Also referred to as OLD GROUND MILL and CROSS STREET MILL
Situated on corner of Cross Street & Square Street.
Despite its name, the mill was never part of the original Peel & Yates Old Ground calico printing complex. [Andrew Todd RHS magazine No:23 Spring 2002].
Built mid 19th century.
Listings from the Trade Directories:
1861 Wallis & Hutchinson, Bolton Street Mill– cotton manufacturers. [Drake]
1861 Horridge & Wallis, Bolton Street Mill– cotton manufacturers [Drake]
1861 Hamer & Parkinson, Palatine and Bolton Street Mill– cotton manufacturers. [Drake]
1861 Census.
Samuel Hamer age 41 (master) cotton manufacturer – employer – Born in Bury lived in Bolton Street with his wife Isabella age 36 and their children [1861 Census RG9/2837 folio 63 page 39]
Next door to them lived John Parkinson – cotton manufacturer, age 59 with his wife Betty age 57. [1861 Census RG9/2837 folio 63 page 39]
John Wallis age 37 cotton manufacturer (Master) employing 41 people born Rochdale with wife Lucy, his daughter and mother - lived at Springfield. [ RG 9/2837folio 70 page 54]
Next door to them lived William Hutchinson age 34 a cotton manufacturer with his wife Alice and three children. [RG9/2837 folio 70 page54].
1871 Richard Fitton, Bolton Street Mill – cotton manufacturer [Worrall]
In Kenneth Beetson’s Book, T. Holden writes ‘ Bolton Street Mill, known as Old Ground Mill – one part was run by Wallace & Hutchinson, the other by Hamer & Parkinson. After they moved to new premises, Old Ground was run for a time by Joshua Proctor and afterwards acquired by Henry Rostron & Sons who later sold it to the present owners Messrs G. Ramsbottom & Sons. [Beetson page 48/49]
I have no documentary evidence of Joshua Proctor operating at this mill although he was a cotton manufacturer who did operate at neighbouring mills at that time.
Bury Union Valuation List 1876 – PUB8/44 Bury Archives:
- Rostron & Sons owners and occupiers of mill on Cross Street comprising of: Devil Hole, Dust Hole, Boiler House, Warehouse, 2 Weaving Sheds, chimney 40 yards high, engine power and fixed machinery, land on site.
1883 – H. Rostron & Sons – cotton waste spinners & manufacturers [Barrett]
Henry Rostron - 170 Bolton Street
John Rostron - Scotland Place In 1881 he lived at 10 Cross Street
Thomas Rostron - Callender Street
1887 H. Rostron & Sons, Bolton Street Mill – 4,200 spindles, 190 looms – waste twills, plains and sheeting. [Worrall]
1888 H. Rostron & Son, Bolton Street Mill– (cotton waste) spinners & manufacturers. Thomas Rostron (H. Rostron & Sons) lived at 63 Callendar Street. [Slater]
1892 Rate Assessment for Tottington Lower End [PUB/11/30] lists Hy. Rostron & Sons at Old Ground – cotton mill. They owned and occupied the mill.
Hume Elliot makes reference to the first machinist’s shop in Ramsbottom being that of Mr James Robinson, where Messrs Rostron’s mill now stands on the Old Ground. [Hume Elliot page 151/2]. I haven’t found any information relating to James Robinson.
1908 Rostron Bros are listed under ‘Cotton Spinners & Manufacturers’ on the 1908 map but now they are calling it Cross Street Mill.
This mill is un-named on 1908 Map. It is simply marked as ‘cotton mill’ and is on the corner of Cross Street and Square Street. However, on the 1929 Map it is clearly named ‘Old Ground Mill (cotton).
1909 [Kelly] George Ramsbottom, waste spinner & manufacturer Bolton Street Mill.
1913 [Kelly] – Rostron Brothers listed at Cross Street Mill
20.11.1923 Accident at Bolton Street Mill – cylinder burst – Mr S Trillo badly injured – one eye knocked out (Diary of a Postman – Richard Barlow)
Extract from ‘Memories of Nuttall village’ by K. McCarthy
page 19: In 1904 from Lodge Mill, George Ramsbottom’s father came in the Old Ground (namely George Ramsbottom). And when the family left the Old Ground they took over Rose Mill.
page 17: ‘ Ramsbottom Old Ground. George Ramsbottom - When Mr George Ramsbottom took over the mill from his father, who himself had taken it over in 1904, it was sold to a Mr Hargreaves from Padiham. He lived in Mason Street. I believe it was sold quick for they took over Rose Manufacturing Mill for about four to five years maybe and then sold out. The towels were £1.60 per pair, some £1.20 for four. Mr Jim Brooks was manager.
1923 present owners Messrs G Ramsbottom & Sons [Newspaper article written by
- Holden & reproduced in Beetson page 48/9]
1923 (20th November) Accident at Bolton Street Mill - cylinder burst and Mr S Trillo badly injured - one eye knocked out. [Diary of a postman - Barlow]
1924 George Ramsbottom Ltd, cotton waste spinners & manufacturers – Bolton Street Mill [Kelly 1924]
1957/8. In ‘Ramsbottom The Official Guide’ of this year there is an advertisement for George Ramsbottom Ltd –Bolton Street Mill – makers of condenser, mule and ring weft
4s-8 ½ s. They also operated at Rose Mill.
1971/2 again ‘Ramsbottom Official Guide’ for that year the advertisement reads – ‘Westwill Limited, Condenser Spinners, Bolton Street Mill, Ramsbottom. Tel: 2047. Although the firm is called Westwill Limited, I think that George Ramsbottom is connected to the firm.
Unsure when they stopped trading.
1980s Mill site largely cleared leaving gable end wall and industrial units. Referred to as being on Lodge Street. [Information from Janet Smith].
1980s - After the site was cleared it was used as a builder’s yard – ‘Martins’. [Andrew Todd RHS magazine No:23 Spring 2002.
2002 Industrial units demolished and site cleared. [Information from Janet Smith]
The site is now houses/apartments
There are two photos of this mill on Bury Image Bank taken about 1985. Originally listed as Westwill Mill.