A. and G. Murray
of Murray Street, Ancoats, Manchester.
See Adam Murray and his brother George Murray
1891 Directory: Listed as cotton spinners and manufacturers. More details
1898 Acquired by the Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association.[1]
Murrays' Mills were adjacent to McConnel and Kennedy's Sedgwick Mills, seaparated only by Murray Street. The whole of the block bounded by Murray Street, Union Street, Jersey Street and Bengal Street was occupied by A. and G. Murray. The part facing Redhill Street (formerly Union Street) is called Old Mill on the 1849 O.S. Town Plan, but Old Mill, built in 1798, actually occupied only the western half of the present building on Union Street, while the eastern half, called Decker Mill, was built in 1801-2.
'New Mill' was built at the north end of the plot in 1804-6, facing Jersey Street. The Murray Street Block and Bengal Street Block were added in 1805-6. On completion, these buildings enclosed a central courtyard, with the main gated entrance and a narrower gated entrance, both on Murray Street. Interestingly, canal barges could access a basin with the courtyard in a tunnel passing under Union Street and Bengal Street. The 1849 O.S. Town Plan shows two coal wharves on this basin. each adjacent to an engine house.
On the eastern side of Bengal Street were some more mill buildings. At the corner of Bengal and Union Street a small existing factory was occupied by James Murray in 1820. This was rebuilt in 1842 as a doubling mill. A small block bounded by Bengal Street, Jersey Street and Gas Street housed 'Little Mill' (c.1819) and a gasometer house. The site was shared with a row of terraced houses on Gas Street (which ran between Bengal and German Street, and several other buildings, including the Beehive pub, but the site was taken over by 'New Little Mill' in 1908-9. A 'Fire Proof Mill' was built in 1842, facing Bengal Street.
The buildings either side of Bengal Street were connected by four tunnels which passed under the road.
For an authoritative account of the A & G Murray business, and details of the development, construction, and architectural details of the mills, see A & G Murray and the Cotton Mills of Manchester [2].
For the broader picture, see Redhill Street Mills, Ancoats.