County End

This part of Lees, a village in Oldham, is called County End, because before the maps were redrawn for some administrative local government reason, this was where one county ended, Lancashire, and another began, Yorkshire.

Oldham was a cotton town, in the villages near Lees, Grotton, Hey and Springfield, there were in 1891, thirty-three factories – bleachers, and cotton spinners and manufactures. Just imagine the noise, the pollution, the activity from early morning till night… and now there are none left… there are a few buildings, magnificent red brick structures.

The mills had names,sometimes after the mill owner, such as Holt, Clough, Livingstone, sometimes after the location, such as County End, Clarksfield, and Medlock (from the River Medlock).

However, and I find this quite poignant, some harked back to a pre-industrial age, an age where farming and agriculture provided occupations for the people of the area. Acorn, Milking Green, Pastures…

In the information I found about the mills in 1891, no doubt from census material, there is a little glimpse into the mill itself, “13,000 twist and 17,000 weft spindles, 41/468 twist 401/60′ weft, knittings, mendings, tambour and hosiery yarns. Pay day second Wednesday, 10-30 to 12-30. Samuel S. Newton, manager; Walter Needham, secretary”; “41,472 mule and 1,184 ring spindles, 401/70′ weft, 32′ twist in bundle. Pay day second Wednesday, 10-30 to 12. Telegrams, “Clough, Lees.” Jas. Cottam, manager; James Kelsall, secretary and salesman” and “21,800 spindles; 190 looms, velvets, velveteens, cords, etc.; Manchester office-23, Hopwood avenue, Market place. Pay day second Wednesday, 11 to 1”.