Awesome PORTSMOUTH MILL Todmorden

Until local re-organisation in 1894 the mill was mainly in Cliviger, just outside the Todmorden boundary.

A redevelopment of a former mill site will be turned into  22 homes. It will see the remaining buildings of Portsmouth Mill turned into 10 apartments with a new block of eight flats and four houses constructed on nearby cleared land.

Information: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~todmordenandwalsden/portsmouthmill.htm
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​Census 1851 
James Green, Portsmouth House, aged 29, coal proprietor, merchant & cotton spinner, employs 45 men and 35 females in cotton factory, 160 colliers, and 10 masons.

James Haigh, Rochdale Road, Middleton, aged 40, a farmer of 25 acres employing 2 men.
 
White 1853
Haigh & Green, Portsmouth Mill, cotton spinners & manufacturers.
 
Slater 1855
Haigh, Green & Co. Portsmouth Mill, cotton spinners.

Todmorden Rates Book 1860-1870
Owned and occupied by Haigh & Green; half a warehouse; Carr Bottom; rateable value £16.8s.8d.

1866 – rateable value £17.5s.0d.

Census 1861
James Green, White Haven, aged 39, architect.
James Haigh, Radcliffe Cottage, Rochdale Road, Middleton, aged 50, coal proprietor.

Fielden family papers 18th April 1866
Letter from Fielden Bros to James Green Esq., Portsmouth, enclosing a statement showing 2½ years’ arrears of interest and requesting payment.
 
Fielden family papers 24th October 1866
Letter from Fielden Bros to James Green, who promised last April to pay off both principle and interest in a month or two. Since then they have heard nothing and another half year interest of £120 became due on 31st August. Please pay without delay. 

Halifax Guardian 16th July 1870
Floods and great damage at the mill at the bottom of Green’s Clough. 4 storeys high plus weaving shed, warehouse, engine and boiler houses, the property of Haigh & Green & Co of Portsmouth, and occupied by John Collinge & Co for weaving and spinning cotton etc. The boiler house contained two 40hp boilers. The weaving shed contained 64 looms – entirely destroyed. In the lower room of the mill 5 pairs of mules having nearly 20,000 spindles. The mill has not been working for a few years. 

Todmorden Rates Book 1871-1890
Owned and occupied by John Collinge; half warehouse; Carr Bottom; rateable value £17.5s.0d.

1880 – rateable value £6.10s.0d. 

Census 1871
John Collinge, Habergham House, Habergham Eaves, aged 36, landed proprietor and cotton spinner. 

Slater 1875
John Collinge, Portsmouth Mill, cotton spinner & manufacturer
 
White 1877
Collinge, John – cotton spinner – Portsmouth Mill 

Halifax Guardian 6th July 1878
John Collinge, Portsmouth Mill, now working at a reduction of 10% in wages.
 
Halifax Courier 12th July 1879
John Collinge, Portsmouth Mill, reduced wages to 2/6d per mule. Wages previously reduced to large extent and hands refused to submit. The works are standing idle.

Halifax Courier 19th July 1879
Collinge – still on strike. Mill contains about 17,000 spindles.

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Advertiser 1st August 1879

Portsmouth Mill; 17,500 spindles, running full time
Halifax Courier 16th August 1879

Collinge – further reduction of wages of 5% for card room and day hands, making 20% in total. 

Halifax Courier 1st November 1879
Collinge – further reduced wages by 5%, running full time.

Slater 1887
John Collinge, Portsmouth Mill, cotton spinner & manufacturer

Worrall 1891, 1897, 1901, 1905, 1909
J. Collinge, Portsmouth Mill, cotton spinners & manufacturers; 20,000 spindles, 46” and 52” weft.

Cornholme Rates Book 1894-1897
Owned and occupied by John Collinge; mill and power; Portsmouth; rateable value £244. 

5th February 1898
Mr. John Collinge, cotton manufacturer etc. Portsmouth Mill, died very suddenly at his residence, Spring Hill, Burnley, in his 64th year. The dead gentleman was chief manager of the Cliviger Collieries near Burnley, and one of the largest owners of the Dudley Collieries in Staffordshire, and the principal shareholder in the Ruabon Brick & Tile Works, in all of which he took an active interest.