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������������ ����The Newsletter of the Friends of Ancoats Buildings Preservation Trust Number 15 Summer 2006

The shell repair of Murrays’ Mills will be completed by the end of July. Construction started in September 2004, when it looked like this:

The fabric of all the buildings has been restored and strengthened to support modern commercial and residential floor loadings. The Murray Street block has been rebuilt to its former four storeys, and the canal basin in the mill courtyard has been excavated and reinstated. The completion of the work is the culmination of nearly a decade of effort by the Ancoats Building Preservation trust and its partners.

The result? Now it looks like this :

And what better way to celebrate than a party! Di Massey and the ABPT team organised a bash worthy of the occasion (read her account on page 7). The Great and the Good lavished praise on our achievement: the saving of a building of immense historical importance, and the successful completion of a project whose complexity no-one involved at the outset could have foreseen.

Murrays’ Mills—restoration completed. Page 1.

Editorial—changes afoot to the Friends…. and a new editor is required! Page 2.

Murrays’ shell repair project—more detail on the works that have been carried out, from Kate Dickson, the Trust director. Page 2.

Ragged schools—Michael Rose explains the historical background of the two “ragged school” buildings that still stand in Angel Meadow. Page 3.

Smith’s Arms. Update on the fate of one of the last remaining pubs in Ancoats, threatened with demolition. Page 3.

Letters to the editor—our long awaited readers post bag. Page 4.

St. Peter’s—Embroiderers’ Guild wins funding for UK’s first National Embroidery and Textile centre. Page 5.

The Mills are alive with the sound of music! Murrays’ on the box. Page 5

Ancoats chronology—Part 2 of this potted history, including “Dinner time in Ancoats”, a ditty penned in 1850. Page 6.

Party time! Di Massey reports on the celebrations held to mark the completions of the repairs to Murrays’ and St. Peter’s. Page 7.

Skills, Schools and Stories exhibition at the Pump House People’s History Museum. Page 7.

The Rainhill Trials—the Ancoats Connection. Richard Harvey explains all on Page 8. Guided walks programme. Page 8.

IN THIS ISSUE

Email: friends@ancoatsbpt.co.uk Website: www. ancoatsbpt.co.uk

Murrays’ Mill restored!

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It is seven years, almost to the day, since I was first introduced to Murrays’ Mills. When I came into post in June 1999 as ABPT’s first paid member of staff, the Trustees had already submitted two Lottery bids for funding for the building. Little did they know that it would take the best part of ten years to get to this stage – the point of handover of a fully repaired, strong and safe complex of buildings, ready for conversion to new uses.

The first thing that strikes you as you approach Murrays’ Mills today is that we suddenly have a Georgian building here, rather than the late nineteenth-century-looking one that we started with. The new small pane windows completely alter the appearance of the buildings, and coupled with the mellow, gently cleaned brickwork and the undulating slate roofs, they give the mill the air of a genteel dame, set apart from her younger neighbours and relations.

The mill courtyard is the piece de resistance. The excavated canal basin is huge! It will gradually refill with rain water now and will become the star feature of the converted complex. All the buildings surrounding it have been restored, even the New Mill Engine House that was ‘given up for dead’ some years ago. A gracious stone staircase now leads up to the original principal entrance to the mill buildings, into the first floor offices on Murray Street, flanked by a reinstated cantilevered bay window. It is easy to imagine the Murray brothers looking out of this window, surveying their hive of

industry, keeping an eye on their workers and goods.

The main entrance to the whole site was of course the Great Gate on Murray Street. A pair of wrought iron gates has now been installed here, reminding us that this was once a gated fortress of a building. We hope that these gates will be pinned open in the future, to allow the public into the courtyard to enjoy the amenity of this secluded internal space. The weighbridge plate under your feet has been repaired and brought back to site and in the wall of the archway through the building, a stone memorial has been installed. This is one piece of Adam Murray’s sarcophagus-style gravestone, rescued by a former ABPT Trustee from ‘storage’ where it had been left to disintegrate following the closure of the graveyard where it first installed. What a fitting final resting place for this tribute to one of Manchester’s greatest industrialists. I am quite choked with emotion when I read his eulogy and wonder, what would Mr Murray have thought of his mill had he seen it in the condition in which I first experienced it, seven years ago, and what would he think of it today?

