PAPPLEWICK MILLS on the River Leen

[GalaxyJane]

Hi everyone,
                  Has anybody access to information on the cotton mills along the River Leen, in the late eighteenth, early nineteenth centuries?
          These were the Papplewick mills, owned by the Robinson family.
  I have found a brief history on line at http://www.papplewick.org/local/millinfo.htm
I would love to have more details on as many aspects as possible but am particularly interested in   whether there are any records of employees, recruitment etc.
      I have an ancestor who lived in the Bulwell area, circa 1787-1801, who must have worked in the mills, but I have been unable to find his POB –he was clearly not local as he is the only one of his surname, Angus, in the area. Any ideas on how I might discover his origins? There was mention on the above web site of apprentices from London,…Maybe he could have been one of these. How would he have found out that work was available in the area?
       He was born in about 1760, according to his age on his death certificate, married at Bulwell in 1875, had several children, then moved to Cumberland in the first years of the 19th century, to work in the calico printing works at Woodbank near Carlisle –again, I am intrigued in how he found out about a factory so far away – maybe there were advertisements in the Nottingham press?
   I would love to be able to look into this locally in person, but unfortunately I live abroad and will not be able to get home till July at the earliest
                   I would be most grateful for any suggestions or scraps of information
               Regards and New Year wishes to all on the Nottinghamshire boards
                                                                   Jane

[Jane Eden]

Hi Jane

You have an interesting reference already. I presume you have checked the historical directories site:

http://www.historicaldirectories.org/

I remember I checked the NFHS CDs for Angus and Oldham previously. I have just checked in the 2 main text books for lace, Felkin and Mason, and there is no reference to these mills.

I have printed off your query and will have a look in the archives next time I go.

Jane

[GalaxyJane]

Hi Jane,
              Many thanks for your interest. And many thanks for your initial work on my Angus family.  I finally decided against the framework knitting theory as Henry was a calico printer on his death cert --seemed likely he would have been one earlier, back in Nottinghamshire. I loved the story about William, the wicked Lord Byron...
       I did check historicaldirectories, but couldn't find anything early enough, worse luck.
    Thank you in advance for trying to find out more for me. If you are snowed under, literally or figuratively  just a  few possible sources of reference will do., and I will be patient till I can get at them myself.
I do try to get to Nottingham when I am in the UK 
                               Regards and best wishes
                                                   Jane

[Jane Eden]

Hi Jane

I've just found this about the mills and the Robinsons: 'Old Nottingham Suburbs' R. Mellors City of Nottm Leisure and community Services 1998. First printed 1912.

George Robinson was a cotton spinner, he and his brother having the Nether, or Forest Mill. It appears that when George Robertson came from Kincardineshire, in Scotland, and settled in Bulwell in 1737, a strong predjudice then prevailing against the people of Scotland, he adopted the English name of Robinson. The Papplewick Mills were built in 1777, and the Forge Mill in 1787. He died in 1798, aged 86, having left £50, the proceeds of which he directed should be distributed to the poor widows at Christmas. His tomb is in the churchyard. "He lived a bright example of industry, and every Christian virtue." John Robinson, son of the above, about 1805, formulated a plan by which employees were to share the profits, but owing to legal difficulties, it was not carried out. He, forty-two years after his fathers death, imitated his fathers example, and left £50 for the benefit of the poor, the proceeds being distributed at Christmas.

Jane

[GalaxyJane]

Hi again, Jane,
                   This is brilliant! Such fascinating social history, and so very intriguing with the Scottish connection. I must check out Amazon and the used books websites, see if I can get hold of this book or anything similar.
    I have been reading your other threads with interest, and they are all a joy, even though I have no connection with the people involved.
                     I am really grateful for your kindness in helping me out personally. Thanks to your initial work on my Anguses, confirming the IGI records on your lhs CD's I was able to link up with the trail that led to Carlisle and my GG grandfather, whom I can 99% confirm as a son of Henry and Elizabeth Oldham, though I haven't been able to find his birth records in Cumberland yet!
        Thanks to your deep knowledge of the subject, I am beginning to appreciate that the best part of family history is the telling of the story, as opposed to mere name-bagging
                               Regards and thanks
                                               Jane

[robbienudd]

hello there
if you go to this website there are extracts from robert mellors book as well as other interesting articles from other authors.

www.nottshistory.org.uk

regards
rob

[Jane Eden]

Hi Robbie

Welcome to Rootschat. You are right Notts history is a good site.

Jane

[GalaxyJane]

Many thanks, Jane and Robbie for this new titbit. what a lovely surprise, just goes to show that Rootschat is the site that goes on giving.
            Robbie, welcome from me too, and enjoy!

[Darksecretz]

hi
ONE of the Mills still survives...... at Papplewick, have driven by it many times
(it is now a private dwelling)
try this link, they have a local studies section, and may be able to help

http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/leisure/libraries/joiningthelibrary/librariesdetails.htm?libraryid=53058

Julie