working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

124TEXTILES TEXTILESin the closely allied cotton trade, the union which wasthen called into being embraced men and women onalmost equal terms.The broad outline of the position of women in thewoollen trade as it was established in the seventeenthcentury shows them taking little, if any, part in themanagement of the large and profitable undertakingsof Clothiers and Wool-merchants. Their industrialposition was that of wage-earners, and though thedemand for their labour generally exceeded the supply,yet the wages they received were barely sufficient fortheir individual maintenance, regardless of the fact thatin most cases they were wholly or partly supportingchildren or other dependants.The higher rates of pay for spinning appear to havebeen secured by the women who did not dependwholly upon it for their living, but could buywool, spin it at their leisure, and sell the yarn in thedearest market ; while those who worked all theyear round for clothiers or middlemen, were oftenbeaten down in their wages and were subject toexactions and oppression.C. Linen.While the woollen trade had for centuries been developingunder the direction of capitalism, it was onlyin the seventeenth centuiy tbat this influence beginsto show itself in the production of linen. Following theexample of the clothiers, attempts were then made tomanufacture linen on a large scale.For example,Celia Fiennes describes Malton as a " pretty largetown built of Stone but poor; . . . there was cneMr. Paumes that marry'd a relation of mine, LordEwers' Coeheiress who is landlady of almost all yetown. She has a pretty house in the place. There isthe ruins of a very great house wWh belonged to yefamily but they not agreeing about it Caused ye defaceingof it. She now makes use of ye roornes off yeout-buildings and gate house for weaving and Linningcloth, haveing set up a manuffactory for Linnen wh&does Employ many poor people."'In spite of such innovations the production of linenretained for the most part its character as one of the" yet left of that innocent old world." Thehousewife, assisted by servants and children span flaxand hemp for household linen, underclothes, children'sfrocks and other purposes, and then took her threadto the local weaver who wove it to her order. ThusRichard Stapley, Gent., enters in his Diary: " Aweaver fetched 11 pounds of flaxen yarn to make abedticke ; 2nd he brought me ten yds of ticking forye bed, 3 yds and $ of narrow ticking for ye bolster& for ye weaving of which I paid him 10s. and yeflax cost 8d. per pound. My mother spun it for me,and I had it made into a bed 'by John Dennit, a tailor,of Twineham for 8d. on Wednesday, July 18th, and itwas filled on Saturday, August 4th by Jonas Humphreyof Twineham for 6d. The weavcr brought it homeJuly 6th.' Similarly Sarah Fell enters in her Householdbook : " Nov. 18th, 1675, by m". pd. Geo. Bellweaver for workeinge 32 : ells of hempe tow cloth ofMothrs. at Id+ ell. ooo.04.00 "3By the industry and foresight of its female membersthe ordinary household was supplied with all itsnecessary linen without any need for entering themarket, the expenses of middlemen and salesmen beingso avoided. Nevertheless, it is evident that a considerablesale for linen had always existed, for the linendrapers were an important corporation in manytowns. This sale was increased through aninventi~nmade about the middle of the century : By printingpatterns on linen a material was produced which' Fiennes (Celia) p. 74.Pbrougb England on a S&-saddle.'Suss Arch. Col1 , Vol. I1 ,p. rzr. Extracts frmtbeDaaryofRicbard Stapley, Gent.,1682-1~2%a ell (Sarah) Hmuebold Accts., p. 233.