Horrobin (The Bleachworks in the Jumbles) - by J J Francis
by J J Francis
Horrobin Bleachworks, one of the oldest in the Bolton area, was established in 1778 by John Whitehead. It was initially positioned on the Turton side of Bradshaw Brook and having no rights to the water of the brook, used the waters of the tributaries Hazelhurst Clough and Swine Yard Brook for the bleaching process. Bolton and District later became a `principle centre of bleaching` with about thirty bleachworks located mainly on the brooks around the northern slopes.
The bleach croft was taken over and expanded by James Ainsworth in 1780 and in 1784, a Richard Bateson was reported to have stolen twelve pieces of cloth from Ainsworth`s Croft and ordered to be `transported to His Majesty`s Colonies in America for seven years`; without means of returning, this was effectively life..
Thomas Ainsworth, the brother of James, leased land on the Bradshaw side and using the waters of Bradshaw Brook. set up his own bleach croft in 1815. His nephew, Peter Cort, eventually took over the management of both bleach crofts under the name of Ainsworth and Cort and by 1830 the combined works had been rebuilt on both sides of Bradshaw Brook. This operation continued for a further 100 years.
In 1828 Thomas Appleton entered into partnership with Peter Cort and eventually took over the whole works. In 1883, Thomas Appleton`s son, William, tragically hung himself `in a closet` leaving the whole works in the control of his two older sisters, the Misses Elizabeth and Anne –early female emancipation in the Turton area! On William Appleton`s death. Horrobin Bleachworks was run by his sisters Elizabeth and Anne until their demise in 1903.
To secure their Turton water rights, the sisters purchased the Kay estate in 1890 including Turton Tower which they leased out. On their death their trustees auctioned Horrobin Mill which was bought by Robert Weatherhead Kenyon of Lancaster who maintained the bleaching business until it was sold to the Bleachers` Association in 1937. They promptly closed up the bleaching operation , maintaining the buildings for storage etc during World War II.
In 1964, Bolton Corporation bought the land of the valley to form a new Corporation Waterworks` Reservoir of 55 acres and after demolition of all the buildings, the Jumbles Reservoir was filled with water from Bradshaw Brook. In 1971 it was officially opened by the Mayor of Bolton, Alderman Dr J R Monks.
The above account is extracted from Turton Local History Society Publication No 14 Horrobin Mill by J J Francis and can be obtained from Harwood Library or Mrs Jean Gerrard Tel 308322.
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