A tribute to the Murrays’ Mills team

The completion of the Murrays’ Mills project is an illustration of what can be achieved through partnership and teamwork. There has been a tremendous ‘can do’ attitude throughout this project, from the design team who worked so hard to complete tender information before Christmas, to the contractor who laid tarmac to make a ‘red carpet’ through the mud for the speakers at our celebration. ABPT thanks sincerely all the organisations, companies and individuals who have worked so hard to make the project such a success – and an enjoyable experience, right to the (not so) bitter end!

Kate Dickson ABPT Director

Completion of Murrays’ Mills shell repair project ���������

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Both the Ancoats Buildings Preservation Trust, and the Friends, have arrived at something of a crossroads. The Trust has successfully completed the rescue and restoration of the fabric of two of Ancoats’ most symbolic buildings: St Peter’s Church and Murrays’ Mills, and it now looks as though new uses have been secured for both. The development climate in Ancoats has changed dramatically since the Trust was established a decade ago; where before few were interested in its historic buildings and vacant land, now developers are queuing up for a slice of the action, and land values have rocketed. As a consequence, the Trust has decided to broaden its geographical sphere of operation beyond Ancoats. The Friends, too, will have a new focus. The proposal that will be put to the next Annual General Meeting is to change its name to “Friends of Ancoats”, with a new constitution. It will continue to work exclusively in the Ancoats area and for the people of Ancoats. And this will also be the last Ancoats Journal that I will edit. I have been editor (and desk-top publisher) from the first edition, back in July 2000. It’s been good fun, but the Journal needs to move on to reflect the changes that are afoot, and this feels like the right time to hang up my boots and let someone else have a go. So the Journal needs a new editor! If you are interested, get in touch with the Friends using the contact details below.

Dave Butler, Editor

Friends of ABPT, Beehive Mill, Jersey Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6JG. Phone: 0161 278 1755.

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The inner city areas of Victorian England teemed with children. Many of these were neglected or orphaned. Poorly dressed and often barefoot, they were illiterate, perhaps sleeping rough and easily attracted to petty crime. Charles Dickens published “Oliver Twist” in 1837.

Two years earlier, the London City Mission opened what it called a “ragged school”. These attracted the attention of philanthropists like Lord Ashley (later Lord Shaftesbury). The idea spread to other cities, and, in 1844, a Ragged School Union was set up to co-ordinate and support the schools. By the 1860’s, 200 schools with an attendance of 20,000 children were affiliated to it. At this time, the state provided no education, except perhaps in prisons and workhouses. Denominational (Faith) schools might receive small government grants but still charged fees which street children, or their parents if they had any, could not afford. The idea of the ragged school was to tempt street children into the building with the offer of food and drink (mug of cocoa and a jam sandwich), then to catch their attention with games or hymn singing. If they returned, they

might accept some basic education in the 3 Rs, with a fourth “R”- “religion” thrown in. Thus the street child (“street arab” in the language of the day) might be civilised. Two “ragged school” buildings still stand in Angel Meadow, witness to the extreme poverty of that area in 19th century Manchester. Charter

Street, founded in 1847, and marked on the 1848 Ordnance Survey map as “Manchester Juvenile Refuge and School of Industry”, moved to its present site in 1866, and the building was later expanded to incorporate a Working Girls’ Home. Sharp Street Ragged School, founded in 1853, and the present building erected in 1869, appears on the 1848 O.S. map as a Wesleyan Sunday School, which presumably then

took on the function of a “ragged school”. The 1870 Education Act, which provided for rate supported schools controlled by locally elected school boards, like Manchester’s, were soon providing elementary education free of charge. The primary role of the “ragged school” declined, but many buildings remained to carry on welfare work in poor districts. Charter Street, base of the “Jesus Army”, is still in use.

Michael Rose

Ragged schools Smith’s Arms Update

The last edition of the Ancoats Journal alerted readers to the threat to the Smith’s Arms, one of the last remaining public houses in Ancoats, which would be demolished if planning permission for the “Heart of Ancoats” development scheme was granted.

The Friends wrote a letter to the Planning Officer to object to this proposal, a copy of which was reproduced in the last Journal.

Manchester City Council’s planning committee considered the developer’s planning application at its meeting on 1 June. Both the ABPT and the Friends made representations to the meeting, arguing strongly for the retention of the Smith’s Arms.

