Building record 2617/0/3 - The Apprentices' House

Formerly apprentices' house, now Museum display and flat. Built 1790 for Samuel Greg. English garden wall bond red brick, Welsh slate roof and 4 brick chimneys. Rectangular in plan under two parallel ridges. West front of 3 storeys and 3 bays has 2 stone coped and ball finialled gables. Central bay has an added brick gabled porch with semi-circular headed entrance and door of 5 tall panels. Has internal layout and fittings of 1847 conversion into flats, except one room with iron columns supporting upper wooden floor (1). Originally occupied by 80 pauper apprentices, cared for by husband and wife superintendants. Children were brought from London, Berkshire, Liverpool and Newcastle-under-Lyme. More girls than boys were employed, as Greg found them "less truculent than the boys". Ceased to operate as an apprentice house in 1847 (2). See (2) for full description of apprenticeship.

<1> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 1/300 (Report). SCH1934.

<2> Quarry Bank Mill Trust Ltd, 1988, The Apprentice System at Quarry Bank Mill Styal, /1-7 (Oral Communication). SCH3027.

<3> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, /347 (Book). SCH3078.

<4> Ashmore, O, 1982, The Industrial Archaeology of North West England, /63 (Book). SCH3181.