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[edit] History[edit] Medieval historyThere is evidence of pre-historic and early history in the Eccles area, but the first settlement of interest to the family historian is the Manor of Barton upon Irwell which once covered a large area; in 1276 it included townships such as Asphull, Halghton, Halliwelle, Farnword, Eccles, Workedele, Withington (latterly Winton), Irwelham, Hulm, Quicklewicke, Suynhul and Swinton. Before this date it would appear to have been even larger, but by 1320 the manor boundaries were described as
The manor was originally controlled by the Barton family until about 1292 when by marriage it came into the ownership of the Booth family, who retained it for almost 300 years. In 1586 the Trafford family assumed control of the manor, and established themselves in 1632 at "Whittleswick", which was renamed Trafford Park in Stretford immediately to the west of Manchester. From the Reformation (circa 1540) onward, the ancient parish of Eccles contained the townships of Eccles was established as a municipal borough in 1892 and retained this position until the introduction of Greater Manchester and the new organization of local government which came in in 1974. The other townships also developed into sizeable towns, some of which were also municipal boroughs or urban districts. All are now within Salford Metropolitan Borough. Monton Green, Patricroft, Walkden Moor and Winton (all redirected here) are recognized as suburbs of Eccles and were administered by its municipal borough. There are articles in Wikipedia for all of them. Toward the end of the Middle Ages the parish had an estimated population of about 4,000 communicants which may equate to the number of families. Agriculture remained an important local industry, with little change from the medieval system due to a lack of adequate drainage and fertiliser. No evidence exists to demonstrate the layout of the area, but it would likely have been the same as found in the surrounding areas of Salford such as Urmston and Warrington where oats and barley would have been grown. Local cottage industries included blacksmiths, butchers, thatching, basket weaving, skinning and leather tanning. Weaving was also commonly found, using linen and wool. Merchants traded in corn and badgers (or dealers in food and and victuals) bought and sold local produce. [edit] Textiles and the Industrial RevolutionIn 1795 John Aikin described the area:
During the 18th century the predominance of textiles in the region is partly demonstrated in the parish registers of 1807, which show that 46 children were baptised with 34 fathers employed as weavers. In Memoirs of seventy years of an eventful life (1852) Charles Hulbert wrote:
During the early 19th century the growth of industry meant that the majority of the area's inhabitants were employed in textiles or trade, while a minority worked in agriculture. The factory system was introduced; in 1835, 1,124 people were employed in cotton mills, and two mills used power looms. Local hand-produced specialities included striped cotton ticks, checks, Nankeens and Camrays. Two cotton mills are visible on the 1845 Ordnance Survey map of the area. The area also became renowned for its production of silk, with two mills at Eccles and one at Patricroft. Many factory workers were children under 12 years of age. In 1830 James Nasmyth (son of Alexander Nasmyth) visited the newly opened Liverpool and Manchester Railway, and on his return to Manchester noted the suitability of a site alongside the canal at Patricroft for an engineering works. He and his brother leased the land from Thomas de Trafford, and established the Bridgewater Foundry in 1836. The foundry was completed the following year with a design based on assembly line production. In 1839 Nasmyth invented the steam hammer, which enabled the manufacture of forgings at a scale and speed not seen before. In the same year the foundry started to manufacture railway locomotives, with 109 built by 1853. Nasmyth died a wealthy man in 1890. Early housing in the village consisted of groups of thatched cottages clustered around and near the parish church. The influx of workers from areas around the village accompanied an increased demand for extra housing. Even after the establishment of the local board of health new properties were often built in the gardens of existing dwellings, leading to severe overcrowding. In 1852 the streets were paved with boulders, sewerage was non-existent, and water supply was a local well. During the latter half of the 19th century new housing was erected alongside the railway, and large areas of open land were soon occupied with new housing estates built for the area's more wealthy residents. The construction of the Manchester Ship Canal which began in 1887 provided many local residents with jobs; 1,888 people were employed on the section of the new canal at Barton. A stone aqueduct over the River Iwell dating from 1761 and designed by James Brindley was demolished and replaced by a new moveable aqueduct: the Barton Swing Aqueduct. The canal was opened for use in 1894. [edit] Twentieth century changesThe Eccles Spinning and Manufacturing Company came into being following a meeting called by the Mayor of Eccles, in which concern was expressed at the decline in local industry. Two earlier Eccles mills had been destroyed by fire, resulting in significant local unemployment. Designed by Potts, Son and Hennings of Manchester, Bolton and Oldham, it was opened in 1906. The imposing mill contained a multi-storey spinning mill, engine house and extensive weaving sheds. Eccles was not immune to the general decline of the textile industry in the 20th century. The Bridgewater Foundry ceased operations in 1940, taken over by the Ministry of Supply and converted into a Royal Ordnance Factory. The factory closed in the late 1980s, and the land is now occupied by a housing estate. [edit] Research Tips
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