Weavers - 1760s - 1840s Blackley,Lancs & Coventry - Collinge & POrter family

[illjaorterpa]

Hi

My 5 x great grandmother was Alice Collinge b.1769 Blackley, Lancs the christening records for that period only shows fathers name - James Collinge - Weaver.  I would love to know if there are any records kept about the weavers - ie were they members of a guild that would have more details about them?

Alice married Edward Porter in 1794 in Manchester Cathedral. He was a marine based in Portsmouth and he was born in Much Dewchurch, Hereford in 1755 how did they meet was he sent up to Lancashire to quell rioting of the weavers?

Although Edward served with the Marines until 1814 they ended up living in Coventry were there eldest son James was also a Weaver - are there any records kept in Coventry of Guilds etc and was it a better living in Coventry then Blackley?

Alice, Edward and their 2 youngest sons Job and Charles all moved back to Blackley where Alice and Edward died in 1825 and 1828. In 1841 James carried on as a Weaver in Coventry. In 1841 Job was a Dyer, his wife Mary and daughter Alice were Weavers.

I have also found other members of the Collinge family in Blackley who were weavers, dyers etc so would love to know more about the life of a Weaver in Blackley and Coventry.

Thank you.

[t mo]

do a google search for weavers guilds in the midlands numerous sites come up and don,t forget the weavers guild in london they may have old records as well . also do a google search for weavers guild in lancashire as well .
regards
trevor

[sallyyorks]

Hi there . The time period  mid to late 1700s would be at the start of the factory/mill system in the weaving industry . I would imagine Blackley would have had  cotton weaving  steam/water powered  mills at this time with cottage/home hand loom weavers and their children changing to working under the power loom  factory system  . Try googling - Richard Oastler Letter to Leeds Mercury  - and - Evidence of Richard Oastler on Yorkshire Slavery - (same would apply to Lancashire too) . He makes comparisons between the two systems and the working  conditions of the adults and children . I have weavers in my family too . Some of them working in the mill  at 6 years old on the  census wich wasnt uncommon at all. Iv just been researching it lately (see my latest posts , they are weavers) and will pass on any info i find about Blackley and wider  Manchester area . All the best Sally   

[illjaorterpa]

Thank you both - I shall look them up.

[sallyyorks]

. . . . you mentioned 'weavers rioting'and i wonder if you have seen the Manchester Peterloo Massacre list (1819) of some of the dead and injured  . There is a Collinge mentioned . Perhaps a relative of Alice as she is from the same *area.  . "Ann Collinge of Bowlee near *Middleton very much crushed and bruised ".