the cloth trade Flashcards
what did the cloth industry lent itself well to and why
- cloth industry lent itself well to the use of domestic labour force
- as the process of working cloth was divided into a number of steps that could be carried out by different members of the family
which areas of the country were centres of the cloth industry
- East Anglia
- south Midlands
- Yorkshire
how did merchants insert themselves into the cloth industry
- they provided wool to be made into yarn
- through the putting-out system, they’d hire weavers to make it into cloth
how did the merchants benefit from the cloth industry
they could make enough to marry into landowning gentry families
why did the domestic system continue throughout the 17th century
- easy to hire and let go of labour as the market dictated
- skills involved were familiar to peasant families
- as the industry was based in the workers homes, it was free of the taxes and regulation experienced by guild-based industries in towns
what was the overall effect of the cloth industry
- it was a continuation of what already existed
- but new textiles and skills were developed as a result of contact with the continent
what did the British workforce not posses skills for and so where was the cloth was sent
- British workforce didn’t posses the skills to finish and dye cloth for sale on the general market
- so it was shipped to Holland so it could be sold on
how was the system of shipping cloth to Holland interrupted
- fashions changed and ‘new draperies’ became popular in Europe
- the staple cloth of the British textile industry was replaced with lighter mixtures of wool, linen, cotton and silk
when did output of domestic cloth increase significantly
in the second half of the century
how many protestant Dutch immigrants settled in Colchester in 1565-68 + why did immigration decrease
- over 1,500 protestant Dutch immigrants settled in Colchester in 1565-68
- immigration decreased after the foundation of the Dutch Republic in 1581 which ended the catholic Hapsburg rule and meant that Protestants were no longer persecuted there
how many immigrants were working in the cloth industry in England by 1585
13,000
what was the reaction of the existing population to the arrival of immigrants + why
- they resented the arrivals
- some even attempted to expel the immigrants from towns as the Dutch were allowed privileged access to the hall where new draperies were taken for inspection before sale
what was the positive impact of immigrants in the cloth industry
- innovative techniques and skills of the immigrants had a positive impact on workers
- the workers were trained in new continental methods
how much did those employed in the textile industry in Colchester increase by between 1619-1699
- from 26% in 1619
- 40% in 1699
what was the key achievement of the Dutch in East Anglia + how
- introduction of new worsted draperies which required a higher level of skill
- but the cloth was versatile and cheap
- the cloth appealed to a wider market than traditional English wares
