| The
History of John Foster and the Black Dyke Mills
From an independant trader to mill
owner, the name of JOHN FOSTER is
still highly revered around the textile industry
The first days of John Foster, who was
born in 1798, and his Queensbury venture are unfortunatly lost in
the mists of time. We know that in 1819 he married Ruth Briggs and
started as a worsted manufacturer. His Father was a colliery owner
and also farmed at Thornton near Bradford. whilst his Father-in-law
was a land owner in Queensbury.
Since 1819 John Foster has produced
fine worsted and mohair fabric at the Black Dyke Mills site, 1,100
feet above sea level in Queensbury on the outskirts of Bradford,
West Yorkshire, an area which is renowned for textile manufacture
in England The first days of John Foster, who was born in 1798,
and his Queensbury venture are unfortunately lost in the mists of
time. We know that in 1819 he married Ruth Briggs and started as
a worsted manufacturer. His father was a colliery owner and farmed
at Thornton near Bradford, while his father-in-law was a land owner
in Queensbury. We do not know if either of the fathers helped to
finance the new venture, or whether it was the bouyant state of
the industry in 1818 which encouraged John Foster to embark on such
an enterprise. If it was the latter he might have been dismayed
soon afterwards for the next two years were times of depression.
By 1827 he was doing well and was prosperous enough to build Prospect
House which remained his family home until he retired to live in
Hornby Castle.
John Foster would buy yarns and distribute it from a warehouse at
the back of Prospect House, at the junction of the Keighley-Brighouse
and Bradford-Halifax roads, to the hand-loom weavers who then brought
in their woven pieces. John took those pieces to the Bradford Piece
Hall to sell to the merchants who would arrange for the dyeing and
finishing.
In 1828 he rented Cannon Mill for spinning,
prior to erecting the first part of Black Dyke Mills in 1835. In
1834 John's father-in-law conveyed part of some land known as Black
Myres to him and here he started to build his mill. Black Dykes
Farm, from which the mill gets its name, wasn't passed to him until
1842.. By 1851 Black Dyke Mills was dominating the landscape and
at the Great Exhibition John Foster took first prize for alpaca,
with which he had been experimenting with since 1837, and for mohair
fabrics, and the gold medal for yarns.
The oldest son, William, born in 1821, was already involved in the
business by 1835 and did not retire until 1882. He was six years
older than his next brother and having been involved in the company
from such a young age this put him into a dominant position in the
hierarchy of the business - indeed the company remained John Foster
& Son Ltd,. not Sons! He was made a full partner in 1842 and
it was William's sons who took control in 1884 following John Foster's
death.
The company was responsible for the construction
of many of the buildings in and around Queensbury, each being for
the benefit of the employees, be it housing/accomodation shops and
leisure facilities.
In 1891 the company erected the Victoria Hall in Queensbury for
the benefit of its workers and the local community - it had a concert
hall, with gallery to seat 650 people, library, billiard room and
many other facilities.
Today
John Foster still produces some of the worlds
finest Worsted and Mohair cloths and has gained a worldwide reputation
for quality, some 70% is exported directly or indirectly to numerous
countries around the world with the Japanese and Far East markets
pre-eminent . Some of the worlds leading clothing manufacturers
are supplied by John Foster.
"MADE IN ENGLAND
BY JOHN FOSTER"
a label which comprehensively means what it
says, and is a hallmark of the highest quality of mohair, worsted
and wool speciality fabrics backed by a manufacturer who leaves nothing
to chance. Over century and a half of producing fine cloths has not
gone un-noticed around the world. |
