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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Topic started by: GenesA on Friday 28 December 18 19:04 GMT (UK)
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The 1911 census records my grandmother’s occupation (she was 16) as ‘clearing cotton mill’. What does this actually mean please?
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Possibility.........Interesting read...............
Clearing.—After the first, or the final, doubling it is often necessary to remove lumps, imperfect knots and loose fibres from a thread. This is accomplished by passing each through a slit, or clearer, whose width is adjusted to the diameter of the thread to be treated. By this means anything which gives a thread abnormal bulk will be prevented from passing the slit. Once through the slit, a thread is coiled upon a friction-driven, double or single-headed bobbin. If the former, the coils are evenly laid; if the latter, they are disposed into a bottle shape. Or, again, cheeses may be wound.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Cotton-spinning_Machinery
Sandra
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Thank you Sandra! You’re a star :)
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On the 1911 there are 4 individuals (inc Elsie) with the occupation "Clearing cotton mill" (one reads "Clearing at a cotton mill").
One, in the Column headed "Industry or Service with which the worker is connected" has the additional information "Cotton Doubler".
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stanmapstone describes cotton doubler - on this previous thread
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=212145.0
Doubling - (I) The process of combining two or more strands of roving or sliver and drawing out the resulting strand. The purpose of this operation is to increase the uniformity of the cotton strand and, ultimately of the yarn made from it. (II) The act of winding two or more strands of yarn onto one package without twisting them.
Doubling Machine - A machine which folds cloth to half or quarter of its original width
Sandra
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I had an evening job many years ago in a mill. I was a "picker". My friend and I would lift rolls of woven cloth onto a machine with the full roll at the top and pull the cloth down to an empty roll at the bottom of the machine. Then we would scan the material for any defects (such as wrong coloured thread) and pull them out with tweezers. :) It kept us busy for 4 hours and, at least, the room we were in was quiet, unlike the weaving shed where you couldn't hear yourself thing. This was about 1970 and there were no ear covers for the weavers, so I guess they just went deaf eventually.