Built - Mid 19th to Late 19th century cotton mill [Williams].
Corner of Kay Brow and Square Street.
1883 Barrett – Ramsbottom Industrial Manufacturing Co. Ltd – cotton manufacturers, Cobden Mills. Edward Barnes (Manager), James Wm. Cunliffe (Secretary).
1887 Stephen Dugdale & Co, Cobden Mill cotton manufacturer – 659 looms, printings, shirtings and jacconetts. [Worrall]
1888 Slaters – Stephen Dugdale & Co, Cobden Mill, Square Street and 15 Dickinson Street, Manchester - cotton manufacturer. Stephen Dugdale lived at Irwell Mount, Shuttleworth.
1865 [Slaters] Stephen Dugdale lived at Wellfield House, Nuttall.
In the 1881 Census there is a ‘Dugdale’ family living at Habergham Eaves, which could possibly the Stephen Dugdale a Cobden Mill in 1883: [1881 Census RG 11 – 4153 folio 10 page 14]
William Dugdale – cotton manufacturer – age 65 widower – born Roughlee
Stephen Dugdale (son) – Bookeeper Cotton Mill – age 30 unmarried – born Roughlee
Robert Dugdale (son) – Overlooker Cotton Mill – age 25 unmarried – born Roughlee
Sarah Edmundson – housekeeper.
1890 (?) Stephen Dugdale lived at Wellfield House Nuttall
1892 The Rate Assessment for Tottington Lower End 1892 [PUB/11/30] lists the occupier of the weaving shed at Cobden Mill as ‘Star Mill – Ramsbottom Co-op’. The Star Manufacturing Co Ltd/Star Mill Company operated at Union Mill in 1904. This was one of the co-operative mills that belonged to The Ramsbottom Provident & Industrial Society so it looks likely that Cobden Mill was built as a co-operative mill.
Hume Elliot refers to ‘the Star Mill Company, for whom the extensive Cobden Mill premises have been enlarged, readjusted and fully equipped’. A footnote explains that the Star Mill Company is ‘now the property of Ramsbottom Industrial & Provident Society Limited’.
[Hume Elliot page 154].
1908 Star Manufacturing Co. Ltd at Star Mill (cotton), Cobden Mill is listed under ‘Cotton Spinners and Manufacturers’ on the 1908 map. Cobden Mill is marked and named on this map – on corner of Kay Brow and Square Street.
1909 Star Manufacturing Co Ltd, cotton manufacturers, Star Mill, Square Street.
1910 Star Mill Co Ltd occupiers and Ramsbottom Co-op Society owners of Weaving Shed on Square Street [Valuation List PUB 8/164 TLE Bury Archives]
There is a gap here – I have found no mention of Cobden Mill in Kelly’s Directories of 1913 and 1924. However Star Manufacturing is listed at Star Mill in 1913 [Kelly] The next reference to Cobden is in the RHS magazine articles referring to WW2 when William Eccles was operating at the mill.
One local resident refers to Cobden Mill –‘At the time it was the start of the war and I worked at the bottom of Kay Brow at Cobden Mill which was a towel weaving mill. The business belonged to William Eccles and I remember that as we were going to work he used to pick us all up along the way until his big old black Lancia was full. We were usually late but he never seemed to mind. When everything changed to war work, the towels were for army and hospital use. Some of the big bath towels were made into dressing gowns for the soldiers in hospitals. My job was a reserved occupation....Every night there was fire-watching duty at the mill and groups of 4 or 6 girls had to start at 11pm. At the time an Austrian jew and his wife took over the top floor of Cobden Mill where they made covered wire’. [Margaret Hammersley remembers – RHS magazine No:29 Winter 2005].
Another local resident also remembers Cobden Mill – ‘During World War Two I went to work for Mr Engel. Mrs Engel who was German and extremely good to work for, had started the Temple Manufacturing Company at Cobden Mill on Square Street. There was weaving underneath and we were on the top floor. When we were on shifts we had to have all the windows covered for the blackout but we didn’t actually works nights, just until 10pm.’ [Margaret Nolan remembers – RHS magazine No:29 Winter 2005].
Kurt Engels ran F.D. Sims at Hazelhurst and they lived at Manor House Holcombe.
William Eccles obviously carried on his business at Cobden Mill after the war as there was an advertisement in the 1962 Ramsbottom Official Guide:
‘William Eccles (Ramsbottom) Limited, Cobden Mill, Ramsbottom via Bury – manufacturers of all classes of white and coloured towels and terry cloths. William Eccles Tel: Ramsbottom 2195’.
1967 – reference to Globe Products Ltd (chemicals) at Cobden Mill.
Ian Goldthorpe in his book Further Rossendale Rambles, refers to Cobden Mill on the left at the bottom of Kay Brow – note base of chimney with a tree growing out of it. [Goldthorpe page 58].
Part converted to apartments 2002 and 2005. [information from Janet Smith].
Weaving shed demolished 2005. [Information from Janet Smith].
Part occupied by double glazing firm – C & M Window Systems (1st floor) and partly empty. August 2008. Not in Conservation Area. Large wall on Kay Brow extant with demolished building behind it. [Information from Kate Slingsby].
William Eccles was born about 1874 and was the son of another William Eccles (born about 1840 in Glossop). His family operated a few businesses in Ramsbottom. In theTrade Directory for 1888 [Slaters] William Eccles Senior had a coal depot in Stubbins Lane, he was a grocer at 9 Bolton Road West, where they also lived and a cotton manufacturer at Hazelhurst Mill . When Mr Kurt Engel took over the mill at Hazlehurst in 1936 (which became F D Sims) William Eccles (Junior) set up business at COBDEN MILL. Mrs Engel also set up business on the top floor at COBDEN.
William Eccles died 11.2.1913 age 73 years. Wife Emma died 7.7.1914 age 73 years. [Memorial stone at Emmanuel Church, Holcombe – also lists death of their children]