Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

The flax-dresser on the Ridgeway at this time probably supplied the hurdweaving,
rope-making Hill family. 98
The processing of flax and hemp had probably been
widespread in earlier periods, but references to these materials and to flax-dressers are
few. 99
Richard Gibbs was presented for watering hemp in Haselor Brook in 1672, and
flax was still grown in this locality in the 1750s. 100
Circa 1790 occupants of Inkberrow’s
poorhouse were ‘principally employed in dressing hurds’. 101
Although tailors are found in the records of several parishes, Tables 6.2 and 6.4
suggest a decreasing share of the workforce over time. Baptisms from 1813 to 1840
show that tailors comprised a mere 0.4% of fathers, while the 1841 census suggests a
figure of 0.5% of adult males. 102
However, it appears that there were one or two tailors
at any one time serving even quite small settlements and often supplementing their
income with farming. 103
Some parishes such as Arrow and Great Alne, seemed to have
more tailors than expected. 104
Inventories make no mention of a tailor’s tools, which
were probably very inexpensive. Although many tailors were illiterate, one literate tailor
98 TNA, Redditch methodist baptisms, 1812, mentions Thomas Adkins, New End, (Inkberrow), flaxdresser.
WaRO, 1841 census, shows that many of those in the Union Workhouse have occupations from
this sector, (ropemaker, rag-gatherer, flax-spinner, flax-dresser, woolcomber). This may suggest hardship
in this sector, but it could also be that they were able to pursue some of these occupations in the workhouse.
99 WoRO, probate of Edward Millward, Spernall, ‘woodcowper’, 1681/2, £157-9-2, mentions ‘flax in the
rough, 5s.’. WoRO, probate of Richard Beard, Great Alne, flax-dresser, 1685, £25-5-8, mentions ‘flax and
flax-seed, £16’. Flax and hemp did not have to be mentioned in probate inventories and dressing them was
also carried out by non-specialists such as Millward.
100 Johnson, Warwick County Records, 6, p. 187, quoting quarter sessions, 1672. WoRO, probate of
Thomas Laugher, Alcester, maltster, 1754, shows that he owes tithe of flax to Rev. Jackson of Arrow.
101 Eden, The State of the Poor, p. 807, (http://find.galegroup.com/ecco, 3.30 p.m., 22 Feb. 2010).
102 Tables 6.6 and 6.8.
103 WoRO, probate of Richard Tandy, Abbots Morton, tailor, 1678, £11-13-0. He left his three-bay house
to his son. WoRO, probate of Thomas Bartlam alias Sale, Bradley, (Stock and Bradley), tailor, 1672, £13-
8-6. He left his four-room house with dairy and buttery to his son. WoRO, probate of William Lacy,
Bradley, (Stock and Bradley), tailor, 1674, £14-13-6. He left land to his son. WoRO, probate of Richard
Woollmer, Cladswell, (Inkberrow), tailor, 1680/1, £17-0-8. He left 2 houses to his children and also
farmed.
104 Perhaps tailors from these parishes close to Alcester also serviced the market town.
215