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John Smedley’s has been at Lea Mills in Derbyshire since 1784. By 1914, it was a hosiery and spinning mill.

At the outbreak of war it was turned over to government contracts. A lot of the knitters were men – it was a physical job and took a long time to train for; as such they battled to get exemption for them. This was granted for some workers, but by 1916, 140 men had been conscripted.

When the mill began working for the government, under and outer wear for troops was being manufactured. These were mainly jumpers and cardigans – a complete change from tights.

Location: John Smedley, Lea Mills, Derbyshire DE4 5AG
Image shows John Smedley archive
Presented by Jane Middleton-Smith