FLO WEEKS. THE LAST OF THE COTTON FACTORY WORKERS (draft)
FLO WEEKS. THE LAST OF THE COTTON FACTORY WORKERS
The Great Western Cotton Works was the foundation of Barton Hill, the housing in the are was built to house the workers for the factory set up in 1838. At the heart of the factory were many women who grafted hard under the most difficult of working conditions of heat and humidity by working long hours and given low pay. Despite the difficult working conditions they loved the companionship and sense of community of working in the factory. Values that lay at the heart of the Barton Hill Community.
Flo Weeks was one of the last survivors or the Cotton Factory “girls” as they were universally known at the time. She, and the many women like her helped to make Barton Hill.
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Florence Louisa Ackerman was born in Aiken Street Barton Hill 22 January 1909 and was baptised 28 February 1909 at St. Philip and St. Jacob Church. Her parents were William Francis Ackerman and Florence Jane Ackerman. In the 1921 census Flo aged 12 was living with her parents and four siblings at 44 Barton Street Barton Hill. Her father was a stoker on HM Navy ship; coincidently he was home on leave when the census was taken. Flo married John Weeks 26 November 1932 at St. Gabriel’s Church and became Flo Weeks.
Here, in her own words, are some of Flo’s memories from around the time she started work at the factory as a 13 year old in 1922.
“I started work in what was known as the winding room. This was winding bobbins from the larger spools of cotton. I was in charge of 16 to 20 winding machines. I didn’t like this work so I applied for a job in the weaving shed. I had to earn my money by piece work. The wage amounted to about 15 shillings to £1 10d. I started at 7am until 6pm and 7am till 12pm on Saturdays.”
“ The noise of the machines was deafening so you could not hold a conversation with another worker. You just had to shout as loud as possible”
“It was hard and tiring work as you had to stand up all day long with just a short walk from one loom to another. Steam pipes ran the whole length of the sheds, so there was a damp atmosphere. At the end of the week there was 3 to 4 inches of cotton fluff on the looms.”
“I didn’t go home in my dinner hour but my mother would send my sister to me with either a 2d lot of fish and chips or faggots and peas in a basin. I used to eat them as quickly as possible, then I would clean the older women’s’ machines. Sometimes I would get 2 shillings for cleaning 8 machines.”
The late Mike Baker incorporated a quote from Flo into his brilliant plaque he produced on the cotton factory.
Photograph of Maude Grant a cousin of Flo Weekes.
To hear more of Flo’s memories of working conditions in the cotton factory listen to the Voices of the Past podcast episode 4.
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