 Interior of the United Reformed Church in Saltaire near Leeds, Yorkshire, which was built - at his own expense - and opened by Sir Titus Salt on 13th April 1859. Congregationalism was part of his thinking and his way of life. |
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 Sir Titus Salt was born at Morley near Leeds in 1803. Soon his family moved to Bradford where his father started a wool-stapling business. It was the purchase of alpaca wool in 1836 that brought Titus himself fame and fortune. |
Bradford
had the reputation of the ditiest and smokiest town in Britain. Sir
Titus had little luck with persuading mill-owners there to change to
burners that were less polluting so in 1850 he obtained land and was
able to put into effect his plans for his scattered mills in one place
with clean air and water and good living conditions for his workers.
He named his new town after his family and the local river, Salt-aire.
It incorporated many of his ideas with a church, school, hospital, library,
a park, almshouses, public baths and wash-houses, gas lighting and a
range of different shops superior to those in Bradford. Work on the
town continued for many years beginning with the mill which had 1200
looms and broke the record for the production of fine worsted cloth.
To improve the look of the mill even the chimney was constructed to
look like a campanile. Though he did not approve of Trade Unions, Sir
Titus was the first employer in the area to introduce the 10 hour day
(once 16 hours!) When he died in 1876 120,000 people attended his funeral. |
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