epw060679 ENGLAND (1939). John Rigby and Sons Rawfolds Wire Mills and the disused Rawfolds Dye Works, Rawfolds, 1939

Primrose Hill

Rawfolds Dye Works (disused) Since the mid 1700s (built by Benjamin Broadley around 1774) Rawfolds has been home to a succession of Dyeing and Finishing companies: indeed, Rawfolds Mill itself included both processes at the time of Mr Cartwright’s occupancy in 1812. (On the evening of 11th April 1812, the mill was attacked by a Luddite mob of about 150 men led by George Mellor) In 1875 a Mr George Briggs built his mill, to be called the Rawfolds Dye Works, on the triangle of land between Bradford Road and Cartwright Street in Cleckheaton. The company became part of the Bradford Dyers’ Association in 1898.

Spen River

Cartwright Street

Primrose Lane

Bradford Road

There were a number of companies trading as John Rigby and Sons. This image is of Rawfolds - Cleckheaton is to the North West. A part of John Rigby and Sons Ltd, whose Head Office in 1943 was in Salford, with another branch in Cleckheaton (this one). A branch in Low Moor (Bradford) in 1943 was a "sales office", in 1951 "head sales office", but by 1953 described as "Head Office". The company made cold drawn sections in steel and mild steel (including wire for concrete), brass and other alloys. They made solid drawn pinion wire in brass, stainless steel, aluminium, nickel alloy etc. Their wire was used for birdcages, lampshades, florists wire and so on. Possibly not the same company, but in 1979 a company called "John Rigby and Sons Ltd", incorporated in 1929, changed its name to Norton (Steel) Profiles Ltd, registered office in Birmingham. This company was dissolved in 1997.