CREAMS PAPER MILL

This mill is believed to have been founded in 1677 and run for many generations by the Crompton family. Following the death of Adam Crompton in 1812 the mill passed to his nephew, Joseph Bealey. Bealey ran the mill until his bankruptcy in 1816 when the mill passed to the Hughes family.

"Manchester Guardian" ( 25 June 1825 )

It was initially run by a partnership of Daniel Hughes and two of his sons, Thomas Hughes and Joseph Hughes. This partnership was dissolved in 1825 and Thomas Hughes became the sole proprietor.

Early Building, Creams Paper Mill	General View, Creams Paper Mill

In 1834 Thomas Hughes was declared bankrupt and the mill was taken over by some of his creditors. There followed a period of instability when his creditors found themselves in financial difficulties. A William Broadbent emerged as the stabilising force about 1840 and ran the mill till his death in 1862. He appears to have installed James Sutcliffe as the mill manager.

In 1860 this mill was reportedly producing "double small caps, browns, and grocery papers," and in 1869 the mill had an office at 71 Cannon Street, Manchester.

Roadsign at Entrance to Creams Paper Mill	Administration Building, Creams Paper Mill

This mill ceased production on 21 December 2004 while being run by Mondi Paper UK. Rising production costs, mainly a doubling in the price of the gas they used as a energy souce, was given as the reason. At the time the mill was producing 63,000 tons of paper products per annum for the corrugated packaging industry.

River Irwell from Creams Paper Mill

Sources:

Lancashire census returns.

Lyddon, Denis Personal Communications

Lyddon, Denis & Marshall, Peter "Paper in Bolton - A Papermaker's Tale" (John Sherratt and Son Ltd., Altrincham, Cheshire, England 1975)

Marshall, Peter Personal Communications

Shorter, Alfred H. "Paper Mills and Paper Makers in England 1495-1800" (The Paper Publications Society, Hilversum, Holland 1967)

"The Paper Mills Directory" ("The Stationer", London, England 1860)

Newspapers:

Lancashire "Bolton Evening News", "Manchester Guardian"