| 'Beauties
of England & Wales', 1802 - Matlock Extracts* |
| Eighteenth and nineteenth century tour guides about Matlock Bath and Matlock |
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(2) Cotton Manufacture, Willersley & Sir Richard Arkwright.
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Here you will find information about
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An early nineteenth century description
that was published not long after the death of Sir Richard Arkwright.
It follows on from the extracts about Matlock,
Matlock Bath and Matlock Dale that are on another web page. |
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WILLERSLEY CASTLE
Seat of Richard Arkwright Esq.
Engraved by J. Storer from a drawing by H. Moore |
 COTTON MANUFACTURE |
'Near the upper end of the Dale is a spacious building, erected for
the Manufacture of Cotton by the late Sir Richard ARKWRIGHT, and now
[1802] belonging to his son, who resides in the beautiful demesne
of Willersley. This mill is replete with the improved machinery employed
in making cotton thread, "whose operations have been so elegantly
described by Dr DARWIN, in a work which discovers the art, hitherto
unknown, of clothing in poetical language, and decorating with beautiful
imagery, the unpoetical operations of mechanical processes, and the
dry detail of manufactures:"
------- Where Derwent guides his dusky floods,
Through vaulted mountains, and a night of woods,
The nymph Gossypia treads the velvet sod,
And warms with rosy smiles the wat'ry god;
His pond'rous oars to slender spindles turns,
And pours o'er massy wheels his foaming urns;
With playful charms her hoary lover wins,
And wheels his trident, while the Monarch spins.
First, with nice eye emerging Naiads cull
From leathery pods the vegetable wool;
With wiry teeth revolving cards release
The tangled knots, and smooth the ravell'd fleece;
Next moves the iron hand with fingers fine,
Combs the wide card, and forms th'eternal line;
Slow with soft lips the whirling can acquires
The tender skeins, and wraps in rising spires;
With quicken'd pace successive rollers move,
And these retain, and those extend, the rove.
Then fly the spokes, the rapid axles glow;
While slowly circumvolves the lab'ring wheel below.
Botanic Garden
The machinery by which the cotton is manufactured, is so complicated
in its structure, that a clear conception of its powers, and mode
of operation, can only be obtained from a minute inspection of all
its parts, both in a state of rest, and in motion. The process by
which the raw cotton is prepared for use, will, however, convey some
idea of the ingenious mechanical contrivances that are employed to
facilitate the production of the thread.
Carding:
When the cotton is sufficiently picked and cleaned (an operation that
furnishes employment to a great number of women), it is carefully
spread upon a cloth, in which it is afterwards rolled up in order
to be carded. To the carding machine belong two cylinders of different
diameters; the larger of which is covered with cards of fine wire;
and over, and in contact with it, are fixed a number of stationary
cards, that, in conjunction with the revolving cylinders, perform
the operation of carding. The smaller cylinder is encompassed by fillet
cards, fixed in a spiral form; and is also provided with an ingenious
piece of machinery, called a crank. The spiral roll of cloth before
mentioned being applied to the machine, is made to unroll very slowly,
by means of rollers, so that it may continually feed the larger cylinder
with its contents; when carded, the cotton passes from this to the
smaller cylinder, which revolved in contact with the other, and is
thence stripped off by the motion of the crank; not in short lengths,
but in continuation; and having the appearance of a very thin fleece,
which, if not intended to pass a second time through the carding machine,
is immediately contracted, by passing betwixt a pair of rollers, into
what is called a 'row', or length.
Sizing:
The next part of the process is that of sizing. The machine by which
this is performed has two pairs of rollers, that are placed at a proper
distance from each other, and revolve with different velocities, arising
either from the variation of size in the pairs of rollers, from their
performing a different number of revolutions in the same space of
time, or from both these causes united. When the lengths of cotton
are brought from the carding machine, several of them together are
applied to the rollers now mentioned; and the effect now produced,
is not only that the lengths, thus applied in conjunction, coalesce,
and come out single, but also that the fibres of the cotton are drawn
out longitudinally, by the different velocities and pressure of the
rollers : hence the cotton is now termed a 'drawing'. This process
is several times repeated, and several drawings are each time united,
by passing together betwixt the rollers; the number introduced being
so varied, that the last drawing may be of a size proportioned to
the fineness of the thread into which it is intended to be spun.
