Fine Spinners and Doublers

Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers
Industry	Textiles
Founded	1898
Defunct	1963
Fate	Acquired
Successor	Courtaulds
Headquarters	Manchester, UK

Fine Spinners and Doublers was a major cotton spinning business based in Manchester, England. At its peak it was a constituent of the FT 30 index of leading companies on the London Stock Exchange.

History

Reddish Mill, a FCSDA mill

Formation

Fine Spinners and Doublers, formed from a group of spinning companies specialising in fine Sea Island Cottons, was registered on 31 March 1898.^[1] The Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association Limited had the objective of promoting the interests of cotton spinners in North West England.^[2] It was founded through the efforts of Herbert Dixon and Scott Lings in 1897. Businesses that joined in this enterprise at the time included A&G Murray Ltd, Houldsworths, CE Bennett & Co, James & Wainwright Bellhouse and McConnell & Co; but many more followed in subsequent years.^[2]^[3]

The new association was vast compared with its competitors and its large size enabled it to secure its supplies of cotton from the Sea Island and Egypt.^[2] For thirty years it was the world's largest cotton-spinning concern, expanding to operate 60 mills and employ 30,000 operatives.^[3]

First World War

In 1915, its vice-president, McConnel was on the RMS Lusitania when she was sunk by enemy action. He survived and wrote an account of the sinking which was published in the Manchester Guardian.^[4]

Contraction

In 1938 Lancashire Cotton Corporation replaced Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers in the FT 30 as the latter completed a capital reduction and reorganisation programme.^[5]

On 16 June 1940 production was stepped up order of Lord Beaverbrook. Sunday working and double shifts were introduced in a plan to quadruple production in order to manufacture defensive barrage balloons. At peak of production 10 mills were used to output 91,000 kilograms (200,000 lb) of fine super-combed yarn a week; that is 50% of the industry total.^[6] Fine super-combed yarn was needed for parachutes and camouflage netting. It was also used for constructing pneumatic heavy lifting gear and inflatable decoy artillery.^[7]

In 1946 the name of the business was changed to Fine Spinners' and Doublers' Limited.^[2]^[8] There were 62 firms making up the Association. It owned 107 spinning and doubling mills, a pilot production plant, a weaving mill, a mercerising plant a large research establishment and a 16,000 hectares (39,000 acres) cotton plantation. ^[9]

During the next five years there was a sustained boom in the textile industry owing to the worldwide shortage of cotton goods. Yarn production increased by 50 percent but output contracted by 28 percent; the Lancashire industry had collapsed.^[8]

Closure

Fine Spinners and Doublers was acquired by Courtaulds in 1963.^[10]

References

Notes

^ Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association, Graces Guide, retrieved 27 August 2011
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Bellhouse history" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2005. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
^ ^a ^b Miller & Wild 2007, p. 88
^ McConnel, J.W. (10 May 1915), LANCASHIRE SPINNER'S EXPERIENCE.Under The Sea And Back Again., Manchester Guardian
^ FT 30 History
^ Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association 1947, p. 41.
^ Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association 1947, p. 51-61.
^ ^a ^b Miller & Wild 2007, p. 91
^ Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association 1947, p. 18.
^ "History of Bamford Mill". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2008.

Bibliography

Miller, Ian; Wild, Chris (2007), A & G Murray and the Cotton Mills of Ancoats, Lancaster Imprints, ISBN 978-0-904220-46-9
Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association (1947). Richard Potts and Partners Ltd (ed.). Behind the Distaff: An account of the activities of Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association Limited. London, EC4: Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association Limited.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)