Crossley And Bancroft Shuttles

Some years ago, our BQSG seminar was held in Burnley, Lancashire. The area was once one of the most important in fabric production in the past. Susan L., her husband and I just managed to squeeze in a visit to the Queen Street Mill Museum.....and I was mightily impressed! Although only a small fraction of the weaving looms had been preserved, when the huge room of looms was turned on, what a noise! No wonder the workers lost their hearing and thus were adept at lip reading and sign language. Fabrics were an important part of Britains industrial history, now almost vanished...

So I was pleased to find this shuttle....it is a flying shuttle to be used in a weaving machine, as proved by the metal tips. Hand weaving shuttles lack these metal tips, which would be too sharp for the weavers hands....

This shuttle was made by Crossleys. The firm was located at Woodbottom Mill, Hollins Road, Walsden, Todmorden in Yorkshire. Crossleys closed in 2006, after 118 years of manufacturing shuttles of all sizes for automatic and non-automatic looms. The reason given for closure was the decline of the British textile industry and foreign competition.

The detail of the shuttle is pretty amazing, and shows great engineering...this is the end feed mechanism...

There is still a spool of artificial silk in the shuttle. The little brushes must facilitate the movement or get rid of fluff? Not sure! So sturdily made....yet not vastly different to ones found in archaelogical sites!

Fabric is a wonderful product....

I was so intrigued by the shuttle that I bought two more - different silk colours this time, and by a different maker - these are made by Bancroft of Blackburn. Given the incredible number of looms in Britain formerly, there must still be very many of these shuttles still floating about, as these cost very little. I think that they are very decorative....