Upper Priory Cotton Mill facts for kids

The Upper Priory Cotton Mill was a very important factory. It opened in Birmingham, England, in the summer of 1741. This mill was the world's first factory to spin cotton using machines. It was started by Lewis Paul and John Wyatt. They set it up in an old warehouse.

Paul and Wyatt invented special roller spinning machines. Paul got a patent for these machines in 1738. For the first time, these machines could spin cotton without people using their fingers. Wyatt imagined a "kind of mill" where many machines could run from one power source. This was a big step towards modern factories.

History of the Mill

Lewis Paul himself helped pay for the Upper Priory Mill. Other people who invested money included Thomas Warren, a bookseller from Birmingham. Edward Cave, a publisher from London, also helped. He published The Gentleman's Magazine. Finally, Robert James, a famous doctor, also invested. He invented a well-known "fever powder."

These three men were friends with Samuel Johnson, a famous writer. Johnson had lived in Birmingham in the 1730s. His family knew Wyatt's family in Lichfield. Johnson might have introduced these investors to Paul.

How the Mill Worked

The mill had fifty spindles, which are parts that twist cotton into thread. Two donkeys walked around to power these spindles. About ten women worked at the mill to operate the machines. People who saw the mill back then said the machine worked well. Everyone had high hopes for the project at first.

In 1740, Robert James wrote to Thomas Warren. He said, "Yesterday we went to see Mr. Paul's machine. It made us all very happy with how it carded and spun cotton." He believed that if Paul had enough money, he could make a fortune.

Why the Mill Failed

By 1743, the Upper Priory Mill was almost falling apart. John Wyatt had offered to manage the mill from December 1741. But he was put in Fleet Prison in June 1742 because he owed money.

A letter written to Wyatt during this time showed the mill was poorly managed. It said, "I think there's not one ass left alive." This meant the donkeys had died. So, the work had to be done by hand. The letter also said, "There's not a man left at the work."

Wyatt tried to get orders for yarn after he was released in October 1743. But there are no more records of the mill after this time. The machines from Upper Priory might have been sent to Northampton in 1757.

Problems with the Machines

A big problem with Paul and Wyatt's machines was that they broke easily. They often needed expensive repairs. Some people also think the mill failed because Paul and Wyatt were not good at managing the workers. They couldn't keep things organized.

Andrew Ure, a writer, said Wyatt was good at inventing. But he was "a gentle and passive spirit." He wasn't tough enough to handle the difficulties of starting a new factory. He needed someone with "Napoleon nerve and ambition."

Matthew Boulton later ran a very successful factory called the Soho Manufactory. He remembered the Paul-Wyatt mill as "a good Cotton spinning mill." He believed it "would have got money had it been in good hands."

Even though Paul and Wyatt's own factory failed, their machines were still used. Other mills opened in Northampton and Leominster. A second mill in Birmingham also used their machines. It kept running until at least the mid-1750s.

See also

• Marvel's Mill – This mill opened in Northampton in 1742. It used Paul-Wyatt machines for over 15 years.
• Pinsley Mill – Another mill that used Paul-Wyatt machines. It was opened by Daniel Bourn in Leominster between 1744 and 1748.
• Cromford Mill – Opened by Richard Arkwright in Derbyshire in 1771. It used machines very similar to Paul and Wyatt's. This was the first cotton mill to make a lot of money.