Washing machines 1901

[Robindad]

My grandfather John KING was in Bold Street Accrington in1901
His occupation then and at his death in 1925 (Garden Street Accrington) was
'roller turner' Iron Works Domestic and (washing machine)


Does anyone know which works this would have been?

And what was he doing?

Also What sort of domestic washing machines were there in1901?


Robin

Lanark

[blazey]

[quote=Robindad;488430]My grandfather John KING was in Bold Street Accrington in1901
His occupation then and at his death in 1925 (Garden Street Accrington) was
'roller turner' Iron Works Domestic and (washing machine)


Does anyone know which works this would have been?

And what was he doing?

Also What sort of domestic washing machines were there in1901?


Robin



Dont know anything about the place but I did a bit of quick research and the first electric powered washing machine was invented in 1908 named Mighty Thor, but there was a type known as the rotary washing machine made a few decades earlier.

Rotary Washing Machine

In 1858, Hamilton Smith patented the rotary washing machine.
In 1874, William Blackstone of Indiana built a birthday present for his wife. It was a machine which removed and washed away dirt from clothes. The first washing machines designed for convenient use in the home.

This was most likely the type of washing device he used for most of his career, as I am assuming the first washing machines of this sort where owned by richer people, though I suppose a factory may have had some towards the latter years of his career if it had the money for it.

Anyway thats about domestic, but I'm guessing that if he worked at an iron works then they where more likely to be those roller things that u rolled ur item through and it squeezes the moisture out of them, seems ore apt for the work description anyway. I am sure you could find out alot at the library though if your very keen to know. I just thought it'd be nice to try do a bit of research on them, but im only 18 so i'm no local historian!

[Atarah]

Hi, wonder if he could have worked at PIONEER, they were there from 1867 and certainly there in 1901. (Horne Street)

In 1886 owned by Henry Whittaker for production of domestic washing machines.

Atarah

[Atarah]

Here's one photo of the old Pioneer premises, will find another for you.

Atarah

[Atarah]

Hi, here is the other photo of the old Pioneer premises


Atarah

[Retlaw]

Them Rollers he was turning were made of wood covered with white rubber, they were for Mangles.
The Earliest Washing machines were gas fired copper boilers with a woman powered posser, with a small mangle attached, all powered by britches arse steam.
Retlaw.

Originally Posted by Robindad

My grandfather John KING was in Bold Street Accrington in1901
His occupation then and at his death in 1925 (Garden Street Accrington) was
'roller turner' Iron Works Domestic and (washing machine)


Does anyone know which works this would have been?

And what was he doing?

Also What sort of domestic washing machines were there in1901?


Robin

Lanark

[Robindad]

Found my answer to this old query in the 1921 Census

He was working for Entwistle and Kenyon at their Ewbank Works

[Less]

Originally Posted by Robindad

Also What sort of domestic washing machines were there in1901?


Robin

Lanark

If I assume correctly having grown up in the fifties watching my mum grind away at a hot tub, washing machines were called, WOMEN.
thank goodness things have changed!

[Robindad]

Originally Posted by Less

If I assume correctly having grown up in the fifties watching my mum grind away at a hot tub, washing machines were called, WOMEN.
thank goodness things have changed!

Yes thank goodness.

There were early attempts at washing machines and the Ewbank company history summary on their website states

OUR HISTORY

Founded in Accrington, Lancashire during 1864, we began under the name Entwisle & Kenyon Limited manufacturing water meters; we later moved on to producing manual washing machines and mangles.

In 1889, our first Ewbank sweeper was sold, designed by Richard Walter Kenyon. It soon became the most popular product of its type in Britain and carpet sweeping became known as ‘ewbanking’