The village of Compstall, between Marple and Romiley might well have once been called a one-man town.
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| Expanses of water ....... 2021 |
In the 1820s according to one source a chunk of the surrounding land was part of the Andrew’s estate incorporating a mine, a cotton mill and a lake.
“Mr. George Andrew originally built the mill and made the artificial lake, and built houses along with a church and school for the work force who were employed in his mill”*.
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| Compstall, 1900 |
And like so many one-man towns, many of the streets were named after the family, including Andrew Street, George Street, Montague Street and Thomas Street, and the pub the Andrew’s Arms, which I think was a late addition.
To which can be added the Compstall Print Works, which was part of the family empire.
In 1850, the Manchester Guardian reported that a division of the family assets had led to the dissolving of the partnership “between George Andrew, the elder Thomas Andrew, George Andrew the younger , and Charles Andrew, as calico printer, cotton spinners and manufacturers and carried on at Compstall, and at Manchester, under the firm of ‘George Andrew and Sons’ was dissolved by mutual consent. The manufacturing establishment will in future be carried on by Messrs. George Andrew, senior, and Charles Andrew, and the printing establishment by Mr. Georg e Andrew, the younger.”**
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| Twisty walks |
George Andrew had been born in 1799, and died in 1854 and was buried in Compstall Church.
On the 1851 census he described himself as “Justice of the Peace, Cotton Manufacturer, employing 472 Males and 598 Females.”
His father had died in 1821, and George then began a major expansion of the textile business, which involved the construction of the North Mill between 1839 and 1847, and the enlargement of the mill office. The Albert Mill and a range of riverside buildings, including the mechanics shop were extended followed before the business was sold off in the 1890s.***
For those wanting more, there are a series of family and business documents which are listed by the Marple Local History Society.****
I don’t suppose I would have come across Mr. Andrew, ofr Compstall had we not taken ourselves off to Etherow Country Park, on Sunday, and as you do I became interested in the place.
The park was created in 1868, and was one of England’s first country parks, which now attracts over a quarter million visitors a year.
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| More water |
It is situated in the Etherow-Goyt Valley, and is the start of The Goyt Way, which is a 10 mile walk to Whaley Bridge.
The River Etherow flows through the park which is the source for the lakes and was originally used as a reservoir to power the water wheels for the mill.
Now, none of this will be a surprise to the residents of Stockport, or Compstall, but I am confident that there will be plenty for whom Mr. Andrew, his family business and the Park will be a revaltion.
Location; Compstall
Pictures; the Etherow Country Park, 2021, from the collection of Andrew Simpson, and Compstall in 1900, from the OS Map of Cheshire, 1900, courtesy of Digital Archives, Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/
*HISTORY OF ETHEROW COUNTRY PARK; https://www.etherowcountrypark.co.uk/
**Manchester Guardian, September 21st, 1850
***Compstall, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compstall
***COMPSTALL MILL / ANDREW FAMILY, Marple Local History Society Archives,http://www.marplelocalhistorysociety.org.uk/archives/collections/show/104
****Compstall, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compstall
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