Project to give Shrewsbury Flaxmill workers their voices back
A project has been launched to give workers at Shrewsbury's Flaxmill Maltings their voices back, and you can help.
After years of painstaking research, volunteers have sifted through many 19th century records to find the names of the men, women and children who worked at the factory.
From 1797 to 1886 the building, one of the most important in English industrial history and the forerunner to the modern skyscraper, operated as a steam-powered flax mill, spinning linen thread from flax.
Adults would work 69-hour weeks and children as young as seven too laboured long hours, and although owner John Marshall was one of the leaders in helping improve workers rights, many described not even being allowed to talk.
The working day would start as early as 5am and last well into the evening, with few breaks.
Eliza, who worked in a flax mill owned by John Marshall in Leeds said in 1833: “I left there because it was so dusty; it stuffed me so I could scarcely speak.” And in the same year Samuel from Shrewsbury stated: “We were never allowed to talk; not at all, by no means.”
Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings are asking people to record themselves saying the name of one of the workers. They are working with Shrewsbury artist Andy McKeown on the project.
He said: "Flaxmill Voices is one of a series of personal, collective and collaborative sensory explorations of the site and its histories currently being developed. The ultimate aim is to create a walk-through installation with the voices.
"The Flaxmill Voices project was originally intended to be a schools and community drop in recording process, but it is perfectly suited to a remote lockdown activity using a mobile phone.”
The building has been undergoing major restorative works.
Marianne Blaauboer, manager of the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings said: “The project aim is to record each name with a single voice.
"We are initially inviting individuals and families to register an interest in participating in the project.
"Our fantastic volunteers have already started and we need a total of 2,096 people to record and submit a voice.”
To register your interest, email Andy via: flaxmillvoices@junctionbox98.net. You will receive an email back with the names to be recorded and a simple how-to guide.
