322 A BRIEF MEMOIR 



were very young, and his only daughter kept his 

 httle cottage in King-street, Bolton, where he 

 died and where she is now living. Being a 

 weaver he erected several looms for the fancy 

 work of that town, in which he displayed great 

 ingenuity. Though his means were but small, 

 his economy in living made him always in easy 

 circumstances. He was fond of music, and 

 built for himself an organ, which he had in his 

 little cottage. In 1812 he made a survey of all 

 yie cotton districts in England, Scotland, and 

 Ireland, and obtained an estimate of the number 

 of spindles then at work upon his principle, 

 which amounted to between four and five mil- 

 lions.* On his return he laid the result of his 

 enquiries before Mr. Lee and myself, with a 

 suggestion that parliament might grant him some- 

 thing. With these data before him, Mr. Lee, 

 who was a warm friend to genius of every kind, 

 with his usual energy entered fully into his 

 merits, and made an appointment with the late 

 George Duckworth, Esq. of Manchester, who 

 also took a lively interest in the scheme, and 

 gratuitously offered to draw up a memorial to 

 parliament in behalf of Mr. Crompton. This 

 was signed by most of the principal manufac- 

 turers in the kingdom who were acquainted with 



* Now ill 1829 about seven Millions. 



