Beverly Cotton Manufactory
Encyclopedia
The Beverly Cotton Manufactory was the first cotton mill
to be built in America
, and the largest cotton mill to be built during its era. It was built hoping for economic success, but reached a downturn due to technical limitations of the then early production process and limitations of the machines being used. Being the birthplace and testing grounds of the cotton milling industry at the time, it has been called the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution
.
was one of the leading seaports of the region. Merchants had prospered for their privateer
ing during the Revolution and afterwards on a larger scale with Europe
. Many wealthy business owners lived in Beverly
and naturally worked together to form an alliance for creating a conceivable cotton mill
. The founders of the original mill business concept were Thomas Somers
and James Leonard, recruiting Moses Brown of Beverly, his brother-in-law Israel Thorndike
, the Cabot Brothers: John Cabot, Andrew Cabot, George Cabot
and his brother-in-law Joseph Lee
in building and creating the mill and machines used in it.
The original company laid out shares
of value to each of the participating investors, family, and significant shareholders. In 1789, legislation had shown that the company laid ownership out to: 22-fortieths Cabot Family Incorporators (George, Andrew, John, Deborah Higginson Cabot, Henry Higginson); Joshua Fisher, a patriot and doctor, 9-fortieths; Moses Brown and Israel Thorndike 4-fortieths each; Isaac Chapman, hardware specialist 1-fortieth.
John Cabot and Joshua Fisher held the most stock, 19 fortieths together, and were the managers of the Manufactory. The Massachusetts legislature
formed a decision on lending for the mill to be built.
in America. They consisted of John Cabot, George Cabot
, Deborah Cabot, Andrew Cabot, Moses Brown, Joshua Fisher, Israel Thorndike
, Henry Higginson, and Isaac Chapman.
As a group, the proprietors were the inventors of the first methods in America of spinning cotton commercially.
Although they had a key role in the development of the business, Nathan Dane
, Thomas Somers, and James Leonard were not listed as Proprietors. It is most likely that they were employed at the Manufactory under good wages.
On February 17, 1789, The Massachusetts Legislature decided to repay "The Proprietors of the Beverly Cotton Manufactory" for £500 of their losses and efforts in starting the mill, as a valuable resource for the community.
, and on December 11, 1787, "1 piece coarse check'd cloath here made" was shipped to the Cape de Verde Islands. Records suggest the Manufactory machines may have been in use before the actual building for the Manufactory was conceived, most likely for testing purposes regarding the new invention.
George Cabot persuaded Thomas Somers and James Leonard, investors from England, to come to Beverly in the fall of 1787. On April 22, 1788 it was reported by the Salem Mercury
newspaper that the mill's hardware had been completed, including a spinning jenny, carding machine, warping machine, and other tools. "A building of brick was erected in the second parish, near 'Bakers Corner,' at the junction of Birch Plain and Ipswich Roads."
Beverly received a visit from George Washington
in the fall of 1789 during his New England
tour. He made notes in his diary that "In short, the whole seemed perfect, and the cotton stuffs which they turn out, excellent of their kind."
Much of the funding that kept the mill alive in the beginning years came from the Public Treasury of Massachusetts in the form of a bailout. On January 15, 1789, John Cabot, George Cabot, Deborah Cabot, Andrew Cabot, Moses Brown, Nathan Dane, Joshua Fisher, Thomas Somers, Israel Thorndike, James Leonard, Henry Higginson, and Isaac Chapman petitioned to the Legislature that the creation of the mill was a major financial burden for everyone involved. Being a major asset to the region, they noted the following: the employment of otherwise unlabored women and children, the ability to fabricate almost any type of cotton or linen at the time, the low costs of cotton locally in the region (50% lower than imported goods.) The total loss to the proprietors of the Manufactory totaled £687 12s. 2d., a value of approximately $2,500. It was estimated that the entire company was worth £90,000, or $300,000 currency.
On February 3, 1789, the proprietors
formed a corporation named "The Proprietors of the Beverly Cotton Manufactory." Several proprietors and contributors did not join the ownership, including Nathan Dane, Thomas Somers, and James Leonard.
