▁was ▁in ▁turn ▁mirror ed ▁on ▁the ▁Beng al ▁Street ▁block , ▁which ▁had ▁an ▁arrangement ▁of ▁false ▁door ways . ▁ ▁A ▁& ▁G ▁Murray ▁prosper ed ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 9 ▁the ▁firm ▁was ▁val ued ▁at ▁£ 2 0 , 4 5 6 : ▁ 1 3 % ▁more ▁than ▁their ▁nearest ▁rival , ▁Mc Con nel ▁& ▁Kennedy , ▁and ▁more ▁than ▁double ▁the ▁firm ▁in ▁third ▁place . ▁The ▁company ▁was ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁cot ton - sp in ning ▁fir ms ▁in ▁Manchester , ▁and ▁probably ▁the ▁country ". ▁By ▁ 1 8 1 5 , ▁it ▁employed ▁ 1 , 2 1 5 ▁people . ▁ ▁Exp ansion ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁to ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century ▁there ▁were ▁several ▁periods ▁of ▁de pression ▁and ▁prosper ity ▁in ▁the ▁cot ton ▁trade . ▁In ▁this ▁period , ▁A ▁& ▁G ▁Murray ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁less ▁affected ▁by ▁these ▁changes ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁firm . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 7 , ▁engine ers ▁William ▁Fair b air n ▁and ▁his ▁partner ▁James ▁L ill ie ▁updated ▁the ▁complex . ▁ ▁The ▁contract , ▁Fair b air n ' s ▁first ▁as ▁a ▁mill w right , ▁involved ▁the ▁replacement ▁of ▁line ▁sh aft ing ▁in ▁the ▁complex , ▁with ▁wr ought ▁iron ▁line - sh aft ing ▁designed ▁to ▁work ▁at ▁higher ▁spe eds . ▁Adam ▁Murray ▁died