John Edward Crowther

John Edward Crowther (1862–1931) was a businessman and philanthropist who ran a large woollen manufacturing operation, John Edward Crowther Ltd, based at Bank Bottom Mill in Marsden, West Yorkshire. During his life he made a number of charitable donations to the village and people of Marsden. He died on 4 July 1931 following the Great Depression and the subsequent hardship caused to his business and those dependent on it.

Early life John Edward Crowther was born on 10 June 1862 in the West Riding of Yorkshire. He was the son of Joseph Stoner Crowther, a clothier (1843-1905) and his wife Helen. His brothers David Stoner Crowther and John Hilton Crowther would also would go into the mill business.

Work at the mills was hard, and the hours long. Work began at 6.30am, with buzzers sounding at 6am to wake the whole village. Late arrivals would be locked out for the day, with no wages paid for the day. Workers worked a 48 hours week, including Saturday mornings. In addition, actual wages depended on the amount of work completed, and the cloth woven by the weavers had to be flawless, else deductions would be made from wages. After the Great War, in 1930, Crowther donated land for the clubhouse of the local chapter of the British Legion. He also helped to maintain a curate at the parish church and helped pay for the peal of bells in the church tower.

Death and legacy

On 7 April 1930 his wife died. In 1931 the economic downturn caused by the Great Depression caused the mill to work short time, and on 4 July 1931 Crowther took his own life. When he was cremated on 8 July, the mills in Marsden closed, shops shut and drew their blinds, and flags flew at half mast on the mills and other buildings in the town.

The 1940 novel The Crowthers of Bankdam is loosely based upon the fortunes of John Edward Crowther and his family. In 1947 the novel was adapted into the film Master of Bankdam, directed by Walter Forde and starring Anne Crawford, Dennis Price and Tom Walls.