Catalogue description JOHN CROSSLEY AND SONS/JOHN CROSSLEY AND SONS LTD/JOHN CROSSLEY AND CARPET TRADE HOLDINGS LTD/CARPETS INTERNATIONAL (DEAN CLOUGH MILLS), HALIFAX, CARPET MANUFACTURERS, RECORDS (ADDNL) - BUSINESS PAPERS OF LORD GARNOCK

JOHN CROSSLEY AND SONS LTD (DEAN CLOUGH MILLS) NORTHOWRAM, HALIFAX, CARPET

MANUFACTURERS 1928-1978

CORRESPONDENCE AND COMPLAINTS 1928-1978

PUBLICATIONS AND SPEECHES 1932-1965

FINANCIAL RECORDS 1946-1977

PLAINS DEPARTMENT RECORDS 1950-1963

BOARD MEETINGS 1956-1967

BROCHURES ETC 1956-1973

JOHN CROSSLEY - CARPET TRADE HOLDINGS LTD. HALIFAX 1964-1966

BOARD MEETINGS 1964-1966

CROSSLEYS OVERSEAS COMPANIES, 1952-1989

USA 1952-1966

CANADA 1958-1989

WESTERN GERMANY 1963-1967

AUSTRALIA 1967-1972

See also:

DC; S:56; V:41 MP:11; MIC:22; MIC:28; MISC:807; MISC:1019;HAS/B:24

John Crossley and Sons, carpet manufacturers

John Crossley and Sons Ltd, carpet manufacturers

John Crossley and Carpet Trade Holdings Ltd

Carpets International (Dean Clough Mills) Halifax, carpet manufacturers

CRO: 6,12-14, 43-46

On restricted access for 30 years from the last date of the documents

Accession number(s). 1486

Date(s) of accession: 3 Apr 1992

Computer Reference number: CC01486

Catalogued: 28 May 1992

• Manufacturing industry

John Crossley, founder of Crossleys Carpets, was born in 1772. He was apprenticed to his uncle, John Webster, as a carpet weaver, before going to work for a William Currer at Luddenden. About 1800, he became manager of Job Lee's carpet factory in the Lower George Yard, Halifax. In 1802, John, his brother Thomas, and James Travis took a lease on Dean Clough Mills. After 20 years, the lease expired and the partnership dissolved. John renewed the lease in his own right. In 1830, he bought out the only other carpet factory in Halifax, Messrs Abbott and Ellerton. When he died in 1837 aged 64, there were 300 employees at Dean Clough. The business was carried on by his 3 sons, John, Joseph and Francis. In 1864, John Crossley and Sons was formed into a joint stock company, one of the first in the country to take advantage of the Limited Liability Company legislation passed in 1862. Four fifths of the shares were kept by the 3 brothers. The prospectus indicates that they had factories at Halifax and Kidderminster, and warehouses at London and Manchester at this stage. By 1900, the workforce stood at 5000. During the First World War, production was switched to produce webbing, blankets and khaki yarn, and machine shops were turned over to shell production. There were similar changes during the Second World War. In 1953, John Crossley and Sons Ltd and Carpet Trades Ltd, Kidderminster, were amalgamated into John Crossley and Carpet Trade Holdings. In 1969, came the merger with the Carpet Trades Manufacturing Company of Kidderminster into Carpets International. In 1970, the Chairman, Patrick Crossley, retired and the Headquarters of the Group was moved to Kidderminster. In 1982, the decision to close Dean Clough became known, and the last carpet stocks produced there were moved out in 1987. After 6 generations of Crossleys, carpet manufacture at Dean Clough came to an end.

• View Record