Lancaster is a flourishing town, well situated for trade, of which it carries on a pretty brisk one; possessing about 100 sail of ships, some of them good burthen, for the African and American trades. The only manufactory in the town is that of cabinet ware. Here are many cabinet makers who work up the mahogany brought home in their own ships, and re-export it to the West Indies, etc.
MARLING
(Ibid., Letter XVIII, p. 198)
As to manures, marle is the grand one, which is found under all this country (Lancashire) and generally within sixteen or twenty inches of the surface ... it lies in beds, many of them of a vast depth, the bottoms of some pits not being found. It is white, and as soft and soapy as butter. They lay about a hundred two-horse cartloads to an acre, but some farmers less, on to lays[31] and stubble. It lasts a good improvement for twenty years: costs about £4 10s. 0d. an acre. Marle is their principal manure, both white, black, blue, sandy and some small marle. They sometimes find perfect cockle and periwinkle shells nine yards deep in beds of marle. It does best on light soil.
MANCHESTER
(Ibid., Letter XVIII, pp. 242, et seq.)
The Manchester manufacturers are divided into four branches—the fustian, the check, the hat and the worsted small wares. All sorts of cotton are used but chiefly the West Indian.... Many low priced goods they make for N. America, and many fine ones for the West Indies. The whole business was exceedingly brisk during the (7 Years’) war, and very bad after the peace, but now are pretty good again, though not equal to what they were during the war. All the revolutions of late in the N. American affairs are felt severely in this branch ... the interruptions caused by the convulsions in America very severely felt by every workman. None ever offered for work but they at once had it, except upon the regulations of the Colonies cutting off their trade with the Spaniards, and the Stamp Act. The last advices received from America have had a similar effect, for many hands were paid off in consequence of them ... America takes three-fourths of all the manufacturers of Manchester.
NEWCASTLE
(Ibid., Letter XV, p. 11. 1770)
This town is supposed to contain 40,000 souls, and to employ of its own 500 sail of ships, 400 of which are colliers. The people employed in the coal mines are prodigiously numerous amounting to many thousand; the earnings of the men are from 1/-to 4/-a day and their firing.