The outcome was that the committee voted 5 to 3 to defer the decision to the 28 June committee, and asked the developer to reconsider the possibility of incorporating the Smith’s Arms into the scheme.

The Planning

committee on June 28 voted 2 to 6 to APPROVE the developer’s scheme, which will mean that the Smith’s Arms will be demolished. The developers have informally indicated that there may be scope to retain part of the building remnants in some form of public art in the area…….Watch this space.

Sharp Street School today

Charter Street School today

STOP PRESS!!

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Pamela Kyriacou 2 Selsey avenue Cheadle Heath Stockport Sk3 OQW Tel: 0161 4915280

Dear Editor, Would you please consider our story for publication in your magazine. St Michaels Ancoats Manchester was founded in 1858, originally it was an overspill church for St Patricks. It was modernised in the 50's retaining the original door arch. St Michaels is not a listed building but is protected as being a preserved building, also being in a preservation area. St Michaels was a typical city centre parish in its heyday, 100s attended mass, and the school which was next door. However like many other city centre parishes it declined with the slum clearances of the 1950's and attendances suffered and the school closed. Many people who had moved still came back to St Michaels and the annual Italian procession always left from St Michaels (the only procession to still walk through the city centre Manchester). During 2003 there were many rumours that St Michaels was to close, however this was denied by the local priest, and then it was announced in a deanery letter to all parishes that some churches were to close, one was St Michaels the date was 25th October 2003, the people still did not know when the closure was to be. Then on 23rd November 2003, we were told not by our Bishop but in a parish circular, much resembling a flyer that

people give out in town, that St Michaels was to close on 28th December (last Sunday mass) and that then our Bishop would come on the 3rd January to say a celebration mass. As soon as we received this news we began to write letters to our Bishop asking him to meet with us to discuss ideas we had to keep St Michaels open. The only reply we received was to say I have noted your comments. Lots of other people wrote to the Bishop and he told those people that St Michaels had been compulsory purchased (today it is still in the hands of Diocese), and yet our Bishop in 2003 was telling people that St Michaels had been CPO’d. On the 3rd January we would not go into mass, we stayed outside, we could nor celebrate closing down a church. Our councillors Deputy Leader Jim Battle, Mick Carmody and Mike Loughman have been on the steps with us and fully support us. Our Local MP Tony Lloyd also supports us. Ryan Thomas (Jason Grimshawe) Coronation Street and ex Manchester United players Pat Crerand, Brian Kidd and Alex Stepney have also given us their support. In July we walked with our St Michaels banner in front of the Italian procession through the centre of Manchester, we were covered again this time by Granada Reports and our local press. Prior to this walk we had a mass outside St Michaels which was attended by over 300 people, this mass was said without Diocese permission. During this time a great deal of togetherness has developed between all the people on the steps, and a loyalty and belief in what we are doing. We all believe that the Holy Spirit is with us and guiding us on our way, and that Our Blessed Lord is stood with us on the steps. We have been told that we should accept the Bishops decision, but Jesus said "you must only obey me and not follow

blindly anyone if you believe they are wrong". It is our Belief that St Michaels is a Holy and Sacred place and our spiritual home. The only thing we wanted to do was to discuss the closure with our Bishop, and look for a way to keep our beloved church open, our prayers each week are for that. Despite all our letters to the Bishop we have still never had any formal meeting to talk about our plans, and no-one has ever come forward to make peace from our Diocese. Blessed are the peacemakers. At the time of closure 100 people went to mass at St Michaels. The Diocese gave a figure of 31 people. They also stated that they had discussed closure of churches in faith in the future. Faith in the future asks two questions. "What is the mission of the church"? and "What do we need to enable that mission"? Not a single question mentioned closure of churches. We have all the questions asked by the Diocese and all the answers given. ONE FAITH..ONE FAMILY... ONE FUTURE........ Yours Sincerely Pamela Kyriacou Press Officer Save St Michaels Campaign.

