Mill workers' social lives

Holidays and Feast Days

Women workers from Witney Mill resting by the River Windrush during their break.

In the industrial era most workers took their annual holiday during 'factory fortnight' in August. During this time the machines would be overhauled and the local coach firm would run a series of day trips to the seaside.

The Witney Feast, a yearly colourful and noisy event, was another holiday in the blanket workers' calendar; it first came about in 1243 when King Henry III gave two deer to the Rector of Witney to celebrate the re-dedication of the church [1]. Over hundreds of years it has changed from a feast day to a funfair, taking place on the first Sunday after the 8th of September and lasting for two days. Originally it was held all along Church Green and around the Market Square but moved to the green space next to the church known as The Leys in the early 20th century. It has always been an important date in the local calendar; people would come in from miles around to enjoy the fairground rides, sideshows, food stalls, music and sporting events.

The quill winders, who wound bobbins for the weavers' shuttles, presented the sticks that they used to the mill owners on Shrove Tuesday and in return received a feast of ale and pancakes [2].

On Thursday 3rd July 1969 a two-day carnival celebration was held at Cowpens in Witney to celebrate the Tercentenary or 300th year of Early's involvement in the blanket business. Admission was free and the attractions advertised included the Regimental Band of the Royal Green Jackets, a grand carnival procession with cash prizes awarded for the best floats, a sky diving display, a cricket match between the Specially Selected Mills XI and the International Cavaliers, continuous 'Pop' sessions, a motor cycle display team, fireworks and fairground rides.

The Tuckers' Feasts

A group of tuckers outside a Witney blanket mill (copyright Witney and District Museum).

Twice a year in May and November the tuckers held feasts for the master weavers. These feasts were called 'Tuckers Reckonings' and the object of them was to invite the master weavers in order that they could pay the tuckers for all the work they had done for them in the last six months.

In later years, as the cottage industries fell to the wayside and master weavers were building their own factories which incorporated all blanket making processes, the Tuckers' Reckoning Feasts came to an end. In return it was the mill owner who laid on the feast for the tuckers and kept the centuries-old tradition alive.

At Witney Mill, a factory belonging to the Early family, the Tuckers' Feast was always held on Shrove Tuesday. The tradition came to include the gift to every man of one clay pipe for each year that they had attended the Feast [3]. One of their tuckers was a man called Joseph Fowler, who composed the words and music to a song that he called 'Wonderfully Curious'. Joseph was born about 1815 (around the time of the Battle of Waterloo). This song was adopted by the tuckers and sung yearly at their feasts. Joseph was first person to sing it, after he retired John Seacole took over, after John came Fred Middleton. Jack Tooley took over in 1947 and in later years was asked to sing this song for radio transmission in Canada and Australia. After Jack, Cyril Nunn took over and was the last regular singer to perform. Sadly these Feasts stopped in the 1980s. Between Cyril's retirement and the Feasts finishing one or two guest singers did perform, one of whom was Richard Early whose great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Thomas Early was the founder of the Early blanket makers in Witney.

Sports clubs

A poster for a cricket match between the Witney Mill team and Oxford City team, as part of Witney Feast in September 1931.

Workers in the mills formed several sporting clubs including cricket, bowls and football. The Witney Mills Cricket Team was established in the 1920s; the blanket factory owner Edward Early was very much involved with this and was successful in getting professional cricketers along to play festival matches on high days and holidays. Up to 1,500 spectators would turn up to see the famous players taken on by the Witney Mills Club; Jack Hobbs is reputed to have made two centuries on the Witney Mills ground and later on Colin Cowdrey, Fred Trueman, Tom Graveney and Martin Donnelly amongst others all made guest appearances.

Photograph of Witney Mills Cricket Club, 1946.

Enthusiasm for the sport continued; matches were played against Oxford College sides and in 1954 the Witney Mills Cricket Club Team did a tour of Denmark. Some members of the Smith blanket making family were also keen sportsmen: Sam Smith (son of the company's founder) was a keen cricketer and knew W.G. Grace, and further down the generations Jack Smith, who was in charge of sales, played badminton, cricket, hockey and tennis for Oxfordshire. Len Hemming, who was Early's Sales Manager, also played regularly for the County Cricket Team.

Other clubs and societies
There were also many non-sporting clubs and societies formed throughout the 19th and 20th centuries for Witney dwellers, including those for singing and music, drama and Bible study [4]. The Temperance (teetotal) movement was strong in the town but there were plenty of taverns and inns to choose from if this was not your cup of tea! The first cinema came to Witney in 1913 and opened with a 'display of beautiful animated pictures on scenic, scientific, humorous and dramatic subjects' for the publics' delectation. Fetes, sports days, sales of work and public lectures also naturally formed part of the regular pattern of town life.

Some workers joined the blanket companies straight from school and remained with the same firm for the whole of their working lives; the Half-Century Club was started by Charles Early and Company in 1945 and was open to employees who had worked for the firm for over 50 years. In your fiftieth year you were invited to join and on acceptance given a certificate recognising your long service and a cash gift. Social events were organised for the members. There were twenty nine members in 1951, of which three were women: Mary Haley, Sarah Clack and Alice Clack. The Chairman of the company, J.H. Early, qualified to join the ranks himself in 1950 and became President of the Club.

Brass bands

Smith's Bridge Street Mill Band in the 1890s (copyright David Smith).

In the 19th century brass bands were extremely popular in Witney. There were at least five bands in town, including two set up by William Smith: the Temperance Band in 1850 and the Bridge Street Mill Band in 1880. Some bands were very accomplished and became well known locally and nationally through winning competitions and taking part in parades and celebrations. William's blanket making descendants continued to be involved with local bands up until 1973 when Neville Smith was the President of the Witney Town Band [5].

Another band was formed by William Webley at Worsham Mill in the early 20th century. He often found places in his mill for people who were known to be good musicians, although they were expected to buy their own instruments from him in instalments. This unusual method of staffing the mill may have contributed to the collapse of the business: one day Mr Webley took all the instruments to an Oxford pawnbroker and not long after the blanket making business failed [6].

References
[1] Gott and Gott 2004: p115
[2] Bloxham 2002: p32
[3] Bloxham 2002: p33
[4] Gott and Gott 2004: p69
[5] Honey 1998: p58
[6] Plummer and Early 1969: p159

Listen:
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Peter Baston, a former wool buyer for Marriott's and Charles Early & Marriott Ltd, remembers how the blanket industry often employed different members of the same family, therefore creating a family feel to each business (76Kb).

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Doreen Foggett, who worked in the finishing room at Marriott's between 1955 and 1959, recalls 'Factory Fortnight' and the impact it had on Witney (99Kb).

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A former worker for Smith and Philips' blanket company remembers a 'never to be forgotten' cricket match against Early's (72Kb).

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Doreen Foggett describes Christmas Eve in the finishing room (104Kb).