Moor Pond Woods Project, Papplewick

OLD DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE SITE.

This is a collection of contemporary documents published between 1780 and 1855 which relate to the mills and their work. 

1780 / 1795 / 1831 / 1834 / 1844 / 1855 / return to home

 
This advertisement appeared in the Nottingham Journal in 1780.  It refers to the need for workers at the Papplewick mills - either Top Mill or Old Mill.  Interestingly it attempts to attract men with families - who could also work at the mills.

In 1795 Walter Evans of Darley Abbey wrote to the Robinsons

(Source: 
Fitton and Wadsworth (1958)  "The Strutts and Arkwrights 1758 – 1830"

It gives an interesting insight into working practices of the day.

 "June 29th 1795  -  We are informed that a widow woman named Ann Janet Holmes who took away her children from our cotton mill a month or two ago has got employment for them under you and also we are told that others from us have made application at your manufactury for employment. We desire to know if it is your intention to continue to take people from their employment under us. We do not mind the case of a family of children, but it would not be pleasant to see the hands that we have entirely taught their business continually drawn away and particularly by a gentleman from whom we had no such expectation."
This advertisement appeared in the Nottingham Journal in 1831.  It advertises an auction of small machinery to take place at the mills, now that they have closed.

This advertisement appeared in the Nottingham Journal in 1834.  It advertises an auction of larger to take place at the mills, as they were stripped.

 In White’s Directory of 1844  on P 486 we read

"The extensive cotton mill has been unoccupied ever since the estate came into the present owner’s (Andrew Montague) possession. ……..

….. The mills are not now worked and framework knitters are prohibited in the village, the old mills having left such a number of paupers that the present owner has prohibited all manufacturing here and at Linby."

In Thomas Bailey's "A handbook of Newstead Abbey" published in 1855, on page 35, we read "The deserted mills and the once thronged cottages of the work people are still standing in all their loneliness, and for the most part hastening to decay."

 

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