Chap. 4.] LOCAL CELEBRITIES. 103 



was in Mancliester picking up useful io formation from Eobert Milner 

 about the cotton trade, for into that business George Whittle had 

 detennined to go. Fate, however, vei'y nearly kept him away from 

 the scene of his struggles and future success. He was invited to go 

 out to Australia with George Milner, and but for financial reasons would 

 have gone. Eventually, in 1838, he came to Longridge as (what was 

 called) a "putter out" for merchants. At first George Whittle was 

 in partnership with Mr. Hayhurst, of the fu-m afterwards called 

 Hayhurst and Marsden ; but the partnership was not a success, and 

 soon became the master of a number of workshops or hand-loom 

 colonies on his own account. They were at "the old workliouse,'' 

 Longridge, now turned into cottages in Fell Brow, Hurst Green, 

 Goosnargh, Eibchester, and Copsterd Green. To most of these 

 places George Whittle would walk once a week, generally starting 

 at night or earlj' in the morning, and after doing a hard day's 

 work, walk back at night. This was severe work, indeed, killing 

 work ; for it is related of George AVhittle that, when on his death- 

 bed, he told R. H. Lightfoot that "if he had it to do over again he 

 would not walk to Newton and back (some 15 miles from Longridge) 

 for untold wealth." The conditions of the cotton trade at this time 

 were just the reverse of what they are to-daj'. Then it was not a 

 question, as it is now, of workpeople finding work, but of the masters 

 finding workpeople to execute their orders. So that much natural 

 ability untiring energy and industry were needed by the manu- 

 facturers of that day. Such qualities George Whittle possessed in a 

 marked degree, and it was therefore only natural that he should reap 

 his reward and begin to grow prosperous. 



His first wife was Miss Bailey, of Longridge. On her death, he 

 married Mrs. Fleming, and lived at the old Parsonage, Longridge, 

 having also a home at EUel. 



In 1850 he commenced to build the " Stone Bridge Mill," the first 

 steam-power weaving shed in Longridge, and so laid the foundation 

 of the future prosperity of the place. From 1852— the year of the 

 great Preston strike — to George Whittle's death in 1865, there was 

 never any lack of work at this mill. Even during the long and 



