Catalogue description OLDHAM AND ROCHDALE TEXTILE EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION

The collection comprises material from the Oldham and Rochdale Textile Employer's Association, the Oldham Operative Spinners' Association, and the Rochdale and District Textile Employers' Association. The material comprises runs of annual reports, letter book, agenda books, minute books, some account books and related financial records. Also included is a collection of material relating to the publication of Oldham Master Cotton Spinners' Association Centenary Booklet by John Longworth.

D-AAN 1 Oldham and Rochdale Textile Employer's Association

D-AAN 2 Oldham Operative Spinners' Association

D-AAN 3 Rochdale and District Cotton Employers' Association

See also D-ABH

Oldham Master Cotton Spinners' Association, 1890-1969, Lancashire

Oldham and District Textile Employer's Association, 1970-1980, Lancashire

Oldham and Rochdale Textile Employers' Association, 1981-1999,

Accessions 2000-016, 2000-017 and 2000-019 Deposited by the Assistant to the Secretary of the Oldham and Rochdale Textile Employers' Association

• Oldham, Lancashire
• Rochdale, Lancashire
• Textile industry

The origins of the Oldham and Rochdale Textile Employers' Association can be found in the early nineteenth century. At this time, large scale manufacture was beginning to prompt workers to combine to secure better working conditions and wages. In response, employers began to experiment with their own combinations. The most successful of these combinations was in Glasgow, which provided a model for employers in Lancashire.

The first such association to be found in Oldham dates from 1825. However, early employers' associations, like early trade unions, had only limited success and it was not until the second half of the nineteenth century that employers combined to an real effect.

The Oldham Master Cotton Spinners' Association became a vigorous force in the region from 1866. The Association supported the interests of the cotton industry in Oldham and encouraged members to support organisations such as the British Cotton Grower's Association and the Empire Cotton Growing Association. These organisations aimed to increase the supply of raw cotton by encouraging planting in British dominions in order to reduce reliance on American-grown cotton. It was believed that this would help to bring economic stability to the region.

The association also acted as an intermediary in disputes and lobbied both local and national government on behalf of the industry, often through the Federation of Master Cotton Spinners' Associations. In later years, the Association helped to co-ordinate reorganisation and redundancy schemes in the area.

As the cotton industry in Oldham declined, the Association made attempts to stem its decreasing membership numbers by widening its remit. In 1970, it became the Oldham and District Textile Employers' Association. and in 1981, it merged with the Rochdale and District Cotton Employers' Association. However, nothing could be done to halt the demise of the cotton industry, and in 2000, the Oldham and Rochdale Textile Employers' Association folded.

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