W. T. Taylor & Co. Ltd page 3
Article by Mrs John Taylor (continued)
The mill continued to be successful and in the 1920's when there was so much unemployment, practically the only short time at the mill was on Saturday.
In the early days the work people began work at 6 a.m. They stopped for ½-hour for breakfast at 8 a.m. and had an hour for lunch and worked until 5.30 p.m. Little by little these conditions were improved until they became as they are today. In addition they only had one week's holiday in addition to Christmas and Easter.
Once, they had a strike, either in late 1912 or early 1913, because of a girl who worked in the warehouse, called Dolly Ainsworth, who would not join the Union. It was settled by her being taken to work in the Office.
Alfred Holt became tied up with some Financiers in London. He wanted John and Uncle Harry to put money into wild cat schemes, but they refused to risk the shareholders' money. He eventually became almost bankrupt. The bank held his mill shares as a surety for money he had borrowed, and after some years as he could not pay his debts he decided to sell them, so John and Uncle Harry bought them. As he was no longer a shareholder he retired from the Board. This was some time in the 1930's.
Uncle Harry did not want to be Chairman so John became Chairman and I think it must have been Jack that went on the Board. Wilfred Holt worked at the mill for a few years as a salesman but he left and three Holt Brothers started the Holt Hosiery Co. They worked hard and made a success of the Company, which has now been taken over. The eldest brother died and the two others have retired as they got a very good price for the Company. John lent them some money when they started, but it was repaid. Alfred Holt died of T.B. in 1942.
During the second world war many mills were closed to release men and women for the war effort. The mill was one of the firms which was allowed to remain open, but they had to pay a levy to help to compensate the firms which were closed.
Nancy worked in the Office at the Stockport Mill. This had been bought by the firm, I should say in the late 1920's. They made very high quality towels, but it did not pay and was later closed. During the awful depression in America, Fred Taylor (Old Uncle John's son) and his wife and daughter came over and he worked as Engineer in the Stockport mill. He wrote to his Father, but he would not do anything for him so Uncle Harry and John sent for him. When Uncle John died at the age of 100 in 1937 they went back to America and then to Canada. Uncle John was Grandpa Taylor's Brother, but about 16 years older.
Nancy of course went in the Land Army when she left the Stockport mill.
After Ken got his degree in 1948 he came back to the mill and gradually took over Uncle Harry's work and in time was made a Director.
In 1956 there was a big fire at the mill. The Dyehouse was practically destroyed. This meant a lot of work for Ken, who was now Company Secretary, but a new and better Dyehouse was built.
In 1947 Joyce got a BSc in Economics at the London School of Economics and next year she got her Social Science Diploma, so she went to the mill as Personnel Officer. She was very popular with the work people and stayed there until she married Alex in 1951. After Michael left school he did 2 years Military Service in the Navy, did a year at Oxford and then went to the mill on the Sales side. He too became a Director and made a success of his selling.
Somewhere about 1960 or 61 Uncle Harry and John decided to retire as Directors, so Jack became Chairman of Directors and he and Ken became Joint Managing Directors.
Arnold Goodwin, Billy Wilkes, and Mr Elliott joined the Board.
In the late 1960's and earlier there was a move in the Textile Industry for family firms to be taken over by other larger units. The mill remained independent until 1970 when it was taken over by the Spirella Group headed by Mr Alliance.
Billy Wilkes and Arnold Goodwin were due to retire shortly, so they were made redundant and went on their pension. Mr Elliott also retired on pension. About 12 months later, after some negotiation with Mr Alliance, Jack retired.
Kenneth and Michael are still at the mill but it has lost its identity as the family firm of W.T.Taylor and Company Limited. I suppose this is inevitable in the conditions of today.
Written by Mrs John Taylor
Aged 78, March 1974
