The Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser’, 13 August, 1842: Ashton and Oldham.

Transcript

They next went into the town of Ashton, and divided into two bodies; one of which, after visiting and stopping Messrs. Whittaker and Son’s mill, at Hurst, went to Oldham. The other party visited all the other mills in Ashton, after which, proceeding through Denton and Crown Point, and having forced the journeyman [trained worker in a trade] hatters to join them, they went forward to Hyde, where they stopped the whole of the factories.
In the evening a meeting was held at Ashton, and another yesterday (Tuesday) morning, when Mr. George Southam, who happened to be present, was called to the chair. Several persons addressed the meeting; and, after a resolution was passed insisting upon wages being advanced to the prices of the year 1840, it was determined to proceed in a body to Manchester. …