THE HEYWOOD PAPERS

HEYWOOD CORRESPONDENCE.

1. 1805.

2. 1806.

3. 1807.

4. 1808.

5. 1809.

6. 1810.

7. 1811.

8. 1812.

9. 1813.

10. 1814.

11. 1815.

12. 1816.

13. 1817.

14. 1818.

15. 1819.

16. 1820.

17. 1821.

18. 1822.

19. 1823.

20. 1824.

21. 1825.

22. 1826.

23. 1827.

24. 1828.

25. 1829.

26. 1830.

27. 1831.

28. 1832.

29. 1833.

30. 1834.

31. 1835.

32. 1836.

33. 1837.

34. 1838.

35. 1839.

36. 1840.

37. 1841.

38. 1842.

39. 1843.

40. 1844.

41. 1845.

42. 1846.

43. 1847.

44. 1848.

45. 1849.

46. 1850.

47. 1851.

48. 1852.

49. 1853.

50. 1854.

51. 1855.

52. 1856.

53. 1857.

54. 1858.

55. 1859.

56. 1860.

57. 1861.

58. 1862.

59. 1863.

60. 1864.

61. 1865.

62. 1866.

63. 1867.

64. 1868.

65. 1869.

66. 1791.- 1804.

67. Probate. 1797 - 1881

68. Newspaper Cuttings.

69. Travel Journals.

70. Haslam Papers.

71. Diaries.

72. Title Deeds & Related Papers.

1738 - 1911

<p>For further information about the Heywoods, see W.E.Brown - Robert Heywood of Bolton, 1786 - 1868 (S.R. Publishers, Ltd., East Ardsley, Wakefield, 1970).</p>

Robert Heywood was born at Bolton in 1786, his father, John Heywood having moved into the town from the neighbouring village of Little Lever. In 1803, the firm of John Heywood and Son, quilting manufacturers, was founded, occupying a warehouse in Bury Street, Little Bolton. On the manufacturing side, the business remained entirely conservative until 1854; the Heywoods purchased yarn from local manufacturers, took it into their warehouse, from where it was collected by handloom weavers for weaving into quiltings in their homes. The firm prospered, but most of the wealth accumulated was invested in other businesses rather than in their own; in this way, Robert Heywood came into possession of James Slater's Crescent Bleachworks at Salford through foreclosure. John Heywood was in active control of the firm until 1820; in 1822, Charles Darbishire came in as a partner, and in fact took charge of the actual running of the warehouse, allowing Robert Heywood to concentrate on local politics and public affairs, and to travel extensively abroad. The Heywoods and Darbishire were prominent Unitarians, and worshipped at Bank Street Chapel. In politics Robert Heywood was a Liberal and a Reformer; he played a prominent part in local affairs, and was Treasurer of the Great Bolton Improvement Trustees, Borough Councillor and later Alderman, and a founding father of the Exchange News Room and the Mechanics Institute; he was also a Borough Magistrate. Charles Darbishire (1838-1839) and Robert Heywood (1839-1840) were respectively the first and second Mayors of the Borough of Bolton. Robert Heywood died in 1868.