Richardson Tee Rycroft and Co
of 3 Portland Street, Manchester, also Barnsley, Yorks.
1873 'We now pass to the works of Messrs. Richardson, Tee, & Co. This now extensive establishment dates from 1804, in which year the business was commenced by the late Mr. Godfrey Mason. The premises occupied then and for a considerable period subsequently were situated in Stringer*s yard, at the rear of the Queen*s Head Hotel, Peel-square, or, it was then termed, Peashills Nook. Subsequently, after being vacated by Mr. Mason, the building was used for scholastic purposes by Mr. James Knight, senior. The present premises in Pitt-street have been in existence for a considerable number of years, and had various times been enlarged, extended, and otherwise improved. The style of the firm has been successively Godfrey Mason, Godfrey Mason & Son, Mason and Richardson, and Richardson, Tee, Rycroft, and Co. The following is a list of the principal goods manufactured: Crash, flaxen and bleached sheetings, huckabacks In piece and towel, Russia and fancy diapers, damasks both loom and bleached in cloths and in piece; stair damasks and drills; floor damasks and drills, blue and white ticks, blinds, glass cloths, drills, ducks, strainers, drabbetts, &c. The firm has a most extensive home connection, there not being a town of any importance in the United Kingdom where it is not directly represented. The number of power looms employed is 270, the widths varying so as to produce cloths from 14 to 180 inches wide. These are all of the most improved construction, and positive motions and weft stoppers are introduced where, practicable. In connection with the winding and dressing departments the newest and most improved frames have been recently introduced. The calendar, which was introduced some three or four years ago, is not only constructed upon the most improved principles, but is the largest of its kind in Yorkshire, only one in Scotland being larger. It exercises a direct lever pressure of 14 tons, and executes both hot and cold finishing and mangling. There are two paper bowls measuring 2 feet 4 in. diameter, and three metal bowls. In addition to these there are pressing, stretching, damping, and measuring machines by power, this being the only firm in Barnsley who finish their own goods. A pair of large horizontal engines have recently been erected by Messrs. Pigott and Farrar, with a 26 in. cylinder and a 3 ft. 6in. stroke. They have variable cutting off valves working expansively and cutting off at 5 feet stroke. The pressure of steam is 45 lbs. to the square inch, the number of revolutions being 48. The mill is driven direct from the engines by spur fly wheels with boxwood teeth. There are two Lancashire boilers, measuring 30 feet by 6 feet, with double flues. The firm has also a warehouse in Manchester, which was commenced in 1847, and has since developed into a business in linen and other manufactures, from hessians at 2d. a yard to damasks at guinea a yard. The visitors were conducted by Mr. H. M. Richardson over the establishment, and shown the various processes of the manufacture, also the calendar room, engines. &c. Specimens of the various descriptions of goods made and supplied by the firm were laid out for Inspection in the large stock room, and attracted no inconsiderable amount of attention.'[1]
1937 Acquired by Hickson, Lloyd and King.[2]