Briggs & Little
Briggs & Little is a Canadian woollen mill and knitting-yarn brand with roots at a New Brunswick mill established in 1857.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Briggs & Little is a Canadian woollen-mill business and yarn brand based at York Mills near Harvey Station, New Brunswick. Its origins reach back to 1857, when George Lister built a mill complex on the Magaguadavic River. The site included a woollen mill as well as gristmill and sawmill operations, with water supplied by river dams providing the power for the industrial works. Although the woollen mill changed hands several times during its early history, the location developed a continuous association with wool processing and textile manufacturing. The original woollen-mill building was destroyed by fire in 1908 and subsequently rebuilt. Members of the Little family later operated the business under the name Little's Woollen Mill. In 1916, after Matthew Briggs and Howard Little became the new owners, the operation adopted the Briggs & Little name. The Little family remained connected with the enterprise across multiple generations. Howard Little's son, grandson, and great-grandson were involved in running the mill, while Ward Little acquired Matthew Briggs's interest in 1948. Ward Little's grandson John Thompson became a part-owner in 1978. Fire and reconstruction have been recurring features of the mill's history. The facility was rebuilt after fires in 1908, 1944, and 1956. The most destructive recent fire occurred on November 1, 1994, when the mill building and its equipment were destroyed. The office and inventory-storage buildings survived, allowing the business to retain some operational continuity. A rebuilt mill reopened at the same location more than two years later. The modern facility no longer uses river water to power its machinery, although water from the Magaguadavic River continues to be used in washing wool. Briggs & Little specializes in wool knitting yarns sold in multiple weights, along with an 80 percent wool and 20 percent nylon blend offered in two weights. The company also sells carded raw fleece for stuffing and hand spinning. Its production is vertically integrated: Canadian-produced raw fleece is scoured, dyed, blended, carded, spun, reeled, packaged, and labelled within the mill's manufacturing process. This integration supports the brand's identity as a domestic wool processor rather than simply a reseller of imported yarn. The brand's colour range has expanded substantially over time. Until 1944, its yarn was available only in black, white, and four shades of grey; the black dye was made using logwood chips. In 1944, the company added paddy green, royal blue, and scarlet red. By 2014, its catalogue included 45 shades. The mill also operates an on-site yarn shop selling yarn and patterns. Briggs & Little presents itself as Canada's oldest woollen mill, a positioning based on the 1857 origins of the mill site and its continuing association with wool manufacturing. Its heritage, Canadian sourcing, vertically integrated production, and practical range of knitting materials are central to the brand's identity.
History
The Briggs & Little story begins in 1857 at York Mills, an area near Harvey Station, New Brunswick, that developed around a group of water-powered mills. George Lister established the original mill complex beside the Magaguadavic River, operating a woollen mill alongside a gristmill and sawmill. Dams on the river supplied power to the facilities. The woollen mill passed through several ownership arrangements during the following decades, making the continuity of the site more significant than any single early corporate structure. The first mill building burned in 1908 and was rebuilt. The Little family subsequently operated the woollen business as Little's Woollen Mill. In 1916, the enterprise was renamed Briggs & Little after Matthew Briggs and Howard Little became its owners. The Little family maintained a multigenerational role in the operation: Howard Little's son, grandson, and great-grandson were involved in management or ownership. Matthew Briggs's interest was purchased by Ward Little in 1948, and Ward Little's grandson John Thompson became a part-owner in 1978. The mill experienced further fires in 1944 and 1956, each followed by reconstruction. A fire on November 1, 1994 destroyed the mill building and its equipment. The separate office and inventory-storage buildings survived, and the company eventually rebuilt at the same York Mills location. The rebuilt operation reopened after more than two years. Unlike the earlier facility, it no longer used water to drive its machinery, though river water remained part of the wool-washing process. Briggs & Little developed a product range centered on wool knitting yarn in several weights. It also introduced an 80 percent wool and 20 percent nylon blend in two weights and marketed carded fleece for stuffing and hand spinning. The company describes its mill as fully integrated, carrying out scouring, dyeing, blending, carding, spinning, reeling, packaging, and labelling. The wool is purchased from Canadian producers, linking the brand's manufacturing identity to domestic agricultural supply. Colour expansion illustrates the evolution of the product line. Before 1944, the yarn range consisted of black, white, and four grey shades. New paddy green, royal blue, and scarlet red colours were introduced in 1944; by 2014, the range had reached 45 shades. The business also operates a yarn shop at the mill where customers can buy yarn and patterns. With a mill site dating to 1857 and operations under the Briggs & Little name since 1916, the company uses its age and continuity to support its description as Canada's oldest woollen mill.
