The Church Street Factory was the last link to generations of Coggeshall weavers, inside there was an inscription; 'Richard White 1736' - White was Coggeshall's last baymaker and a very wealthy man even as the trade declined. The date 1736 probably marks the date of a refurbishment as the buildings were much older than this. There was a disastrous fire here in 1777 which damaged huge amounts of stock in store for weaving and which spread so quickly that one of White's children had to be thrown from an upper window to be caught by onlookers below. It was this fire which prompted Coggeshall to buy their own fire engine.
A sale notice of 1901 reads,'FREEHOLD MERCANTILE PROPERTY situate in Church-street, and known as the CLOTHING FACTORY, consisting of two large workrooms. a cottage used as pressing-rooms, and gabled Residence, capable of seating 45 employees.'
The last occupiers before this photo was taken were Messrs Hart and Levy who used it as an outstation. The factory then comprised five cottages as shown here with some work done off site by home-workers. An old poster on the wall above the men reads, 'Wanted: Machinists' which may give a clue as to the type of work undertaken at the factory then.
In 1905 Mrs T P Price invited the indoor hands from the 'Church-street tailoring factory' to her residence. Marks Hall. The girls, numbering about 30 together with Miss Kate Tansley, the manageress, and Mrs. Stoney and Miss Gardner, (from the church) were conveyed to the Hall in brakes.
Traditional weaving could only have ceased a few years before, as in 1908 when this photo was taken, some of the old weavers were still alive, among them an ancient character called 'Bogy Sach' who lived in Back Lane. [These details are from a manuscript in the Gardner collection, Coggeshall Museum 2/38(45)].
Hollington Bros took over the site in 1908 and demolished some of the cottages to build a modern factory. The business proved very successful and in subsequent years the factory was extended twice until all the old cottages were gone. In the photo Mr Sach, the demolition and building contractor, with his workers, pose outside the old buildings just before starting to demolish them.
(To see what was built in its place click here: Nasty Factory)
Another view of this row of weavers cottages here; Weavers Cottages
Date: 1908.
Ref: 11/04
A sale notice of 1901 reads,'FREEHOLD MERCANTILE PROPERTY situate in Church-street, and known as the CLOTHING FACTORY, consisting of two large workrooms. a cottage used as pressing-rooms, and gabled Residence, capable of seating 45 employees.'
The last occupiers before this photo was taken were Messrs Hart and Levy who used it as an outstation. The factory then comprised five cottages as shown here with some work done off site by home-workers. An old poster on the wall above the men reads, 'Wanted: Machinists' which may give a clue as to the type of work undertaken at the factory then.
In 1905 Mrs T P Price invited the indoor hands from the 'Church-street tailoring factory' to her residence. Marks Hall. The girls, numbering about 30 together with Miss Kate Tansley, the manageress, and Mrs. Stoney and Miss Gardner, (from the church) were conveyed to the Hall in brakes.
Traditional weaving could only have ceased a few years before, as in 1908 when this photo was taken, some of the old weavers were still alive, among them an ancient character called 'Bogy Sach' who lived in Back Lane. [These details are from a manuscript in the Gardner collection, Coggeshall Museum 2/38(45)].
Hollington Bros took over the site in 1908 and demolished some of the cottages to build a modern factory. The business proved very successful and in subsequent years the factory was extended twice until all the old cottages were gone. In the photo Mr Sach, the demolition and building contractor, with his workers, pose outside the old buildings just before starting to demolish them.
(To see what was built in its place click here: Nasty Factory)
Another view of this row of weavers cottages here; Weavers Cottages
Date: 1908.
Ref: 11/04
Also in: Church Street
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