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Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Needles
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
A
Brief
introduction
to
the
Needle
Industry
in
Redditch
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Needles
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
The
needle
industry
in
the
UK
began
in
the
16th
Century
when
it
was
introduced
by
Flemish
refugees
centred
in
London.
A
chartered
guild
of
master
needle
makers
was
formed
called
"The
Worshipful
Company
of
Needle
makers".
As
with
most
Guilds,
they
were
restrictive
and
against
innovation
or
change
which
could
threaten
its
position.
This
included
restrictions
on
the
use
of
machinery
or
a
change
of
material
and
to
implement
any
changes
it
was
necessary
for
craftsmen
to
leave
London.
In
the
middle
of
the
17th
Century
the
name
of
William
Lea
is
recorded
as
being
leader
of
a
rising
needle
industry
based
at
Studley
and
Sambourne.
Left:
-
The
glove
making
industry
was
an
important
user
of
needles.
Right
-
The
stages
in
the
manufacture
of
a
Redditch
needle.
(images
courtesy
Forge
Mill
Needle
Museum)
The
Development
of
the
Needle
Industry
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Needles
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
This
early
industry
was
based
on
the
cottage
system
and
by
the
late
17th
Century
had
reached
Redditch.
In
1730
Henry
Milward
and
Sons
was
founded,
in
1785
Abel
Morrall
was
founded
and
by
the
end
of
the
century
nearly
2000
people
were
employed
in
needle
making
around
Redditch.
In
the
early
part
of
the
eighteenth
century
some
of
the
corn
mills
were
converted
into
needle
mills
on
the
River
Arrow.
The
main
aim
was
to
speed
up
and
improve
the
pointing
and
scouring
processes
and
included
Washford
Mill
and
Forge
Mill
which
were
both
producing
needles
by
about
1730.
Left:
-
Manual
needle
pointing
as
it
would
have
been
carried
out
in
the
1830s.
Right
-
Forge
Mill’s
water
driven
scouring
machinery
(photographs
AG,
courtesy
Forge
Mill
Needle
Museum)
The
Needle
Industry
arrives
in
Redditch
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Needles
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
The
needle
industry
of
Redditch
created
a
rapidly
increasing
population
and
by
the
mid
1850's
it
was
almost
5,000.
Henry
Milward
&
Sons
Ltd
grew
rapidly
and
soon
they
were
working
one
of
the
water
powered
needle
scouring
mills
on
the
River
Arrow.
As
steam
power
arrived
in
the
late
18th
Century
they
left
their
original
site
and
moved
to
the
town
but
retained
the
name
'Washford
Mills'.
By
the
end
of
the
19th
Century
the
company
had
the
largest
factory
in
England
for
the
production
of
needles.
The
quality
and
excellence
of
their
needles
received
acclaim
world-wide,
winning
them
many
medals
in
national
and
International
exhibitions.
Left:
Needle
Pointing
at
Henry
Milward
and
Sons
Below:
Washford
Mills,
Ipsley
Street
Henry
Milward
and
Sons
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Needles
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
Henry
Milward
and
Sons
played
an
active
part
in
the
amalgamation
of
the
needle
industry
in
the
town.
It
absorbed
some
local
companies
and
became
the
"English
Needle
and
Fishing
Tackle
Company
Ltd."
(ENTACO)
in
1932.
This
company
became
Needle
Industries
Ltd.,
in
May
1946
and,
in
1961,
following
further
mergers
it
became
"Needle
Industries
Group
Ltd."
In
1973
the
textile
company
"Coats
Paton"
of
Paisley,
Glasgow
took
over
the
structure.
In
1984
Coats
Paton
also
took
over
the
second
largest
needle-making
group
in
the
area;
The
Aero
Needles
Group
Ltd.,
formerly
Abel
Morrall
Ltd,
forming
the
largest
needle
company
in
the
world,
and,
at
its
peak,
employing
15,000
people.
Amalgamation
of
the
Redditch
Manufacturers
Left:
-
Needle
Display
Right
-
Wooden
Knitting
Pins
(photographs
AG,
courtesy
Forge
Mill
Needle
Museum)
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Needles
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
With
the
flooding
of
the
world
markets
by
low
cost
Far
East
products,
Needle
Industries
began
to
suffer
and
quickly
ran
into
difficulty.
It
was
drastically
reduced
in
size
and
was
saved
by
a
management
buy-out
in
1991.
This
company
moved
to
the
Washford
Industrial
Estate
and
continues
to
manufacture
Redditch
made
sewing
needles
under
the
John
James
brand.
It
is
appropriate
that
in
Redditch
we
have
the
Forge
Mill
National
Needle
Museum.
In
the
only
working
water
powered
needle
scouring
mill
in
the
world,
the
museum
illustrates
the
rich
heritage
of
the
needle
and
fishing
tackle
industries.
Models
and
recreated
scenes
show
how
needles
were
once
made,
and
how
Redditch
once
produced
90%
of
the
world's
needles.
The
Redditch
Needle
Industry
Today
Left:
-
John
James
Needles
-
from
publicity
material
Right
-
Forge
Mill
Needle
Museum
(photograph
AG)
Pocket
Histories
of
Redditch
-
Needles
Designed
and
Produced
by
Anthony
Green
2015
End
of
Presentation
A
Brief
Introduction
to
the
Needle
Industry
in
Redditch