‘ A fatal delay’: the industrialisation of the spinning industry

The key inventions which transformed the textiles industry in the north of England were slow to make their appearance in Norwich. Hand-spun worsted yarn was still preferred by many weavers and hand-spinning by women and girls continued in many a Norwich and Norfolk home. But so much yarn was needed that ensuring a good supply was a constant preoccupation. By 1800, much of the yarn used in Norwich was spun in the Bradford area.

In an effort to achieve better control over the supply, the Norwich Yarn Company was set up to provide capital for spinning mills in the City. This was based initially at St Edmunds, Fishergate, and later at St James, Whitefriars. Meanwhile Albion Mills in King Street was opened in 1836 for power spinning but switched to mohair production when the demand for worsted slackened. Such ventures were too little too late: power spinning in the city failed to achieved its promise.