Skip to main content

Lancashire Cotton Districts Relief Fund, Leeds, Archive

Archive Collection: MS Dep. 1973/1 Contains digital media

Details

Type of record: Archive

Title: Lancashire Cotton Districts Relief Fund, Leeds, Archive

Level: Collection

Classmark: MS Dep. 1973/1

Date(s): 1862-1866

Language: English

Size and medium: 583 items in 10 boxes and one envelope

Persistent link: https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/6650

Description

Papers relating to the fund raised in Leeds for relief of distress in the Lancashire cotton districts caused by the American civil war


In the autumn of 1862, the American Civil War began to affect the supply raw cotton to the Lancashire cotton districts. As a result, mills closed down and several thousand workers became unemployed. It was impossible for the poor-rates or individual donations to support such numbers. Consequently, the Lord Mayor of London started a relief fund, and another was begun in Manchester


Leeds Fund opened

In Leeds over 150 prominent citizens and representatives of firms petitioned the mayor, James Kitson, to hold a public meeting to consider measures in aid of thedistressed workers of the cotton districts. The mayor's reply, acceding to the request, was published in the Leeds Mercury of 30th October 1862. A public meeting was held at the Town Hall on 3rd November, with the mayor in the chair. Six resolutions were passed, the main ones being that a fund should be opened, with William Beckett of the Old Bank as treasurer, and the Rev. Edward Jackson, John Jowitt, W H Conyers and John Whiting as secretaries. About £8000 was promised that very day, with Beckett and Co, Marshall and Co, and Benjamin Gott and Sons leading the list with £500 each. A committee of about 60 leading citizens was appointed to organise the fund and was authorised to send the money to the distressed districts either through the Lancashire Central Executive Committee (the fund which had been set up in Manchester) or by
any other means. The mayor was nominated as ex-officio chairman of the committee and Edward Baines, MP, was chosen as vice-chairman. (On 10th November 1862, the new mayor, Joseph Ogdin March, took over as chairman, while James Kitson became a vice-chairman.) The committee met daily at first (section 2).


Collections organised

The town was divided into its electoral wards, and aldermen from each ward were asked to hold public meetings and appoint small local committees, who were then responsible for house to house canvasses. Prominent citizens and large firms were approached directly by members of the main committee, rather than by the appropriate ward committee. As soon as the fund was announced, several people wrote to the committee either promising to subscribe various amounts, or refusing support (section 1A). Donors promised money either as a lump sum or in weekly or monthly instalments. The amounts received during the house to house canvasses of the wards were recorded in special notebooks.. All donors' names and the sums given or promised were announced weekly in the Leeds Mercury from November 1862 to March 1863. From 1st December 1862 the names were listed under the ward, except for those subscribers who dealt directly-with the main committee, who were listed as "General". On 14th November 1862 a meeting
of foremen and overlookers in Leeds was called, at which the main speakers were the mayor, the Rev. E Jackson, and the Rev. G W Conder. The situation in Lancashire was described to them and they were called upon by Mr Grayson, Mr Hurst, Alderman Kitson and Alderman Carter to help their fellow-workers by organising weekly collections at their work. These subscriptions were distinguished from those made by the firms themselves by being listed as from the workpeople or staff of the firms. (Section 1B includes the canvassing books, lists of subscribers prepared for the press, and other notes of amounts received.)


Distribution of relief

Similar funds were set up in Bradford,, Huddersfield, and other towns. Money collected in Pudsey and Gildersome was paid to the Leeds fund, but the other towns made their own arrangements for distributing relief, mainly through the Central Executive Relief Committee in Manchester whose secretary was J W Maclure (section 5). There was some tension between Manchester and the Yorkshire towns at times. Complaints were made that the committee in Manchester ignored the distress in Yorkshire cotton towns. In their turn, the organisers of the Manchester fund objected to Leeds and other towns sending help directly to recipients, rather than through Manchester. Towns in Lancashire and Yorkshire applied to Leeds for relief, often objecting to the conditions laid down by the Manchester committee. Probably this was one reason why the Leeds committee did not distribute all of its money as soon as it was received, but invested a proportion in railway shares.


A Ladies' committee was formed in Leeds, which concentrated on supplying clothes to destitute workers and their families. The secretaries were Mrs Mary Kitson and Mrs Fanny Heaton. This committee received grants from the main committee and also made its own collections of money and clothing (section 4).


