3.4 Industrialisation in Ulster, 1825-55
Introduction
In the 18th century, Ireland was a primarily rural economy with few cities,
largely relying on land
Union with Britain meant it benefitted from the industrialisation of Britain,
particularly evident in Ulster
o Large Protestant community
o Enjoyed a close relationship with Britain, translating into a commercial
partnership
Basis of the commercial partnership was the industries in Ulster – primarily
textiles: linen, cotton and wool which relied heavily on Britain as the prime
market for export
Ulster also benefitted from technological changes which encouraged
industrial growth, but also threatened traditional industries who struggled to
compete with rapid urbanisation
Industrialisation helped shape the identity of modern Ulster
How important were the textile industries in Ulster before 1855?
Timeline: The textile industries in Ulster
182 Stock market crash hits Ulster’s textile industries
5 Wet spinning invented by James Kay of Preston
182 James and William Murland set up Ulster’s first wet-spinning mill
8 The Chamber of Commerce starts to invest in a transportation
infrastructure for Ulster
182 Andrew Mulholland opens his York Street spinning mill
9
183 British government sets up a Royal Commission to investigate the need
7 for a railway system in Ulster
183 The Royal Commission recommends a railway system is established
8
183 First railway line from Lisburn to Belfast is opened allowing easier access
9 to the ‘linen triangle’
Start of the economic slump in the USA
184 End of the slump and textile market picks up again
3
184 Bulk of investment into Ulster’s railways
4
185 40% of Ulster linen is sold in the USA
0
The importance of the textile industry in Ulster
In the early 18th century there was growing prosperity in the north-east of
Ireland for textile production, of which linen was the most prominent
o 1715 – Ulster produced 2 million yards of linen cloth, rising to over 40
million yards by the 1790s
o Accounted for 1/3 of exports to Britain
Wool and cotton industries were equally as prosperous
o Enjoyed significant growth after the 1770s when they were protected by
tariffs imposed by the Irish parliaments to ensure stable growth for the
economy
o 1811 – 50,000 people worked in cotton manufacturing
, 3.4 Industrialisation in Ulster, 1825-55
1821 – over 40% of the Irish population worked in manufacturing, textiles
most significant in Ulster
Helped develop a distinct merchant class who were quick to establish trade
routes with Britain in the 18th century
o Biggest export was textiles and especially linen cloth
o Conducted mainly by steamships
o Expensive transportation but was much quicker, enabling an efficient
trade system
o Highlighted the internal limitations of Ulster’s transportation system
which sometimes held up steamships because of cargo arriving late to
ports
o This limitation resulted in growing demand for investment in Ulster’s
transportation network
After 1828, the Belfast Chamber of Commerce raised money for investment
into roads, canals and the rail network in Ulster
o Would improve communication in Ulster
o Promote industrialisation
o Creating strong internal trade links would help Ulster become a desirable
place for new businesses to locate and established ones to grow
The linen industry and the expansion of Belfast
Linen industry largely important to the entire Irish economy as well as Ulster,
adding to the general prosperity of Ireland
In the 18th and 19th centuries there was great demand for Irish cloth as it was
of the best quality
Industry offered small farmers the chance to increase their agricultural
income
High demand for linen which the mills could not keep up with so farmers
were encouraged to take up weaving
Created a cottage industry which grew into a broader commercial enterprise
in Ulster by the 1820s
Linen production in 1820 employed over 2,000 within the 15 Belfast mills
Belfast became known as ‘linenopolis’
o River Lagan which ran through Belfast provided the opportunity for wet
spinning, creating a much finer yarn for cloth-making
o Meant yarns could be spun in much larger quantities
o Returned better profit margins than cotton – in the 1820s, cotton made
10 pence per pound whilst linen made 4 shillings
o Belfast population increased as many moved to work in the new mills
The decline of the woollen and cotton industries
The cotton industry
1770-1824, the cotton industry was protected by the Irish parliament, giving
it a competitive advantage
Imported cotton goods had a 10% charge, encouraging the growth of an Irish
domestic market, allowing Irish cotton spinning and weaving industries to
flourish
However, by 1824, this success faded and the industry went into decline
after 1825
Introduction
In the 18th century, Ireland was a primarily rural economy with few cities,
largely relying on land
Union with Britain meant it benefitted from the industrialisation of Britain,
particularly evident in Ulster
o Large Protestant community
o Enjoyed a close relationship with Britain, translating into a commercial
partnership
Basis of the commercial partnership was the industries in Ulster – primarily
textiles: linen, cotton and wool which relied heavily on Britain as the prime
market for export
Ulster also benefitted from technological changes which encouraged
industrial growth, but also threatened traditional industries who struggled to
compete with rapid urbanisation
Industrialisation helped shape the identity of modern Ulster
How important were the textile industries in Ulster before 1855?
