Factory records

These buildings in Belper are part of the story that changed the lives of everyone working in the developing world. By bringing whole families, men, women and children into a building especially created as a workplace, the factory system was born. It's hard to imagine how radical this was. The Industrial Revolution was a time of innovation and risk. Big is better rather than small is beautiful. Families moved to Belper to take advantage of the work and conditions offered by the Strutts. Many stayed on for generations. It's a rewarding place to explore family history. The Belper genealogy group has kindly offered to make copies of the identified photographs of millworkers from 19th century for the Mill as a fund raiser. These will be available to see and buy at their coffee morning at St John's on Saturday July 11th. Whether you are an old or new comer to the town, this is a fascinating part of its history - even more intriguing if it is part of yours too.