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Explanatory Note: The following excerpts were collected by the late Dr. Frank E. Milhollan (1923-1992), a Maryland professor, and shared by a friend of his, who had access to some of his genealogical materials. The following narrative is from a publication, the Fibres & Fabrics Journal, from several undated, unnumbered, photocopied pages, probably published in Ireland, or Great Britain, since there are ads for a firm in Liverpool on some of the pages. Due to mine being a copy of a copy, some words were cut off along the edge of a few pages, and they are spelled here with several underlined spaces where the words are indecipherable.

It appears from this narrative that the Mulholland family in Ireland got into the business of weaving linen about 1830, or after the death in 1821 of our ancestor James Milholland of Iredell Co., North Carolina, so if there was some inheritance in his immediate family it may have been a farm or other property, and not a portion of a linen weaving business, but we have no further informa­tion at this point (May, 2008). This conclusion would also be true of the James Millholland of Philadelphia, who was said to have died in 1796-7.

See also the excerpt on this family from Burke's Peerage and Baronage a link to which follows this narrative.

The Old Irish sept known as O'Maelchalland, Anglicized Mulholland, for many centuries occupied an important position in the entourage of the High Kings of Ireland. The chief of the sept was the hereditary keeper of the bell of Saint Patrick, an office of considerable privilege and emolument. How long this honour had been enjoyed by the family is unknown, but when Domnall O'Lachlainn, High King of Ireland, about the year 1100 A.D., caused the famous jewelled shrine to be made for the bell, the name of "Cathalan O'Maelchalland keeper of the bell" is inscribed thereon with those of the King and the Archbishop of Armagh. With several temporary hiatus, the custody of the bell and its shrine continued with the successive chiefs of the sept O'Maelchalland for at least 750 years; but in the political changes that occurred in Ireland, first the Reformation, then the Eliza­bethan wars, the Plantation of Ulster and the Rebellion of 1641 such offices as chiefs of the septs, keepers of relics, etc., fell completely out of existence. The O'Maelchallands however, retained the actual custody of the bell and its shrine, bereft of all the attached distinctions and emoluments, until about 1850, when Henry Mulholland schoolmaster in Randalstown, died, without issue or any trace­able relatives in the male line. He left the National treasure to his friend and one-time pupil, Adam Maclean of Belfast, shortly after whose death, it was purchased by The Royal Irish Acad­emy its present custodians. From the earliest times the O'Maelchallands were located in the territory west of the Bann, now demarcated as the barony of Loughinshollan. The name is still common in the district, which was once included in the O'Neill domain of Tyrone, but is now in Co. Londonderry. Many of the sept migrated from time to time eastwards into County Antrim, especially to the Six-Mile-water area and eventually to Belfast, where the growing industries of various kinds were de­vel­op­ing in the seventeenth and following centuries. It is a rather curi­ous fact that the majority of Mulhollands who migrated into County Antrim, and mixed therein with the Scottish element settled there, became Presbyterians, a somewhat rare metamorphosis with the native septs.