Letters to the Editor

Dr G M O’Shea, MB.ChB. MRCGP. DRCOG. Dr Kay Phillips, MB.ChB. Dr Shaun Jackson, MB.ChB.MRCGP.DRCOG

Urban Village Medical Practice Sam's Foundry, 46 Radium Street, Ancoats Manchester M4 6AY Tel: 0161 236 6633

Dear Sir/Madam

We have recently received your newsletter and thought you might be interested to know that there is a Doctors' Surgery in the area. As

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you can see we have rented Sam's Foundry, a beautiful old building which has been well received by patients and staff. We have three Doctors and invite people from the area to register. We offer all aspects of health care but we do have a particular emphasis on the homeless people of the area. Yours sincerely

Diane Stansfield, Practice Manager

3 Mayes Gardens Ancoats M4 7FN Dear Sir or Madam Enclosed is my membership fee for 2006. I would like to make a brief comment, about all the flats that are being built in Ancoats. There seems to be very little social housing going up. You must understand like me that the flats they are building are not for the communities of Ancoats. In my eyes there are some disadvantages to the flats. What would happen if there was a down turn in the prosperity of the country? Will flats become run down like what’s happened in East Manchester in the past? The increase in traffic will not improve the health of the people who already live in the area. It seems that on every bit of spare land there are flats going up, not houses. There seems no plans for any supermarket around here. Like I said, just a brief comment on issues. yours sincerely Joe Cromer

The Heritage Lottery Fund has just announced its approval of a grant of £995,000 to go towards helping the Guild relocate from their current base at Hampton Court Palace to establish a National Centre within St. Peter's Church. It is hoped the Centre will open by late 2008. The Centre will become home to the Embroiderers' Guild which was set up 100 years ago to protect and share important examples of embroidery which are of historical, educational and artistic significance, and to inspire creative embroiderers. An extension to the Church will house public and education facilities plus modern storage for the collection, leaving the church free as a wonderful unique exhibition space. The new centre will be open six days a week and will offer visitors an unprecedented opportunity to see, and learn about, embroidery, textiles and the Guild's global collection featuring historical and contemporary embroidery. A programme of learning and leisure activities for all ages and abilities will be developed as part of the funding,

and visitors will be able to relax in the centre's café. Commenting on the announcement, the Guild's Director Michael Spender said, "This is great news for the Guild's outstanding collection of 11,000 embroideries, and all those who would like to enjoy and study them. It is also great news for the millions of textile enthusiasts who until now had no dedicated national facility, and for the people of Ancoats and east Manchester, who will get a new public cultural centre". Explaining the importance of the award, HLF's Tony Jones said, "We're delighted that two of our projects can come together and breathe new life into one another. St. Peter's is a wonderful church which once served the textile workers from Ancoats, and the Guild's collection will be a fitting tribute to Ancoats’ textile roots. We've been delighted to support both projects and I look forward to seeing the continued regeneration of Ancoats and the Guild's presence further enhancing the region’s textile excellence."

St Peter’s to become UK's first National Embroidery & Textile Centre

Murrays’ on the box July 7 Buildings that shaped Britain, Channel 4, presented by Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage

Architecture of Britain, presented by David Dimbleby, BBC, sometime this summer.

Songs of Praise, with Aled Jones in Murrays’ Mill! BBC, later in year.

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Mark Watson recently came across a chronology of Ancoats, the first part of which was reproduced in the last Ancoats Journal. Here is the second part, bringing the story up to the 1950s. 1840. All Souls Every Street

consecrated. St Jude's, Canal St, (formerly

Tent Methodist) consecrated. 1844. St Barnabas Church,

Elizabeth St - Rodney St, consecrated.

1845. All Soul's day School, opened.

1846. R. C. Sunday School started in Sandford's waste mill.

1847. St Ann's, R. C., Junction St, opened.

1850. Broadside. "Ancoats Dinner Time."

Dispensary moved to Ancoats Crescent.

1855. Round Chapel graveyard closed by the Corporation.

1857. Branch Library, opened in a shop, Great Ancoats St.

1859. St Michael's R. C., George Leigh Street, opened.

1860. St Peter's, Oldham Road consecrated. Blossom Street Cotton-waste warehouse burnt down.

Manchester & Salford Co-operative Society opened in Ancoats.

1861. Machine shop. Chapel Street, destroyed by fire.

1863. St Alban's R. C., Fawcett Street, opened.

1865. Inquiry into conditions in Ancoats. (Oats. H. C.)

1866. St Jude's rebuilt-church, Mill St, consecrated.

1867. Ancoats District Library, Every St, opened.

1870. St James-the-Less, Little Newton St, consecrated.

1871. Dispensary moved to Mill Street.

1872. Butterworth's cotton warehouse, Union St, burnt down.

1873. Ancoats Hospital, (50 beds). Mill St, built. (F. & P. 9/47).

St Martin's, German St, consecrated.

