Wild and Wooly

Wild and Wooly

In a undated newspaper clipping, badly photocopied and put in my family Bible was this story of how the Scholfield brothers, John and Arthur, came to this country from England. I used it as the basis of research on this line and found that it is completely true.

I purchased the Images of America book on Montville (CT) by Jon Chase, the town historian and in it found images of the woolen mill there that my ancestors built.


This is annotated by me:


"March 24, 1793, John Scholfield, his wife Hannah, six children, and his brother Arthur who lived at Standish Foot in Yorkshire England sailed from Liverpool for the United States landing a Boston, May 1793. They brought with them a complete knowledge of the construction and operation of woolen machinery.

Associating themselves with Jedediah Morse and others of wealth of Newburyport, Mass, they built and put into operation at Byfield, Mass., the first wool carding machinery that was ever successfully worked in this country. When all machinery was put into successful operation John Scholfield was agent. The business was prosperous.

John and Arthur Scholfield have the honor of being the pioneer woolen manufacturers in the United States 1793 to 1798 at Byfield, Mass.

After five years, in 1798, the brothers sold their interest in Massachusetts and moved to Montville, Conn. and leased a privilege for fourteen years until 1812. Arthur Scholfield settled at Pittsfield, Mass., 1802-1803, and John Scholfield bought a mill site of John Congdon at Stillmanville in 1806.

This mill was first a saw mill and then an oil mill. Mr. Scholfield operated it for fulling (Fulling is the process of fluffing up an already woven or knitted piece of woolen cloth ) and carding of rolls and manufactured cloth. He operated it in connection with a plant located in Montville, Conn. He died in 1820, aged 62 years.

The Scholfields were ingenious and able mechanics. In 1808, Arthur Scholfield at Pittsfield, Mass. manufactured a piece of broadcloth which President Madison’s (James Madison 1751-1856, our fourth President 1809-1817) inaugural suit was made.

The Scholfield satinets (a fabric with a finish resembling satin but made from partially or wholly from cotton or synthetic fibre) were famous."