SOUND ARCHIVE

Living Linen Interview LL2_R00/15 2 of 2

Sound Recording : Magnetic Tape, Reel

Faulkner, Sydney (Mr) (Primary maker)
Faulkner, Sydney (Mr) (interviewee)

01/03/2000
01/03/2000

Sound Recording on Reel: Manager at Whitehouse Spinning, Blackstaff, Lurgan Weaving & Flaxall. Library Transcript: Transcript. Summary: Sydney's grandfather, Sam Faulkner, worked in John Gunnings of Cookstown before moving to Belfast where he worked in Ross' mill. He left Ross' to become Managing Director of Bessbrook Spinning Co, staying until 1920. During WWI Sam Faulkner personally secured a huge order for aero-linens from Lloyd George, an achievement acknowledged by Edward Richardson of RSO. He later set himself up in business, running the hemstitching firm S G Faulkner in Amelia Street. By his own admission, Sydney Faulkner was a poor scholar. His father was a close friend of Fred Lewis, a director at Whitehouse Spinning Company, and it was agreed that Sydney would enter the firm. He was interviewed by Percy Metcalfe, and started as an apprentice manager. Whitehouse was a modern concern, not least of all due to the association of the Mackey family. Whitehouse mill and factory were run independently although they were ostensibly the one firm and constructed side-by-side. The factory did not make extensive use of Whitehouse yarns, buying instead Andrews, Herdmans and Campbells. Whitehouse produced a lot of dress linens and drills. Although they wove for local warehouses, the firm was affected by the loss of the Cuban market. Whitehouse went into receivership in the early 1960s. Percy Metcalfe recommended Mr Faulkner to Billy Boyd, Chairman of Blackstaff, who was looking for a young manager to oversee their modernisation. As Assistant Manager, Mr Faulkner was responsible for the installation of automatic Northrop looms. The Factory Manager at the time was a Mr Jack Blair. Mr Faulkner was soon asked to succeed Billy Boyd's nephew, Alan Carson, as Manager of the Lurgan Weaving Company. Lurgan bought their yarns from Hursts, Edenderry, Bessbrook and Andrews, as well as in-house from Blackstaff. The firm wove fine cambrics and sheers, specialising in handkerchiefs. To Sydney Faulkner's surprise there was only one female weaver in the factory. Mr Faulkner experienced great difficulties with the labour force. The unions blocked the hiring of workers while the operatives themselves refused to train any new weavers. When Lurgan closed Mr Faulkner was transferred to Belfast but after a difference of opinion with a senior manager found himself out of work. Within a few days he received a call from Gibson Orr (Managing Director of Rosebank Weaving Co) who offered him a job on the back of Percy Metcalfe's reference. Mr Faulkner quickly succeeded Reggie Barr as factory Manager. Rosebank had been one of the very largest weaving factories in the North of Ireland and was one of the most modern companies in the industry, having benefitted from heavy investment, again thanks to the involvement of the Mackie family. The firm wove sheetings, dress linens and rayons, taking a lot of commission orders from weavers such as Moygashel and Blackstaff. Rosebank suffered terribly during the troubles and Mr Faulkner himself had many scares. The decision was taken to close the firm although a director, John Hadden, headed a buy-out. From there Mr Faulkner went to Flaxall, working under Robert Coburn. Flaxall operated non-woven machines, producing cloth without weaving. Dr Fred Sloan worked in Flaxall where he developed the 'Linron' process for blending flax with other yarns. Both lines proved successful, unlike an attempt to grow flax. Mr Faulkner ended up running the Linron plant and also selling animal feed which was a by-product of the manufacturing process. Mr Faulkner retired in 1998.

HOYFM.R2000.46

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