21 Facts About Richard Arkwright

Sir Richard Arkwright was an English inventor and a leading entrepreneur during the early Industrial Revolution.

Richard Arkwright is credited as the driving force behind the development of the spinning frame, known as the water frame after it was adapted to use water power; and he patented a rotary carding engine to convert raw cotton to 'cotton lap' prior to spinning.

Richard Arkwright was the first to develop factories housing both mechanised carding and spinning operations.

Richard Arkwright's father, Thomas, was a tailor and a Preston Guild burgess.

Richard Arkwright was apprenticed to a Mr Nicholson, a barber at the nearby town of Kirkham, and began his working life as a barber and wig-maker, setting up a shop at Churchgate in Bolton in the early 1760s.

At some time after the death of his first wife, Richard Arkwright became interested in the development of carding and spinning machinery to replace hand labour in the conversion of raw cotton to thread for weaving.

In 1769 Richard Arkwright patented the spinning frame, a machine which produced twisted threads, using wooden and metal cylinders rather than human fingers.

Richard Arkwright made improvements to this machine and in 1775 took out a patent for a new carding engine, which converted raw cotton to a continuous skein prior to spinning.

In 1776 Richard Arkwright built a second, larger mill at Cromford and, soon afterwards, mills at Bakewell, Wirksworth and elsewhere.

Public opinion was bitterly hostile to exclusive patents, and in 1781 Richard Arkwright initiated legal proceedings to assert his rights.

Richard Arkwright therefore brought in workers from outside the locality, building a cluster of cottages near the mill to house them.

Richard Arkwright instigated novel and highly disciplined working arrangements at Cromford.

Richard Arkwright encouraged weavers with large families to move to Cromford.

Richard Arkwright allowed employees a week's holiday a year, on condition that they did not travel beyond the town.

In 1777 Richard Arkwright leased the Haarlem Mill in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, where he installed the first steam engine to be used in a cotton mill.

Richard Arkwright was invited to Scotland, where he assisted David Dale in establishing cotton mills at New Lanark.

Aggressive and self-sufficient, Richard Arkwright was a difficult man to work with.

Richard Arkwright bought out all his partners and went on to build factories at Manchester, Matlock Bath, New Lanark and elsewhere.

Richard Arkwright served as High Sheriff of Derbyshire and was knighted in 1786.

Richard Arkwright built Willersley Castle, now a Grade II* listed building, in 1791; after a fire in 1792, it was rebuilt and occupied by his son Richard Arkwright junior starting in 1796.

Richard Arkwright's remains were later moved to the family chapel near the castle, now St Mary's Church, Cromford.