Probably Combers most recognisable Industrial building
In 1783 John Andrews (John the Great) won £10,000 in the Irish State Lottery and it came at a particularly good time as trade was bad. With part of the money he bought the townland of Carnesure.The firm of John Andrews & Co., flax spinners, was established by John Andrews of Comber (1782-1864) in 1863, building on an existing family business that had been in place since the late 18th century. Having already worked with his father in the firm, James Andrews & Sons from 1812, John Andrews, embarked upon the re-organisation of the company in the 1860s with the construction of a new mill, re-establishing the company under his own name with his sons, James, John and Thomas as partners. Thomas Andrews (1843-1916) took over the direction of the new company on the death of his father in 1864. Under his leadership, the family business continued to flourish, benefiting from the growing strength and specialisation of the linen industry in Ulster at this time (linen was a major driving force in the economic development of the region). The company was then enlarged in 1907. Thomas Andrews was succeeded as Chairman by his son, John Miller Andrews (1871-1956) in 1916, and with his increasing political commitments (J.M. Andrews eventually went on to serve as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1940-43), he was himself replaced in 1927 by his son, John Ormrod, as Managing Director of John Andrews & Co. Ltd. The company continued operations as a flax-spinning mill until 1997, when falling demand finally brought about its closure. See Also: "Nine generations: a history of the Andrews family, millers of Comber," edited by John Burls from the manuscript of Sydney Andrews (1958)
After the Rebellion, linen was scarce and the price rose from 19 pence per yard to 3/1 per yard. Like many other linen drapers, John Andrews and his son James, who was in partnership, bought large stocks. Unfortunately within the year the price fell and many linen drapers, who had accumulated stock at the high price, had failed to sell in time. Money was scarce and. James Andrews was hoping for another large win in the lottery. He wanted to borrow £1,000 to tide them over. At the same time, Thomas, the eldest son, who was in business for himself in Belfast, required £7,000 to save himself from bankruptcy. He wrote from London asking his father for help. Eventually John Andrews, mainly by means of a mortgage on the townland of Carnesure and loans from various local people, managed to raise the money. It was 22 years before the mortgage on Carnesure was cleared. Thomas never repaid the money, but in his father’s will, it was seen that there must have been some arrangement that this £7,000 was his share of the property. He was left £500 and the remainder went to James.