Manchester and Liverpool were to be the central foundation of Samuel Greg’s point of distribution and importation. He could transport his finished products to Manchester where they would be distributed. Though the land inside Manchester was already occupied, land outside was still obtainable at a fraction of the price. This was a significant factor which Greg knew could pay off if he was to be successful. Greg learned that buying land on the inner skirts of Manchester was too expensive and risky. He was paying a mere £50 for land, buildings and 2.8 (approx £2.40) shillings for the annual rent put forward by the Earl of Stamford. Samuel had nothing to lose he found cheap land but he still had to consider other aspects. The land was boggy, swampy, it was impossible for farmers to grow their crops and to generally farm on. Styal was reasonably close to both Manchester and Liverpool, both were in a radius of 30 miles. The Liverpool port was key for the source of his raw materials e.g., cotton via the canal.
The high-speed flowing river Bollin provided the pre-eminent element of water power. This linked perfectly and significantly with Arkwright’s water frame which, was powered by the river Bollin, halved the time and saved money in vastness. It used water to spin a set of spindles which twisted the fibres firmly together. The 15ft drop (weir) created an adequate force to turn the 32ft waterwheel which created sufficient power to turn the substantial amount of machines via cogs and gears. The headrace carried immense amounts of water which was linked to the weir dam. By seeing the weir first hand shows the actual force of the river. The tailrace took the water away after it turned the ‘Great Wheel’. This was distinctively demanded by the farmers inhabiting lower down the river, mostly in the summer.
As Liverpool ports ‘grew’ Samuel wedded a daughter of the Rathbone family. The family were merchants and ship-owners which was significant as Greg was capable to import his raw materiel from the Rathbone family’s docks. Greg didn’t get fair less cargo shipment though he did get economical charges which was another money saving proposal. After importing the materiel from America, Greg was able to exploit the River Mersey and Bollin to bring the freight to Styal. Transporting goods by road was a great deal more costly in contrast with barging. Travelling by road usually cost 30 shillings per ton whereas going by river with a Duke’s charge was limited to only six shillings. A short road trip was inevitable as to the location of the mill; this was a turnpike road which had a minor toll placed on it of.
This table shows the expansion of Liverpool docks from 1784 to 1790. The increase shows raise for the demand of shipped products.
This table shows the amount of cotton imported from 1784 to 1790. This suggested there was higher demand of cloth post war and America was key source for his raw materials.
The expansion carried out by Greg suggested that the cotton trade was booming. The American Independence War was over and the imports and demand of cloth was at its apex. More people demanded cloth which meant supplementary cotton had to be imported. More people had to be employed, more machines were needed which meant more power. He never looked back; he expanded more than just his mill but his opportunity to create an empire of mills. He knew he had made the right choice, it was a risk worth taking.
Concluding, I have scrutinized almost every aspect of the reasons behind Samuel Greg’s choosing of site.
Power source Cheap land Near Manchester/Liverpool
The marshy land Greg chose for his mill had to be industrialized to get the optimum results. The river nearby could be easily diverted using the headrace and tail race to turn the Water wheel. The wheel then turned the spindles which conclusively created the woven cloth. The cloth was then sold. As far as employment was concerned people could be ‘imported’ from other towns, cities, or even countries. The transport was also a minor fact; turnpike roads had a toll but were easily accessible. But getting to Manchester and Liverpool was fairly significant, as a supply of raw materials and allocation.
