John Smedley is the name of four generations of owners of Lea Mills, near Matlock,

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

. The most famous of these was John Smedley (1803–1874), born at

Wirksworth Wirksworth is a market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England. Its population of 5,038 in the 2011 census was estimated at 5,180 in 2019. Wirksworth contains the source of the River Ecclesbourne. The town was granted a mark ...

, Derbyshire.

Lea Mills

Lea Mills was founded in 1784 by Peter Nightingale (a relation of

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during t ...

and former accountant to

Richard Arkwright Sir Richard Arkwright (23 December 1732 – 3 August 1792) was an English inventor and a leading entrepreneur during the early Industrial Revolution. He is credited as the driving force behind the development of the spinning frame, known as t ...

) and John Smedley (father of the better-known son of the same name). It was set up on a hilly site straddling a brook at

Lea Bridge Lea Bridge is a district in the London Borough of Hackney and the London Borough of Waltham Forest in London, England. It lies 7 miles (11.3 km) northeast of Charing Cross. The area it takes its name from a bridge built over the River ...

, just outside Matlock. The brook was used to both clean yarn and power machinery. The

mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...

specialised in the production of

muslin Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured. Muslin of uncommonly delicate handsp ...

and spinning cotton to send out to local cottages with hand frame looms. Towards the end of the 18th century, the company had extended its activities to include knitting and hosiery manufacture – said to be the origin of Long Johns. By this time, John Smedley was running the business alone, although the Nightingale family retained an interest in the property. As Lea Mills remains open and an operational building to this day, manufacturing the company's range of designer knitwear, John Smedley claims to be the world's longest running factory manufacturer.

John Smedley 1803–1874

Title_page_and_portrait_of_John_and_Caroline_Anne_Smedley

John Smedley's son, also named John Smedley, was born on 12 June 1803. In 1819 the younger John Smedley began work as an apprentice. In 1825 he took over the running of the mill, and started an energetic expansion of its operations. The mill at this time had already diversified from cotton to wool, and from simply weaving to knitting. Smedley the younger's plan was to produce a wide range of finished garments, rather than simply manufacture cloth. In 1847 he married Caroline Harward, the second daughter of John Harward the Vicar of

. Smedley's success and growing wealth enabled other grand projects. He developed an interest in

hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and treatment. The term ...

, and built Smedley's Hydro in Matlock, a spa resort that attracted patrons from around the world. As a family home he also built the massive and ostentatious

Riber Castle Riber Castle is a 19th-century Grade II listed country house in the hamlet of Riber on a hill overlooking Matlock, Derbyshire. It is built of gritstone from a local quarry which was pulled up the hill by a series of pulleys. History Known loca ...

on a hilltop overlooking Matlock. This is now one of Derbyshire's most famous landmarks. Smedley died on 27 July 1874,. See downloadable attachments at bottom of page. and upon his death the business passed to his cousin, John T Marsden Smedley, and thence to John B Marsden Smedley. In 1893 the operation became a

limited company In a limited company, the liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by Share (finance), shares or by guarantee. In a company limited by ...

Brand names

The designer label ''John Smedley'' is now familiar in boutiques, department stores and classic retailers around the world. The company sells to over 30 countries and has won numerous awards for its export achievements. The largest export market is Japan. There are concessions in some branches of

Flannels Cricket whites, also known as flannels, the kit, costume or uniform worn by most cricketers, and usually consists of trousers, shirt and a jumper. Originally, as indicated by the name whites, flannels were exclusively white or cream. Today, man ...

and Fenwick.

References

External links

the John Smedley company's commercial websiteBBC News: Staying in fashion for centuries
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smedley, John 1803 births 1874 deaths High fashion brands British textile industry businesspeople People from Derbyshire Dales (district) People from Dethick, Lea and Holloway 19th-century English businesspeople

Lea Mills

John Smedley 1803–1874

Brand names

See also

References

External links