Later phase of operations

By January 1863 the main crisis was over, and the committee began to meet weekly instead of daily. The flow of subscriptions decreased, and some people, hearing of the large balances in the hands of the committee, were inclined to withhold their promised subscriptions. On 12th March 1863 Thomas Harvey raised in committee the subject of distress in the Irish cotton districts, which had probably been brought to his notice by Jonathan Joseph Richardson, of the Island Flax Mills, Lisburn, who was also a member of the Society of Friends. After detailed enquiries into the extent of the distress in Northern Ireland, the committee resolved, on 2nd April, to give a grant of £200 to the Lisburn relief fund.

The committee was now meeting irregularly, and subscriptions had almost stopped. In reply to a circular from the Manchester committee, the Leeds committee stated, on 15th June 1863, that over £29000 had been promised to it, £25000 received, and £8000 disbursed (£7000 of this having been given to the Manchester committee). The Leeds committee declined to send any more to Manchester for the time being because there were already large amounts unspent in both the Manchester and the Mansion House (London) funds.


In June 1864 summary accounts were prepared by George Simpson, showing the state of the fund at that time, and the. amounts promised, paid, partially paid, entirely unpaid, disbursed, and in hand. The final report and a printed balance sheet were brought out on 13th September 1864 (section 7).

Disposal of surplus


Over £18000 remained in the hands of the committee, and it was decided on 3rd May 1865 that this balance could be appropriated to other objects. A public meeting of all contributors was held on 16th May, at which the committee put forward its suggestions for distributing the residue of the fund. The meeting resolved that 10/20 should be given to the General Infirmary, 5/20 to the Public Dispensary, 1/20 to the House of Recovery, 1/20 to the Women and Children'sHospital, 2/20 to a fund for convalescent patients leaving these institutions, and 1/20 in equal proportions for new buildings for the Guardian Asylum and the. Ragged School. Contributors dissenting from these arrangements were to have the unused proportion of their subscription returned, provided they gave notice within one month. Any amount thus withdrawn and then paid by the subscriber to any of the above charities was to be deducted from the amount paid to that charity by the fund.

In July 1865 defaulting subscribers were asked to pay their arrears so that the residue could be distributed (section 8A). After the meeting in May several subscribers wrote to the committee to reclaim the unused proportion of their contributions (section 8B). They were paid on 14th August 1865 (section 8C).

After some correspondence with the proposed beneficiaries about the method of payment (whether in shares or cash), the committee finally paid the residue to the charities between March and May 1866 (section 8D).


The collection of documents dealing with the Fund was deposited in the Brotherton Library in January 1973 by Robert Jowitt and Sons, Ltd, of Bradford.


Unless otherwise stated, letters in the list are addressed either to the committee as a whole, or to individual members (usually the hon. secretaries, the Rev. Edward Jackson, John Jowitt, W H Conyers or John Whiting). A few letters in section 1A (mainly those correcting published subscription lists) are addressed to the editor of the Leeds Mercury, Edward Baines. Communications from firms, etc, are normally listed under the firm, with the writer's name in parentheses if it appears on the letter, but it is not always clear whether a director is writing on his own or his firm's behalf.

Biography or history

In the autumn of 1862 the American Civil War began to affect the supply of raw cotton to the Lancashire cotton districts. As a result, mills closed down and several thousand workers became unemployed. The Lord Mayor of London started a relief fund, and another was begun in Manchester. In Leeds a fund was opened following a public meeting held on 3 November 1862. A committee of about 60 leading citizens was appointed to organise the fund. House-to-house canvassing was organised by local ward committees, while prominent citizens and large firms were approached by the main committee. By January 1863 the main crisis was over, and the committee, which had been meeting daily, began to meet first weekly and then irregularly. In 1866 the undisbursed surplus remaining in the fund was distributed to various charitable causes in Leeds.

Provenance

Deposited by Robert Jowitt and Sons Ltd., Bradford, in January 1973.

Access and usage

Access

Access to this material is unrestricted.

On our website

Business and Industry Subject Strength

Subject theme: Business

An overview of the research potential of collections related to business, economics and industry held at Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

View full details...

Collection hierarchy

Visitor Basket

Ref No. Item Ref Title