Partner in Dinwoodie, Kennedy, and Dinwoodie merchants and cotton
manufacturers in Manchester-1794.
James and William DINWIDDIE were sons of Lawrence DINWIDDIE of Germiston, near Glasgow, and came to Manchester in the late 18th century where they became partners in business. At about this time, between 1750 and 1800, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing and the cotton industry in
Lancashire was growing at a tremendous rate. New inventions in spinning and weaving were being made, water and steam were replacing hand power, and mills and factories were replacing the cottage industry of the past.
James was born in 1750 and by 1772 he was already in business as a fustian manufacturer in Tib Lane, just off Cross Street, in the centre of Manchester. This was a popular area for cloth manufacturers because the river Tib ran at the side of the lane and provided a supply of water for processing the cloth. Tib Lane is still there, but the river is now underground in a culvert. By 1783, James was the owner of Hampson Mills at Redvales near Bury, and it was here that the Grant family came to find their first employment in Lancashire as explained later. Hampson Mill Lane still exists, and the mill is believed to have survived until the 1960's, but the site is now a housing estate.
James seems to have been quite a public-spirited man. In September 1784 he attended a meeting to start a scheme for the establishment of Sunday Schools in Manchester, and he was elected as Treasurer. In 1788 his name appears in the list of Special Constables. He was also one of the founders of Mosley Street Independent Chapel which was built in 1788 by a group of seceders from Cannon Street.
William was born in 1758, and followed James to Manchester in 1772, when he was only 14. In a 1781 directory he appears as William DINWIDDIE, fustian manufacturer, in King Street, Manchester, and by 1789 he had become prosperous enough to build himself a large house, Hendham Hall, in extensive grounds at Hendham Vale in Collyhurst.
By 1788 James and William seem to have joined forces, as a directory of that year lists DINWIDDIE, KENNEDY and DINWIDDIE as fustian manufacturers in Tib Lane, with James occupying a house in nearby King Street. In 1794 the same partnership had moved round the corner to 4 Redcross Street, where Albert Square is today.
By 1796 the partners in the business had changed again, and in that year they became bankrupt. Many businesses were having problems at this time due to difficult trading conditions, largely due to the French Revolution affecting trade with Europe. The Manchester Gazette of l9th November 1796 announced the bankruptcy of James DINWIDDIE of Pendlebury, William DINWIDDIE of Collyhurst, Lawrence DINWIDDIE of Glasgow and Henry BEWICKE of London, in business as Merchanters. Dealers and Chapmen.
For the next few months various advertisements appeared for the sale by auction of the mills at Redvales and their contents, a warehouse and other properties in Manchester, and eventually William's home, Hendham Hall. Even James's financial interest in the Mosley Street Chapel was offered for sale. Hendham Hall was auctioned on 23rd March 1797 and seems to have passed into the ownership of the Andrews family for several years, but in 1845 it was sold to Manchester City and was made into a public park which exists today as Queens Park, on Rochdale Road. William's original house was used for some years as refreshment rooms, but in 1884 was replaced by a new building used as a museum. When the old house was demolished a copper foundation plaque was found, inscribed as follows.
William, the 21st child of Lawrence Dinwiddie Esquire, of Germistown, near Glasgow, came to Manchester in May 1772; married Ann, eldest daughter of Gilbert Hamilton, of Cramond, near Edinburgh, January 1782. Laid the foundation of this house May 1789, in the 32nd year of his and his wife's age. Having three daughters, Margaret Hamilton, Elizabeth. and Ann, and one son, Lawrence, aged one year. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that built it.
Both James and William seem to have recovered from the bankruptcy fairly quickly. In January 1798 William's son Lawrence, then 10 years old, was enrolled at Manchester Grammar School, and at the time William was described as a Cotton and Twist Dealer. Two years later another son Gilbert joined the school, and by this time William was described as an Insurance Broker. In 1801 William was involved in the Manchester Commercial Society, which became the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and in 1803 was a member of a committee formed to oppose the import duty on raw cotton, who were described as "important merchants and manufacturers". In 1804 a directory lists William DINWIDDIE, Son and WILKINSON as Insurance Brokers at 14 Exchange Street. The son was presumably Lawrence, born in 1788. It is interesting that the third partner, WILKINSON, has the same name as James DINWIDDIE'S wife, Sarah WILKINSON.
Little is known about James in the few years after 1796, although it appears that both James and William went to London, as there are references to them in London trade directories, described variously at different times as Merchants, Agents, and Brokers.
As mentioned above, Jame's wife was Sarah WILKINSON of Otley, and his only daughter was Lydia Elizabeth, born in 1783 and christened in Manchester Cathedral. She married Ebenezer WHITTENBURY, a surgeon and son of John WHITTENBURY, a Manchester cotton merchant. They had six sons who seem to have been christened in various widely spread places such as London, Wigan, Liverpool and Bingley.
James eventually moved to Pool in Wharfedale, just north of Leeds, and near to Sarah's birthplace at Otley. At the time of his death in 1836 at the age of 86 he owned extensive properties in and around Pool which he left to his six grandsons. James did have a son, William Wilkinson DINWIDDIE, but he died at the age of 29, apparently without being married or having children.
As James had no sons to carry on the Dinwiddie name, all his descendants were Whittenburys. James and Sarah were both buried in the Wilkinson family grave at Leathley, the next village to Poole, together with other family members, and the grave is still visible and has inscriptions detailing those who are buried there.