The Story Of Cotton

Something else was happening too. By the time Robert Greg was putting power looms into his mill at Styal in 1836, cotton had become much more important than wool. Exports of cotton goods were worth only £11,000 a year in the 1740s. This had risen to £17 million by 1820. By 1850, cotton goods were Britain’s leading export. Why had cotton became so important?

Reason 1- The population was increasing.

The number of people in the British Isles went up from 10.7 million in 1750 to nearly 27.4 million in 1850. Textile producers knew they could get rich by producing more. The demand for textiles was growing.

Reason 2 - The supply of raw cotton grew.

After North America became independent in 1783 the Americans were free to look for new products to sell. Cotton plantations soon became very successful. In 1793 Eli Whitney invented a 'cotton gin' which helped slaves to prepare cotton 50 times faster than before. Imports of cheap raw cotton from the United States of America into Britain grew.

Reason 3 - People spent more money in the 18th century.

Some of this money was spent on clothes. There was therefore an increase in the demand for cotton.

Reason 4 - There was a great expansion in trade.

Britain was the world's leading trading nation in the late 18th century. British ships carried goods all over the world. By the early 19th century cotton goods made up nearly half of all British exports.

Cotton in my family

This is a picture of Bertha Hembrough (2nd from the right in the first row) with other mill girls. The picture was taken at a cotton mill in Manchester about 1920.

She is my great grandaunt.

Behind them there seems to be a Spinning Mule