Hi everyone, Continuing the 'thread' (pun intended!) about thread manufacturing, I have a query about Fleming Reid Worsted Thread Manufacturers of Greenock. I think I may know the answer, but would appreciate other listers thoughts on the subject. I have two SIMPSON brothers, William (b.1829) and Richard (b.1836) from Cockerham in north Lancashire, England, who came to Greenock to work at the fledgling Fleming Reid company in the 1840's. William was already a worsted spinner in Lancashire when he left (I assume with Richard) for Greenock. Why might they have moved from Cockerham to Greenock? I realise that there was mass internal migration in the UK throughout the 1800's, so movement was common. Cockerham to Greenock is about 150 miles north 'as the crow flies' so it was a considerable trek, although I suspect that they travelled using the new West Coast Main Railway Line. The rest of their large family remained in Lancashire however, working in the cotton mills of Preston, so work for the brothers was probably available. I also know that the 1840's was known (at least in Lancashire and possibly wider) as the 'Hungry Forties', so there may have been an urgency to their leaving their 9 siblings and parents. I am wondering though whether there was a connection between Fleming Reid and north Lancashire? The brothers married two SCOTT sisters and with their 'help', continued the tradition of huge, living families, thus bucking the trend of high rates of infant mortality. They set up a dynasty of SIMPSON (including my g grandmother) that by 1881 was 22 strong and growing. I am now trying to link these with current SIMPSON in Greenock and beyond, but as the name is so common this is proving difficult. By the time of their deaths in 1887 and 1896 respectively, both William and Richard were drawing overlooker managers at Fleming Reid. Fleming Reid was made famous by their chain of 'Scotch Hosiery Stores' created in the late 1800's, which were later subsumed into Coats Patons Ltd in 1967. Kind regards Angus Ferguson. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Researching in Greenock: Ferguson, Simpson, Scott, Alexander, Russell, Boyd, McLeod, MacLeod, Reid, Galloway, McKechnie, Murray, Ostler, Probait, Probert.