- 2014
Colour range reached 45 shades
[1]The company was reported to be producing yarn in 45 shades.
- 1996
Rebuilt mill reopened
[1]The mill reopened at its original location more than two years after the 1994 fire, with machinery no longer powered by the river.
- 1994
Mill destroyed by fire
[1]A November 1 fire destroyed the mill building and equipment, while the office and inventory-storage buildings survived.
- 1978
John Thompson became a part-owner
[1]John Thompson, Ward Little's grandson, succeeded him as a part-owner.
- 1956
Mill rebuilt after another fire
[1]The facility underwent another reconstruction after a 1956 fire.
- 1948
Ward Little acquired Briggs's interest
[1]Ward Little bought Matthew Briggs's interest in the mill, increasing the Little family's ownership role.
- 1944
New colours introduced
[1]The company expanded beyond black, white, and grey yarns by adding paddy green, royal blue, and scarlet red.
- 1944
Mill rebuilt after fire
[1]The woollen mill was rebuilt following another fire.
- 1916
Briggs & Little name adopted
[1]After Matthew Briggs and Howard Little became owners, Little's Woollen Mill was renamed Briggs & Little.
- 1908
Original mill destroyed by fire
[1]The original woollen-mill structure burned and was rebuilt.
Products and positioning
A heritage Canadian woollen-mill brand emphasizing domestic raw wool, vertically integrated production, long manufacturing continuity, and practical knitting and spinning materials.
Knitting yarn
Wool knitting yarn
Briggs & Little's core product is wool knitting yarn offered in several weights and a broad colour range. The company processes Canadian-sourced fleece through scouring, dyeing, blending, carding, spinning, reeling, packaging, and labelling. Historically, its range expanded from a small group of natural and dark shades to dozens of colours, reaching 45 shades by 2014.
Blended knitting yarn
Wool and nylon-blend yarn
The mill produces a blend made from 80 percent wool and 20 percent nylon. It is available in two weights and extends the product portfolio beyond wholly woollen yarns while retaining wool as the principal fibre.
Fibre and spinning material
Carded raw fleece
Carded raw fleece is sold for uses including stuffing and hand spinning. It represents an earlier stage of the mill's fibre-processing chain and gives customers access to material for craft and textile work beyond finished knitting yarn.
Patterns and accessories
Knitting patterns
Patterns are sold through the yarn shop located on the mill premises, complementing the company's yarn range and supporting direct engagement with knitting customers.
Brand decisions
1994
Rebuilding after the 1994 mill fireOtherBackground
A fire on November 1, 1994 destroyed the mill building and its equipment, although separate office and inventory-storage buildings remained.
Action taken
Briggs & Little rebuilt the mill at the same location and resumed operations more than two years later.
Aftermath
The rebuilt mill continued wool processing but no longer used water to power its machinery. River water continued to be used for washing wool.
1916
Adoption of the Briggs & Little identityStrategyBackground
The woollen mill had been operated by members of the Little family as Little's Woollen Mill before new ownership by Matthew Briggs and Howard Little.
Action taken
The business was renamed Briggs & Little, establishing the identity used by the mill thereafter.
Aftermath
The name became associated with the long-running New Brunswick woollen-mill operation and its later yarn products.
Sources1 sources
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