On February 17, 1789, The Legislature decided to repay "The Proprietors of the Beverly Cotton Manufactory" for £500 of their losses and efforts in starting a valuable resource for the community. This bailout had a cost, however. Beverly Cotton Manufactory would be required to create a quantity of 50,000 yards of cotton, aggregately, and keep a record of all kinds, quantities, and values of the cotton produced. The record would be verified by the testimony of at least two of the proprietors on oath. A copy of the document would be kept in the Commonwealth Secretary's office. The Manufactory would also be required to pay £500 back to the Commonwealth within eight years.
"As to cutting knives, which is found very difficult to temper, and is considered by the beaverly Workmen as a great Secret, having accidentally fallen in with the maker of theirs should you stand in need I will inform you where you may have them made by their Workmen. They refused letting me see their Knives or the operation of cutting tho' simple as it is."
The competition between the Beverly Mill and the Slater Mill, after its foundation, caused Beverly mill to lose workers as people moved to the other factory. Several workers had been hired at Slater Mill, to which Beverly responded that they would not rehire those workers if they came back. Since the Beverly mill was based on horse power, the mill had weakness to future innovations, including water-driven mills in the near future. However, the Beverly mill laid the cornerstone for mill technologies in the future.
Modern day questions about the commercial viability of Beverly mill were called into question as Slater Mill
was founded. Moses Brown of Providence had stated in a letter to the Beverly mill that Beverly's manufactory process is the "first and largest" (1791). In addition, Robert Lovett
, a business historian, wrote that "Beverly . . . was the earliest to manufacture cloth, at private expense, by means of power driven machines."
There are efforts being made locally to create an information display adjacent to the memorial stone to present information to the public.
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
to be built in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the largest cotton mill to be built during its era. It was built hoping for economic success, but reached a downturn due to technical limitations of the then early production process and limitations of the machines being used. Being the birthplace and testing grounds of the cotton milling industry at the time, it has been called the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
.
Founding members
At the time, Beverly, MassachusettsBeverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
was one of the leading seaports of the region. Merchants had prospered for their privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
ing during the Revolution and afterwards on a larger scale with Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Many wealthy business owners lived in Beverly
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
and naturally worked together to form an alliance for creating a conceivable cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
. The founders of the original mill business concept were Thomas Somers
Thomas Somers (investor)
Thomas Somers was one of the original investors and architects for the Beverly Cotton Manufactory in Beverly, Massachusetts.Thomas Somers had traveled, under his own expense, to England the fall of 1785 on behalf of the Tradesmen and Manufacturers of Baltimore in an attempt to procure the machines...
and James Leonard, recruiting Moses Brown of Beverly, his brother-in-law Israel Thorndike
Israel Thorndike
Israel Thorndike was a sailor and merchant, born in Beverly, Massachusetts. He went to sea at an early age, commanded a privateer during the American Revolution, and became active in the early China trade. He was elected to the Massachusetts legislature 13 times. In 1810 he moved to Boston, and...
, the Cabot Brothers: John Cabot, Andrew Cabot, George Cabot
George Cabot
George Cabot was an American merchant, seaman, and politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate and as the Presiding Officer of the Hartford Convention.-Early life:...
and his brother-in-law Joseph Lee
Joseph Lee
Joseph Lee may refer to:* Joe Lee, professor of Irish history* Joseph Lee , Scottish poet* Joseph Lee , father of the playground movement* J. Bracken Lee, former Governor of Utah...
in building and creating the mill and machines used in it.
The original company laid out shares
Share (finance)
A joint stock company divides its capital into units of equal denomination. Each unit is called a share. These units are offered for sale to raise capital. This is termed as issuing shares. A person who buys share/shares of the company is called a shareholder, and by acquiring share or shares in...
of value to each of the participating investors, family, and significant shareholders. In 1789, legislation had shown that the company laid ownership out to: 22-fortieths Cabot Family Incorporators (George, Andrew, John, Deborah Higginson Cabot, Henry Higginson); Joshua Fisher, a patriot and doctor, 9-fortieths; Moses Brown and Israel Thorndike 4-fortieths each; Isaac Chapman, hardware specialist 1-fortieth.
