Stockport Rd, Denton
The Jolly Hatters is now closed as an inn. The earliest reference to the Jolly Hatters Inn is in Pigot’s directory for 1834 where Samuel Albinson is recorded as a beer retailer and it is the oldest of the three Jolly Hatters in Denton and Haughton. The other two are on Town Ln, Denton, and Haughton Green Rd, Haughton Green. In 1848 William Broadbent became the owner and he was followed by his son, James Broadbent. The Broadbent family was connected with hat manufacture a few doorways away at Nos 51 to 57 Stockport Rd.

1851, 1861 & 1871 Censuses: William Broadbent, Innkeeper.
1875 Death of William Broadbent, aged 71 years.
1881 & 1891 Censuses: James Broadbent, Innkeeper.

The 2d token illustrated on the left was issued by the Jolly Hatters Inn during the tenancy of James Broadbent and it bears his name. Pub tokens were in use from the 17th century until 1914 and their use was widespread by the 1840s. They were used to pay for drinks in advance.

Slater's Trade Directory for 1903 listed Stephen Shaw as the Publican and for a while an association of hatters' unions had offices at the Jolly Hatters Inn where they shared facilities. Slater's Directory for 1909 listed John Ogden Gardner as the Publican along with the Felt Hatters & Trimmers Association who represented the men and women's unions, respectively. In 1911 the Publican was James Harding and the trade unions were still using the premises at this time. In 1914 Openshaw Brewery bought the premises and later this was taken over by Bass Charrington.

Several unions represented workers in the hatting industry but the two principle ones were the Amalgamated Society of Journeymen Felt Hatters (for men) and the parallel Felt Hat Trimmers & Wool Formers Association (for women). These two unions had a Joint General Secretary but they had their own funds and the women's union had fewer benefits. It seems that in time the name of the women's union was shortened to Felt Hat Trimmers Association. The collective name for the two unions was the, Felt Hatters & Trimmers Unions. A smaller hatting trade union active in Denton was the Denton Silk Hat Trimmers and Stitchers Union.

During the last quarter of the 19th century, the unions managed to negotiate higher wages for their members in areas where they were strong. As there was a heavy concentration of hat works in Denton, this meant that employees there were paid higher wages than those in neighbouring areas, such as Hyde, Stockport, Manchester and Bury, where the unions were weaker or sometimes non-existent.

In order to maintain their position of strength, the unions recognised that in return they had to give some advantage to employers. This was accomplished by means of a 'Union Label' that was attached to the linings inside hats stating that these hats had been union made. To promote this, the unions mounted an advertising campaign asking people not to buy a hat unless it had this label inside it. Their motto was 'Defence not Defiance'.

The Amalgamated Society of Journeymen Felt Hatters (AJFH) and the Felt Hat Trimmers & Wool Formers Association (FHT&WF) were leading exponents of the Union Label and the scheme was introduced in Jan 1895.

Two notable Joint General Secretaries at the turn of the 20th century were George Wilde and Thomas Mallalieu. George Wilde was involved with the introduction of union labels placed inside hats. The 1901 census listed Thomas Mallalieu as living on Acre St and Slater's Trade Directory for 1903 stated that the union offices were on Manchester Rd. Slater's Trade Directory for 1909 gives Thomas Mallalieu's home address on Peel St and by this time he was the Joint General Secretary of the Felt Hatters & Trimmers Unions with an office on Manchester Rd. He was also a Councillor on Denton Urban District Council and he was Chairman of the Council in 1904/05 and 1924/25.

The Head Office/Denton District Office of the Felt Hatters & Trimmers Unions eventually moved to premises on Walker St once used by Joseph Ashton Cooke, a Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer. Fred Worthington JP DL OBE, probably the best-known Denton hatting trade unionist, followed on from Thomas Mallalieu to become the long-term Joint General Secretary of the hatting unions. Fred was also a long-term Denton Councillor who was Chairman of Denton Council on four occasions, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1930/31 and 1955/56.