Roving and Winding:
The cotton is now in a fit state for roving. This operation is performed
by passing the last mentioned 'drawing' between two pairs of rollers,
which revolve with different velocities, as in the former machine.
It is then received into a round conical 'can', revolving with considerable
swiftness. This gives the drawing a slight twisting, and prepares
it for winding, which is done by hand, upon large bobbins, by the
smaller children. When in this state, the cotton is applied to the
spinning machine. Here it is passed between pairs of rollers, which
revolving with various degrees of velocity, draw it out, and reduce
it to a proper degree of tenuity : at the same time, it is sufficiently
twisted by the revolving spindles upon which bobbins are placed; and
the yard thus twisted is caused to wind on the bobbins, by the friction
of their ends upon laths placed horizontally. These laths have another
very essential office to perform, which is that of raising and falling
the bobbins, so that the yarn may be spread over their whole length;
otherwise the thread would require to be moved very frequently, as
is the case in the common spinning wheel. When thus wound upon the
bobbins, the cotton is regarded as ready for use.**
** Footnote: To render this statement of the various processes of
the cotton manufacture more intelligible to those who have no previous
knowledge of the business, we shall insert an extract from the Life
of Sir Richard ARKWRIGHT (written, we believe, by Mr NICHOLSON) as
published in Dr AIKIN's Biographical Dictionary:-
"The 'card' is a kind of brush made with wires instead of hairs;
the wires not being perpendicular to the plane, but all inclined one
way in a certain angle. From this description, such as are totally
unacquainted with the subject, may conceive that cotton wool, being
stuck upon one of those cards, or brushes, may be scraped with another
card in that direction, that the inclination of the wires may tend
to throw the whole inwards, rather than suffer it to come out. The
consequence of the repeated strokes of the empty card against the
full one, must be a distribution of the whole more evenly on the surface;
and if one card be then drawn in the opposite direction across the
other, it will, by virtue of the inclination of the wires, take the
whole of the wool out of that card whose inclination is the contrary
way.
"Spinning is of two kinds : in the one process, the carded wool
is suddenly drawn out during the rapid rotation of a spindle, and
forms a loose yarn; in the other, the material is spun by a well-known
small engine, or wheel, which requires the spinner to draw the material
out between the finger and thumb of each hand. If we suppose the machine
itself to be left at liberty, and turned without the assistance of
the spinner, the twisted thread, being drawn inwards by the bobbin,
would naturally gather more of the material, and form an irregular
thread, thicker and thicker, till at length the difficulty of drawing
out so large a portion of the material as had acquired the twist,
would become greater than that of snapping the thread, which would
accordingly break. It is the business of the spinner to prevent this,
by holding the material between the finger and thumb, that the intermediate
part may be drawn out to the requisite degree of fineness previous
to the twist, and separating the hands during the act of pinching.
"The objects of Mr ARKWRIGHT's improvements were carding and
spinning. To effect these by machinery, it was required that the usual
manoeuvre of the carder should be performed with square cards; or
that cylinders, covered with the kind of metallic brushwork before
described, should be made to revolve in contact with each other, either
to card, or to strip; accordingly as their respective velocities,
directions, and inclinations of their wires, might be adjusted : and
with regard to spinning, it would become an indispensable condition,
not only that the raw material should be nicely prepared, in order
that it might require none of that intellectual skill which is capable
of separating the knotty or imperfect parts as they offer themselves,
but also that it should be regularly drawn out by certain parts, representing
the fingers and thumbs of the spinner. The contrivance by which this
last means was effected, consisted in a certain number of pairs of
cylinders, each two revolving in contact with each other. Suppose
a very loose thread, or slightly-twisted carding of cotton, to pass
between one pair of cylinders (clothed with a proper facing to enable
them to hold it), and let it be imagined to proceed from thence to
another pair, whose surfaces revolve much quicker; it will be evident
that the quicker revolution of the second pair, will draw out the
cotton, rendering it thinner and longer when it comes to be delivered
at the other side. This is precisely the operation which the spinner
performs with her fingers and thumb; and if the cotton be then applied
to a spinning apparatus, it will be converted into thread."
