1801 Bowden and Snodgrass invent willowing and scutching machines

This photograph, taken by Elton's photographers in the 1950s, shows a scutching machine at the Yard Works in Preston.

Ginning did not remove all of the impurities from the raw cotton. A machine was needed that made the cotton finer and cleaner before it was carded. The willowing and scutching machines removed leaves and other impurities from the raw cotton and turned it into cotton wool. Many more machines were invented to improve the quality of the cotton cloth produced. This also lengthened the manufacturing process.

For more information on all these processes go to the cotton process activity.

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