Strachan and Co

1865 Josiah Greethead Strachan acquired Lodgemore Mill with Frome Hall Mill.

1871 Lodgemore Mill was completely destroyed by fire.

1873 Mill rebuilt to the plans of James Ferrabee. Detailed report of the rebuilt mill and its equipment. The engines were made by Galloways.

1877 Partnership change. '...the Partnership lately subsisting between us the undersigned, Josiah Greethead Strachan, William Roberts, Charles Cains Grimes, and William Margetson, carrying on the trade or business of Woollen Cloth Manufacturers, at Lodgemore Mills, Stroud, in the county of Gloucester, in copartnership together under the style or firm of Strachan and Co., was this day dissolved by effluxion of time, and the said Charles Cains Grimes retires therefrom and all debts due and owing to and by the said copartnership will be received and paid by the said Josiah Greethead Strachan, William Roberts, and William Margetson, who, with James Alfred Tannahill, will in future carry on the said trade or business, both at Lodgemoor and Frome Hall Mills, in Stroud aforesaid, in copartnership together under the said style or firm of Strachan and Co...'

1884 Partnership change. '...the Partnership lately subsisting between us the undersigned, Josiah Greethead Strachan, William Roberts, William Margetson, James Alfred Tannahill, and Frank Strachan, carrying on the trade or business of Woollen Cloth Manufacturers, at Lodgemore Mills and Frome Hall Mills, Stroud, in the county of Gloucester, in copartnership together under the style or firm of Strachan and Co., was this day dissolved, by effluxion of time, and the said James Alfred Tannahill retires therefrom. And all debts due and owing to and by the said copartnership will be received and paid by the said Josiah Greethead Strachan, William Roberts, William Margetson, and Frank Strachan...'

1890 Josiah Greethead Strachan sold out to Strachan and Co.

1920 Strachan & Co formed an association with Hunt and Winterbotham of Cam and William Playne of Longfords Mill became Winterbotham, Strachan and Playne.

1925 The firm was visited by the Newcomen Society and detailed as follows: -

" The first stop was between Stroud and Stonehouse, at the Lodgemore cloth mills of Messrs. Strachan and Co., where the party was met by Mr. H. D. Palmer and Mr. J. N. Todd, two of the directors. Here the process of making the well-known West of England cloth was seen. Breaking, combing, roving and stubbing of the wool, followed by mule spinning and doubling of the yarn, warping, beaming, weaving, scouring, teasing and finishing were clearly explained. At one stage was seen yarn for the notorious Oxford trousers. We gathered that the management would not for worlds discourage this voluminous fashion, although they did not themselves adopt it.

All the machinery was driven in groups by electric motors, but at the Upper Works there was a beam engine, believed to be about a century old, but how old was not known, as it had come from another mill. Working at a pressure of 10 lb., it had been found to be inadequate for the work required, and had at some time been Macnaughted. One member was observed clambering about it in an almost loving fashion. Later a compound horizontal engine had perforce been added. The firm preserves an interesting letter from King Charles to Prince Rupert, written during the Civil War, authorising him to commandeer all the cloth in the Stroud Valley for the use of his troops. How history doth repeat itself!"

1973 The companies became part of the large combine of Illingworth-Morris; Lodgemore Mill was worked in conjunction with Cam Mill and Longfords until its closure in 1990.

July 1990 - company taken over by Milliken WSP.

2021 The business is now named WSP Textiles (Winterbotham, Strachan & Playne), a division of Peltzer and Fils of Belgium. See here for WSP website.

See Also

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Sources of Information

• www.digitalstroud.co.uk