Industry | Textiles |
---|---|
Founded | 1898 |
Defunct | 1963 |
Fate | Acquired |
Successor | Courtaulds |
Headquarters | Manchester, UK |
Fine Spinners and Doublers was a major cotton spinning business based in Manchester, England. At its peak it was a constituent of the FT 30 index of leading companies on the London Stock Exchange.
Fine Spinners and Doublers, formed from a group of spinning companies specialising in fine Sea Island Cottons, was registered on 31 March 1898. [1] The Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association Limited had the objective of promoting the interests of cotton spinners in North West England. [2] It was founded through the efforts of Herbert Dixon and Scott Lings in 1897. Businesses that joined in this enterprise at the time included A&G Murray Ltd, Houldsworths, CE Bennett & Co, James & Wainwright Bellhouse and McConnell & Co; but many more followed in subsequent years. [2] [3]
The new association was vast compared with its competitors and its large size enabled it to secure its supplies of cotton from the Sea Island and Egypt. [2] For thirty years it was the world's largest cotton-spinning concern, expanding to operate 60 mills and employ 30,000 operatives. [3]
In 1915, its vice-president, McConnel was on the RMS Lusitania when she was sunk by enemy action. He survived and wrote an account of the sinking which was published in the Manchester Guardian. [4]
In 1938 Lancashire Cotton Corporation replaced Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers in the FT 30 as the latter completed a capital reduction and reorganisation programme. [5]
On 16 June 1940 production was stepped up order of Lord Beaverbrook. Sunday working and double shifts were introduced in a plan to quadruple production in order to manufacture defensive barrage balloons. At peak of production 10 mills were used to output 91,000 kilograms (200,000 lb) of fine super-combed yarn a week; that is 50% of the industry total. [6] Fine super-combed yarn was needed for parachutes and camouflage netting. It was also used for constructing pneumatic heavy lifting gear and inflatable decoy artillery. [7]
In 1946 the name of the business was changed to Fine Spinners' and Doublers' Limited. [2] [8] There were 62 firms making up the Association. It owned 107 spinning and doubling mills, a pilot production plant, a weaving mill, a mercerising plant a large research establishment and a 16,000 hectares (39,000 acres) cotton plantation. [9]
During the next five years there was a sustained boom in the textile industry owing to the worldwide shortage of cotton goods. Yarn production increased by 50 percent but output contracted by 28 percent; the Lancashire industry had collapsed. [8]
Fine Spinners and Doublers was acquired by Courtaulds in 1963. [10]
Notes
Bibliography
{{
cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location (
link)Bale breaker | Blowing room | |||||
Willowing | ||||||
Breaker scutcher | Batting | |||||
Finishing scutcher | Lapping | Teasing | ||||
Carding | Carding room | |||||
Sliver lap | ||||||
Combing | ||||||
Drawing | ||||||
Slubbing | ||||||
Intermediate | ||||||
Roving | Fine roving | |||||
Mule spinning | Ring spinning | Spinning | ||||
Reeling | Doubling | |||||
Winding | Bundling | Bleaching | ||||
Weaving shed | Winding | |||||
Beaming | Cabling | |||||
Warping | Gassing | |||||
Sizing/slashing/dressing | Spooling | |||||
Weaving | ||||||
Cloth | Yarn (cheese) Bundle | Sewing thread |
Industry | Textiles |
---|---|
Founded | 1898 |
Defunct | 1963 |
Fate | Acquired |
Successor | Courtaulds |
Headquarters | Manchester, UK |
Fine Spinners and Doublers was a major cotton spinning business based in Manchester, England. At its peak it was a constituent of the FT 30 index of leading companies on the London Stock Exchange.
Fine Spinners and Doublers, formed from a group of spinning companies specialising in fine Sea Island Cottons, was registered on 31 March 1898. [1] The Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association Limited had the objective of promoting the interests of cotton spinners in North West England. [2] It was founded through the efforts of Herbert Dixon and Scott Lings in 1897. Businesses that joined in this enterprise at the time included A&G Murray Ltd, Houldsworths, CE Bennett & Co, James & Wainwright Bellhouse and McConnell & Co; but many more followed in subsequent years. [2] [3]
The new association was vast compared with its competitors and its large size enabled it to secure its supplies of cotton from the Sea Island and Egypt. [2] For thirty years it was the world's largest cotton-spinning concern, expanding to operate 60 mills and employ 30,000 operatives. [3]
In 1915, its vice-president, McConnel was on the RMS Lusitania when she was sunk by enemy action. He survived and wrote an account of the sinking which was published in the Manchester Guardian. [4]
In 1938 Lancashire Cotton Corporation replaced Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers in the FT 30 as the latter completed a capital reduction and reorganisation programme. [5]
On 16 June 1940 production was stepped up order of Lord Beaverbrook. Sunday working and double shifts were introduced in a plan to quadruple production in order to manufacture defensive barrage balloons. At peak of production 10 mills were used to output 91,000 kilograms (200,000 lb) of fine super-combed yarn a week; that is 50% of the industry total. [6] Fine super-combed yarn was needed for parachutes and camouflage netting. It was also used for constructing pneumatic heavy lifting gear and inflatable decoy artillery. [7]
In 1946 the name of the business was changed to Fine Spinners' and Doublers' Limited. [2] [8] There were 62 firms making up the Association. It owned 107 spinning and doubling mills, a pilot production plant, a weaving mill, a mercerising plant a large research establishment and a 16,000 hectares (39,000 acres) cotton plantation. [9]
During the next five years there was a sustained boom in the textile industry owing to the worldwide shortage of cotton goods. Yarn production increased by 50 percent but output contracted by 28 percent; the Lancashire industry had collapsed. [8]
Fine Spinners and Doublers was acquired by Courtaulds in 1963. [10]
Notes
Bibliography
{{
cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location (
link)Bale breaker | Blowing room | |||||
Willowing | ||||||
Breaker scutcher | Batting | |||||
Finishing scutcher | Lapping | Teasing | ||||
Carding | Carding room | |||||
Sliver lap | ||||||
Combing | ||||||
Drawing | ||||||
Slubbing | ||||||
Intermediate | ||||||
Roving | Fine roving | |||||
Mule spinning | Ring spinning | Spinning | ||||
Reeling | Doubling | |||||
Winding | Bundling | Bleaching | ||||
Weaving shed | Winding | |||||
Beaming | Cabling | |||||
Warping | Gassing | |||||
Sizing/slashing/dressing | Spooling | |||||
Weaving | ||||||
Cloth | Yarn (cheese) Bundle | Sewing thread |