Of the particular Mulholland family with which we treat, the founder seems to have been Thomas Mulholland (1756-1820) who conducted a properous muslin manufacturing business in Belfast at the end of the eighteenth century. He is believed to have come from the parish of Killead. At that time the spinning and weaving of cotton was the principal textile industry in Belfast and the Lagan Valley. In this trade he prospered exceedingly, purchasing his yarn in the open market and giving it out to the cottage handloom weavers both in Belfast and the surrounding district. About 1815 the firm of McCammon, Milford & Bailey, cotton spinners, of Wine­tavern Street, decided to sell their mill and Thomas Mulholland seri­ously considered the question of purchasing it to spin his own yarn instead of buying in the open market. He had, however, no technical knowledge of cotton spinning, his business being con­fined to the weaving and mercantile end. He there­fore decided to approach Mr. John Hind with a view to his joining him in a new firm to buy the Winetavern Street Mill. John Hind was agent for the Ferguson's cotton mill at Ballynure; he was the son of a prominent Manchester cotton spinner and had a thorough training in all branches of the cotton yarn trade. A condition of the proposal was that Mr. Ferguson, of whom Thomas Mulholland had been a good customer, should consent. Mr. Ferguson did, and the mill was purchased and the new firm prospered. Thomas Mulholland apparently retired from busi­ness shortly afterwards as the mer­can­tile firm appears in the first Belfast directory (1819) as T. and A. Mulholland, Muslin manufacturers, Union Street. (As a matter of fact the entry in the directory is I. and A., but the book contains many errors and we assume that it should read T. and A.) Thomas Mulholland, senior died in December, 1820, leaving a numer­ous family including five sons, Thomas, Andrew, John, William and Sinclair Kelburne. Of these Thomas and Willlam died unmarried, and lie with their parents in the old Clifton Street cemetery. The local historian Benn pays tribute to the mother (Anna Doe, 1766-1858) whose training and upbringing of her sons led to their outstanding success in after life and their fame for integrity and business acumen. She survived her husband thirty-eight years, dying in 1858 aged 92. Thomas Mulholland was a member of Rosemary Street Presbyterian congregation and the baptisms of all his children are recorded in the register of the same.

The Winetavern Street venture succeeded so well that the firm acquired additional premises in Francis Street nearby, where they erected some of the then newly invented power looms for weaving cotton, the first of such attempted in Ireland, and in 1822 erected what was at the time considered a huge cotton mill in the vacant fields between the old barracks (now the Victoria Barracks) and the newly laid down York Street. This space was then mead­ows with no houses beyond George's Street and between the old road to Carrickfergus and the Lagan. John Hind superintended the technical side, and the brothers Mulholland, the mercantile.

Some time about 1825 the Marshalls of Leeds, after elaborate experiments in the development of the patents of Mons. Philippe de Gerard and James Kay of Manchester erected a large wet-spinning mill at Leeds, which was quickly followed by others in Nidderdale. The brothers Mulholland were much impressed by the steady increase in shipments of flax from Belfast consigned to Leeds and the corresponding growth in the imports of yarn from the same area. The hand spinning industry in Ireland was being quickly exterminated by these imports, and great distress rose in many districts. The firm erected an experimental equipment in their Francis Street premises for wet spinning, but the exact date is unknown; it was probably in 1827. Mr. James Murland erected a wet spinning mill at Annsborough in 1828, and Armstrong and Cunliffe a small mill at Glynn about the same time. A Mr. Watt of the firm of Boomer and Watt, cotton spinners of Belfast, put up a wet spinning plant at Ballyclare. We cannot now say for certain which of these enterprising firms was actually the first to start wet spinning in Ireland, but the consensus of opinion seems to be that the Mulholland's experimental plant in Frances Street was the first, while Murland's mill at Annsborough was the first to produce yarn in appreciable quantity.

Mulholland's Cotton Mill was destroyed by fire in the summer of 1828. The firm had already realized that the competition of Lancashire and Glasgow, which obtained their raw materials direct, was steadily growing, and were far seeing enough to anticipate that cotton spinning in Ireland was doomed; on the other hand, the exports of flax from Ireland to England and the importation of the yarns made therefrom to be woven here put English flax spinners at a corresponding disadvantage. The firm's intuition in this matter eventually proved correct and by the end of the cen­tury, not a cotton spinning mill in Ireland or a flax spinning mill in England remained; all had gradually died off from economic star­vation. Another important consideration was that of the cost of pro­duction. Up to about 1825 practically all wetspun linen yarn in use was handspun and the Marshalls of Leeds and the Mulhollands and Murlands in Ireland found that a properly equipped spinning mill could produce yarn of better quality at much lower price than could be made by hand. Exact compara­tive figures are not now available, but roughly speaking, 40s line spun by hand in 1830 cost about 10/- per bundle; 40s spun by the mill, better in quality, could be produced in limitless quantity for 6/-.

