John Foster and Son
of Blackdyke Mills, Queensbury, near Bradford
1819 Company founded by John Foster and continued by his son William Foster
1835 First building at Black Dyke
1836 Introduced power looms
1842 Built weaving shed with 500 looms
By 1851 Black Dyke Mills was dominating the Queensbury landscape and at the Great Exhibition of that year he was awarded first prize for alpaca and mohair fabrics and the gold medal for yarns.
1869 John Foster retired and the business was run by his sons William, Johnstone Jonas, Abram Briggs and John
1881 Employing 2,100 persons.[1]
1891 The company was registered on 11 November, to take over the business of the firm of the same name, spinners and manufacturers. [2]
1914 Premises: Total floor area about fifteen acres. Specialities: Mohair and Alpaca Dress Goods, Silk Seals and Plushes, Mohair and Alpaca Yarns for Export.
1922 Herbert Anderton Foster appointed chairman
1993 Allied Textiles Companies acquired the worsted spinning capacity.
See Also
Sources of Information
- Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette - Saturday 27 December 1879