Richard Arkwright

Sir Richard Arkwright (23 December 1732 – 3 August 1792) was an Englishman credited with the spinning frame — later renamed the water frame following the transition to water power. The spinning frame – loosely based on the spinning jenny of James Hargreaves – was developed in 1769, and the world's first water-powered cotton mill was built in 1771 at Cromford, Derbyshire, (now one of the Derwent Valley Mills) creating one of the catalysts for the Industrial Revolution. He was knighted in 1786.

Birth

He was born in 1732 in Preston in the county of Lancashire, England and was the youngest of thirteen children. He worked as a barber until he was twenty-eight years old, he then became a dealer in hair, and made money developing waterproof dye for use on wigs in the town of Bolton, Lancashire. He used his money to finance his early work on textile machinery.

Textiles

In 1768, he worked with a clockmaker called John Kay (not the John Kay who invented the flying shuttle) to make a cotton-spinning frame. The machine could make cotton thread thin and strong enough for the warp, or long threads, of cloth. The next year he set up a mill powered by horses but in 1771 converted to water power. This mill was based in the Derbyshire village of Cromford. It soon became apparent that the tiny village would not be able to provide enough workers for his mill. To solve this problem Arkwright built a large number of terraced workers cottages near the mill. He also built the Greyhound public house which still stands in Cromford market square. Arkwright encouraged weavers with large families to move to Cromford. He also allowed them a weeks holiday a year, however this came with a condition that they couldn't leave the village.Later in life, he taught himself the simple branches of education. Many workmen and manufacturers tried to ruin him, because they saw the mill as a threat to their livelihoods. He was knighted as Sir Richard Arkwright in 1786, and he died one of the richest men in England.

Trivia

Arkwright's barber's shop still survives at Bolton. As of 2006 it is used as a newsagent's, a small plaque above the door records Arkwright's former occupancy.

Sir Richard Arwright lived at Rock House in Cromford, opposite his original mill, but in 1788 he purchased an estate from Florence Nightingale`s father, William for £20,000 and set about building Willersley Castle for himself and his family. However just as the building was completed it was destroyed by fire, and Arkwright was forced to wait a further two years whilst it was rebuilt. But he died, aged 60 and never lived in the castle which was only completed after his death.

External links

Essay from http://www.cottontown.org on Arkwright and the Water Frame.
Essay from http://www.cottontimes.co.uk/

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Birth

Textiles

Trivia

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External links