Historical sites list

Historical Sites List

Engine Houses / Ann Scott's ruin / Nan Scott's Brindle

Per: Heapey Wheelton & District by Kenneth Hodkinson.
One of the earliest cotton spinning mills in the area was John Hoyle's 'Sitch Mill'. The mill was almost completely destroyed by a disastrous fire on the night of feb 28, 1885 and very little now remains. It is also known, from contemporary writings, that a "Carding Engine (for raw cotton cleaning), was operating on the River Lostock at Wheelton," during the latter part of the 18th century, and there is good reason to suppose that what we knew as 'Nan Scott's Ruins' (over Brown House bridge), were at one time associated with this process, being identified as 'Engine Houses' on the 1845 Ordnance Survey Map.

Ann Scott’s ruin.

I’ve checked the census records and found out the following (I’ve kept the original names and spelling without correction):

1841 Engen House_1     John Brindle               age 40   Cotton Weaver.
     Engen House_2     John Scot                  age 40      C printer

1851 35 Cottage ith Wood John Scott Head, marr age 50 Hand Loom Weaver Cotton.
                         Ann Scott Wife,       marr age 38 Hand Loom Weaver Cotton.
     36 Cottage ith Wood John Brindle Head       age 51 Hand Loom Weaver Cotton.

1861 38 Engine House   Ann Brindle Head, marr    age 53 Cotton Hand Loom Weaver
     39 Engine House   John Brindle Head, marr    age 62 Cotton Hand Loom Weaver

1871 63 Engine Bottom Ann Brindle Head, wid     age6? Handloom Weaver
     64 Engine Bottom John Brindle Head, marr    age 70 Handloom Weaver

1881    Engine Bottoms Ann Brindle Head, marr    age 73 Housekeeper.

Engine Houses c 1880s probably by Herbert Thomas Parke of Withnell Fold	Engine Houses ruin March 2008
Engine Houses c 1930 photo by Edward Hodkinson.	Engine Houses ruin, same view as left photo, March 2008