The Greenholme Mills Partners & Directors 1790-1968
Greenholme, Burley in Wharfedale
The majority of the gentlemen involved with the establishment, financing & management of the Greenholme Mills had multiple business interests. In some cases they were also linked by marriage.
Partnerships Year by Year
1790 to 1792
Jonas Whitaker & Co. (c1790-1805) a partnership consisting of: George Merryweather (1769-1852) - managing partner; Jonas Whitaker (1768-1850); Richard Paley (1746-1808); Thomas Davison (1744-1794) (family later became Davison-Bland). 1792 Thomas Davison left the partnership & was replaced by Simon Spence.
1792 - 1797
Partners George Merryweather, Jonas Whitaker, Simon Spence & Richard Paley. 1797 Simon Spence left the partnership, but retained financial interests in the business. These were disposed of in 1807 & 1825.
1797 - 1803
Partners George Merryweather, Jonas Whitaker & Richard Paley. (1798 George Merryweather & Jonas Whitaker re-wrote their partnership agreement) 1803
Richard Paley was made bankrupt. Replaced by John Greenwood (jnr.) & Lister Ellis. 1803 - 1805
Partners George Merryweather, Jonas Whitaker, John Greenwood (jnr.) & Lister Ellis 1805
George Merryweather & Jonas Whitaker partnership dissolved. c1810 George Merryweather moved to a Manchester mill, taking part of the workforce of the Greenholme Mills with him.
1805 - 1812
Jonas Whitaker, John Greenwood (jnr) & Lister Ellis trading as "Greenwood & Whitaker". 1812 Lister Ellis sells his one third stake in the business to his son, William Ellis.
1812 - 1816
Jonas Whitaker, John Greenwood & William Ellis trading as "Greenwood & Whitaker". 1816 William Ellis made bankrupt. 1818 - 1819 Wilson v Greenwood High Court of Chancery, London. "Greenwood & Whitaker" was forced, by the Lord Chancellor, to put itself up for sale having contravened the bankruptcy laws with regard to William Ellis. In the event Jonas Whitaker & John Greenwood bought the whole business back.
1819 - 1847
Jonas Whitaker & John Greenwood (jnr) trading as "Greenwood & Whitaker". 1847 Partnership dissolved on the death of John Greenwood (jnr).
John Greenwood's son Frederick took his father's place. 1848 Greenholme Mills & its estate (including Hell Hole Gill mill estate at Otley) put up for sale by Jonas Whitaker. (See plan of 1848). 1849 William E Forster (1818-1886) & William Fison (1820-1900) purchase the Greenholme Mills estate under the name of "William Fison & Co." (Wm Fison & Co (1846-1907)). They had help raising the funds from various family members.
1856 - 1862 New partner Edward Hudson
1864 - 1876 New partner Walter Nicholson
1872 New partner Frederick W Fison.
1873 New partner Edward P Arnold-Forster.
1876 - 1886 Partners - W. E. Forster; W. Fison; F. W. Fison; E. P. Arnold-Forster.
On the death of William Forster in 1886, William Fison retired from the business.
1888 New partner William H. Mitchell
1888 - 1907 Partners - F. W. Fison; E. P. Arnold-Forster & W. H. Mitchell.
1907 - The partnerships are dissolved & the business is converted to a Limited Company on the issuing of shares. |
Finance & Individuals bio details
Research question: Finance History - Lack of cash & capital in the economy of the 18th century.
A number of individuals have come to light who, though not actual partners in the business, provided finance to the people who were.
1792 - Mrs Esther Jopson of Stockton, Durham £1200 to the partnership of Jonas Whitaker & Co. Thomas Gill of Burley - Lease & release Leather Bank Lane & 20 acres of land, Burley [16D84/2/40 to 43 - Records of Wm Fison & Co of Burley in Wharfedale - Bradford Archives] George Merryweather (jnr) (1769-1852) m 1793 Mary Whitaker, sister of Jonas Whitaker Methodist from Yarm. Jonas Whitaker (1768-1850) Residing at Armley, Leeds at time of establishing the first or "Old" Mill at Greenholme. m 1793 Elizabeth ("Betty") Wood, Morton, Bingley. Moved to Greenholme 1797. Morton Banks, Bingley J and J Whitaker (John & John jnr. Whitaker - father & brother of Jonas), Otley, Bingley & Leeds. Hillhouse Bank, Leeds - cotton spinning factory with Richard Paley. Short Horn Cattle Breeder & Exporter, Greenholme. One of the founders of the Wharfedale Agricultural Society (Ref: Annual Otley Show). 1802 - Elizabeth Ann Grimston (spinster) of Etton Lodge (possibly East Yorkshire) £3000 to the partnership of Merryweather & Whitaker. 1802 - John Allison (c1746-1805) and James Crome, merchants of Stockton, Durham. Lease & release of the original 20 acres of land bought from Sir James Ibbetson (1746-1795) by the Jonas Whitaker & Co partnership. Richard Paley (1746-1808)
Soap-boiler, maltster, tallow chandler, woolcomber & cotton spinner all of Leeds.
