Oldham in the 18th century was a rural community and despite its increasing employment in textiles, coal mining and hatting, the landscape of the region retained an essentially agricultural appearance and only towards the end of the century would the "Industrial Revolution" show its way to restructure the town and its economies. Oldham did not become a true urban environment until the early to mid nineteenth century. Many occupations like weaving and clockmaking remained primarily home- based. Here, as in most of Lancashire, although population was increasing it remained throughout the countryside in scattered hamlets. The village which had grown up on the hill around St. Mary’s church still amounted to no more than a few hundred houses with a population of around 2,800 at the time of the first census in 1801, just over 20% of the population within the extensive Oldham township.
Although this was already
by far the largest of the four townships in the chapelry, its population
growth rate was more than matched by its smaller neighbours
of Chadderton, Royton and Crompton until the 1820’s when
their fortunes diverged as steam driven, factory based, power
loom weaving replaced the old domestic system and led to a concentra-
tion of industry and power
in Oldham itself.
The lifestyles of the
inhabitants seemingly reflected the communal values
of an essentially rural, even hierarchical society.
The local gentry were Sir Watts Horton of Chadderton Hall, a fashionable
residence surrounded by shrubbery’s and pleasure grounds, laid out
with great taste and a Mr Joseph Pickford, resident of the
ancient Royton Hall. These men dominated local society and,
as JP’s, wielded local power. Sir Watts Horton’s pursuits were those of
an unreformed country squire; he kept fighting cock’s; he gambled;
his wife hosted a grand archery contest in his grounds; his family
spent the season in London, and duelling was still considered to be an
acceptable way of settling disputes between men of property. Otter
baiting, fishing and hunting could be pursued in the local
countryside. Some households still relied
on home produce, cultivating
pear orchards, rearing poultry and growing gooseberries.
Popular customs revolved
around ancient feast and holy days; rushcarts were built
and paraded through the streets
to celebrate Wakes; mid-winter
festivities when charity was traditionally given to the poor,
were centred on New Year and Twelfth Night, rather
than Christmas Day; "mayers" indulged in
mischief on May Day and Guy Fawkes and Easter
Monday were vigorously celebrated.
These were face-to-face communities. News, or gossip, was largely orally transmitted. People had nicknames, often associated with their place of origin or their personal habits or appearances, "Stump Marlor" who had lost a hand or "Blamey" who was seemingly always in trouble. What happened in the immediate vicinity often seemed to have greater significance than what happened in Westminster, or on the continent. Major topics of conversation included Sir Watt’s Horton’s plan to divert a public road in front of Chadderton Hall, the ever present fear of rabies, burglaries, accidents, death and wagers on foot races. Despite the fact that this was an expanding community whose prosperity and politics were increasingly determined by events of international importance, its inhabitant’s lifestyles had yet to be dramatically transformed, and many of its values and customs were still rooted in the past.
Despite the uncertain prosperity and strains inherent in weaving, it was largely responsible for sustaining the expan- sion of population throughout the district from the mid 18th century. The Oldham chapelry or parish which constitu- ted the townships of Oldham, Chadderton, Royton and Crompton had a population of circa 8000-10,000 people in 1778, circa 13,916 by 1789, and circa 15,776 by 1792 and by the time of the first census in 1801 the figure stood at 21,677.
This burgeoning population, largely divorced from the land, place d considerable strains on food supply and with poor weather conditions for local growing leading to a food supply which was very inadequate to the supply of inhabitants. Much food had to be bought in and with the profits of middlemen and transportation costs, food prices were above average for the country. Freak climatic conditions in 1795, 1799 and 1800 led to almost catastrophic conditions regard- ing food supplies. The lack of food supplies and the high cost of available food eventually led to riots in Oldham with children crying in the streets for bread. There is no doubt that the underlying growth and changes in the structure of the region’s major industries combined with the severity of trade depressions and food crises, served to heighten social tension within the local community.
These ever abundant tensions were further exacerbated by events overseas. The French Revolution of July 1789 set in train a series of events which was to lead to over a generation of virtually continuous war and domestic repression.
The end of the century did
not herald a turning point in Oldham’s fortunes and the trends
established in the 1790’s continued to be evident. Despite
a brief welcome respite during the uneasy peace secured in 1802, during
which there was a boom reminiscent of the profitable heyday of the early
1790’s, military hostilities dragged on for another decade
and a half, disrupting trade and threatening food supplies.
Textile manufacture continued to increase its dominance over the local
economy, the establishment of more steam and water powered spinning mills
helping to promote employ- ment. By 1820 Oldham was beginning
to establish its superiority over its neighbouring townships
and the settlement
on the hill was taking on
the appearance of an industrial town.
The above brief description of Oldham during this period gives one a good idea of how difficult these times were. For the vast majority of the tiny population money was in short supply and food was very expensive. Therefore you can imagine exactly how difficult it was to find customers with money to spend on a clock, considering the majority of people were living in basic poverty and the purchase of a clock would be the last thing on their mind
There would have been a period of circa 1774, when Edward Barlow, Benjamin Barlow, John Barlow and James Bar- low were all producing clocks for the people of Oldham. Also at this period William Barlow was working and this is probably why he decided to move to the next town of Ashton and also why Benjamin became a free man of Ashton enabling him to sell his clocks there.
To compound the problem of
the Barlow family of clockmakers supplying such a small clientele,
there were other Old-
ham clockmakers working
during these times. I have owned brass dial clocks
by John Banks Oldham and Richard Hornby Oldham.
Just recently I have come across an early painted dial by Joshua
Johnson Oldham and a maker by the name of Benjamin Furnival
who is recorded as working in Oldham and Stockport in the late
18th century. How-
ever I would imagine that
clocks produced by these four makers are few and far between and they
would have been by no means as prolific clockmakers
as the Barlow family. Consequently by the 1770’s
there may well have been eight clockmakers operating out of Oldham.
I have also seen a later clock signed on the dial ‘Ogden Oldham’.
Thomas
Oldham Barlow
Engraver
London, England
The
Graphic - April 05, 1873