Catalogue description JOHN WARBURTON LTD

SUMMARY OF CLASSES

D-HIM/A Minutes of meetings

D-HIM/B Statutory records

D-HIM/C Financial records

D-HIM/D Agreements

D-HIM/E Miscellaneous

John Warburton Ltd was incorporated as a limited company on 28th January 1905, No. 83,397, to take over a cotton waste spinning business at the Waterside Mill in Haslingden, Lancs. This had originally been started by the Warburton family in 1859. The original shareholders and directors were four members of the Higham family of Wood Nook Mills, Accrington, Lancs, together with Vernon Stott and his father John, Alfred Smethurst, Yarn Agent, and Albert E. Butterworth, all of Haslingden.

In 1907, the company expanded by leasing the Sykeside Mill at Haslingden from John Stott. After the Higham family interests were transferred to their new limited company, Highams Ltd, Warburtons was in 1908 converted into a private limited company as a subsidiary of Highams, although seemingly run at arm's length.

In 1913 the company bought from Vernon Stott, Sykeside Mill, the cottages in Syke Street and Mill Street, and the farmhouse and farm lands, all in Haslingden. Later in the same year it also bought from Highams Ltd the Lodge Mill in Accrington. The expansion encouraged the company to increase its capital to £55,000, Highams owning five-eighths and the "Stott" interests owning three-eighths of the ordinary shares.

The Stott/Utley families

Vernon Stott married John Warburton's only daughter Matilda in 1880. They, in turn, had only one daughter, Annie Muriel, who married Reginald Utley. Vernon Stott left most of his shares to his grand-children, John Warburton Stott Utley, Norman Sydney Utley and Alan Reginald Utley. The first two became employees and later directors of John Warburton Ltd. Vernon Stott died in 1938, aged 81, and his role as Managing Director was taken by his nephew, J.W.S. Utley.

(Further information on the Warburton and Stott businesses can be found in records of The Acre Mill Company Ltd (D-HIMA) taken from obituaries pasted into the Minute Book).

In 1936 Lodge Mill in Accrington was destroyed by fire and, in its place, the company leased Victoria Mills, in Victoria Street, Accrington, from Highams Ltd. The Lodge Mill site was sold to the Borough of Accrington for £425.

During World War Ii, both Waterside Mill and Victoria Mills were closed, the latter being let to the Ministry of Supply for storage purposes, as part of the Government's Concentration of Industry Scheme. Production was centred on Sykeside Mill, which became the Registered Office of the company in 1941. Both mills re-opened after the war.

In 1947, Highams Ltd became a public company, with Warburtons forming part of the company's capital assets. In 1948 the Utley family sold their three-eighths interest in the company to Highams, although J.W.S. Utley remained Managing Director, and N.S. Utley was appointed Secretary and remained a director.

In 1953, the company bought Broad Oak Mill in Accrington, but by now the mills were being integrated as Divisions within the Highams group. A Central Sales Organisation was created to operate a joint sales policy, and the new commercial manager was paid for by both companies.

In 1958 Highams purchased A. Worsley & Sons Ltd (q.v. D-HIN) and leased the property, comprising Plantation Mill and three houses in Haslingden, to Warburtons, "such property having been in the beneficial ownership of John Warburton Ltd since 31st March 1958".

In 1960, while a large number of companies were taking advantage of the Cotton Spinning Re-Organisation Scheme, by retrenching and scrapping old machinery, Warburtons expanded, purchasing from W.F. Chambers Ltd the Ellesmere Mills (Nos 1 & 2) in Victoria Street, Accrington.

In 1965, some contraction in production took place. Plantation Mill, Haslingden was closed and sold to J.A.K. Shepley for £2,000, and production ceased at Brookside Mill. The premises were at first leased out, with the land and buildings finally being sold in 1971. In the same year, Sykeside Mill was closed and the registered office transferred to Wood Nook Mills, Accrington. The company had ceased to trade by 1980. It was finally put into voluntary liquidation on 30 September 1987, when its assets of £46,998 were transferred to Highams Ltd as a dividend.