Middleton history - Lowband Farm
by Pics By Tony
Title
Middleton history - Lowband Farm
Artist
Pics By Tony
Medium
Photograph - Photographs
Description
Lowbands Farm and the Co-operative Movement
The Bradshaw Estate and the Alkrington weavers played a key role in the formation of the cooperative movement. Grimshaw Lane Farm was leased to a band of Alkrington weavers by the Estate in 1851. They wished to run it under communal principals as promoted by another Chartist, Feargus O’Connor who had set up a Lowbands farm in Worcestershire. The weavers went on to name the farm Lowbands and set up a retail store on Grimshaw Lane to sell some of the produce with the profits shared amongst members.
The Bradshaw Estate also leased land to the weaver’s cooperative for 3 loom cottages in 1853 and these can still be seen opposite the Jumbo Centre. (200-204 Grimshaw Lane)
In 1860, a meeting of the co-operators of Rochdale, Oldham and Manchester was held at Lowbands Farm where the concept of the Cooperative Wholesale Society was most likely first discussed.
A local historian, Ray Wilson wrote a comprehensive leaflet on the Lowbands Story before his death in 2007. It appears on the Middletonia website and is highly recommended for further research on the Bradshaw Estate and the Co-operative movement.
Visit: http://middletonas.com/our-investigations-published-works/bradshaw-hall-middleton/
Uploaded
December 16th, 2020
Embed
Share
Comments
There are no comments for Middleton history - Lowband Farm. Click here to post the first comment.