1875. Board School, Every St, built. 1876. 5. a. m. Ancoats. Round of

the clock in Manchester. 1877. Horsfall Museum founded in

Ancoats Hall. 1878. Boys' Room opened in

Ancoats Library. 1879. Star Music Hall, Pollard St,

opened. First Juvenile Room opened

in Ancoats Library 1880. New Islington Baths, Baker

St, opened. (M. C. N. 8-5-1880.) Helmet St Recreation Ground opened. Exhibition of Industrial Art in New Islington Hall.

1881. Day Nursery, Mill Street, opened.

1882. Sunday Lectures commenced in New Islington Hall.

1886. Horsfall Museum opened to the public.

1888. Star Music Hall, Pollard St, closed.

1889. F. W. Crossley founded the Star Hall mission.

People's Institute, Holland Sl, commenced. (F. & P. 2/26)

1892. Girls' Institute, Mill Street, opened. (F. & P. 10/127).

Model Dwellings, Jersey St, opened. (Stocks, p.39) .

1895. University Settlement founded in Ancoats Hall.

1898. Sisters of Charity New Institute started.

Poor Man's Lawyer started at Settlement by J. W. Robson.

1899. Harrison St lodging-house, "Walton House." opened. (M.119. p.3).

1900. University Settlement bought 20, Every St & Round Chapel.

Women's Debating Society started by Miss Crompton.

1902. T. R. Marr became Warden at 20, Every St.

New Islington Wash-house, Baker St, opened.

Heyrod St Lads Club, New Hall opened.

1905. St Martin's, German St. Last service before demolition.

1918. Horsfall Museum transferred to the Corporation.

Star Hall handed to the Salvation Army.

1921. Physiotherapy Department started at Ancoats Hospital.

1928. Round House restorations found only the walls serviceable.

1929. Luncheon Club opened in the Round House basement.

1936. St Andrew's C. of E. School, Homer street, opened.

1940. Round House basement became an air-raid shelter for 200.

1953. Horsfall museum closed.

Ancoats time line—Part 2

The poem, or song as it was described, 'Ancoats Dinner Time', written in 1850, is reproduced below. If you stand still in Ancoats Lane, That's the throngest place in Town When all the factory workers give in The crowd would fairly knock you down. The Spinner then can leave his wheel To get a comfortable meal And tell his Piecer not too far wander But look sharp and get cleaned under. There's McConnels and Murrays and Beevers too, With Fairbairns make a decent stock And then from Smith's there are a few They all turn out at twelve o'clock. The lasses who think they are fair Black-ball their shoes and curl their hair Come, put up my hair nicely, Nellie Today at noon I meet my felly.

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On Thursday 8 June 2006 Ancoats Buildings Preservation Trust was delighted to welcome over 300 guests into Murrays’ Mills for a champagne reception to celebrate the completion of the shell repairs to St Peter’s and Murrays’ Mills. The occasion marked ten years of the Trust’s work in Ancoats and the celebration was to showcase the two projects and also provide the opportunity for the Trustees and staff of ABPT to say a big thank you to everyone who had been involved along the way. The morning of 8 June dawned clear and sunny and by lunchtime the temperature had soared, it was hot work for the staff teams of ABPT and Wates effecting the transformation of Murrays’ into a party venue. After four months of collaborative planning between both teams it was gratifying to see the changes taking place within New Mill for the event. Temporary rose tinted lights were fixed to illuminate abstract images of Murrays’ and St Peter’s on posters specially designed and set into window recesses. Tables bore decorative balloons and when high chrome stools were set in place Murrays’ started to resemble a plush night club! Both teams worked side by side and by 4.45pm everything was completed and ready for the guests, who first started to arrive to attend a pre-party seminar held by Wates Construction within the Murray Street block. The seminar took the form of a ‘Question Time’ debate Chaired by Eugenie Turton and featured Keynote speaker Sir Neil Cossons of English Heritage. As the seminar drew to a close, right on cue at 6pm jazz musicians started to play outside in Murray Street to herald the arrival of all the other guests who were welcomed under a temporary gazebo in the courtyard with a glass of champagne. Upstairs in New Mill, to the strains of a string quartet, guests were able to view the progress of both projects on

