Under Hugh Mason 's leadership , the company prospered . The number of mule spindles in use at the mills increased from 20,000 in 1846 to 75,000 in 1887 . His two brothers , Henry and Booth , also worked in the company until retired in 1848 and 1853 respectively . Their father remained active in the company until 1860 when he retired , leaving Hugh as the sole owner . The '' Manchester Cotton Company '' was set up in 1860 and Mason 's success in the cotton industry led him to become its chairman from the beginning until its winding up , which began in 1864 , but was not concluded until 1867 . The purpose of the company was to increase the number of producers of cotton ; this was important as the American market was closed off during the American Civil War , causing the Lancashire Cotton Famine . Mason served as President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce from 1871 to 1874 , and came to hold interests in the Bridgewater Canal Navigation Company , the Midland Railway Company , the Mersey Dock Board , and various other coal and iron companies . Having initially opposed trade unions and factory legislation , Mason changed his mind around the 1850s regarding how workers should be treated , believing that the welfare of the employees impacted on the welfare of the employer . He became popular among workers for such things as becoming the first local employer to give his workers Saturday afternoons off . During the Lancashire Cotton Famine of 1861 – 1865 he refused to cut workers ' wages as was common during the period . He stated : As well as this , he contributed £ 500 ( about the equivalent of £ 30,000 today ) to the Ashton borough cotton famine relief . During the tumultuous 1870s and 1880s , Mason kept his workforce fully employed and continued to invest in his mills . By 1884 , wages in his mills were 25 % higher than they had been in 1870 even though his employees were working fewer hours . The '' Manchester Guardian '' noted : Hugh Mason was influenced by his father 's Liberal politics and strongly opposed to injustice and prejudice . Thomas Mason was a supporter of political representation for Ashton-under-Lyne and supported the repeal of the Corn Laws . In the early 19th century , the area was poorly represented in Parliament . The major urban centres of Manchester , Salford , Bolton , Blackburn , Rochdale , Ashton-under-Lyne , Oldham and Stockport – with a combined population of almost one million – were represented by either the two county MPs for Lancashire ( or the two for Cheshire in the case of Stockport ) . By comparison , more than half of all MPs were elected by a total of just 154 voters . These inequalities in political representation led to calls for reform and eventually the Peterloo Massacre in 1819 . Hugh said of his father that " To his life of honest industry , to his example of commercial probity , to his high Christian character , to his training , of me in my early years , to his wise consuls , I owe under God my position in society . " Although he claimed he was reluctant to enter politics , Hugh Mason became the first Liberal elected councillor for Ashton-under-Lyne in November 1856 . He represented the Portland Place ward from 1856 until his retirement from politics in 1874 . Mason quickly made an impression and was elected mayor for three consecutive years between 1857 and 1860 , which had never happened before . He supported progressive measures such as opening a public park , providing public libraries , and addressing unsanitary conditions in parts of Ashton-under-Lyne
Peterloo Massacre
Peterloo Massacre
Hugh Mason