From these general principles, the improvement of Sir Richard ARKWRIGHT
may certainly be deduced; yet there seems reason to believe, that
the former would never have been so clearly stated, unless the machines
had been previously seen in action. [End of footnote]
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The first mill that was erected on these principles
by Sir Richard ARKWRIGHT, was at Cromford village. Its establishment
proved a source of much legal contention; for the manufacturers
of Lancashire, who were apprehensive of what has actually been the
result, that it would supersede the use of the hand machines then
employed, formed a strong combination to impede its success (see:
The Life of Mr Jedediah STRUTT, p.540) and endeavoured to destroy
the validity of the patent, by contesting the originality of the
invention; and though in two instances they obtained a favourable
verdict, from particular circumstances, and lost it in a third,
there cannot be a doubt, that every really essential part of the
machinery derived its structure from the powerful genius of Mr ARKWRIGHT.
The goods made by the cotton prepared by these mills, are very superior
in quality, and manufactured with considerably less expense, than
before the invention was perfected. A great quantity of the cotton
spun by this machinery is used by hosiers, who find it more suitable
to their purpose, than any other they can procure.
The two mills at Cromford, and a third at Masson, which was also built
by Sir Richard, employ about 1150 persons; of these, 150 are men,
300 women, and 700 children. Proper attention is paid to the health
and morals of the children, who are not admitted into the mills till
they have been some time at school; and Sunday-schools are supported
by Mrs ARKWRIGHT for their instruction afterwards. The mills are not
worked by night, and are constantly kept very clean and neat. Both
the Cromford mills are worked by the water that flows from Cromford
Sough,** which throws out from forty to fifty tons of water per minute,
and being partly supplied from warm springs, never interrupts the
working of the mills, even in the most intense frosts. The fall from
the mouth of the sough to the Derwent is about forty-five feet.
** Account of Cromford Sough, from p.302:-
To remove water from the lead mines, many 'adits', or, as they are
here termed, 'soughs', have been driven from the bottom of a neighbouring
valley, and made to communicate with various works by different channels,
or 'galleries' ....... One of the most considerable of these is at
Wirksworth, called Cromford Sough. This is full two miles in length,
and was driven at an expense of 30,000 pounds. The proprietors receive
a certain proportion of lead ore from the mines; though the latter
are now beneath the level, and of course but ineffectually drained
by it. The relieving of the mines at Wirksworth by this adit, is,
indeed, at this period [1802], only a secondary object; as
the water delivered by it at Cromford has proved of amazing value.
The late Sir R. ARKWRIGHT employed the stream to work his cotton mill;
and it is still applied to a similar purpose, having the great advantage
of not being liable either to considerable increase or diminution.
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| WILLERSLEY CASTLE |
This elegant mansion of Richard ARKWRIGHT, Esq, stands on the south
side of a commanding eminence, which runs from west to east, and terminates
the extensive range of rocks that forms the eastern boundary of the
Derwent in its course through Matlock Dale. Round the foot of the
hill, the river flows in a grand sweep for some distance to the east,
but afterwards resumes its former direction to the south, and pursues
its way through a more open country. Near this point the picturesque
features of the valley begin to disappear, and soft landscape scenery,
the village and the chapel, the bridge and the meadows, are the constituent
objects of the prospect.
Immediately opposite the front of the castle, rises a prodigious perpendicular
rock, the western barrier of the Dale, through which a passage has
been blasted to admit the entrance of the road from the south. From
this spot the view of the building is highly impressive; its castellated
appearance, judicious proportions, exact symmetry, and beautiful surrounding
scenery, forming a coup d'oeil that is but seldom witnessed.
The castle consists of a body, in the form of an oblong square, having
a circular tower rising from the centre of the roof, and a semi-circular
tower projecting from the front on each side [of] the entrance,
and two wings, with a round tower at each angle : the whole structure
is embattled; and the walls are of white free-stone. The spot on which
it stands, was originally occupied by a large rock, in the removal
of which about three thousand pounds were expended by the late Sir
Richard ARKWRIGHT, who purchased the estate of the late Thomas Hallett
HODGES, Esq, in the year 1782. The architect was Mr William THOMAS,
of London. This edifice was covered in 1788; but before it was inhabited,
it was set on fire by a stove that was over-heated, and all that was
combustible in it was consumed : this accident occurred on the eighth
of August, in the year 1791.
The interior of this mansion is furnished with great taste and neatness
: indeed, it cannot be more graphically characterised than in the
expressive words of the poets, 'simplex munditiis'; the general arrangement
being more for use than ornament. It contains several excellent family
portraits by WRIGHT of Derby, particularly a whole-length of Sir Richard
ARKWRIGHT; and also some smaller pieces by the same ingenious artist,
as well as the sublime view of 'Ulls-water Lake', one of his best
performances, and which is, perhaps, equal to the greatest efforts
of art in landscape painting that this country has ever produced.
