John Andrews "the great" had been apprenticed to the linen trade in Belfast and when he returned to Comber in 1745, following his father's death, started a bleach green and built a linen wash mill or buckhouse. He also made a dam, filled by the surplus water not required by the corn mill. In 1768, when he bought the Old Corn Mill, he made this dam common to both mills. At this time he also built a new enlarged wash mill alongside the earlier one, which now became the Flour Mill.
The firm became increasingly interested in linen, for which there was a growing demand as a direct result of England's suppression of the Irish woollen trade. In 1763, the earliest date for which records survive, almost 2,000 pieces of linen were bleached. A piece was generally 25 yards long, the most common width being one yard. About 1,800 of these were for linen drapers, including 500 for John Andrews himself; the others were 'Country Webs', received from private individuals, many of whom were the weavers themselves. Weaving at this time was a cottage industry. John's 5th son, William, specialised in the linen trade. However he died in 1785 at the early age of 24.
One of the cottage spinners was Anne McQuillan of Comber whose story is told in the “Belfast Monthly Magazine” for May 1809. The article was contributed by Rev. Steele-Dickson of Portaferry;
Anne McQuillan was about 25 years of age, rather below the middle size, delicate in her constitution but cheerful and lively in her manners, though her health and sight were considerably impaired by intense application to the improvement of her art. She obtained 2 awards from the Linen Board for the great advance she achieved in the production of superfine yarn. In one instance the thread of Anne McQuillan’s yarn of 105 hanks from 1lb of flax was 214 English miles in length. Each hank contained 12 cuts and each cut 120 threads and each thread measured 2½ yards. A sample of the fine thread was given with the May issue of the magazine. The wheel off which Anne spun her superfine threads was made before the marriage of her grandmother, Mrs. Wilson, who brought it to her husband’s house in 1716. The Lady Dufferin of the period repeatedly purchased yarn and had it manufactured into thread by Anne McQuillan and then into fine lace in the neighbourhood of London.
There were hundreds of bleach greens in Ireland in the 18th century and that of John Andrews was above the average. The well-managed businesses gradually increased their output while smaller ones disappeared until by 1839 only 63 bleachers remained in Ulster. At this time the Comber Green was turning out 20,000 pieces, a good average.
There is no indication of when the Beetling Mill was erected, but it may have been immediately after the wash mill. It was certainly in existence by 1762. In 1764 over 300 pieces were beetled for George Gillespie who also had a bleach yard in the neighbourhood. Another small beetling mill, up the river at Castlebeg, was also worked by John Andrews, but its history is not known. The beetling engine installed at Comber was worked by water power which caused heavy pieces of timber to rise and fall on the linen, thus adding further value by flattening the fabric and putting a finish on its surface.
Robbing bleach greens was a common offence in the 18th century, punishable by hanging, but the number of convictions was very low. Several robberies are recorded in Comber e.g. in 1764, 1779 and 1781 at the bleach green of James Riddle; that of John Andrews in 1767 and 1778. A map of 1802 shows the bleach green of John Riddle marked out on the ground in front of what is now Lower Crescent. That of John Andrews is now the North Down cricket ground.
Bleaching had been suspended at the time of the 1798 Rebellion, but resumed a few weeks after the Battle of Ballynahinch. After John Andrews' death in 1808 his son James carried on the business. It was during his time that a steam engine was installed in 1835, and shortly afterwards the whole works were re-organised. More power was needed to drive more machinery and to obtain this four new water wheels were erected, each operating different sections of the works. In addition, one was erected at Castlebeg for the beetling engine and another at the Corn Mill. The largest of these wheels was constructed by Ritchie & McLaine, an early shipbuilding firm in Belfast. Another improvement, in 1837, was the excavation of the Spring Dam, a pool 20 feet deep and of 50 feet diameter, with the sides substantially built of cut stone. This was seen as being of "infinite value in finishing the nicer articles".
But the bleach works were allowed to become out-of-date and started to lose money. In 1872 they closed down, not long after the death of William Glenny Andrews who had neglected to train any of the family to follow in his footsteps.
Meanwhile, in January 1863 work began on the building of the Flax Spinning Mill. This was not for the firm of James Andrews & Sons, but rather for a new firm - John Andrews & Co (James' son John, and John's sons - James, John and Thomas). This was not the first spinning mill in Comber. In 1808 John Proctor of Leeds, flax and tow machine maker, had advertised in the Belfast Press that he was erecting a dry spinning mill in Comber. John Stitt & Co received £522 in bounty from the Linen Trustees for installing 348 spindles. His mill was at the rear of the Big House in the Square. The venture did not last long and by September 1812 the plant was up for sale.
In 1848 the Andrews family had decided on a site for their new Flax Spinning Mill close to the corn mill dam, but the railway took possession of this land. And so it was erected on the Ballygowan Road. Plans were prepared by James Combe & Co of the Falls Foundry, Belfast. They also supplied the machinery, except the engine and boiler which were ordered from Victor Coates of the Lagan Foundry. James Andrews attended to the purchases, while Thomas (of Ardara), aged only 20, superintended the building operations which were carried out without a contractor. In January 1864 he reported that he had put in the arched floors, completed the boiler house, engaged a production manager and was anxious to commence hackling in March. Spinning started in June 1864. However John Andrews senior had died on 13 May, so he never saw his mill in operation.
The first week's wages were paid from 6-11 June 1864. A machine boy received 5d per week, a doffer 4d, a watchman 1s 3d, a wood turner 3s 4d, a foreman hackler 6s and a spinning master 4s 2d. A doffer was the person who removed the full bobbins of yarn from the machines.
It is possible to date development of the mill complex as date stones can be found on many of the buildings. 1875-7 saw the erection of a block at the north end, and it was to this building that a siding was constructed from the Belfast & County Down Railway. This brought in coal and raw flax, and facilitated export of the finished linen yarn. At this time the school building was also erected.
A new engine house dates from 1899. The engine was probably by Combe, Barbour & Combe. This was a compound marine type engine which was removed in the 1950s. The present chimney was probably erected at the same time. In 1901 the ground floor of the east mill was erected, while the main building was extended southwards in 1907. Further construction took place between 1915 and 1925.
During the First World War there was initially a shortage of flax and many workers had to be put on short time. However, by 1915 flax from Europe became available again and this was supplemented with Irish flax, much of which was produced on the Andrews lands around Comber. The Government was also placing orders for coverings for aeroplane wings and fuselages. These were of a high quality and became the expected standard for all other firms to follow.
Large scale production ceased in 1988 and the Mill closed in 1997, thus ending an enterprise which had once employed over 500 people. Much of the machinery was removed in 1998/9. The Mill was no longer economically viable. The complex has today been converted into a mill village with luxury apartments. After over 200 years the linen industry in Comber was at it's end.
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