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 mercial success, partly on account of the expense of the caustic soda required, but mainly on account of the great shrinkage (20 to 25%) which took place in the cloth. An important application of the process in calico printing for the production of permanent crimp or “crépon” effects, which was originally devised by Mercer, was revived in 1890–1891 and is still largely practised by calico printers (see ). Another application, also dependent upon the shrinking action of caustic soda on cotton, was patented in 1884 by Depoully, and has for its object the production of crimp effects on piece-goods consisting of wool and cotton or silk and cotton. In the manufacture of such goods cotton binding threads are introduced at definite intervals in the warp or weft, or both, and the piece is passed through cold caustic soda, washed, passed through dilute sulphuric acid, and washed again till neutral. The cotton contracts under the influence of the caustic soda, while both wool and silk remain unaffected, and the desired crimped or puckered effect is thus obtained.

By far the most important application of the mercerizing process is that by which a permanent lustre is imparted to cotton goods; this was discovered in 1889 by H. A. Lowe, who took out a patent for his process in that year, this being supplemented by a further patent in 1890. Since Lowe’s invention did not receive sufficient encouragement, he allowed his patents to lapse and the process thus became public property. It was not until 1895, when Messrs Thomas & Prevost repatented Lowe’s invention, that actual interest was aroused in the new product and the process became a practical success. Their patent was subsequently annulled on the ground of having been anticipated.

MERCHANT (O. Fr. marcheant, modern marchand; from Lat. mercari, to trade, merx, goods, merchandise), a trader, one who buys and sells goods for profit. The term is now usually confined to a wholesale dealer or one who trades on an extended scale with foreign countries.

MERCIA, one of the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England. The original kingdom seems to have lain in the upper basin of the Trent, comprising the greater part of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, the northern parts of Warwickshire and Leicestershire, and the southern part of Nottinghamshire. The name (Merce) seems to denote men of the March, and presumably was first applied when this district bordered upon the Welsh. In later times Mercia successively absorbed all the other territories between the Humber and the Thames except East Anglia, and some districts even beyond the Thames.

The origin of the kingdom is obscure. The royal family, according to Felix, Life of St Guthlac (Anglo-Saxon version), were called Iclingas. Icel, their ancestor, may have been the founder of the kingdom, but nothing is known of him. The family, however, claimed descent from the ancient kings of Angle (cf. Offa I. and Wermund). The first Mercian king of whom we have any record was Cearl, who apparently reigned about the beginning of the 7th century, and whose daughter Coenburg married Edwin, king of Deira. During Edwin’s reign Mercia was subject to his supremacy, though it may have been governed throughout by princes of its own royal family. Its first prominent appearance in English history may be dated in the year 633, when the Mercian prince Penda joined the Welsh king Ceadwalla in overthrowing Edwin. According to the Saxon Chronicle, Penda began to reign in 626, and fought against the