Extract from " Textile Manufacturers and other Industries in Keighley "  published in 1879.
NATHANIEL WALBANK
 Nathaniel Walbank the grandfather of the late Mr Walbank was one of the leading  manufacturers during the latter half of the eighteenth century.  He resided at Thwaites, where he employed both combers and weavers, and like other manufacturers of that day, gave out his tops to handspinners.  The class of goods he principally made were drawboys, patterns of those figured goods are now in the possession of his great-grandson, Mr W E Walbank, hay and straw merchant; one pattern is called the swan, from the figure of that bird being woven into the piece.  He sold his goods in the Halifax market, which was the sole market for drawboys up to twenty years ago.  It is probable that Mr Walbank was also a farmer, as Thwaites was at that time an agricultural village; he lived to a good old age departing this life February 21 st 1821 •  The above Mr Walbank had a son William Walbank, who was also engaged in business as a stuff manufacturer from 1791 to 1801 ; but as all the books and other documents used in trade by this party have been lost, we are unable to make out what class of goods he made; but, as shalloons, plainbacks, and calimancoes were then in vogue, possibly these might be the class of goods made by him; he died in October 1801 , nearly twenty years before his father, in the 31st year of his age.
Mr Nathaniel Walbank the subject of this present article, like his father went
into business when a very young man.  His first essay in business was in 1819,
the class of goods he principally made were plainbacks; he bought his yarn,
or tops, and had them spun by commision, employing a considerable number of
handloom weavers.  He seems to have pursued the even tenor of his way without
anything very remarkable till the year 1826, when that very terrible crash came,
 called Butterworth panic, and as he had for sometime sold nearly all his goods  to Messrs. Butterworths, thus, according to the proverb, putting all his eggs
 into one basket, he found he was a ruined man.  Having compounded with his  creditors, he in a few years afterwards went into business again, and being at that time unmarried and at small expense, he, with industry, and economy, suceeded in making money.  When he saw that he could spare a portion of his savings without injuring, or too much straightening his trade finances, he divided it amongst his creditors, and by two or three instalments succeeded in paying all his creditors  twenty shillings in the pound.  He thus succeeded in removing a burden from his  mind, but not before his troubles in connections with his previous misfortunes, has so far prayed upon a mind exceedingly sensitive and conscientious as seriously to affect his physical constitution, as to bring on premature old age.  The class of goods made by Mr Walbank about this time, were plainbacks, and shalloons. In 1834 he took room and power at the Fleece Mills, and commenced weaving by power looms, and at the same time continuing to employ handloom weavers.  In 1835 he began to use cotton warps and to make Orleans, paramattas and cobourgs.  About the year 1843 he commenced the fancy trade, and was the first in Keighley to make checks, plaids and stripes with coloured yarns; and having commenced the making of several of the above new sorts at an early period, he was enabled to realise considerable profits, but through failing health in 1853 he gave up business, and in a few years he died.  Though not a rich man, he left such a competency to his numerous family as placed them in comfortable circumstances.  Mr Walbank had a good name with the public; everyone spoke well of him.