A new book has been published which delves into the history of Mossley.

'The Mayalls of Mossley - Princes of Cotton' is a novel based on the true-life stories of brothers John and George Mayall.

It starts after their father Samson Mayall thinks England is ‘done for’ after experiencing the Peterloo Massacre.

So, in 1820 he secretly sets sail for America in search of a better life for his family.

His two sons, John and George, are left to provide for the rest of the family.

Based on the true-life stories of the brothers, ‘The Mayalls of Mossley - Princes of Cotton,’ is a story of romance, tragedy and success.

It takes the reader across the seas to America revealing how world events, such as the Civil War, also affected the inhabitants of a small northern town on the edge of the Pennines.

Author CB Hawes embraces the North of England’s rich heritage and traditions in her first novel.

She puts the reader shoulder to shoulder with the workers in Victorian cotton mills and lets them listen to the gossip of wealthy ladies in their drawing rooms.

Philip Wilson, whose wife Carol, is the author of the book, said: “I bought the former Mossley Town Hall in 1999 after many years of empty dereliction.

“It has been a serious part of my life’s work, but I completed its restoration in 2015.

“To that end my wife trawled through all the available history and some left by a grandson.

“It was built for George Mayall, cotton master, and her book is about the cotton industry in Mossley in the 1800s and in particular, the Mayalls of Mossley and their lives.”

Carol is now holding two book signing events.

The first is at Mossley Library on Wednesday 22 February from 11am-12.45pm and the second is at the Mossley Heritage Centre, in Longlands Mill, on Saturday 18 March from midday until 2pm. Everyone is welcome.

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