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Richards

Broadford Works, 1808 - 2002

About MeThe Broadford Works was once the largest employer in Aberdeen and the last textile mill in the city. It was founded around 1808 as a flax spinning mill and is believed to be the fourth oldest iron framed mill in the world.

Flax is the oldest textile fibre and is used to make linen. The flax fibre is taken from the inner bark (or bast) of the stem of the flax plant. Though flax was grown in Scotland during the 17th century, most flax would have been imported from Ireland or Europe. Spinning flax and weaving it into linen would have done on a small scale until the massive industrial and scientific advances of the Industrial Revolution. The rise of mills created stiff competition for small-scale production and put many people out of business.

We know very little about the founders of Broadford Works - a company called Scott, Brown & Co - except that they had to sell the mill in 1811. They advertised the sale in the Aberdeen Journal stating that most of the machinery was constructed by Fenton, Murray, Wood & Co. of Leeds. Comparisons with other early mill buildings suggest that the iron frame of the original building was an integral part of the machinery in use. The original mill is to the right of the chimney in the centre of the isometric plan ABDMS040043.1, the taller buildings on either side were added circa 1825 (South Mill) and circa 1860 (New Mill).

Broadford Works was bought by Stephen and John Maberly, and began specialising in flax spinning and the manufacturing of linen canvas goods for sailcloth, tarpaulin covers and mailbags. The Maberlys had linen manufactories in other Scottish cities and were successful in Aberdeen, with John Maberly receiving the freedom of the city. Maberly Street is named after John Maberly.

The works prospered and grew, adding a bleachfield at Rubislaw in 1815. Maberly later took on a partner, John Baker Richards (another London merchant) and under increasing financial pressure, the partnership dissolved and the whole business acquired in 1831 by Richards and a new partner, called Leader.

Richards and Leader continued manufacturing linen under the name Richards & Co. for about 60 years and were the city's biggest employers in the 1800s. Unfortunately the firm got into financial difficulties with thousands of job losses.

Circa 1898, a group of business men formed Richards Ltd. to rescue the Broadford works from the financial difficulties of Richards & Co. They did well until trading became difficult after the First World War. Another committee of persons came forward to save Richards from closure and from 1934 the company enjoyed a considerable measure of prosperity.

Amongst Richards' most famous products were fire hoses. The hose pipes were tested and dried in the two cylindrical towers (one brick, one concrete) on site - a distinctive part of the city's skyline. Richards Ltd. were also leading spinners and dyers of fancy yarns supplying Europe with yarns for knitwear and textile furnishings. Heavy textiles eventually gave way to carpets, curtain materials and wools for the most exclusive Italian knitwear as well as for stores such as Littlewoods and Marks & Spencers.

In the closing years of the 20th century, Richards again experienced financial difficulties with severe job losses. In January 2002 Richards plc went into receivership, leading to the eventual closure of the Broadford Works.

The history of Broadford Works reflects the general history of the textile industry, which was liable to severe fluctuations with the rise and fall of profits and demand through the 19th and 20th centuries.