A fine example of Pennine Lancashire invention and innovation the Duckworth's Patent fruit cleaning machine was the first to successfully wash and de-stalk currants and soft fruits. Patented by Caleb Duckworth in 1894, the machine was a great success with examples being exported all over the world.

Caleb’s younger brother Jacob Duckworth was apprenticed to William Pickles Hartley who had an early dry salting and preserving business in Colne. In 1874 when (Sir) William P Hartley moved to Bootle to establish his jam-making empire, Caleb and partner Mr Arthur Tempest bought the business, with Caleb becoming sole proprietor three years later when Tempest died.

Like Hartley in Liverpool, Caleb Duckworth went on to produce his own preserves which were sold around the district. But unlike Hartley Caleb was more interested in the machinery than the product and soon diversified into other food production and printing, and has many interesting patents to his name.

A typical Victorian entrepreneur and philanthropist, he was a member of the Overseers of the Poor Board, and was also a Trustee of Albert Road Methodist Church, Colne, and the Methodist Churches at Langroyd and Stopper Lane.