(John) Brian Crawford (JBC) was born in 1924; the third son of Samuel J. Crawford and Mary Isabel Crawford (nee Early). Mary Crawford was the younger sister of James Harold Early and Edward Cole Early, notable members of the Early blanket-manufacturing family. After studying a degree in textiles, and serving in the R.A.F., JBC joined Early's blanket manufacturers in 1949. He rose to the position of Joint Managing Director, and eventually retired from the business in 1986. JBC retained a wealth of knowledge and material about Early's and the blanket manufacturing process, and was particularly interested in the development and mechanisation of the blanket factories and the technical processes involved.
This collection comprises JBC's own research notes on particular aspects of the blanket mills and the history of Witney. Some of the items referred to in this collection form part of the larger B1: Early's of Witney catalogue, and researchers will find it helpful to consult both catalogues. This collection also includes a large number of aerial photographs of Witney and the blanket factories. Many of these include annotations by JBC, noting developments and additional structures at the Witney blanket factories, and their subsequent demolition and redevelopment into housing.
Researchers should note that copying of any of the aerial photographs is restricted, and that the copyright owner should be contacted if copies are required.
P442/MS1 were deposited as part of accession 6184 in June 2013, and P442/P1 as part of accession 6198 in August 2013. Catalogued by Hannah Jones, April 2014.