292 History of the 



of slipper out of the used-up pieces of blanketting from the 

 printing machines for wear during the working hours, and some 

 years after her arrival in Rossendale Mrs. Wyhe obtained a piece 

 of felt from Bridge End Mills, and out of this fashioned a pair of 

 slippers. Their neat and cozy appearance was admired by several 

 persons, amongst the rest by Mr. Henry Rothwell, who was the 

 occupant of the mills, and he induced her to make similar slippers 

 for his wife and himself. 



Subsequently, about the year 1874, Mr. J. W. Rothwell (nephew 

 of the above), a woollen printer by trade, began to manufacture 

 these felt slippers at his house in Miller Barn Lane. About 1876 

 he went into partnership with two other printers, Messrs. Clegg 

 and Spencer, and this firm also began the manufacture. Mr. 

 Samuel McLerie hkewise entered into the trade shortly afterwards. 

 The goods gradually found a market both in Rossendale and out- 

 side of it. Shortly after this, viz., about 18S0, the firm of Messrs. 

 Jas. Gregory & Company commenced a similar manufacture at 

 Whitewell Bottom, and although their business was not very 

 successful at first, it eventually became so, mainly owing to the 

 tact and energy of Mr. H. W. Trickett, whom the firm engaged 

 as traveller. 



In 1883, Mr. Trickett began business on his own account 

 at Carr Lane Mill, and later he purchased the large and com- 

 modious cotton mill at Gaghills, which he transformed into a 

 slipper factory. At first the whole of the slippers were made by 

 hand. Finding in the earlier years of his business at Carr Lane 

 that the Germans had almost sole possession of the English 

 market, and believing that it would be impossible to compete 

 with them by hand, Mr. Trickett began and invented various 

 machines, and adapted others for producing the goods. In this 

 he has been entirely successful. He now is making at his two 

 mills over 40,000 pairs of slippers weekly, sending them out to 

 all parts of the world. 



There are at the present time ten slipper factories in the district. 

 The number of workpeople, mostly young men and women. 



