LUMB MILL
The history of Lumb Mill is covered comprehensively in John Simpson’s Book.
[John Simpson – A History of Edenfield and District –Reference copy available at Ramsbottom Library].
Towards the end of the 18th century the Formby Family of Formby Hall owned the Lumb Hall Estate. It was not until the 1820s that Rev. Richard Formby built a mill himself and installed water wheels and associated heavy gearing.
From 1824 it was run by Robert Baker, a engineer from Holme (nr Ewood Bridge) in partnership with his son, William partly as for woollen carding and partly for cotton spinning and manufacture.
By 1835 the property comprised two factories for spinning cotton.
1841 Baker retired and died 1847. His son left in 1846 when it was converted to paper making – using cotton rags and waste as raw materials. First tenants not there long.
1848 New tenants - James Newbold and James Park, iron founders from Bury together with another partner John Stones, who ran the company. Following his death in 1856 his sons James & John ran the company.
1841 [Pigot & Slater]1850 [Heap] Milnes, Edmund Dixon & Bro - Lumn Mill Drysalters, wood grinders & cotton spinners
1860 Samuel Holker, paper maker from Bury took over and bought the mill.
1867 Added a second mill with its own steam engine on the opposite side of the Irwell from the original mill.
- Holker’s business in difficulty and mills put up for sale.
1889 Sold to The Manchester Cop Dyeing Company Limited – they dyed twist & weft thread on the cop. Among the first directors of this company were Sir Edward Tootal Broadhurst, a partner in Tootal Broadhurst Lee Co Ltd (one of the largest cotton firms in Lancashire) and Edward Hoyle (of Joshue Hoyle & Sons Ltd).
1903 Company wound up
1904 Site taken by The Electrical Bleaching Co (1904) Ltd – dyers of hank yarn. This company was not a success.
1909 Mill fell empty and was bought by Austin T. Porritt in 1912. He offered it as barracks during WW1.
1913 Electrical Bleaching Co – Lumb Mill [Kelly]
1917 J.B. & W.R. Sharp Ltd set up business there – they made aniline dyes. They went into receivership in 1928.
1930 Mill stood empty but during WW2 it was used as a barracks and then as a Ministry of Supply depot.
Late 1940s Thomas Aitkin & Son Ltd of IRWELL VALE MILL took over the site and it was re-named LUMB VALE MILL to match the other two Aitken Mills – IRWELL VALE and SPRING VALE.
Early 1960s Durie Miller- carpet underlay manufacturers moved in (they were also at Ewood Bridge Mill). They left in 1974
1975 Most buildings demolished leaving the smithy, callender house and small engine house dating from 1872 – these buildings survived until 1990.
From a magazine article in RHS Magazine No:15 1997 by Clyde Tweedale:
Beyond Lumb Old Hall was the site of Aitkins Lumb Vale Mill. Until about 1920s this was to be JB & WR Sharp’s dye works but later turned to spinning, winding and weaving. During WW2 war troops were housed there. Also a worker from there (Elsie Timmins) remembers asbestos cloth being made there for covering aircraft when it was owned by the Dewhurst family.
A chemical shed, maxing shed and pump house still stand – now a private house.