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There is now a book in the Tameside Local Studies & Archive Centre (i.e. Ashton Library) called "The History of Newton Mill / Newtonhurst Cricket Club" which I hope will prove useful and interesting to anyone with a connection to the Newton Mill factory and/or cricket team.

Many thanks for posting that, since that definitely confirms that Newton Mill was established in 1893. I'll be writing an official history of Newton Mill / Newtonhurst Cricket Club some time shortly so any and all information related to the company is much appreciated.

Not sure where the 1895 came from. I must have mistyped this when I wrote that bit. As far as I'm aware, Jacobsen & Welch first started trading in 1893, a couple of years earlier.

Hi, many thanks for replying. I notice that when Eliza passed away on 13th August 1867, the note in the Manchester Guardian (on 17th August), said "Died. On the 13th inst, at Clarendon Villa, Cotham, Bristol, Eliza, wife of Henry Dunnill, late of Whalley Range, Manchester". Thus, since Henry is definitely connected to Whalley Range, and the Whalley Range Cricket Club President was listed as H. Dunnill in 1861, then I'm fairly convinced, with such an unusual name, that these are one and the same. I'm currently writing a book about the History of the Whalley Range Cricket & Lawn Tennis Club, and will certainly be saying in the book that I believe the Club President was Henry Dunnill at this time. Whether he actually played cricket or not I don't know, but he was clearly a man of some standing (running his own business in Manchester city centre with John Palmer, until they ceased trading on 25th March 1862, and reported in press on 1st April 1862) and Whalley Range (unlike its current status) was a wealthy and prosperous area that attracted such characters as Henry, so I'd be surprised if he didn't also play cricket for the club with others of similar standing, during the previous decade. Kind regards, Pete.

The last time I drove past was about six months ago, at which point it was owned by (and presumably still is) Louvolite. A few years ago, I wrote a book about the history of the Newtonhurst cricket team, a copy of which resides in local libraries (Ashton, Stalybridge, I think). This is the cricket team that has its origins in the Newton Mill cricket team, and part of the research into this book therefore involved the history of the factory as well. Newtonhurst, the cricket ground has long since gone, and has now been replaced by houses, with the roads now bearing sporting names (e.g. Charlton Avenue, Perry Avenue, and Mallory Road) to retain a reminder of yesteryear. As a matter of interest, the famous West Indian cricketer of the 1960's, Sonny Ramadhin, played on the Newtonhurst ground. The attached photos were taken in the 1920's, and show Newtonhurst at this time (one an aerial photo, and the other a close-up of the new pavilion). Regards, Pete.