Roller from a draw frame

Roller from a draw frame found at Murrays' Mills in Ancoats during the archaeological survey of the site.

This roller was used on a draw frame, a textile machine which combined and drew out fibres of cotton before spinning. It may be a clearer roller, which kept the draw frame's drafting rollers clear of cotton. It still holds traces of cotton roving. Murrays’ Mills is one of the oldest surviving steam-powered cotton spinning mill complexes. First established in Ancoats in 1797, it became, along with neighbouring McConnel and Kennedy mills, one of the largest industrial complexes of its time, reflecting Ancoats’ development into the first industrial suburb.