Cotton Minder

[CarlTheDruid]

I have come across a family in the mid 1800s in an early Census. The father is a Stocking Maker and the wife is a Seamer. Children of 17 and 13 (boys) are both stocking makers and the daughter (11) is a seamer like her mother.

Interesting I thought was that a younger daughter (8) ws marked on the Census as a Cotton Minder. Was she posted to literally make sure the cotton was safe, dry, fetched, etc, or was she more likely the child being smallest to crawl under any weaving machinery to brush up any cotton dust (which may have been a fire hazard)?

There were three younger children who were listed as Scholars. This child of 8 started work early.

[bjelkier]

Young children during this period were often employed as cotton winders in the mills, but haven't come across the term cotton minders before.

[michaelpipe]

Having looked at census records there are many Cotton Minders of all ages, including retired cotton mimders. Also many Self-Actor Minders: "Watched and minded the 'Self Acting Mule' - the name of a multi thread spinning machine. The original Mule was hand operated and was invented by Samuel Crompton of Bolton in 1779. It was made self-acting by Richard Roberts in 1830. "

Maybe that gives a clue.

[CarlTheDruid]

Thank you both for your replies.

It may be she was there to ensure the machine was operating smoothly and to keep the raw materials coming.

On the other hand the Census may say Winder instead of Minder. Closer inspection of the original should tell.

I wonder how I may find out more about this one particular family. It seems from the Census that a good many neighbours in the street were also stocking makers and seamers.

This is the part of ancestry research that I find far more fascinating thatn just collecting names and dates; the lives and lifestyles of families and individuals. It is a slower process and more winding road but much more rewarding.

[mariapbf]

Hello CarltheDruid

Greetings from Bolton, Lancashire - a true cotton town with a proud textile history.

To answer your question you don't say where your family were based but I found on a Leicestershire website some information about stocking making in the 1840s. Apparently it was more of a cottage industry requiring a "stocking frame" and may explain why the small child was involved.

There's an interesting article about the stocking frame here -

https://www.nottshistory.org.uk/huckn...hucknall26.htm

Best of luck with your research and I agree that it's all the detail about how people lived that makes the digging so much more worthwhile.

Maria

[mariapbf]

Hi Carl - sorry me again.

Just found the following while googling - maybe they lived in a house like this: -

bookings.landmarktrust.org.uk/BuildingDetails/Overview/112/St_Marys_Lane#

Best wishes

Maria

[Peter Goodey]

For future reference, when you mention census entries, it would be helpful to please provide the full standard reference.

A spinner who minds a pair of spinning mules arranged facing each other ie spinning machines with intermittent action which simultaneously draw and twist cotton, wool etc into yarn or thread and wind it into cops.