This was purchased by Mr ARKWRIGHT for 300 guineas.
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| RICHARD ARKWRIGHT |
The portrait of Sir Richard ARKWRIGHT is esteemed as a very characteristic
and striking likeness. He is represented sitting in his study, with
one hand resting on a table, whereon is judiciously placed a set of
rollers for spinning cotton, in allusion to the most essential part
of his wonderful machinery. This distinguished character, whose perseverance,
and admirable invention, raised him, from one of the most humble occupations
in society, to affluence and honour, was the youngest of thirteen
children, and was born in the year 1732, at Preston, in Lancashire.
In this neighbourhood was then carried on a considerable manufacture
of linen goods, and of linen and cotton mixed, the various operations
of which he had an opportunity of becoming intimately acquainted with;
and being a man of uncommon natural powers, he directed his thoughts
to the improvement of the mode of spinning, which had probably been
conducted for ages by the same process.
The first hint respecting the means of effecting this improvement,
he said he accidentally received from seeing a red-hot iron bar elongated
by being passed through iron rollers. Between this operation and that
of elongating a thread, as now practised in spinning, there is no
mechanical analogy; yet this hint being pursued, has produced an invention,
which, in its consequences, has been a source of individual and national
wealth, unparalleled in the annals of the world.
The difficulties which Mr ARKWRIGHT experienced before he could bring
his machine into use, even after its construction was sufficiently
perfect to demonstrate its value, would, perhaps, for ever have retarded
its completion, if his genius and application had been less ardent.
His circumstances were by far too unfavourable to enable him to commence
business on his own account, and few were willing to risk the loss
of capital on a new establishment. Having at length, however, had
the good fortune to secure the co-operation of some persons who saw
the merit of the invention, and were willing to assist his endeavours,
he obtained his first patent for spinning by means of rollers in the
year 1769; and, to avoid the inconvenience of establishing a manufacture
of this kind in the heart of the Cotton Manufacture, such as it then
existed, he removed to Nottingham. Here, in conjunction with his partners,
he erected his first mill, which was worked by horses; but this mode
of procedure was found to be too expensive; and another mill, on a
larger scale, was soon after erected at Cromford, the machinery of
which was put in motion by water.
Soon after the erection of this mill, Mr ARKWRIGHT made many improvements
in the mode of preparing the cotton for spinning, and invented a variety
of ingenious machines for effecting this purpose in the most correct
and expeditious manner; for all of which he obtained a patent in the
year 1775; and thus completed a series of machinery so various and
complicated, yet so admirably combined and well adapted, to produce
the intended effect, in its most perfect form, as to excite the admiration
of every person capable of appreciating the difficulties of the undertaking.
And that all this should have been accomplished by the single efforts
of a man without education, without mechanical knowledge, or even
mechanical experience, is most extraordinary; and is, perhaps, equal
to any example existing, of the wonderful powers exhibited by the
mind, when its efforts have been steadily directed to one object.
Yet this was not the only employment of this eminent man; for at the
same time that he was inventing and improving the machinery, he was
also engaged in other undertakings, which any person, judging from
general experience, must have pronounced incompatible with such pursuits.
He was taking measures to secure to himself a fair proportion of the
fruits of his industry and ingenuity; he was extending the business
on a great scale; he was introducing into every department of the
manufacture, a system of industry, economy, order, and cleanliness,
till then unknown in any manufactory where great numbers were employed
together; but he was so effectually accomplished, that his example
may be regarded as the origin of almost all similar improvements.
When it is considered, that during this entire period, he was afflicted
with a grievous disorder (a violent asthma) which was always extremely
oppressive, and sometimes threatened to immediately terminate his
existence, his great exertions must excite astonishment. For some
time previous to his death, he was rendered incapable of continuing
his usual pursuits, by a complication of diseases, which at length
deprived him of life, at the Rock House, Cromford, on the third of
August, 1792. The honour of Knighthood was bestowed on him in December,
1786, on the occasion of presenting an address to His Majesty.