The profits in prospect for Irish mills were thus exceed­ingly tempting; the raw material and the market for yarn were at their own doors, whereas the English spinners had to pay freight both ways in the days when no railways and only sailing ships were available. So the Mulhollands built a new mill be­side the ruin of the old to spin flax. John Hind as the technical partner procured access to several of the English Mills, study­ing the machinery and mill architecture and the new mill was planned on the latest and improved design. It started work in 1830. The Francis Street mill continued operations until at least the forties and we find in the 1840-43 directory, William Mulholland, flax spinner, Francis Street.

On the death of Thomas senior in 1820, he left the busi­ness to his two elder sons, Thomas and Andrew, providing otherwise for John, William and Sinclair Kelburn and their sisters. Thomas (2) only lived to see the new flax spinning mill started, dying in 1830, unmarried. Shortly afterwards, in 1831, John Hind, joined with his brother-in-law Captain John Boyd in building a new mill on the Blackstaff water, at the corner of Durham Street and Tea Lane (Linfield Road).

The Blackstaff Mill was opened in 1832. Most of the workers were drawn from the Sandy Row area and the mill was called contemptuously by the workers of the Falls area "The Orange Cage." It continued on the old premises for many years, but as time went on it became increasingly apparent that the mill was out of date as compared with mills erected after 1860. In 1897 a crisis occurred in the Linen Trade and a number of memorable took place. Both the Belfast Flax Spin­ning Co. and the Ligoniel Spinning Co. were largely involved with the Cogry Flax Spinning Co. When the latter collapsed in 1897, the two former quickly followed suit.

The Milfort mill and factory of the Belfast Flax Spinning Co. were well planned and equipped, but in such a period of bad trade were available to purchasers at reasonable prices. The Blackstaff Company purchased the Milfort Mill and a new Company, headed by the late Sir Robert Anderson bought the factory and finishing works. The Blackstaff Spinning & Weaving Co. continues to prosper in its new home, having since pur­chased the Dromalane Mill, Newry, a large cambric factory in Lurgan, and the Mulhouse works. The present managing Director, Mr. Wm. Boyd is a great grandson of the original founder Captain John Boyd. The old Blackstaff mill is now Murray's Tobacco Factory.

John Hind remained a partner of Captain Boyd until 1844; we shall refer to him and his successors in our next instalment [sic]. — H. C. Lawlor

Andrew Mulholland (1790-1866) continued to trade as T. and A. Mulholland until about 1840 when he took his son John (1819-1895) into partnership; the firm then became Andrew Mulholland and Son. In 1846 Andrew Mulholland, having pur­chased the old Montgomery estate of Springvale in Co. Down from the family of Matthews, retired from the firm, leaving his only suriving son John as sole proprietor. He added to the palatial residence, then re­cently built at Springvale by the Matthews, now known as Bally­walter Park. The place was known as Ballymagoun in the seven­teenth century when Hugh Montgomery acquired it. He built Springvale about 1690 and in due time was followed by his son Rev. Hans Montgomery, vicar of Ballywalter and Grayabbey. Hans died in 1726, leaving four daughters only and a will directing the sale of the estate and settling the proceeds in equal shares among them. The property was purchased by the Matthews family who held it for over a century when it was bought by Andrew Mulholland.

In 1851 John Mulholland changed the name of the firm to the York Street Flax Spinning Co. Under him the firm extended its operations and opened branches in Paris (1870), New York (1871), London (1874), Berlin (1876) and Melbourne (1882). New Mills and a Weaving factory were built in York Street the company hav­ing secured extra ground there and purchased Lepper's dam, from which the mills are supplied with water. In 1879, it purchased the Milewater Mill from the Farens for £28,100 and in 1883, the Muckamore bleachworks near Antrim, from Mr. James Chaine, M.P., for £28,000.

