Salt, Titus, Sir, 1803-1876

Titus Salt was born in Morley near Leeds on 20th September, 1803. He joined the family firm of woolstaplers in 1824 and became the firm's wool buyer. Daniel Salt & Son prospered and became one of the most important textile companies in Bradford. When Daniel Salt retired in 1833, Titus took over the running of the company. Over the next twenty years Titus Salt became the largest employer in Bradford. In 1834 he saw some 'Peruvian wool' (alpaca) in Liverpool and became interested in its use. The hair of the alpaca, a relative of the llama, had been used for weaving as a warp or with a worsted warp but the resultant cloth had little to recommend it. Titus Salt and his assistants spent over a year working on the problems involved in spinning alpaca, then pioneered the use of alpaca weft with cotton or silk warps ; this produced a durable lightweight fabric with a sheen. Moving his business out of Bradford, in 1853 he established the new Salt's Mill, the centre for the model industrial village of Saltaire. Salt was elected to Parliament in 1859 and was created a baronet in 1869. He died on 29th December, 1876.

From the guide to the Sir Titus Salt's Daybook, 1834-1837, (Bradford University Library)

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