Richard Arkwright’s Water Frame and the First Textile Factories
EFFECT
The invention of the Water Frame had a very big impact on society, as there were many new job opportunities that came with the growth of the textile industry. The new factories brought a lot of change to the systems of cloth production and the Victorians even called Arkwright the “Father of the factory system” (“Richard Arkwright”). However, there were some downsides. Richard Arkwright patented his invention in 1768 and in 1775 there were court cases against his patents claiming that he stole ideas from his previous business partners, John Kay and Thomas Highs (“Richard Arkwright”). Eventually people started to get angry as Arkwright would only hire cheap and unskilled labour, such as children, and they were mad that there was no longer any need for skilled workers (“Richard Arkwright”). Richard Arkwright had his patents revoked in 1785, he was knighted in 1786, and he died a very wealthy man in 1792 (“Richard Arkwright”) (“Sir Richard Arkwright”).
The Water Frame also had an effect on later inventions and the progression of the industrialization of the textile industry. Samuel Crompton invented the Spinning Mule in 1779 and it used parts of the Water Frame and of an earlier machine called a Spinning Jenny. The Spinning Mule could make thread which was even stronger and of better quality than before (Beck [286]).
The Water Frame left a significant mark on the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution and after. It directly links to the creation of the factory system and the development of cities and towns. People started to move out of the countryside to find employment in the newly built factories as this promised more consistent pay and work (Wilkes and Ball [20]). This led to the development of large cities all over Britain that still stand today, and the development of many other areas such as transportation and leisure.
