A selection of images from the promotional booklet for T. & M. Bairstow, Worsted Spinners & Manufacturers of Sutton Mills in Crosshills. The 36-page brochure was designed, photographed and printed by Percy Lund, Humphries & Co. Ltd. of Bradford and London in June 1920.
The firm was founded in 1838 by Thomas and Matthew Bairstow, whose family owned the land upon which Sutton Mills were built. In 1920, the mills contained around 450 looms and 20,000 spinning and twisting spindles, employing around 700 people. The entire process of manufacturing, with the exception of dyeing and finishing, was carried out at the mill, using wool brought in from Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the mills, the firm also provided a hostel for up to fifty female mill employees, and an institute that included reading room, billiard room and swimming bath.
According to the entry on the Yorkshire Industrial Heritage website, the firm ceased trading around 1970 with a nursing home and housing now standing on the site of the mill (only one of the original mill buildings remains).
The brochure is part of the Joy Rundle Collection, donated by Julie Eaman and Mark Rundle in 2023. Researched and collated by Tim Neal. The full brochure can be viewed below:
