After having learned to weave, Rylands became a small-scale manufacturer of hand-looms, while also working in the draper's shop which his father had opened in St Helens.

He displayed a "precocious shrewdness" for retailing,[1] and in partnership with his two elder brothers expanded into the wholesale trade.

[1] At its peak, the company employed a workforce of 15,000 in 17 mills and factories, producing 35 long tons of cloth a day.

His aptitude for trade quickly became obvious and manifested itself early and, before the age of eighteen, he entered into partnership with his elder brothers Joseph and Richard.

John, the youngest partner, occupied himself with travelling over several counties for orders until 1823, when he opened a warehouse for the firm in Manchester.

Joseph and Richard retired around 1839 and the death of their father in July 1847 made John Rylands sole proprietor.

The extra capital from this move led to the purchase of more mills and the company entered into fresh business in many quarters of the globe.

[4] From 1857, John Rylands lived at Longford Hall, in Stretford, an Italianate mansion he built on the site of an earlier house.

[5] In 2009 the local council placed a "blue plaque" at the site of Longford Hall to commemorate John and Enriqueta Rylands.

When the Manchester Ship Canal was mooted, and there seemed a doubt as to the ways and means for the enterprise, he took up £50,000 worth of shares, increasing his contribution when the project appeared again in danger.

He was of an ecumenical spirit and hoped that sectarian differences would tend to decrease:[10] a number of Union Chapels (including one in Stretford[11] and two in Manchester) were supported by him.

F. Bugby, John Gaskin, and other competent scholars to prepare special editions of the Bible and religious works which he printed for free distribution.