Textiles: A New Industry is Gaining Ground

Richard Arkwright strove to advance the further development of the water frame. He wanted to eliminate as far as possible the spinning process. He, therefore, strove continuously to improve the machine. It was only two years after the patent application in 1769, before the first spinning plant driven by water power was started.

• By 1771, Richard Arkwright built the first such spinning plant in Chromford, Derbyshire, with the help of local financially strong people. A basic contribution to the utilisation of Arkwright's patents was their distribution. From this he reaped considerable wealth.

• By 1789, Arkwright was employing, in several spinning mills, over 800 people, many of them women and children. Probably because of his own background, he used his wealth to build houses, shops, schools and churches to improve the poor condition of his employees.

INVENTOR Richard Arkwright, 1732 - 1792

LOCATION OF MACHINE Higher Mill Museum, Helmshore, Great Britain PATENT APPLICATION Water frame 1769.

Richard Arkwright 1732-1792

Inventor of the Water Frame Rather than being an inventive genius, Richard Arkwright was a sharp-witted businessman who recognized the potential of other people's innovations, and made a very large personal fortune from developing them. Preston-born to a very poor family, Richard was taught to read and write by a cousin, as his parents could not afford schooling. His first job was as a barber's apprentice. By 1762, he has founded his own wig-making company. His first contact with the textile industry came during a business trip when he met the Warrington watchmaker John Kay, who had spent some time trying to perfect a new spinning-machine, but had run out of funds. Arkwright was very interested by Kay and his machine, offering to employ him and other local craftsmen to develop the invention. The resulting Spinning Frame could produce stronger thread than the contemporary Spinning Jenny, but was far too large to be operated by hand. Arkwright and his team tried various experiments using horse-power, but the reliability and cheapness of water-power won the day.

In 1771, Arkwright and his colleagues established a spinning and weaving factory on the banks of the River Derwent at Cromford, Derbyshire. The new invention became known as the 'water-frame'. Thus established, Arkwright's mill required a huge workforce. He built numerous cottages for his workforce and 'imported' factory operatives from all over Derbyshire, preferring weavers with large families who had plenty of children to work in the mill. Cromford Mill was only the first in Arkwright's large and profitable empire of factories, which spread from Derbyshire into Staffordshire, Lancashire and up into Scotland. Many of his mills took power from brand new developments in steam-engine technology. In fact, Arkwright's mills were so profitable that rival millowners sent in spies to discover the secret of his success. A testament to Arkwright's sharp business acumen came on his death in 1792, when it was found that he was worth half a million pounds, a staggering amount of money in the 18th century.

Arkwright | Eighteenth Century | Utilitarianism

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