07/08/2026
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when yarn was spun one strand at a time by hand 🪡 🖐️
In 1764, in Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, our family’s connection to textiles was already beginning to take shape when James Hargreaves, our ancestor, invented the Spinning Jenny 🧵
It was the first successful multi-spindle spinning machine, and for the first time, one person could spin multiple strands of yarn at once. Early versions could handle up to 50 spindles, completely changing what textile production looked like at the time.
At first, the machines were far from simple, but over time they were refined and improved as the industry developed around them.
As they grew in size, they moved out of homes and into purpose-built Jenny Shops, marking an important shift from domestic spinning to mechanised production in mills. One improved fifty-spindle machine was even used at Helmshore Textile Mill right up until 1916!
That invention didn’t sit as a one-off moment in our family history. It marked the beginning of something that has carried through generations of Hargreaves and still continues today at Original Fabrics 🧶
Nearly 260 years on, we’re still working within the same industry, still connected to that Lancashire heritage, and still carrying forward a story that began with the Spinning Jenny.
Today, we are the largest importer and distributor of mattress ticking fabric in the UK. Our work looks different now, but we’re proud of where it started, and even prouder of the family history and tradition in textiles that continues to shape what we do.
If you’re interested in the full story of our family history in textiles, you can read more on our About Us page 👉 https://www.originalfabrics.co.uk/about/
