S ongs ▁written ▁by ▁Bry an - Michael ▁C ox <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Old ham ▁Oper ative ▁Cot ton ▁Sp inners ' ▁Provin cial ▁Association ▁was ▁a ▁trade ▁union ▁representing ▁cot ton ▁sp inners ▁across ▁eastern ▁Lanc ash ire , ▁in ▁England . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁often ▁the ▁large ▁sp inners ' ▁union , ▁and ▁provided ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁Sp inners ' ▁Am alg am ation . ▁ ▁History ▁A ▁union ▁of ▁sp inners ▁existed ▁in ▁Old ham ▁by ▁ 1 7 9 7 , ▁and ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁continuous ▁existence ▁there after . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 3 , ▁it ▁was ▁reconst it uted ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁Old ham ▁Provin cial ▁Cot ton ▁Sp inners ' ▁and ▁Self ▁A ctor ▁Mind ers ' ▁Association , ▁and ▁established ▁an ▁office ▁on ▁Ro ch ▁Street ▁in ▁the ▁town . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁start , ▁the ▁union ▁had ▁branches ▁in ▁Le es , ▁Shaw ▁and ▁Water head , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁Old ham , ▁and ▁it ▁soon ▁expanded ▁to ▁included ▁branches ▁in ▁Ch ad der ton , ▁Hol lin wood , ▁Middle ton ▁and ▁Roy ton . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁it ▁had ▁ 2 , 2 2 6 ▁members . ▁ ▁The ▁union ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Association ▁of ▁Oper ative ▁Cot ton ▁Sp inners , ▁T win ers ▁and ▁Self - A ctor ▁Mind ers ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁from ▁its ▁formation ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 5 , ▁but