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Samuel Crompton 1753 - 1827
![[Portrait of Samuel Crompton]](cromp.gif)
Samuel Crompton born December 3rd 1753 on a farm at 10, Firwood Fold, to
George and Betty (nee Elizabeth Holt of Turton) Crompton, was the inventor of
the Spinning Mule. Later the family moved to, and his father was caretaker at Hall'i'th'Wood but he died at the age of 37. Samuel
had two younger sisters born to Betty and George. Samuel was educated at "the
school of Mr. Lever in Church St." and was put under the then well known
master William Barlow. Samuel was 15 when he started working on a spinning
jenny at Hall'i'th'Wood. Spinning was the
family occupation and Samuels' mother needed a certain amount of work each
day. Samuel, frustrated at the soft yarn that frequently broke, spent his
spare time combining Hargreaves' spinning jenny and Arkwrights' water frame.
A solitary person, he also developed a taste for music and he made himself a
violin. After 5 years working in secrecy from machine wreckers, the Spinning
Mule was born in 1779. It was originally known as the "Hall'ith'Wood Wheel" or
"Muslin Wheel" until it took the name of the "Mule". However, Samuel lacked
the finance to patent the machine.
![[house and girl]](cbpgirl.gif)
39k GIF 188k JPEG
Crompton's birthplace c1911 by permission
Samuel married Mary Pimlott (or Pimbley) from New Heys Hall near Warrington,
he met her when she moved to Turton, when her father died, where she was a
spinner. They married at Bolton Parish Church on 16th February 1780. It was
around this time when many tried to learn of his secret, but notably Richard
Arkwright. He knew he could keep his secret no longer, and a number of
manufacturers agreed to subscribe funds to him as reward for improvements to
spinning. However he received very little in actual monies, in fact just
£60. He also had made for him a silver watch, paid for by George Hodson
of Bolton for five guineas.
Sometime before 1785, he moved to Sharples with his son George, born January
8th 1781 to a farm where he kept cattle and also continued to spin
He spent the rest of his life trying to gain redress for the prosperity
brought to the industry which was a five fold increase in production to
Lancashire's textile manufacturers. A petition brought to Parliament on June
24th 1812 resulted in £5,000 which cleared some debts outstanding from a
failed bleaching works in Darwen. He moved to 17 King Street in Bolton in
1791.
He had a total of 8 children with his wife, but she died on May 29th 1796, and
two youngest died with sickness during the next two years. He died at his home
on King Street in
Bolton, on June 26th, 1827 a poor and broken man.
![[Crompton's statue in Nelson Square]](crostat.gif)
This statue was erected by public subscription, and unveiled September 24th
1862 in honour of his contribution to Bolton's industry. It is situated in Nelson Square.
![[Crompton's grave in St. Peter's graveyard, off Churchgate]](crograve.gif)
The gravestone reads: Beneath this stone are interred the mortal remains
of Samuel Crompton, of Bolton, late of Hall i'th' Wood, in the township of
Tonge, inventor of the Spinning Machine called the Mule; who departed this
life on the 26th day of June 1827, aged 72 years. "Mors Ultimo Linea Rerum
Est."
The translation of the Latin is "Death is the last boundary of human affairs".
In 1861, local textile workers paid for this granite monument which was placed
over his grave, which is in St. Peter's graveyard.
Family History Information
Due to the number of family history enquiries I would be grateful if
someone could provide perhaps a family tree details in RTF format
(preferably). Under consideration is on this page linking up all family
line members, please send me a note to
webmaster
if you would like to appear here as a relation of the Cromptons.
Until a separate page exists, all the entries for the Crompton family
appear in the guestbook.
Family history can be researched by http://www.mlfhs.org.uk/
Go to Nelson Square on the virtual walk
Go to St. Peter's on the virtual walk
DISCLAIMER: Errors and Omissions Excepted.
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