plasma screens while the champagne and canapés continued to flow and at 7pm speeches were made on the specially erected stage. The speakers were introduced by John Glester, ABPT Chairman and Master of Ceremonies and included Sir Neil Cossons – English Heritage, Stephen Boyce – Heritage Lottery Fund, Steven Broomhead – NWDA and Sir Howard Bernstein – MCC. From messages received following the reception it confirmed what everyone who attended already knew – that the event had been a resounding success – thank you to all involved. The event was supported by Wates Construction and sponsored by Burrell/Inpartnership, BDP, Cobbetts, Lloyd Evans Pritchard, Gardiner Theobold Management Services and Linfords. The reception was the culmination of a week of celebrations, which

also incorporated the completion of the Skillls, Schools and Stories project. The celebrations had started on 5 June with a ‘Construction Taster Day’ aimed at 14 – 19 year olds from North Manchester High School for Boys, who were able to try their hand at traditional forms of roof slating, joinery and brick laying. This event was part of the Skills, Schools and Stories project delivered by Jennifer Gosling, ABPT’s Community Development Officer. On 7 June, specially invited groups were given guided tours around Murrays’ Mills and St Peter’s by Ken Moth of Building Design Partnership and ABPT Director Kate Dickson.

Di Massey

Champagne at Murrays’ Mills! – Ancoats BPT celebrates

Visit the Skills, Schools and Stories exhibition at

the Pump House People’s History Museum, from 27

June to 6 August!

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Email: friends@ancoatsbpt.co.uk Website: www.ancoatsbpt.co.uk

Sunday 1st October, 2006 at 2pm. Guided walk led by Serafino Di Felice. Title: Ancoats, my inheritance News Years day walk. 2pm on Monday 1st January 2007, led by Michael Rose All welcome! Walks commence at the Black Glass building (former Daily Express) on Great Ancoats Street. A donation of £2.50 per head is requested for walks & talks – members of the Friends go free. For further information nearer the time, see local press, flyers in central Manchester locations, eg Information Centre, Central Library Local Studies Dept, Royal Exchange Theatre or call 0161 278 1755.

Friends of Ancoats Buildings Preservation Trust Application for membership Name: Dr/Mr/Mrs/Ms Forename ………………………Surname……………………………………….... Address…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………… Post Code ………………………….. . Phone number ………………… Email…………………………………………………………………. Please enrol me as a ………………….…………………………... (insert membership type) Signed ................................ . Date…..………...….....

Annual Fee

Membership categories: Current and former residents of Ancoats £ 4 Concessions (students, over 60 years) £ 4 Individual Members £12 Family membership £15 Voluntary Sector groups £15

Please detach this section and return it with payment to ABPT, Beehive Mill, Jersey Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6JG. (Cheques should be made payable to ‘Friends of Ancoats BPT’)

Guided walks and other events for the rest of the year

It’s a small world, and it was even smaller one hundred and seventy years ago. By 1829 Ancoats was in full swing, with the Murray, Kennedy and McConnell families running the famous mills at long last being restored today. Steam was powering the mill machinery, and a whole new technology was opening up. One aspect of this was the railway, a new way of moving goods and people around the country, and the new railway line being built from Liverpool to Manchester, to be powered by steam and not by the usual team of horses.

This was the world’s first railway built for passengers, finishing at Liverpool Road Railway Station.

What happened in 1829 was the famous Rainhill Trials. No, not gossip and scandal, nor crime and wickedness. This was a competition to select the best locomotive to pull the trains between Liverpool and Manchester, setting up a competition between the leading steam designers of the day. The prize was £500, worth over £30,000 today. It was won of

course by the famous Rocket, designed by George and Robert Stevenson and built in the North-East, where steam engines had been used for some time to pump water out of the mines, and to carry coal from the collieries to the coast for shipping around the country.

Three judges met to review the progress of four entrants for the competition, although one of them was powered by horses on a rolling track inside a railway carriage. Clearly the requirements for a judge were to be well known and of good character, and to have a good knowledge of this strange new technology. The judges were: John Rastrick, a consulting engineer, who had built several railway engines, including Agenoria, which can still be seen at York Railway museum, Nicholas Wood, a respected engineer and author of an erudite book on railways….and Mr John Kennedy, from Manchester, described as ‘a wealthy cotton manufacturer who made his fortune by improving textile machinery’

Richard Harvey

The Rainhill Trials, 1829