John Cabot and Joshua Fisher held the most stock, 19 fortieths together, and were the managers of the Manufactory. The Massachusetts legislature
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
formed a decision on lending for the mill to be built.
The Proprietors
The Proprietors of the Beverly Cotton Manufactory was a Massachusetts-registered company of people who incorporated the Beverly Cotton Manufactory, the first cotton millCotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
in America. They consisted of John Cabot, George Cabot
George Cabot
George Cabot was an American merchant, seaman, and politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate and as the Presiding Officer of the Hartford Convention.-Early life:...
, Deborah Cabot, Andrew Cabot, Moses Brown, Joshua Fisher, Israel Thorndike
Israel Thorndike
Israel Thorndike was a sailor and merchant, born in Beverly, Massachusetts. He went to sea at an early age, commanded a privateer during the American Revolution, and became active in the early China trade. He was elected to the Massachusetts legislature 13 times. In 1810 he moved to Boston, and...
, Henry Higginson, and Isaac Chapman.
As a group, the proprietors were the inventors of the first methods in America of spinning cotton commercially.
Although they had a key role in the development of the business, Nathan Dane
Nathan Dane
Nathan Dane was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Massachusetts in the Continental Congress from 1785 through 1788...
, Thomas Somers, and James Leonard were not listed as Proprietors. It is most likely that they were employed at the Manufactory under good wages.
On February 17, 1789, The Massachusetts Legislature decided to repay "The Proprietors of the Beverly Cotton Manufactory" for £500 of their losses and efforts in starting the mill, as a valuable resource for the community.
Early stages
Although the plant was not erected until the summer of 1787, there are port records indicating shipments of cotton being imported as early as March of 1785. Business officially opened for the plant November 1, 1787. On November 23, 1787, 1 box of "coarse woolen and linnen cloth here manufactured" was shipped to MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, and on December 11, 1787, "1 piece coarse check'd cloath here made" was shipped to the Cape de Verde Islands. Records suggest the Manufactory machines may have been in use before the actual building for the Manufactory was conceived, most likely for testing purposes regarding the new invention.
George Cabot persuaded Thomas Somers and James Leonard, investors from England, to come to Beverly in the fall of 1787. On April 22, 1788 it was reported by the Salem Mercury
Salem Mercury
The Salem Mercury was a newspaper that was published by John Dabney and Thomas Cushing . It began production around 1786, and ended in 1790 after the name of the paper was changed. It printed weekly on Tuesday onto demy sheet, four columns to a page, and predominantly on Long Primer type. Editors...
newspaper that the mill's hardware had been completed, including a spinning jenny, carding machine, warping machine, and other tools. "A building of brick was erected in the second parish, near 'Bakers Corner,' at the junction of Birch Plain and Ipswich Roads."
Beverly received a visit from George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
in the fall of 1789 during his New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
tour. He made notes in his diary that "In short, the whole seemed perfect, and the cotton stuffs which they turn out, excellent of their kind."
Financial Issues
Beverly mill suffered from economic problems, specifically with the costs associated with building such a mill. There were no government subsidiaries available to offset the costs, with most of the burden lying on the Cabot Family investors. Legislation was passed to protect the mill and the people, including legislation not to raise taxes to offset the costs of the mill, and prevent local competition from forming out of the economic weakness that the mill created.Much of the funding that kept the mill alive in the beginning years came from the Public Treasury of Massachusetts in the form of a bailout. On January 15, 1789, John Cabot, George Cabot, Deborah Cabot, Andrew Cabot, Moses Brown, Nathan Dane, Joshua Fisher, Thomas Somers, Israel Thorndike, James Leonard, Henry Higginson, and Isaac Chapman petitioned to the Legislature that the creation of the mill was a major financial burden for everyone involved. Being a major asset to the region, they noted the following: the employment of otherwise unlabored women and children, the ability to fabricate almost any type of cotton or linen at the time, the low costs of cotton locally in the region (50% lower than imported goods.) The total loss to the proprietors of the Manufactory totaled £687 12s. 2d., a value of approximately $2,500. It was estimated that the entire company was worth £90,000, or $300,000 currency.
