From the Darlington & Stockton Times of March 18, 1922

AFTER more than a century of prosperity, the linen industry in Brompton, near Northallerton, was suffering “bad trade” 100 years ago.

Since the start of the 19th Century, the village had been a thriving centre for linen production – in 1812, Wilford’s, which was one of eight mills, sold material to the White House in Washington, and in the 1820s there were about 300 linenworkers in the village.

The opening of the railway in 1852 had encouraged the construction of two large mills, Wilford’s and Yeoman’s, but after the First World War they were struggling.

Wilford’s, reported the D&S, “after being reduced to about 21 weavers (seven working for a week, followed by another seven next week and another seven the third week) has stopped altogether until Easter”.

“At Mr Yeoman’s factory about 50 hands (against 150 pre-war) are engaged on alternate weeks.”

The mills lasted into the 1950s, and the last mill chimney came down in 2003, and some of its bricks were used to make a memorial to the lost industry.

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