Repost: A history of the wool textile trade in Yorkshire #6

       

Spinning:

Spinning was the final stage in converting wool to worsted yarns which could be woven. The machines drew out the roving to its final thickness (count) and added twist for strength (just like a hand spinning wheel does). There are three main types of spinning machine (flyer, cap and ring) but they all work on similar principles and mainly differ in the way the twist is made and the yarn wound onto bobbins. 

When I think of a textile mill, I suppose it's the spinning machines that I imagine. They would have been tightly packed together and the noise from them would have been incredible. From the picture of the mill on the wall above, you can see how narrow the aisles between the machines were. I imagine that the children, for so long employed in these mills, would have been very useful - their smaller bodies would have more easily been able to move under and around the machines.

The industry gave rise to some wonderful names for the different trades. One of my favourites is a 'bobbin ligger' - the person who put the bobbins on the spinning frame that filled them with thread. The 'bobbin doffers' would take the full bobbins off the spinning machines.  

There are some of Ian Beesley's wonderful photos of people doing these jobs HERE.