Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

for production of needles as well as corn and paper. 268
A letter from John Mills to
Matthew Boulton, merchant, of Newhall, Birmingham, shows that this zone’s
manufacturers were in touch with the likes of the Lunar Society and could benefit from
their ideas. 269
Water-mills were too few to cater for the demands of needle production, so a
novel experiment in harnessing wind-power was also tried. 270 Other innovations were
introduced, some successful, others not. 271
One innovator, William Sheward of
Redditch, patented ‘engine-work’d needles’ in the 1770s, but in the mid-1780s he was in
financial difficulty, and by 1789 he was trading from Birmingham. 272
Other needlemanufacturers
also underwent periods of financial difficulty. 273
For the most part those in the needle-trade are still referred to under the general
term of ‘needlemaker’ in this period. However, all sorts of different needles were being
produced from large bodkins to small sewing needles, no doubt some makers specialising
in certain types. Also, by the 1760s Adam Smith’s division of labour becomes apparent
with references to the likes of John Barr, needle-pointer and Richard Mitchell, needlesetter.
274
Water-power was particularly harnessed for needle-scouring, but other
processes were no doubt undertaken in the mills too. Many needlers probably still
268 National Needle Museum, Redditch, Day-book of John and Matthew Mills.
269 Letter dated 30 Aug. 1784 in John and Matthew Mills’s copy letter book at the National Needle
Museum, Redditch.
270 R. S. Bartleet and J. M. Woodward in Timmins, Birmingham and the Midland Hardware District, p.
198.
271 Timmins, Birmingham and the Midland Hardware District, p. 199, and McKenna, Watch and
Clockmakers of the British Isles - Warwickshire, p. 11. Charles Davis, an Alcester watchmaker was
engaged in 1793 to drill needle-eyes for Michael Morrall, a Studley needlemaker.
272 Berrow’s Worcester Journal 12 Oct. 1775, 30 Dec. 1784, 30 July 1789. The smoother finish of the eye
on his engine-work’d sewing needles was claimed to be ‘incapable of cutting the thread’.
273 For example, Thomas and Benjamin Holyoake of Studley reported in Berrow’s Worcester Journal 8
June 1780.
274 WaRO, Studley burial register, burial of John Barr, needle-pointer, 1765. WoRO, probate of Richard
Mitchell, needle-setter, Ipsley, 1761. The latter is probably the first reference to a specialist occupation
within the needle industry. Earlier Richard Mitchell was simply called ‘needlemaker’ in the WoRO,
probate of Thomas Walker, Feckenham, needlemaker, 1749.
304