CROMPTON. 39 



to the morbid distrust of his fellow-men, which it engendered, may 

 be ascribed many of the misfortunes which attended his succeeding 

 life. 



About the year 1785 Mr. Oompton removed from the c Hall-in- 

 the-Wood' to a farmhouse at Oldhams, in the township of Sharpies, 

 about two miles from Bolton. Here he farmed several acres of land, 

 and kept three or four cows ; while in the upper story of the house 

 was erected his spinning mule, upon which he continued to spin 

 with as much privacy as possible. He was, nevertheless, still 

 troubled by many curious visitors, who were desirous of seeing the 

 improvements he was supposed to have made on it. Among others 

 he received two visits from the first Sir Robert Peel, then an 

 eminent though untitled manufacturer, who came with the hope of 

 inducing Crompton to join his establishment, and on his second 

 visit made him an offer of partnership. It is much to be regretted 

 that this offer was declined, as Mr. Peel's enterprising business 

 character was exactly that most suited for supporting Crompton's 

 great inventive genius. Had these two men continued as partners 

 at this particular .time, the successful development of the cotton 

 trade would have been hastened by at least twenty years, while a 

 large and well deserved fortune might have been secured to 

 Crompton and his children. 



Excelling all other spinners in the quality and fineness of his 

 yarn, Crompton continued to obtain a high price for all he could 

 produce, but his production was restricted to the work of his own 

 hands, (an increasing family having deprived him of the aid of his 

 wife) ; for whenever he commenced to teach any new hands to 

 assist him in his work, no matter how strictly they were bound to 

 serve him by honour, by gratitude, or by law, as soon as they 

 acquired a little knowledge and, experience under his tuition, they 

 were invariably seduced from his service by his wealthy com- 

 petitors ; so that he was ultimately compelled to renounce the use 

 of his mules, and betake himself to his original occupation of 

 weaving, or at least to spin only such yarn as he could employ in 

 his own looms as a small manufacturer. 



In 1800 some gentlemen of Manchester, among whom ought to 

 be mentioned Mr. George Lee and Mr. Kennedy, sensible that Mr. 

 Crompton had been illused and neglected, agreed, without his 

 knowledge, to promote a subscription on such a scale as would 

 result in a substantial reward for his labours. But this scheme, 

 although generous and noble in its intention, in a great measure 

 failed. Before it could be carried out, the country suffered severe 

 distress from a failure in the crops ; in addition to this the horrors 

 of the French Revolution approached their crisis ; war broke out, 

 and trade was all but extinguished. Ultimately, all that could be 

 realized amounted to about 450Z., and this was handed over to 

 Crompton to enable him to increase his operations in spinning and 

 weaving. 