John Mulholland on becoming proprietor of the firm took in as managing partner, his brother-in-law Nicholas de la Cherois Crommelin, who retired in 1860 and was followed by Mr. Ogilvy Blair Graham, a native of Belfast, who had acquired a fortune in New Orleans. In 1864 John Mulholland, who had political ambi­tions, decided to turn his firm in a Limited Company. In this he was successful and although he retained a large holding of the shares in the Limited Company, as his descendants do still, he received for his interest £164,250, a huge sum at that date. As events turned out, the Limited Company had good value in its purchase, as it enjoyed the American War boom and made im­mense profits. At that time power looms were only able to weave coarse sets of cloth, the finer makes being entirely confined to the cottage looms all over Ulster, but chiefly Antrim, Down, and Armagh. The York Street firm became the chief buyers of all classes of fine cloth, such as Ballymenas, Coleraines, Co. Down's and Cambrics. These they bleached chiefly at Mullaghmore (Spotten's, but generally known as Barklies'). Thus, in less than a century after Thomas Mulholland founded the firm, his grandson saw it achieve the proud psotiion of the largest firm of flax spin­ners, linen manufacturers and distributors in the world. He sat as M.P. [Member of Parliament] for Downpatrick from 1874 to 1885, having purchased the Southwell (Downpatrick) estate after the formation of the York Street Flax Spinning Co. Ltd. He was raised to the peerage in 1892 as Baron Dunleath, when he chose as his title the happy con­den­sation of the ancient name of Downpatrick, Dunda-leth-glas. He was succeeded in 1895 by his only surviving son Henry Lyle, second Baron Dunleath (1854-1930), M.P. for North De__ 1885 to 1895.

The second Lord Dunleath had four sons, all of whom served with distinction in the great War. The eldest Captain the Hon. Andrew Edward Mulholland was killed at Ypres in 1914, when his next brother the Hon. C. H. G. Mulholland, C.B.E., D.S.O., the present Lord Dunleath, was seriously wounded on the same day. Captain the Hon. John Mulholland, M.C. and the Lieut. Col. the Hon. H. G. H. Mulholland, M.C., were both in France; the former is now chairman of Robinson & Cleaver Ltd., and vice chairman of Gallahers Ltd. Lord Dunleath is a director of the York Street Flax Spinning Co. Ltd. and the Rt. Hon. H. G. H. Mulholland is chair­man, as well as being a director of the Belfast Ropeworks Co. Ltd. He is the Speaker of the House of Commons N.I.

Of the brothers of Andrew Mulholland, Thomas, John and William died unmarried or without issue. The youngest called Sinclair Kelburn (1798-1872) was called after the Rev. Sinclair Kelburn, Minister of the third Presbyterian congregation, of which Thomas Mulholland was a devoted member. Kelburn was ___ the time in prison in Dublin on suspicion of implication in the Rebellion.

S. K. Mulholland, impressed by the success of his brother Andrew's new spinning mill, decided in 18__ to build another spinning mill. The site chosen was the field behind the Academical Institution in College Square. He approached John Hind, then a partner of Captain John Boyd in the Blackstaff mill, with a view to a partnership and this was arranged, the capital being half and half. The mill, first known as "The Mill in College Square" was locally known as "The Pound Mill" from its proximity to Pound Bu__ which flows into the Blackstaff River nearby. It is now The Durham Street Weaving Co. The firm trades as S. K. Mulholland and Hind.

S. K. Mulholland retired from this partnership in 1850 when he drew out £30,000, of which £20,500 was the agreed share of the partnership, and £9,500 lying to his credit, accumulated profits; the payment of this money was by agreement, to be spread over several years. S. K. Mulholland retired from trade to his beautiful residence Elgantine, near Hillsborough which he had bought from the family of Armytag__ Moore. He was survived by daughters only, whose connection with the Linen Trade passed out. John Hind took his two sons James and John into partnership, he retaining half share. The firm, then and for many years afterwards, traded as John Hind and Sons. He died in January, 1854, leaving what seems to be a natural and proper will. He left as trustees his sons John and James who were joined in due form by William Valentine and John Kane Boyd of the Blackstaff Mill. He desired that his half share of the partnership should be sold, the proceeds, together with the rest of his considerable estate, to be divided equally among his numerous family of sons and daughters. Unfor­tunately, for the carrying out of the exact terms of the will, a crisis in the Linen Trade existed at the time of his death; England had gone to war with Russia, and all supplies of Russian flax, on which the Durham Street Mills largely depended, were cut off. The output of the mills was cut to 30 per cent, some mills being stopped en­tirely, never to re-start. The trustees tried every means in their power to effect a sale of John Hind's interest, but no one could be found to take the risk. The family then came to a unanimous arrangement; by this it was agreed that John and James should themselves purchase their father's half share of the partnership at a valuation to be fixed by approved arbitrators. This was all carried out to the satisfaction of each member of the family, and the pro­ceeds invested in trustee securities for the benefit of the various legatees. John Hind & Sons then entered into a period of success­ful trading. The Crimean war ended [1856] and Russian Flax again became plentiful. The American War boom came on in 1863 and lasted until 1867/8. The firm built a new and larger mill and added a weaving factory spending some £75,000 on the place, after pay­ing out S. K. Mulholland's interest. All went well until 1878 when a law suit, probably without parallel in legal lore, began.

