Moulder/ spindle maker

[Ellenhall]

I have an ancestor who was an iron moulder for a long time (I'm assuming non-apprenticed), then he was briefly a spindle maker (I'd guess for making metal parts of cotton looms as this was in Lancashire in the late 1800s) and then he moved to another Lancashire town and was an iron moulder again. Does anyone know if an iron moulder is more advanced/ more pay than a spindle maker or the other way around? His son-in-law was a fly and spindle maker so I'm assuming they worked together for a while but while I've read some great posts here explaining what a moulder did, I haven't found much information on what exactly a spindle maker did.

[stanmapstone]

Spindle Maker was a general term for any person engaged in making steel spindles for textile machines, including spindle forger, spindle grinder, spindle pointer. "A Dictionary of Occupational Terms"

Stan

[Ellenhall]

Thanks Stan!

But would it be a step down going from an iron moulder to a spindle maker? Or a step up? Or pretty much the same kind of job? I guess if he was a spindle forger it would be similar but didn't iron forgers get less pay than iron moulders? Sorry, Lots of curious questions here .

[stanmapstone]

I think that is an impossible question to answer  I would think he would move to the best paying job.

Stan

[Skoosh]

Semi-skilled work, the wages would vary depending on the circumstances. It's why folk moved about the country, as with tradesmen.


Skoosh.