AW Hainsworth & Sons, Ltd., formerly known as Abimelech Hainsworth are an English

textile manufacturing Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

company based in Pudsey,

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

. They are known for producing heavily milled

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

fabrics such as melton and

doeskin Doeskin is the split hide of an adult female deer with a velvet-like texture. It is frequently used for the manufacture of gloves. It accepts dye readily. The term also refers to a tightly-woven medium-weight wool fabric with a short soft nap si ...

, and for supplying these to the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, most notably for the

Red coat (military uniform) Red coat, also referred to as redcoat or scarlet tunic, was a military garment which was widely (though not exclusively) used by the infantry units of the British military, including the British Army and Royal Marines, from the 16th to 19th cen ...

still worn ceremonially by certain British Army units, especially the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

, for whom Hainsworth are the exclusive supplier of scarlet wool cloth for grenadier tunics, navy blue for trousers, and grey for winter

greatcoat A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat that is typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the ...

Products

The company are holders of a Royal Warrant of Appointment (United Kingdom). Both Charles, Prince of Wales and

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educat ...

wore garments of Hainsworth cloth at their weddings. The late

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from El ...

was buried in a coffin made of Hainsworth wool, carried in an electric

Land Rover Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...

. Prince Philip reportedly once asked Thomas Hainsworth what business he was in, and was told "textiles," to which the prince replied "Oh yes, a dying industry, isn't it?" In 2010, speaking a sustainability conference, Prince Charles joked “I have discovered a company that makes a woollen coffin — coffins, ladies and gentlemen, to die for." Hainsworth also make fabric for the clothing industry,

academic dress Academic dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, mainly tertiary (and sometimes secondary) education, worn mainly by those who have obtained a university degree (or similar), or hold a status that entitles them to assum ...

, for fire-retardant

personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elec ...

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...

upholstery Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something. ''Upholstery'' comes from the Middle English word ...

, bakery

conveyor belt A conveyor belt is the carrying medium of a belt conveyor system (often shortened to belt conveyor). A belt conveyor system is one of many types of conveyor systems. A belt conveyor system consists of two or more pulleys (sometimes referred to ...

ing, historical reenactment, baize for

billiards tables A billiard table or billiards table is a bounded table on which cue sports are played. In the modern era, all billiards tables (whether for carom billiards, pool, pyramid or snooker) provide a flat surface usually made of quarried slate, that i ...

and the

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

industry, and for

costume Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people. The term also was tradition ...

and staging.

History

The firm were founded as a clothing business in 1783 by then fourteen-year-old Abimelech Hainsworth, later known as "Old Bim". In 1900, the founder's grandson, also named Abimelech Hainsworth, was running the mill when he suffered a head injury in an industrial accident and was treated at the Leeds General Infirmary, spending twelve weeks in the hospital's care. In 1909, Hainsworth's wife made a donation equivalent to 60,000

GBP Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and t ...

in present value, which was commemorated by a brass plaque. The plaque was subsequently placed in storage and lost until its re-discovery by hospital receptionist Ronnie Walsh in 2017. The plaque was taken to the Hainsworth premises and presented to Adam Hainsworth, a descendant of the original benefactors, in 2021. The firm were until recently run by descendant Thomas Hainsworth, marking the seventh generation of the family involvement. In 2021, Hainsworth announced that he would step down from his role as director of the technical and transport interiors divisions in October, in favor of then-sales director Diane Simpson. Hainsworth retains an oversight role on the Family Council, which he helped to create in 2018. After reaching an early twenty-first century nadir, the British wool industry has seen an increased demand for its product. Thomas Hainsworth has stated that the firm has learned from past mistakes, and that shareholders have told him to focus on reinvesting in equipment to remain competitive, instead of taking profits out of the business.

References

{{reflist Textile industry of England Companies based in Leeds Wool industry Royal Warrant holders 18th-century establishments in England 1783 establishments in England