In the infancy of the invention, Sir Richard ARKWRIGHT** expressed
ideas of its importance, which, to persons less acquainted with its
merits, appeared ridiculous; but he lived long enough to see all his
conceptions more than realised in the advantages derived from it,
both to himself and his country. But the degree to which this invention,
with the improvements derived from, or dependent on it, has extended
since his death, makes all that had been previously effected appear
comparatively trifling; for it is believed the various productions
of the cotton manufactories of Great Britain (of which his inventions
are the foundation) are, in their finished state, of not less than
the annual value of thirty millions!
** Footnote: If the biographical sketch of this
illustrious character should appear to any of our readers to be misplaced,
as he was not a native of Derbyshire, we must request them to advert
to the very commanding influence which his inventions have had both
upon its wealth and population; an influence that has more contributed
to enrich the county, than any transaction that has ever been recorded
in the annals of its history.X
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| SURROUNDINGS OF WILLERSLEY CASTLE |
The grounds of Willersley possess great variety and beauty. Between
the castle and the Derwent is a verdant lawn, which slopes somewhat
precipitously from the house, but afterwards inclines more gently
to the river. The east end of the lawn extends to Cromford Bridge,
which stands about a quarter of a mile from the castle, near the entrance
to the grounds, which open by a small, but very neat lodge. The summit
of Cromford Rock, which has been noticed as rising directly in front
of Willersley, is beautifully fringed with trees and under-wood; and
though towering to a considerable height, it does not terminate the
prospect from the castle, which being elevated in situation almost
as much as the top of the rock, commands a view of the hill that rises
beyond it, to a great height above the village of Cromford. Near the
summit of the latter eminence are several rude masses of gritstone
, which are piled upon each other in a very singular manner. The adjacent
parts being formerly moorish, and having a naked, uncheerful appearance,
have been planted with a great number of trees, which, when arrived
at maturity, will greatly improve this portion of the scenery. Towards
the west the prospect includes the river, an eminence beautified with
trees and copses, and a sharp indented ridge of rocks; with here and
there a cottage perched on the summit of a cliff, half hidden in a
deep recess, or emerging from a thicket.
The hill behind the castle rises to a considerable height, and is
covered with wood to its summit, as is also that portion of it which
extends eastwardly. The coach-house, stables, bath, &c, which
stand near the mansion on this side, though in a somewhat more elevated
situation, are almost concealed by the trees. In the midst of the
wood are several romantic rocks, round which, and on the acclivity
of the hill, the principal walk winds in a circuit of nearly a mile.
The walk leading from the castle on the west gradually turns to the
north, taking a direction parallel to the course of the river, and
passes under some perpendicular rocks, though yet elevated to a great
height above the stream. The rocks are in some parts bare of vegetation,
but are occasionally fringed to their tops with trees, particularly
the yew and ash, the roots of which insinuate themselves into the
clefts and fissures in a singular manner. Advancing up the walk, towards
the point called Wild Cat Tor, the eye is delighted by one of the
finest scenes that nature ever produced. It consists of the long rampart
of rocks opposite Matlock; the wood that clothes the declivity from
their bases to the river; and the tall trees on the opposite side,
that stretch their branches down to the water, which appears dark,
gloomy, and almost motionless, till it reaches a weir, down which
it rushes in an impetuous torrent, almost immediately under the feet
of the spectator, by whom it cannot be contemplated without some degree
of terror as well as admiration.
The Baths, the body of Masson-Hill, and the summit of the High Tor,
are also seen from this part of the grounds; through which various
other walks extend in different directions, and lead to a diversity
of scenery, that can hardly be parallelled within a similar extent
in any part of the country. The green-houses, gardens, and hot-houses,
are all worthy of notice : the latter are plentifully stocked with
bananas, and a great variety of excellent vines. The walks are laid
out under the direction of Mr WEBB, and are kept with the greatest
neatness. The number of trees planted by Mr ARKWRIGHT, on the average
of the last seven years, has been 50,000 annually.' |
*Extracted from : The Beauties of England and Wales, by John
Britton and Edward Wedlake Brayley,
Vol III, published in 1802, Cumberland, Isle of Man, and Derbyshire,
pp.504-512
Generously contributed by Sonia Addis-Smith; her additional comments or explanation, for example dates, enclosed in [ ]
Engraving of Willersley Castle from the collection of and © Ann Andrews.
The image is between p.518 and p.519 in the book itself.
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| There is more information:
 Matlock Miscellany
Water Cures
Willersley Castle - a second engraving
Arkwright's Cotton Mill
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