The advantages of the lace trade were realized by the time of the Commonwealth. Fuller,[[19]] writing during that period, says of bone lace:—
Much of this is made in and about Honyton, and weekly returned to London. Some will have it called Lace, à Lacinia, used as a fringe on the borders of cloathes. Bone-lace it is named, because first made with bone (since wooden) bobbins ...
Modern the use thereof in England, and not exceeding the middle of the Raign of Queen Elizabeth. Let it not be condemned for a superfluous wearing, because it doth neither hide nor heat; seeing it doth adorn. Besides, though private persons pay for it, it stands the State in nothing; not expensive of Bullion, like other lace, costing nothing save a little thread descanted on by art and industry. Hereby many children who otherwise would be burthensome to the Parish prove beneficial to their Parents. Yea, many lame in their limbs, and impotent in their arms, if able in their fingers, gain a livelyhood thereby; not to say that it saveth some thousands of pounds yearly, formerly sent over Seas to fetch Lace from Flanders.
The English were always ready to protect their own trades and manufactures, and various were the Acts passed to prohibit the importation of foreign lace, for the encouragement of home workers. In 1698 it was proposed to repeal the last Prohibition, and from the text of a Petition sent to the House of Commons, some interesting light is thrown on the extent of the trade at that date.
The making Bonelace has been an ancient Manufacture of England and the Wisdom of our Parliaments all along thought it the interest of this Kingdom to prohibit its Importation from Foreign Parts.... This has revived the said Languishing Manufacture and there are now above one hundred thousand People in England who get their living by it and Earn by meer Labour £500,000 a year, according to the lowest computation that can be made; and the Persons employed in it, are for the most part Women and children who have no other means of Subsistence. The English are now arrived to make as good Lace in Fineness and all other respects, as any that is wrought in Flanders; and particularly since the late Act so great an improvement is made that way that in Buckinghamshire the highest prized lace they used to make was about eight shillings per yard, and now they make lace there of above thirty shillings per yard and in Dorsetshire and Devonshire they now make lace worth Six pound per yard and in other Places proportionable. The Laws formerly made not proving effectual, one more strict passed 36 Years since in the 14th of King Charles II. which said Act recites “That great numbers of the Inhabitants of this Kingdom were then employed in making the said manufacture. Since that time the same has encreased to a great Degree, till of late Years the Art of Smuggling being grown to greater Perfection than formerly, larger quantities of Flanders-lace have been clandestinely imported, which occasioned the Enforcing of the former Prohibition Acts by a late one made in the 10th year of his Present Majesty.
Secondly, the Lace which used to come for England is but a small part of their [Flanders] whole Lace-Trade, for they send it to Holland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France, Spain, Portugal, etc., whereas we make it chiefly to serve our own Country and Plantations.
... The Lace Manufacture in England is the greatest next to the Woollen and maintains a multitude of People, which otherwise the Parishes must, and that would soon prove a heavy burthen, even to those concerned in the Woollen Manufacture ... on the Resolution which shall be taken in this affair depends the Well-being or ruin of numerous families in their own Country. Many laws have been made to set our Poor on Work and it is to be hoped none will be made to take away work from Multitudes who are already Employed.”
Here follows the numbers of the people in a few places which get their living by making of lace. Those quoted in Devonshire as interesting to compare with the present day are:—
| Gittesham | 139 |
| Culliton | 353 |
| Coumbraleigh | 65 |
| Northleigh | 32 |
| Sidmouth | 302 |
| Axmouth | 73 |
| Sidbury | 321 |
| Buckerall | 90 |
| Farway | 70 |
| Upotery | 118 |
| Shut and Musbery | 25 |
| Southley | 45 |
| Fennyton | 60 |
| Branscombe Beare and Seaton | 326 |
| Widworthy and Offerell | 128 |
| Broad Hembury | 118 |
| Honyton | 1,341 |
| Luppit | 215 |
| Axminster | 60 |
| Otrey St. Mary | 814 |
| Shut and Musbery | 25 |
The Dragoons suppressing Monmouth’s Rebellion in 1680 are stated to have despoiled the poor lacemakers greatly, and at Colyton broke into the house of a dealer in bone lace, Burd by name, and stole his goods to the value of £325.