Makes me wonder how the Greg family descendents feel about this series
They are not particularly harshly shown, as whatever autocratic behaviors they show in the series were simply of that time and place and cannot be judged by today's standards.
The Greg family are almost portrayed as banal in their harsh attitudes. The writer tries to defend their business practices by having Robert Greg explain several times why he has so much pressure on him to turn a profit in the difficult business circumstances of that time--and with Parliament breathing down his neck with new legislation on the horizon.
But the writer rather backed off of that pretty quickly, and did not try TOO hard to make his business position sympathetic, as with modern sensibilities of viewers and a union-centric work world viewership might not continue to tune in if too much of a defense is made of his reasons for the way he runs the mill.
By that day's standards, they are actually being portrayed pretty sympathetically, considering what went on in some other mills of the time.
I wonder if John F. had any access to today's Greg family members or their family records, that are outside the purview of the National Trust, which is in possession of the house and mill now?
Not sure how I'd feel if this were my family being shown.