When John Hind died in January 1854, all his daughters except the youngest, Frances, were married, and she as well as the several sons-in-law and their wives agreed to the arrange­ment. Frances married in 1855, and her husband was taken on in the employ­ment of the firm in 1859 and in 1865 was made partner which he remained until 1877. The value of the mill in 1854 was assessed at £30,000, of which the half share of £15,000 was paid to the exec­u­tors of the will. Including this, John Hind's will was proved for £77,000, which sum was duly distributed among the family, in terms of the will. Frances Hind had issue of her marri­age, seven daughters and one son, all minors in 1878. On behalf of these minors a suit was entered in Chancery in that year, by one William Stables "their next friend," although their parents were both alive, against the Trustees of John Hind, deceased, and the survivors of his family including both the parents of the minors. Plaintiff alleged that although the family had all endorsed the settlement made twenty-four years previously, and notwith­stand­ing that it had worked satisfactorily ever since, John and James Hind as Trustees of the deceased had acted illegally in buying themselves property for which they were trustees. Plaintiff also claimed a share of the profits made during the years 1854 to 1879 with compound interest, which were estimated to have accumu­lated to several hundreds of thousands of pounds! The case was heard in 1881 and resulted in a verdict for the plaintiffs, an in­stance showing how the Majesty of the Law can trample ruthlessly upon its supposed partner, Justice.

The effect of the verdict led to complications which kept qualified accountants fully employed for many months. The confusion and difficulties experienced are beyond the scope of this article and it will suffice to say that the firm had to go into liqui­da­tion, and that the Hinds of the firm were ruined. No buyers could be found for the place as a going concern. Eventually the machin­ery of the spinning mills was sold out and in 1885 the buildings were purchased by the Durham Street Weaving Co. Ltd., which was formed under the directorship of the late Mr. David Ross, who had valuable experience as a practical damask manufacturer under Messrs. McCrum, Watson & Mercer Ltd. of Armagh and Belfast, and who had a short time previously built a damask weaving factory at Bloomfield, Belfast. He was what we may call a damask enthusiast, and applied many improvements to the mechanism of the Jac­quard loom. When he acquired the spa­cious premises of the Pound Mills, he had not only ample scope for his ability as a technician, but space for developing his gift of organisation. The weaving fac­tory was gradually converted to a damask factory; the empty spinning departments were brought in for supplementary purposes and an up-to-date finishing works added. His sons followed him, but all died early in life; the organisation founded by him however continues in uninterrupted prosperity and the Durham Street Weav­ing Co. Ltd. has now a foremost position in the damask trade, linen primarily, but of any textile material giving the best results. The chairman is Mr. H. G. Maxwell who had been in his early days associated with Mr. David Ross the founder of the firm; Doctor T. Lawrence Ross represents the family on the Board of Directors.

The late John Hind's descendants are still locally represented by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Hind and Mr. J. A. Hind of John Hind & Sons Limited, Gt. George's Street, and their sister Gertrude, whose poems on Donegal, written under the pseudonym 'Elizabeth Shane' have a wide circulation.

Interestingly, there is record of this same family in a copy of a typed manuscript titled "The Mulhollands, History, Genealogy, Letters" by Virginia Carter Stumbough of Peoria, Illinois, dated May 1, 1941. This may be an incomplete record as it has not been compared with the original source cited in the manuscript.

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