This exchange originated on the mailing list LANCSGEN-L@rootsweb.com

David Long is chairman of the Sankey Canal Restoration Society http://www.scars.org.uk/

Q. Can any one on the list tell me when Rylands Wire Works (where wire workers worked) was established?

Rylands Bros. (John, b. 1619, and William) employed wavers in Culcheth, near Warrington "about the middle of the eighteenth century." Descendant Peter Rylands removed the business to Wigan, and also opened up in Warrington with his son, John, where they added sailcloth-making to their list. About 1805 John added wire-drawing to their activities, was associated with Nathaniel Greening, during which time wire-weaving was begun and the clothing side dwindled.

In 1843, the wire-drawing passed to Ryland's sons, John, Thomas Glazebrook, and Peter. It became Rylands Bros. Ltd. in 1868.

The Rylands family were prominent in the town - mayors etc..

Q. Also what outfits would pin headers and weavers have worked for?

Them. Rylands wire was drawn to make nails and pins. When I was Vicar of St. Barnabas, Lovely Lane, the Parish which covered their Whitecross factory, they used to bring a lovely display into our church for Harvest Festival, showing all the types of nails they made. I have a picture of it from the church's 1979 Centenary if you want it sending through....

I used to park a fleet of buses and coaches in the yard at Whitecross works. I wish I'd taken photos of the maintenance shop there; it was like a cathedral, with belt-driven machines from an overhead drive shaft. Lovely.

Reference: "Warrington Ancient & Modern" by Austin M Crowe, 1947.

"Tigger" of Warrington adds: To add a modern slant to David's info. None of the factories now survive on Milner Street. On the town side there is a car showroom, a DIY store and a car park for Lever Brothers / Ineos Silicas (another famous Warrington name bit the dust early this year when Crosfield was renamed by its new owners. On the other side there is another car showroom, a pipe merchant (so some metal link there!), a Post Sorting Office and a car repair workshop. Some parts of Rylands-Whitecross do still remain around the town but they are disappearing rapidly these days!

Photos of the old Rylands Wire Works are at the link below.