On February 3, 1789, the proprietors
Ownership
Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property, which may be an object, land/real estate or intellectual property. Ownership involves multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different parties. The concept of ownership has...
formed a corporation named "The Proprietors of the Beverly Cotton Manufactory." Several proprietors and contributors did not join the ownership, including Nathan Dane, Thomas Somers, and James Leonard.
On February 17, 1789, The Legislature decided to repay "The Proprietors of the Beverly Cotton Manufactory" for £500 of their losses and efforts in starting a valuable resource for the community. This bailout had a cost, however. Beverly Cotton Manufactory would be required to create a quantity of 50,000 yards of cotton, aggregately, and keep a record of all kinds, quantities, and values of the cotton produced. The record would be verified by the testimony of at least two of the proprietors on oath. A copy of the document would be kept in the Commonwealth Secretary's office. The Manufactory would also be required to pay £500 back to the Commonwealth within eight years.
Mill Secrecy
Due to the nature of the new structure, competition was fierce, causing Beverly mill not to show its wares to anyone who would potentially steal the ideas. Another person named Moses Brown from Providence had contacted the Beverly mill in request for information, but was denied the information he was looking for. In a statement from Brown, he writes:"As to cutting knives, which is found very difficult to temper, and is considered by the beaverly Workmen as a great Secret, having accidentally fallen in with the maker of theirs should you stand in need I will inform you where you may have them made by their Workmen. They refused letting me see their Knives or the operation of cutting tho' simple as it is."
The competition between the Beverly Mill and the Slater Mill, after its foundation, caused Beverly mill to lose workers as people moved to the other factory. Several workers had been hired at Slater Mill, to which Beverly responded that they would not rehire those workers if they came back. Since the Beverly mill was based on horse power, the mill had weakness to future innovations, including water-driven mills in the near future. However, the Beverly mill laid the cornerstone for mill technologies in the future.
Modern day questions about the commercial viability of Beverly mill were called into question as Slater Mill
Slater Mill
A National Historic Landmark, the Slater Mill is located next to the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Modeled after cotton spinning mills first established in England, the Slater Mill is the first water-powered cotton spinning mill in North America to utilize the Arkwright system of...
was founded. Moses Brown of Providence had stated in a letter to the Beverly mill that Beverly's manufactory process is the "first and largest" (1791). In addition, Robert Lovett
Robert Lovett
Robert Lovett may refer to:* Robert A. Lovett , United States Secretary of Defense* Robert Morss Lovett American educator and writer; acting Governor of the United States Virgin Islands...
, a business historian, wrote that "Beverly . . . was the earliest to manufacture cloth, at private expense, by means of power driven machines."
The Mill's Shutdown
On January 11, 1798, John Cabot and Joshua Fisher, having bought all shares of the company, sold the five and three-fourths acres of land to Samuel Blanchard of Wenham for $2630.29. Blanchard operated the factory on his own account until March 21, 1801, when he sold one-third to George S. Johonnut of Baltimore for $1,011.01. On March 1, 1813, George Johonnot purchased another third of the land for $333.33. The deed attached to this mentioned that the machinery within the buildings were formerly used for the manufacture of cotton. A time prior to that deed on 1813, business had ceased and part of the machinery sold. It has been mentioned that the mill may have ceased operation during the Embargo of 1807, when commerce in Salem and Beverly was paralyzed. The old brick factory was burned October 13, 1828.The Factory Today
Today, the location of the factory is marked by a memorial stone at 42°34'21.52"N, 70°53'35.46"W. It is documented that the factory stood at Baker's Corner, which is the corner of Cabot and Dodge streets. The corner was the site of Baker's Inn. Across the street, roughly where Prinzi's Pizza is now is where the building stood. Oxen and horses used at the mill were watered from the pond nearby. The building no longer stands.There are efforts being made locally to create an information display adjacent to the memorial stone to present information to the public.