The first trace of Adlington Higher Mill is a plan dated 1858, where it is owned by James Anderton. It's likely that this is a plan from when the building was built, as there is no trace of in 1854 and 1855 local trade directories, and there is no similarly shaped building on the 1845 map of Adlington.
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| A plan of Adlington Higher Mill from 1858 |
In the 1861 census, sixty year old James Anderton is listed as a cotton spinner employing 13 men, 13 women and 12 children. By 1868, James Anderton has retired and the proprietor appears to be Thomas Preston. Thomas Preston appeared to have financial struggles, as in both 1868 and 1871, he is listed in the London Gazette and the Edinburgh Gazette in a list of bankruptcies.
In 1872, it is listed in the sale particulars as a prt of the Burgh Hall Estate, at Duxbury. The mill is to be sold at auction in early 1873.
By the summer of 1876, it is ran by the Widdows Brothers, who run this until about 1890. The building then appears to have fallen into disuse, which is how it remained until it is reopened in about 1904 as Derbyshire and Blackburn Limited, which is how most people know of it.
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| Derbyshire and Blackburn's thanks to the Bata page |
M.D Smith in About Adlington tells us that it was closed down during the Second World War, under the Government's scheme for the concentration of industry. All the looms were temporarily removed while the factory was used as a food store. At the end of the war it took seven months to replace the machinery and restore production.
The Bata Shoe Company purchased Higher Mill in April 1949. This takeover did not substantially alter production because large quantities of cotton textiles were used in the manufacture of footwear.
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| The building with three gables and a flagpole was Derbyshire and Blackburn's Higher Mill. At the time of this post card photograph, the mill was operated by the Bata Shoe Company, circa 1955. |
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| A group of workers outside Derbyshire and Blackburn's c1963. Thanks to Jayne from Chorley Then and Now for the photo. |