Wardle Family Companies

From around 1875 the Wardle family owned and managed two dyeworks, and one textile

printing works, as separate companies. During the lifetime of these businesses, the names

were subject to alterations that reflected changes in partnership or legal status. In 1908, for

example, the company printworks was relocated from Hencroft to Pale Meadow, with the

company name changing to reflect transfer of ownership from Thomas Wardle to his son

Bernard Wardle. The pattern books held by the Whitworth Art Gallery mainly represent work

carried out at the Hencroft printworks prior to 1908, but the book recording colour recipes

(T.14011) stems from the new printworks at Pale Meadow. All the books were in the hands of

Bernard Wardle & Co. Ltd at the time they were given to the Whitworth Art Gallery in 1962.

Another firm, Wardle and

Company, appears to have

been set up by 1883, with its

official address at 54 Edward

Street, Leek, near the family

home at No. 62. The printing

blocks for four patterns are

listed as belonging to this firm

(T.14007, pp.175-6 & 191-96).

In addition, Thomas Wardle

set up a retailing company in

London that operated a shop

for about five years during the 1880s. Also mentioned here is Green Vale printworks because

this was owned by Thomas Welch, who was Bernard Wardle’s father-in-law. The Wardle and

Welch printworks appear to have had more than a straightforward business relationship, with

some sharing of expertise and roller printing equipment. The Welch family owned shares in

Bernard Wardle & Co. Ltd upon its formation in 1908.

Gulabi Yangla or Forest of Roses, the notes state that ‘the blocks belong to Wardle & Company’

Thomas Wardle participated in several joint business ventures (for example, the Leek Spun

Silk Spinning & Manufacturing Company created in the 1880s) but these were not family-

owned.

Leekbrook Dyeworks Joshua Wardle Joshua Wardle & Co

Est. 1830

Joshua Wardle, in partnership with William Milner from 1839

Dyeing

Joshua Wardle & Son(s)

From around 1850

Wardle’s sons, Thomas and George, became partners upon coming of age, as did in turn his grandsons Gilbert and Horace. Joshua Wardle

Dyeing

withdrew from the partnership in March 1868.

Joshua Wardle Ltd 1927 Works site demolished in 2004

Dyeing

Joshua Wardle, father of Thomas Wardle, was the founder of the family firm. He set up as a

dyer at Leekbrook in 1830. As his sons came of age, they entered the firm and the name was

changed to reflect the new partnership. The reputation gained over the years by the name

Joshua Wardle led to its continuation by other companies on the site long after the founder’s

death. Thus Joshua Wardle Ltd was established in 1927. The dyeworks site was finally

demolished in 2004 by Walter Forshaw Ltd. Before and after images can be seen on the

company’s website: www.walterforshaw.co.uk/01-Joshua-Wardle-Factory.html

Churnet Works (formerly one of the Mill Street Dyeworks) Wardle & Co purchased

around 1875 Dyeing and

finishing T. & A. Wardle around 1881 Arthur Wardle, manager from

1881 Dyeing and finishing

Sir T. & A. Wardle around 1897 The name changed to reflect Thomas’ knighthood

Dyeing and finishing

Sir T. & A. Wardle Ltd

1921 (public company from 1949)

Around 1967 acquired by Courtaulds. Part of the premises used for Courtaulds Jersey from 1982

Dyeing and finishing; later chemicals

The Churnet Works, founded by Samuel Tatton around 1853, was acquired by the Wardles

around 1875 to allow the expansion of their dyeing and finishing activities. An adjoining

dyeworks at Mill Street remained tenanted by the Hammersley firm of dyers. Papers in the

Bednall Archive provide relevant information about the water supply, and relations with

neighbours (see: www.bednallarchive.info ). The Churnet Works was directly managed by

Thomas Wardle’s son Arthur from around 1881. The Churnet Works was situated in close

proximity to the Hencroft Works and used water from the same source. In 1956 Sir T. and A.

Wardle Ltd acquired the Bridge End dyeworks from Brough, Nicholson and Hall, and

established a subsidiary there, Leek Chemicals Ltd.

Hencroft Works Thomas Wardle & Co

purchased 1872 Est. 1875

Thomas Wardle directed the works until his retirement in August 1896. Then Bernard and his brother Tom jr took over as managers, and designs were registered in the name of Bernard Wardle. Tom left the company in 1906.

Printing and dyeing

Wardle & Co 1901 closed 1908

From 1901, designs were registered in the name of Wardle & Co, and this may

Printing and dyeing

reflect a change in partnership or management

The site of Hencroft Works was bought in 1847 by Samuel Tatton, who established a

dyeworks there. Thomas Wardle purchased the works in March 1872, although it remained

tenanted until 1875 when Thomas Wardle set it up

as a printworks. It was here that Wardle’s

celebrated collaboration with William Morris took

place, as well as most of the work represented by

the surviving pattern books. From 1896 Bernard

Wardle assumed management of the works, and in

1901 further control of the company may have been

passed over to him from his father. In 1908,

Bernard Wardle closed Hencroft in order to set up at

Pale Meadow. The offices at Pale Meadow Printworks, 1912

Pale Meadow Works, Bridgnorth Bernard Wardle & Co Ltd

Est.1908 Bernard Wardle The new company retained the exclusive right to the name Wardle & Company.

Printing

Bernard Wardle & Co 91923) Ltd

Est.1923 The old firm was wound up voluntarily in order to restructure the company.

Printing

Bernard Wardle established a new company at Pale Meadow in 1908. A drawing of the

offices at Pale Meadow is pasted into the front of one of the pattern books (T.14007). The

site was later used for radio, telephone and television engineering (1940s to 1980s), before

conversion to a housing estate.

Green Vale Printworks, Westhoughton Thomas Welch Est. around 1866 Henry Barnes

By 1881, taken over by his son-in-law Thomas Welch, and by 1901 run by his widow Elizabeth

Dyeing and printing cotton, indigo

The calico printer, Henry Barnes, had moved to Green Vale by 1866, when his daughter

Elizabeth married Thomas Welch. At the time of the 1871 census, Barnes farmed a

smallholding in addition to his calico printing business employing 80 hands. It appears that

Thomas Welch inherited or took over his father-in-law’s businesses by the time of the next

census when Welch was a farmer of 6 acres and employer of 106 hands at the printworks.

Bernard Wardle was to marry Welch’s daughter Annie Barnes Welch in October 1891, thus

linking two families of textile dyers and printers. Thomas Welch probably died before 1901,

and the printworks was run by Elizabeth Welch for some time afterward. The Green Vale

works printed cotton for export markets, including indigo-dyed goods.

The Green Vale works is presently occupied by Bellhouse

Hartwell & Co Ltd, makers of aircraft equipment and

supplies. Planning permission for conversion to flats was

recently rejected.

A note below this roller-printed sample states ‘belongs to Mr Welch’

71 New Bond Street, London retail shop Wardle & Co Est. 1882

wound up 1888 William Brough, manager Operations at New Bond Street closed at the end of 1886, and stock sold 1887

Retailing of ‘art’ fabrics

By Dr Philip Sykas