Denton
Palatine St was situated on the western side of Ashton Rd and parallel to it. It was about 443-yards long between Wilton St at its southern end and Egerton St at its northern end.
The list of hat manufacturers for 1902 records three hat manufacturers in the vicinity, namely, Cook, Smith & Co Ltd, T Norbury & Co and Walter Richardson. Slater’s Trade Directories over the period 1903 to 1911 also list John Lever & Co (Holdings) Ltd, hat trimmings manufacturers, and William Hancock & Co (later William Dedman), chamois leather dressers. Residents in the street were mostly hatters.
It is known that Cook, Smith & Co Ltd was voluntarily wound up on the 17 Apr 1939.
In 2002/3 approximately 177 yards of Palatine St at its Wilton St end were demolished to make way for the Crown Point North Shopping Park.
Right: Palatine St looking south from the corner of Clare St, 1986. The works on the right is Bay 1 of John Lever & Co (Holdings) Ltd and their office block is just visible on the far right. The bottom end of the Barcliff Cinema can just be seen in the distance at the junction with Wilton St.
John Lever & Co (Holdings) Ltd, Hat Trimming Manufacturers
This company was founded by John Lever sometime between 1851 and 1861 and in 1885 the proprietors were James Wardle Brown and Thomas Thorley.
Later the company was incorporated as a private limited company styled as John Lever & Co (Holdings) Ltd. The registered office was on Wilton St and the works was on the west side of Palatine St.
The company was described as manufacturers of hat galloons, Petersham ribbons and other hat trimmings. The company traded until 1967 when it was liquidated.
The large works consisted of three bays incorporating manufacturing and warehouse areas with a mechanics/electricians shop, store and shop at the bottom end of Bay 1 alongside Palatine St. The office block was eight bays long on Clare St by two bays wide on Palatine St and two-storeys high. The works and office block were demolished in 2002/3.
In 1861 John Lever (47) was resident on Long Ln (Ashton Rd), Haughton, Denton, with his wife, Alice Crompton (47), and son, Thomas James (21). Father and son were both listed as silk manufacturers. John Lever was born at Kearsley, Lancashire, in 1813/14 and his wife was born at Farnworth, Lancashire, in 1813/14.
James Wardle Brown was born at Darcy Lever near Bolton, Lancashire, on the 3 Jun 1843 to Thomas Brown and Anne Wardle and he married Julia Lever, daughter of John Lever and Alice Crompton, at Ashton-under-Lyne in 1869. She was born at Denton in 1846. The couple were resident in the Bolton area of Lancashire where he was also in business as a cotton waste dealer.
The manufacture of hat trimmings eventually developed into a separate, specialist part of hat manufacture and it involved the application of narrow fabrics in a variety of materials, styles and colours to finished hats. The process required the use of looms to weave the fabric and sewing machines to complete the trimmings before they were despatched to hat manufacturers.
Hat trimmings, or galloons, are narrow ornamental strips of fabric, typically cotton, rayon or silk ribbons or lengths of lace, used for trimming purposes on hats. A popular ribbon for this purpose is Petersham ribbon which is a flexible corded ribbon used for trimming purposes. It is woven with picot (scalloped) edges so that when it is steamed it will take on the required shape without forming wrinkles or puckers, which makes it especially suitable for trimming hats. The ribbon is named after Lord Viscount Petersham, Charles Stanhope, 4th Earl of Harrington (1780-1851), who was a soldier and man of fashion.
T Norbury & Co, Hat Manufacturers
This company was situated on the west side of Palatine St. Although it was listed in the directory of British Felt Hat Manufacturers for 1902 the proprietor, Thomas Norbury, had retired before 1901 and
the business was closed by 1902/3.
Thomas Norbury was born at Salford, Lancashire, in 1843/44 to Thomas Norbury and Maria Washington and he married Elizabeth Johnson at Manchester Cathedral in 1866. In 1891 Thomas Norbury (48) was resident on Palatine St with his wife, Elizabeth (47), and daughter, Annie (22). The 1911 census records that he had retired with his wife and family to Hyde Rd, Gorton, Manchester. Thomas Norbury died at Gorton in 1915, aged 71 years, and his wife died at Gorton in 1919, aged 74 years.
Clayton & Webb Ltd, Hatters’ Specialities
This company of hat leather stitchers, hatters’ printers and manufacturers of hatters’ specialities was established on Wilton St in 1901.
By 1922 it had moved to premises on Palatine St. At some point the company was incorporated as Clayton & Webb Ltd and it was struck off the register of companies on the 2 Jan 1968.
John Paulden Clayton was born at Denton on the 14 Aug 1875 and he married Sarah Cooke at St Lawrence’s Church, Denton, on the 8 Aug 1907. Sarah Cooke was born at Denton on the 30 Oct 1874. By 1911 they were resident on Victoria St, Denton.
Robert Webb was born at Marple, Cheshire, in 1872 and he married Henrietta Sarah Spring at the Congregational Chapel, Castlecroft, Bury, Lancashire, on the 24 May 1899. Henrietta Sarah Spring was born at Bolton, Lancashire, in 1873. The couple had three children, Harry Bristow (b.1900), Norman (b.1902) and Frank (b.1903). By 1911 they were resident on Gresham St, Denton.
