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The transcript is an interview with Edwin Longworth as transcribed by Microsoft Word and summarised by ChatGPT and subject to errors.
Early Life & Family Background
- Speaker 2 (Edwin Longworth) recalls his family history.
- His father was born in the village, worked in bleach works, and later in other mills. He was active in the early Labour Party.
- His mother, from Stubbins, worked in a weaving shed before marriage and attended evening classes at Ramsbottom Tech to learn dressmaking, which she practiced while raising children.
- The family were associated with Stubbins Congregational Church, where many relatives are buried.
- Edwin’s grandfather, Edwin Wakelin, moved from Northamptonshire to Stubbins in the 1870s after answering a job advert. He became active in the church committee.
Childhood
- Born in 1915, Edwin was the third of several children.
- During WWI, his father served with the Lancashire Fusiliers, leaving his mother with three small children.
- The family moved to Strongstry, a more isolated village, to be nearer her parents.
- Childhood memories include Sunday school, homemade clothes, and playful incidents (e.g., ruining white clothes while sliding down a cart).
- Schooling began at Stubbins Council School at age five, later transferring to Peel Brow Central School in 1929 before leaving at 14 to start work.
Early Work
- First job at Parr’s Mill in 1929 after leaving school.
- Began with “drawing in” (threading yarns) for weaving, then progressed to weaving mechanical cloths used for bags and laundry textiles.
- Work was hard: noisy weaving sheds, long hours (8:00–5:30, no breaks except lunch), and strict discipline.
- Became a “utility weaver”, able to handle various looms and materials.
Family Hardships
- Mother died in 1926 (Edwin was 11).
- Father, already disabled from WWI wounds and trench foot, became paraplegic in 1925 and never worked again.
- The family lived in poverty, surviving on small health insurance allowances and the children’s wages as they left school.
- Sister Mary was taken in by aunts for a few years, then returned home to help run the household.
Military Service
- Enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1939.
- Served in France, evacuated at Dunkirk (1940).
- Later transferred to the Middlesex Regiment (machine gunners).
- Landed in Normandy on D-Day +18 (24 June 1944) as part of the breakout forces.
- Suffered a leg condition (“drop foot”), limiting his service.
- Demobilised in 1945.
Postwar Life & Career
- Returned to Parr’s Mill, later became a “utility man,” working across different textile sections.
- Trained as a tackler (textile technician) at Shepherd’s Mill, Ramsbottom, then moved through several mills (Pemberton’s, Holcombe Brook).
- Final long-term employment at James Rownlin’s (textile mill, towels), where he worked for 23 years until retirement.
Personal Life
- Married Dorothy in 1947 at Hawkshaw Methodist Church.
- They lived initially in a rented asbestos bungalow opposite the chapel.
- Had children, including daughter Vera.
- Maintained close ties with family and the local textile community throughout life.
Key Themes
- Strong family ties and resilience through hardship.
- The central role of the textile industry in shaping his and his family’s lives.
- Impact of WWI on his parents and of WWII on his own life.
- A sense of local history, recalling the mills, schools, and communities of Stubbins, Strongstry, and Ramsbottom.
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