in James Street, Salford
Steam-powered 'fireproof' cotton spinning mill, built in 1823 for Nathan Gough
The mill achieved notoriety in 1824 when one of the structural beams collapsed, and 19 workers were killed (16 women and 3 boys).
1824 'Nathan Gough stated that about two years previously, David Bellhouse and Son had built the mill. Six stories high, with an attic room in the roof. The ironwork was done by Bowman, Galloway and Co.' (Galloway, Bowman and Glasgow) [1]
'The apparent cause of the collapse was a flaw in an iron beam in an upper floor of the factory. Gough hinted at negligence. He claimed he had watched most of the iron beams being tested and proved before they were used at the construction site. The testing of the iron beams for the upper floors of the mill occurred when he was sick in bed.' [2]
1876 Sale of the Union Flax Spinning Co's flax spinning machinery at the mill. Much of the machinery was made by Lawson and Co, and the auctioneer was William Montgomery of Belfast.[3]
Islington Mill is currently in use as an arts hub. [4]
Location
The mill is on James Street, off Oldfield Road
The 1848 O.S. map [5] shows two other mills nearby: Oldfield Road Mill (silk) 30 yds to the west, and Islington Long Mill (cotton) 50 yards north
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ [1]'The Technical Repository,' by Thomas Gill, Vol VI, 1824
- ↑ [2] Bellhouse Family History website: see Chapter 3
- ↑ Northern Whig - Saturday 10 June 1876
- ↑ [3] Islington Mill website: Heritage
- ↑ 'The Godfrey Edition Old Ordnance Survey Town Plans: Manchester & Salford Sheet 27: New Bailey & Ordsall Lane' [4]