W.T.Taylor & Co. Ltd
In the year 1904 W.T.Taylor (1848-1925) founded a firm in Horwich in the north of England. With 1,200 looms it was at one time the largest maker of towels in the British Empire and second in the world only to a firm in the US. The company brand name was Wavecrest. W.T.Taylor & Company Limited remained independent until 1970 when it was taken over by the Spirella Group and became Stott & Smith with the Chortex brand name. W.T.Taylor (pictured) was my great grandfather. The picture is a watercolour portrait which was for many decades displayed on the office wall at Victoria Mill, the company's premises in Horwich. According to Keith Taylor, my second cousin and also a great grandson son of W.T.Taylor, the painting was thrown into a skip when Spirella took over, and it was only by chance that he came across it and was able to rescue it for posterity.
W.T.Taylor's son, John Taylor (my late grandfather), joined his father in the business as company salesman and became Joint Managing Director with Harry Taylor when W.T.Taylor died in 1925. My father Kenneth Taylor joined W.T.Taylor & Co. Ltd soon after the Second World War and became Managing Director.
The demolition of Victoria Mill, Horwich
Victoria Mill remains in business to this day (not any more - read the 4th response below) following a fairly recent management buyout, though employs only a small fraction of the number of people who worked there in its heyday. The last connection between the Taylor family and Chortex (as the company is now called) is that my father (87) used to attend the Victoria Mill pensioners Christmas party every year.
The Stott & Smith name goes back even further than W.T.Taylor, having started in Manchester in 1892 (Tom Stott and Alfred Smith, agents at first, then manufacturers in Congleton). The Chortex brand name comes from a Chorley textiles company, E.H.Cooper.
Related articles: (i) W.T.Taylor & Co. Ltd, (ii) Honest Bill's Mill, and (iii) A speech by Alfred Holt.
I was searching for details of W.T.T & Co, silversmiths, when I came across this site. I'm delighted that I did. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the history of your family company and wish you all continued sucess in your chosen fields. I still haven't been able to find anything out about the silversmith though!!
Lynne, many thanks for your comments, and good luck in your quest for the silversmith.
A1 website, amazing detail about W.T. Taylor, please pass my best regards to Keith.
The photo above was taken by me, great grandson of W.T.Taylor, on July 24th, 2007. Victoria Mill is more or less demolished. Towel manufacturing in Horwich has obviously ended.
Paul - good website about Rivington. See pictures of Rivington Pike and will mention to Keith.
I was searching for Stott and Smith Limited located in Manchester just for a trade inquiry and I stumbled upon this page. It is great to read the information about W.T.Taylor & his company and equally sad to read such a big company has come to an end.
I worked as a weaver at Taylors for 30 years, very happy years. It is heartbreaking to see them pulling it down. I remember your father very well and used to see him walking up Rivington a lot. We were one big happy family from the offices down to the sheds. Started on the lancashires then the automatics then ended up running 10 looms. I did the training and the first aid and the health and safety and for some time the union too. Saw many changes over the years but made many friends. We all miss the mill. It was nice reading your site. It brings back lots of happy memories.
I was talking to one of the weavers and she said they can tear the mill down but can't take our memories away. So true. Give my love to your father. Last time I saw him he was on Chorley New Road near Beaumont Electrics. Not seen him for a while.
There are many of the old mill workers that feel the same as we do. If you look at the number of years that most of the workers stayed working there you would find most were 20 years or more. Remember the Carr brothers? Your father would. All started as school leavers and stayed till they retired.
Thank you. Take care. Glenys Robinson.
realy would like some pictures of the mill when everything was still going. i worked in the weaving shed for 11 years best years of my life working there. its realy sad to see it being pulled down what super memories i have & all the workers i miss. well i realy hope someone out there has got some pictures of the mill inside & out. please send them to me to rob1_971@msn.com thankyou.
My father does remember the Carr brothers. There were three, all 'twisters'. For the record, the job of 'twisters' was knotting the old warps to the new ones (I hope that's correct).