The mill tycoon who shared Britain's secrets with the US

"Slater was absolutely a traitor. He stole patented technology."

Relatives of a man described as the "father of the American Industrial Revolution" say they had no idea he was labelled a traitor back in his home nation of Britain.

Textiles worker Samuel Slater learned pioneering mill techniques in the Derbyshire town of Belper but then broke the law by taking his knowledge across the Atlantic in 1789 to help the US dramatically ramp up production.

Slater became a hero in America but his "deception and betrayal" of his country saw him dubbed "Slater the Traitor" back in the UK.

Visiting Belper from Maynard, Massachusetts, his five-times great-granddaughter Sally McInnis, told the BBC: "It's such an interesting contrast, I wasn't aware of his traitor moniker here in Belper until recently."

Born in 1768, Slater's route to infamy began in 1782, when he was offered an apprenticeship with Jedidiah Strutt at his cotton mill in Belper.

To process cotton, Strutt used Richard Arkwright's water spinning frame which meant he could deal with huge quantities 24 hours a day.

The US, at this time, was the world's biggest exporter of cotton but did not have the means or technology to process it.

Leaders in Britain knew this and passed laws in 1774 banning textile workers from travelling to America.

US entrepreneurs were so desperate to try to acquire the blueprints for the machines, they offered bribes to English workers for their knowledge in newspapers.

Samuel Slater was the person who broke rank by memorising designs and, disguising himself as a farmer, taking them with him across the Atlantic by boat.

He would go on to set up his first cotton mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island - which has been twinned with Belper since 1993 - and further mills would go up along the Blackstone River Valley.

Slater made a fortune, was lauded in the US and even founded the town of Webster, Massachusetts where he was laid to rest.

But in Britain, his reputation was quite the opposite.

McInnis said she contacted the chair of Strutt's North Mills - part of the Derwent Valley Mills Unesco World Heritage Site - to arrange a visit and was invited to come over for an event marking Samuel Slater's 258th birthday.

She said she was "delighted" to be in Derbyshire to learn more about "Belper's infamous son".

"It's such a thrill be in Belper, I've been hearing about the town my whole life as an amatuer historian, I never thought I'd get here," she said.

"I found out there was going to be a tour of Samuel Slater's birthplace and my cousins and I said 'we have to go'.

"It's a beautiful place - so scenic and peaceful compared to the urban areas of New England where the mills were built.

"I've seen the Derwent River Valley and the old mills and Samuel must have come to the US with these scenes in his memory and heart.

"It's such an interesting contrast, I wasn't aware of his traitor moniker here in Belper until recently.

"When I first watched a film [on his life] I was enlightened as to he absconded from England with industrial secrets - state secrets - which was illegal.

"He made off with plans for the spinning mill in his mind based on everything he had learned in Strutt's Mill when he was an apprentice."

Stephanie Hitchcock, originally from Belper, is another distant relative of Slater.

She said it had "been a surprise for the Americans" to find out they had distant relations in and around Belper still.

"My grandfather would be horrified at this because no-one ever admitted they were related to 'Slater the Traitor'," she said.

"However, it's been really nice to meet people [whose] ancestors originated from Belper.

"Slater was absolutely a traitor. He stole patented technology and what would people say if another country got their hands on atomic secrets? They would class them as traitors.

"But [the Americans] found it funny, we've all had a good laugh, everyone is very friendly. It's nice to know over in America they are doing some proper research."

Jane Middleton-Smith, who has been working on a project about Samuel Slater, said it had been "fantastic" to meet some of his US relatives.

"We've been looking into this story for more than 20 years and it's the first time we have met living descendants of someone we've been researching - so it's been very exciting.

"You do come across new things every now and again, it's the gift that keeps on giving.

On meeting Slater's American ancestors, Middleton-Smith said it "wasn't awkward at all".

"They were actually really intrigued by the label and they do get it," she said.

"One of the things we touched on is how much Samuel Slater is revered in America, everybody there knows his name and nobody knows his name over here - only people in and around Belper.

"He's not talked about because he didn't actually invent anything - we focus on who was behind the invention whereas [in America] they focus on who made the money and created industrial America.

"So this is a really interesting dual-history that's going on."

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