Papers of the Lancashire Cotton Districts Relief Fund, Leeds

Papers relating to the fund raised in Leeds for relief of distress in the Lancashire cotton districts caused by the American civil war

In the autumn of 1862 the American civil war began to affect the supply of raw cotton to the Lancashire cotton districts. As a result, mills closed down and several thousand workers became unemployed. The Lord Mayor of London started a relief fund, and another was begun in Manchester. In Leeds a fund was opened following a public meeting held on 3 November 1862. A committee of about 60 leading citizens was appointed to organise the fund. House-to-house canvassing was organised by local ward committees, while prominent citizens and large firms were approached by the main committee. By January 1863 the main crisis was over, and the committee, which had been meeting daily, began to meet first weekly and then irregularly. In 1866 the undisbursed surplus remaining in the fund was distributed to various charitable causes in Leeds.

Access is unrestricted

Deposited by Robert Jowitt and Sons Ltd., Bradford

In English

Contents listed in Handlist 28