Historically a part of Cheshire, Stockport in the 16th century was a small town entirely on the southbank of the Mersey, and known for the cultivation of hemp and rope manufacture and in the 18th century the town had one of the first mechanised silk factories in the United Kingdom.

Chestergate was the main east west road following the south bank of the Mersey, leading not surprisingly to Chester.

It was Stockport that pioneered the steam driven power loom.

The great war of 1914–1918 halted the supply of raw cotton, and the British government encouraged its colonies to build mills to spin and weave cotton.

The Bank of England set up the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 to attempt to rationalise and save the industry.

In 1951 it was producing coarser ring spun yarns from 10's to 24's Cosmopolitan Photo Engravers occupied the second floor of Kingston from 1969 to 1975