Page:The Victoria History of the County of Lincoln Volume 2.pdf/419

 

HE most important early industries of Lincolnshire were connected with a great agricultural product of the county—that of wool. Foremost amongst the craftsmen were the Lincoln weavers, who had a charter from Henry II, which was unfortunately burnt, but which is stated to have provided that no one should exercise the office of weaver in the city of Lincoln or 12 miles round unless he be in the guild of weavers. But there were also weavers at Stamford, Grantham, and other places. It was provided by the regulations of the Lincoln weavers' guild that no brother exercise his trade of weaving by night, that is to say from evening to dawn of day, under the penalty of one pound of wax, and that no master of the said art pay more to his servant for his salary than has been of ancient custom 'by the mayor and commonalty of the city of Lincoln, and the gracemen of the said guild' under the penalty of one pound of wax. It has been stated on the authority of Lord Hale that the manufacture of cloth was in a great measure lost during the civil wars of King John and King Henry III, wool being transported in its raw state into foreign parts and there made into cloth: and the statement is confirmed by the very large exports of wool from Boston, and the collapse of the prosperity of Lincoln when the Staple was withdrawn, which would hardly have taken place had the clothmaking there been in as flourishing condition as in the time of Henry II. Still, clothmaking went on, and in the middle of the thirteenth century Lincoln was noted for its manufacture of scarlet cloth. But, as we have seen, Lincoln was unable to compete with the western counties in the manufacture of the finer kinds of cloth.

In 1516 an attempt was made to improve matters, the mayor brought to Lincoln a clothier who was to teach the improved methods of the art, and the leading citizens contributed to the supply of a stock of wool for his use, and next year it was ordered by the corporation that all spinners of wool and other clothmakers who shall come to the city shall have their freedom as long as they dwell there, this being meant as an encouragement to skilful craftsmen to take up their abode in Lincoln. In 1551 the question of clothmaking was discussed at an assembly of citizens at a common-council, it was believed that the manufactory would be 'a grette comodytye, releyff, weale and profight' to the city and to all the poor people within the same, and an agreement was made with the clothiers that they should have the late church of the Holy Rood with the churchyard and other land for the making a walk mill and a dye-house of the same church, so long as twenty broad cloths should be made yearly at the least, paying £10 if these were not made, any great plague being admitted as a reasonable excuse; all persons, who came to buy cloth, or bring wool, woad, madder, oil, alum or other necessaries for clothmaking were to be free of toll for seven years, the clothiers were to have a seal for sealing their cloths and such letters as they might desire to noblemen or worshipful men for help, and any lawful means found by anyone for improving the trade was to be sanctioned. It was directed that as the clothiers could not have the Shoemakers' Hall, as was granted to them, they should have a house at Butter-Cross for 40s. yearly. It was also provided that every one of the clothiers should pay to the gracemen and fellowship of the mystery of weavers of the city, for their upset to be sworn brethren unto the said fellowship, 3s. 4d., and 12d. yearly for their looms' farm, and should not work or cause to be wrought any other cloths but their own or the work of other clothiers upon pain of the penalties contained in the charter of the weavers. The expectations of the citizens were, however, never realized, although they directed their member in 1553 to apply to Parliament on behalf of the