In 1848, aged only 23, Benjamin Davies bought a old building located behind Pincroft. It had fallen into disuse from its earlier occupation as a printworks (explored in another post here). He went into partnership bleaching with Mr H.G. Rule, which lasted only a few years until some point between 1853 and 1855. In 1848, they had 20 hands working for them.
Benjamin Davies then went into partnership with James Eckersley. With this new partnership, the company became known as 'Davies & Eckersley'.
In 1856, there was an incident where an eleven year old boy called James Hart, who had been working there as a dodger, had fallen into a cistern of boiling water up to his chin. He was quickly removed, and remedies were applied, but he died later that day from his injuries.
At the inquest, it appeared that the cistern was only about half a yard high and that it was unprotected either at the sides or the top. The boy was working three yards from the cistern. The boy's death was judged as 'accidentally scalded' and Davies and Eckersley were recommended to install covers over the cistern.
At the inquest, it appeared that the cistern was only about half a yard high and that it was unprotected either at the sides or the top. The boy was working three yards from the cistern. The boy's death was judged as 'accidentally scalded' and Davies and Eckersley were recommended to install covers over the cistern.
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| Huyton Arch, which gave entry to Huyton Bleachworks c1910 |
In 1860, Benjamin Davies married Hannah Knowles, the daughter of a calico printer from Southport. The following year, James Eckersley went on to marry her younger sister Margaret.
On the evening of 12 January 1863, there was a fire at the works. The fire originated in the room above the stove room, where cotton pieces were stored, and had caught fire because of the heat. The counting house next door was emptied but the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, so it was barely affected. However, the stove room was completely destroyed, and the mangling room was in quite a bad state. The damage cost between £2,000 and £3,000, which was luckily covered by insurance.
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| This shows the location of the old bleachworks on a modern-day map. Credit to Nick Williams. |
By 1889, there were 300 employees on the payroll. In 1893, Benjamin Davies caught a cold whilst out shooting and died. His role in the company was taken over by his son, Arthur Knowles Davies.
The firm became a private limited company in 1899. James Eckersley retired to London in about 1902, where he died in January 1914. The company continued in business, and was known as Davies & Eckersley Ltd well into the 1930s, and possibly beyond.
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| The printworks was demolished in the early 1990s. This is a photo of the women's entrance in 1994. Credit to Bill Martindale. |