Set up a cotton spinning factory in 1790 with J and J Whitaker, at Hillhouse Bank in Leeds. First mill in Leeds to use a steam engine to drive the machinery. Set up on his own Bowling Iron Works, Bradford & with a partner Fall Ings Foundry Wakefield. Construction of 500 plus, back to back houses in east Leeds. Production of own conder copper coinage or tokens in 1791.
One side a standing figure of Bishop Blaize (patron saint of woolcombers) holding a crozier and wool comb and on the reverse the arms of Leeds. Edge inscription: "Payable at the Warehouse of Richard Paley XX". Simon Spence Merchant of Leeds & Middleham. Lister Ellis (d1829)
The Hills, Bingley Castlefield Mills, Crossflatts, Bingley William Ellis (d1856) Son of Lister Ellis. 1816 Made bankrupt after the failure of Colbeck, Ellis & Co., flax spinners of Westhouse, Fewston, Yorkshire. 1819 discharged from bankruptcy. William E Forster (1818-1886)
Henry Pease & Co., worsted spinners, Darlington. Thomas Sparham Fison (1818-1875) (older brother of William Fison), woolstapler "Forster & Fison" partnership 1841-1851, Bradford. Wm Fison & Co - partnership 1842-1886 - Bradford & Greenholme. In 1861 William Forster became the MP for Bradford. He in effect became a sleeping partner in Wm Fison & Co., from that year onwards. William Fison (1820-1900), son of Thomas Fison of Barningham. (grandson of James Fison of Thetford (1784-1844).
m1846 Frances "Fanny" Whitaker (1815-1892) daughter of Jonas Whitaker. In the Fison family photo, taken outside the main door of Greenholme Mansion, William Fison is the gentleman in the top hat (centre). His son Frederick William Fison is standing second from the right. Edward Hudson (1777-1862) Corn Merchant, King's Mill, Leeds Director of Leeds & York Railway Walter Nicholson (1840-1877) Son of William Nicholson Nicholson, Roundhay Park, Leeds Sir Frederick William Fison (1847-1927) William Fison's son. Married Isabella Crossley, 2nd daughter of Joseph Crossley, on 23 April 1872. Created 1st Baronet of Greenholme on 27 July 1905. Edward Penrose Arnold-Forster (1851-1927)
William E Forster's eldest adopted son William Henry Mitchell (1853-1929) - Member of the Royal Commission on Shipping Rings m 1880 Elizabeth Amelia (Ellen) Hodge (1853-1933) |
Wm Fison & Co. Limited 1907-1968
1907 William Fison & Co becomes a limited company. The existing partners become directors: Sir Frederick W Fison (chairman); Edward P Arnold-Forster & William H. Mitchell. They are joined by Mason Thomas as company secretary.
1922 Directors: Sir Frederick W. Fison, Bart., Chairman; Edward Penrose Arnold-Forster; William Henry Mitchell; William Howard Arnold-Forster; E. G. H. Mitchell; William Guy Fison.
Research - on-going
1922 Directors: Sir Frederick W. Fison, Bart., Chairman; Edward Penrose Arnold-Forster; William Henry Mitchell; William Howard Arnold-Forster; E. G. H. Mitchell; William Guy Fison.
Research - on-going
1966 July - An arson attack on Greenholme Mills, destroyed the southern range of warehousing & office buildings. Part of the reason for the intensity of the fire was the storage of large quantities of plastic materials. The warehouse was being rented out to local businesses, such as Monobond, Otley who were unconnected to Wm Fison & Co. Limited.
1967 Dec an EGM was called by the directors of Wm Fison & Co. Limited to wind-up the business & sell off its assets.
1968 Wm Fison & Co. Limited ceased trading.
1968 Greenholme Estate including Greenholme Mills was broken up following an auction of 22 lots.
The Greenholme Mills part of the estate became Greenholme Industrial Estate.
The Greenholme Mills part of the estate became Greenholme Industrial Estate.
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