Timeline: The textile industries in Ulster
182 Stock market crash hits Ulster’s textile industries
5 Wet spinning invented by James Kay of Preston
182 James and William Murland set up Ulster’s first wet-spinning mill
8 The Chamber of Commerce starts to invest in a transportation
infrastructure for Ulster
182 Andrew Mulholland opens his York Street spinning mill
9
183 British government sets up a Royal Commission to investigate the need
7 for a railway system in Ulster
183 The Royal Commission recommends a railway system is established
8
183 First railway line from Lisburn to Belfast is opened allowing easier access
9 to the ‘linen triangle’
Start of the economic slump in the USA
184 End of the slump and textile market picks up again
3
184 Bulk of investment into Ulster’s railways
4
185 40% of Ulster linen is sold in the USA
0
The importance of the textile industry in Ulster
In the early 18th century there was growing prosperity in the north-east of
Ireland for textile production, of which linen was the most prominent
o 1715 – Ulster produced 2 million yards of linen cloth, rising to over 40
million yards by the 1790s
o Accounted for 1/3 of exports to Britain
Wool and cotton industries were equally as prosperous
o Enjoyed significant growth after the 1770s when they were protected by
tariffs imposed by the Irish parliaments to ensure stable growth for the
economy
o 1811 – 50,000 people worked in cotton manufacturing
, 3.4 Industrialisation in Ulster, 1825-55
1821 – over 40% of the Irish population worked in manufacturing, textiles
most significant in Ulster
Helped develop a distinct merchant class who were quick to establish trade
routes with Britain in the 18th century
o Biggest export was textiles and especially linen cloth
o Conducted mainly by steamships
o Expensive transportation but was much quicker, enabling an efficient
trade system
o Highlighted the internal limitations of Ulster’s transportation system
which sometimes held up steamships because of cargo arriving late to
ports
o This limitation resulted in growing demand for investment in Ulster’s
transportation network
After 1828, the Belfast Chamber of Commerce raised money for investment
into roads, canals and the rail network in Ulster
o Would improve communication in Ulster
o Promote industrialisation
o Creating strong internal trade links would help Ulster become a desirable
place for new businesses to locate and established ones to grow
The linen industry and the expansion of Belfast
Linen industry largely important to the entire Irish economy as well as Ulster,
adding to the general prosperity of Ireland
In the 18th and 19th centuries there was great demand for Irish cloth as it was
of the best quality
Industry offered small farmers the chance to increase their agricultural
income
High demand for linen which the mills could not keep up with so farmers
were encouraged to take up weaving
Created a cottage industry which grew into a broader commercial enterprise
in Ulster by the 1820s
Linen production in 1820 employed over 2,000 within the 15 Belfast mills
Belfast became known as ‘linenopolis’
o River Lagan which ran through Belfast provided the opportunity for wet
spinning, creating a much finer yarn for cloth-making
o Meant yarns could be spun in much larger quantities
o Returned better profit margins than cotton – in the 1820s, cotton made
10 pence per pound whilst linen made 4 shillings
o Belfast population increased as many moved to work in the new mills
The decline of the woollen and cotton industries
The cotton industry
1770-1824, the cotton industry was protected by the Irish parliament, giving
it a competitive advantage
Imported cotton goods had a 10% charge, encouraging the growth of an Irish
domestic market, allowing Irish cotton spinning and weaving industries to
flourish
However, by 1824, this success faded and the industry went into decline
after 1825
