For centuries the action of government in reference to trade was simply in the way of protection, creating monopolies under charters, and sometimes for subsidies. This was especially the case in Norwich, which was made one of the royal cities of England, and had a market every day in the week, as well as annual marts for all sorts of merchandise. The manufacturers first sought and obtained protection for their trade under charters. Hence arose a system which answered very well in the infancy of society, but which became obsolete in the course of national development, and the extension of commerce.
Under the miserable rule of Charles I., the persecuting Laud succeeded in driving back the industrious Dutch weavers to Holland, and causing others to emigrate to America in order that they might enjoy religious liberty. Thus the best workers were driven out of England, and a stimulus was given to the Dutch worsted manufacture. The Commonwealth government restored prosperity to trade, and established a corporation of fifty-four persons in Norwich for the regulation of trade, which then flourished exceedingly.
In the reign of Charles II., we find that “Weavers’ Hall” is mentioned; and though the king taxed the manufacturers, the Norwich workers flourished: for Sir John Child, in 1681, declared that, “Such a trade there is, and hath been, for the woollen manufactures, as England never knew in any age.” Soon afterwards, Louis XIV. revoked the Edict of Nantes, and tens of thousands of French Protestant weavers took refuge in England, giving birth to the silk manufactures of Spitalfields, and stimulating the trade of Norwich. These refugees introduced the manufacture of crapes, which soon came into very general use for mourning.
The Eighteenth Century.
Most of the manufacturers of this century were very intelligent men, who had gone through the whole routine of their trade, and could do the work in every process with their own hands. The worsted goods manufactured at this time were calimancoes, plain, flowered, and brocaded; camlets and camletees; satins and satinettes; brocaded satins, rosetts, brilliants, batavias, Mecklenburghs, hairbines, damasks, duroys, poplins, prunells, bombazines, serges, florentines, brilliantines, grandines, cameltines, tabourtines, blondines, callimandres, and other fabrics, all in brilliant colours. The greatest demand for these goods was from 1743 to 1763, a period of twenty years.
In or about 1776 Joseph and John Banfather made a few camlets, which were woven grey, and after that, dyed of various colours, for a captain of an East India vessel, who took them out at his own risk. About 1782, broad bombazines were introduced by Ives, Son, and Baseley. About 1783, Irish poplins or lustres were made by that firm. About 1785, spotted camletees were introduced by William Martin. About 1788, single warp callimancoes were made and continued for six years.
Mr. James assures us that Norwich attained its highest prosperity during the middle of the eighteenth century, so great was the energy and fertility of resource displayed by its merchants. The worsted dyers of the city were pre-eminent for skill, and their profits were great. The city merchants sent travellers throughout Europe, and their pattern books were shown in every principal town as far as Moscow. Norwich goods were introduced into France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Poland, and there was also a large trade with Russia. The great fairs of Frankfort, Leipsic, and of Salerno, were thronged with purchasers of Norwich fabrics. An English Gazetter published before 1726, contains an article on Norwich, in which the writer says:—
“The worsted manufacture, for which this city has long been famous, and in which even children earn their bread, was first brought over by the Flemings in the reign of Edward III., and afterwards very much improved by the Dutch who fled from the Duke of Alva’s persecution, and being settled here by queen Elizabeth, taught the inhabitants to make says, baize, serges, shalloons, &c., in which they carry on a vast trade both at home and abroad, and weave camblets, druggets, crapes, and other stuffs, of which it is said this city vends to the value of £200,000 a year.
“The weavers here employ spinsters all the country round, and also use many thousand packs of yarn spun in other counties, even as far as Yorkshire and Westmoreland. By a late calculation from the number of looms at work in this city only, it appeared that there were no less than one hundred and twenty thousand people employed in these manufactures of wool, silk, &c., in and about the town, including those employed in spinning the yarn, used for such goods as are made in the city.”
The writer of course means to include all the females who spun the yarns in Yorkshire and Westmoreland, as well as in Norfolk and Norwich. Even then, 120,000 people is an incredible number, for he states the value of all the goods sold to be only £200,000 yearly, so that the people would not earn £2 each per annum.
So flourishing was the woollen trade in this city during the second half of the eighteenth century, that on February 2nd, 1759, the wool-combers testified their joy by exhibiting the pageant of bishop Blaise, who lived under Dioclesian, A.D. 282, and was a great patron of woollen manufactures. This prosperity was interrupted by a war; but on March 24th, 1783, the citizens were again entertained by the wool-combers’ jubilee, on the return of peace, which had a beneficial effect on trade. The most prosperous period appears to have been from 1750 to 1780.