Yorkshire > West Yorkshire > Heckmondwike
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Heckmondwike is a town and electoral ward in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England, 9 miles (14 km) south west of Leeds. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is close to Cleckheaton and Liversedge.
The town became famous for manufacturing blankets and by 1811 the Blanket Hall was built for the trade in the town's primary manufacture. It was replaced by a second hall erected in 1839, on Blanket Hall Street in the town centre.
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Map of Heckmondwike with its 14 textile mills (
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Towns with historical textile mills near Heckmondwike.
Posted
By the 1860s carpet weaving had become important to Heckmondwike, as well as blanket weaving and handloom carpet weavers were recruited from far afield for the new mills. This was, I believe, one of the last processes to be mechanised
Posted
My 2xgreat uncle, John Youatt, a Commercial Clerk in 1861, moved to Heckmondwick from London aged 21 or 22. The son of a Pianoforte Manufacturer he was musical, was reported as playing in a concert and was also Secretary of the Working Men's Union and Club. In 1865 he returned to London to get married, and brought his wife back to Heckmondwick. Three children were born in Heckmondwick 1866, 1868 and 1869. By 1871 he had moved to Manchester.
I'd love to be in touch with a local historian to learn more about Heckmondwick at that time, and how the town recruited clerks from London. So far I haven't found any advertisements for posts. My family moved from Devon to London in 1839, and John's wifes family were also from Devon. How might the connection be made?
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Yorkshire textile mills, 2010-24. This site is kindly hosted by Cèdula d'habitabilitat.