Derby Industrial Museum facts for kids
The museum and the River Derwent
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| Established | 1974 |
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| Location | Derby, England |
| Type | Industrial museum |
The Derby Silk Mill is a cool museum in Derby, England. It's built inside a really old silk mill, which is part of the famous Derwent Valley Mills. This mill was super important because it was Britain's very first factory! It was built between 1717 and 1721 by George Sorocold right next to the River Derwent. Its main job was to make silk threads using machines powered by a big water wheel.
Contents
How the Silk Mill Started
A man named John Lombe got the ideas for these amazing silk-spinning machines from Italy. He learned how they worked while he was there. Some people think this might have been one of the first times someone copied industrial secrets, which is sometimes called industrial espionage.
Before this mill, people usually spun silk at home using a spinning wheel. But the new machines at the Derby Silk Mill could make huge amounts of silk. They needed a lot of power, which came from a large water wheel turned by the river. This allowed them to produce much more silk than ever before.
John Lombe died unexpectedly in 1722. Some believed he was poisoned by an Italian as revenge for taking their trade secrets. His half-brother, Sir Thomas Lombe, continued the business.
A Busy Factory System
The Derby Silk Mill was a very advanced factory for its time. It had special circular spinning machines, also called 'throwing machines'. These machines all used power from one source – the water wheel. Many workers, sometimes 200 to 400 people, worked together in an organized way. Because the mill handled the whole process, from raw silk to fine thread, it's seen as the first successful factory system in Britain.
Many visitors came to see the Silk Mill. Even famous people like James Boswell visited in 1777. However, not everyone thought it was a great place. Some visitors mentioned the heat, bad smells, and noise. One visitor in 1835 was sad to see how hard the children working there had it.
One former worker, William Hutton, later remembered the long hours, low pay, and tough conditions. Work only stopped if the river was too dry or frozen, or if there wasn't enough silk.
Changes and Challenges
Over the years, the mill faced challenges. Other silk mills opened in places like Derby and Cheshire, creating competition. The silk trade itself also started to slow down.
In 1833, workers in Derby began to organize, leading to the formation of a big union. The Silk Mill was part of this. The mill's owner at the time refused to hire any worker who was a union member. This led to a difficult time for many workers. This event is remembered every year with a march organized by the Derby Trades Union Council.
The family who owned the mill eventually faced financial trouble and had to sell their machinery and lease in 1865. This showed that the silk industry was going through a tough time.
The Great Fire of 1910
The mill stopped making silk around 1908. A company that made fly papers and cough medicines moved in instead. But on December 5, 1910, a fire broke out in a nearby building and quickly spread to the Silk Mill. The fire was huge! The mill's east wall fell into the river, and the whole building burned down.
Firefighters worked hard and managed to save the tower and the outlines of the doorways from the original five floors. You can still see these today on the tower staircase. The building was rebuilt to the same height but with three stories instead of five.
Becoming a Museum
In the 1920s, the building was taken over by the British Electricity Authority. They used it for storage, workshops, and a canteen. For a long time, the public mostly forgot about the mill because it was hidden behind a power station.
When the power station was removed in 1970, the mill became visible again. It was then decided to turn it into an Industrial Museum, something Derby had wanted for a long time. The museum officially opened its doors on November 29, 1974.
Temporary Closure and Future
In 2011, the Derby City Council temporarily closed the museum. This was done to help raise money for big plans to redevelop the Silk Mill museum and other museums in the city. The museum was closed for a couple of years while these plans were put into action. It has since reopened as the Museum of Making.
Images for kids
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The museum and the River Derwent
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The museum entrance and tower from Cathedral Green
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Derby Silk Mill, probably in the early 1900s, before the 1910 fire.
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Watercolour by Alfred John Keene of the 1910 fire.
See also
In Spanish: Derby Industrial Museum para niños
