Cotton Famine Flour Barrel
Union
Due in part to interrupted cotton imports caused by the Civil War, the Lancashire Cotton Famine saw a depression of the textile industry in the area. In solidarity with the workers, the Union states sent a shipment of essential supplies – including 15,000 barrels of flour – to Lancashire on the relief ship George Griswold. One of the flour barrels was preserved as a monument and is currently on display at Touchstones Rochdale. The barrel is inscribed with a message commemorating the events.
Monument type:
Artist:
Dedication Date:
Address:
Rochdale
United Kingdom
Inscription:
I AM ONE OF THE THOUSANDS / THAT WERE FILLED WITH FLOUR / AND SENT BY THE / FREE STATES OF AMERICA / in the ship GEORGE GRISWOLD / TO THE STARVING PEOPLE of LANCASHIRE / WHOSE MISERIES WERE CAUSED / BY THE AGGRESSIVE AND CIVIL WAR / OF THE SLAVE OWNERS / IN 1862-3-4
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Conception Date:
1863-01-01
Opening Date:
1901-01-01
Material:
Wood
Size:
0.55m x 0.55m x 0.73m
Creator:
Cost / Value:
Erected by:
Funded by:
Run by:
Indigenous Land
Organization/Curator:
Touchstones Rochdale
Data Sources:
“The American Civil War and Lancashire cotton workers.” Remembering Histories, Remembering Slavery, http://revealinghistories.org.uk/key-stage-3-4/the-american-civil-war-and-lancashire-cotton-workers/cotton-famine-flour-barrel-1862-touchstones-rochdale.html. [accessed 19/01/2024]
“Objects: Flour Barrel.” Remembering Histories, Remembering Slavery, http://revealinghistories.org.uk/the-american-civil-war-and-the-lancashire-cotton-famine/objects/flour-barrel.html. [accessed 22/01/2024]
“Flour for Lancashire workers.” Teaching History with 100 Objects, http://teachinghistory100.org/objects/flour_for_lancashire_workers. [accessed 22/01/2024]
Matthews, Nick. “The Co-op, anti-slavery and the Lancashire cotton famine.” The Morning Star, https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/co-op-anti-slavery-and-lancashire-cotton-famine. [accessed 22/01/2024]
Thompson, David J. “When Frederick Douglass Came to Rochdale a Slave and Left a Free Man.” Black History Month, 4 May 2022, https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/history-of-slavery/when-frederick-douglass-came-to-rochdale-a-slave-and-left-a-free-man/#comments. [accessed 22/01/2024]
Read below for one of our contributor’s reflections on this monument