for which the town is most noted.

Trent Mill Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Trent Mill was a cotton spinning mill on Duchess Street in Shaw and Crompton, Greater Manchester, England. It was built by F.W. Dixon & Son in 1908. It closed and was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 reopened in 1938 and closed again in 1962, and was demolished in 1967.

Magnet Mill, Chadderton Cotton Mill in Greater Manchester, England

Magnet Mill, Chadderton is a cotton spinning mill in Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built by the Magnet Mill Ltd. in 1902, but purchased by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1935. It was later taken over by the Courtaulds Group. Ceasing textile production in December 1966, it was demolished soon after. A suburban residential estate now occupies this site. It was driven by a 2200 hp twin tandem compound engine by George Saxon & Co, Openshaw, 1903. It had a 27–foot flywheel with 35 ropes, operating at 64½ rpm.

Ace Mill, Hollinwood

Ace Mill is a cotton spinning mill in Chadderton in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built as Gorse No. 2 Mill, in 1914 and cotton was first spun in 1919 by the Ace Mill Ltd, who renamed the mill. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production ended in 1967.

Kent Mill, Chadderton

Kent Mill, Chadderton was a cotton spinning mill in Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built in 1908 It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production finished in 1991 and it was demolished in 1994.

Manor Mill, Chadderton Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Manor Mill, Chadderton is an early twentieth century, five storey cotton spinning mill in Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was built in 1906. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production finished in 1990.

Heron Mill, Hollinwood Cotton spinning mill in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England

Heron Mill is a cotton spinning mill in Hollinwood, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was designed by architect P. S. Stott and was constructed in 1905 by the Heron Mill Company Ltd next to Durban Mill. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production ended in 1960, and it was used by Courtaulds for offices, warehousing, and some experimental fabric manufacture. Courtaulds occupation ended in 1994.

Textile Mill, Chadderton Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Textile Mill, Chadderton was a cotton spinning mill in Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1882 by Potts, Pickup & Dixon for the Textile Mill Co. Ltd, and closed in 1927. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the late 1940s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964 and used for cotton waste sorting. Half of the building was destroyed by fire on 11 July 1950, but the remaining section continued to be used for cotton waste sorting by W. H. Holt and Son until 1988.

Newby Mill, Shaw Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Elm Mill, is a four-storey cotton spinning mill in Shaw and Crompton, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1890 for the Elm Spinning Company Ltd., and was called Elm Mill until it closed in 1928. It was revived by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 and called Newby Mill. LCC and all their assets passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production at Newby finished in 1970, and it was used for warehousing. Subsequently, now named Shaw No 3 Mill, it became part of Littlewood's Shaw National Distribution Centre.

Laurel Mill, Middleton Junction Former cotton mill in Manchester, England

Laurel Mill was a cotton spinning mill in the Mills Hill/Middleton Junction area of Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.

Junction Mill, Middleton Junction Cotton mill in Greater Manchester, England

Junction Mill, Middleton Junction is a cotton spinning mill at Middleton junction, Chadderton in Greater Manchester alongside the Rochdale Canal.

Ellenroad Mill Cotton mill in Newhey, Milnrow, Rochdale, England

Ellenroad Mill was a cotton spinning mill in Newhey, Milnrow, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It was built as a mule spinning mill in 1890 by Stott and Sons and extended in 1899. It was destroyed by fire on 19 January 1916. When it was rebuilt, it was designed and equipped as a ring spinning mill.

Pear New Mill

Pear New Mill is a former Edwardian cotton spinning mill on the northern bank of the River Goyt in Bredbury, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.

Clarence Mill Cotton spinning mill in Bollington, Cheshire, England

Clarence Mill is a five-storey former cotton spinning mill in Bollington, Cheshire, in England. It was built between 1834 and 1877 for the Swindells family of Bollington. It was built alongside the Macclesfield Canal, which opened in 1831.

Kearsley Mill

Kearsley Mill is a 240,000 sq ft (22,000 m2), late period cotton mill located in the small village of Prestolee in Kearsley, Greater Manchester. A near complete example of Edwardian mill architecture, the building now functions as headquarters for a number of businesses and is still used in the continued manufacturing and distribution of textiles by Richard Haworth Ltd Est (1876), part of the Ruia Group. The mill is a Grade II listed building.

De Museumfabriek

De Museumfabriek is a museum in Enschede, Twente, in the Netherlands. The new museum is located partly in a renovated Jannink textile factory, in reference to Enschede's textile history, and partly in an adjourning new building designed by the Amsterdam-based firm SeARCH. The project architect was Bjarne Mastenbroek. It is an Anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Holden 1998 , p. 248
  2. ↑ Holden 1998 , p. 18
  3. 1 2 Holden 1998 , p. 36
  4. ↑ Holden 1998 , p. 22
  5. ↑ Holden 1998 , pp. 18–21
  6. ↑ Holden 1998 , pp. 24
  7. ↑ Holden 1998 , pp. 147–9
  8. ↑ Holden 1998 , p. 218
  9. ↑ Holden 1998 , pp. 26
  10. ↑ The booms occurred in 1873–3, 1883–4, 1889–90 and 1907. Holden 1998 , p. 148
  11. ↑ Holden 1998 , pp. 34–35
  12. ↑ Holden 1998 , pp. 123–136
  13. ↑ Holden 1998 , pp. 43–45

Bibliography

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