The Early Factory Masters: The Transition to the Factory System in the Midland Textile Industry

The factory system of production began in britain after arkwright left lancashire and found midland backers in 1769. The earliest centres of the pioneer cotton industry were around nottingham and arkwright's second base and cromford. This book traces the careers of the first generation of mill owners in the midlands, examining their connections with the older hosiery industry, their family links, their recruitment of capital, industrial relations and community building.