History of the cotton manufacture in Great Britain: with a notice of its early history in the East, and in all the quarters of the globe ... and a view of the present state of the manufacture / By Edward Baines, jun.

  • Baines, Edward, Sir, 1800-1890.
Date:
[1835]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of the cotton manufacture in Great Britain: with a notice of its early history in the East, and in all the quarters of the globe ... and a view of the present state of the manufacture / By Edward Baines, jun. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    him to shew me his yarns, of about 16, 20, or 24 skeins per lb., some of which, he told me, cost him about 2Yd. per skein ; but the lowest price that ever I remember to have heard him mention was about seven farthings and half farthing. I remember, too, that the lowest prised yarns was generaly toward the latter part of the time that I was at his house. And likewise, that I sometimes took the liberty, as oppertunity favour’d, to ask the same question of the stock-taker, as I had done of the master, and generaly found that the man suppos’d a higher price upon the yarns than the master himself. As there was various ways of buying yarn, sometimes by the skein, sometimes by the lb., and sometimes by the dozen, and sometimes by the bundles ; it seldom happened that the [price of the] Lancashire skein would be in even farthings. “ In June, 1742, Mr. Yeomen* * * § introduced me to one Mr. King, a cap-maker, in Aldersgate street, London, who told us, that he at that time gave 3s. 9d. per lb. for yarn of about 20 skein per lb., which yarn he shew’d us. About Michaelmas, 1743, Mr. Yeomen and I paid him another visit: he now seem’d much inclin’d to have some of our spinning,! or to let us have some wool to spin. He now told us that he had lately bought a parcel of yarn for seven farthings per skein ; but upon canvasing his words, he ex- plained himself thus ;—I gave 3s. bateing a penny per lb., and it runs from 16 to 20, but most of it is 20. Mr. Yeomen seem’d perfectly well acquainted with him, and look’d upon him as a mighty fair, honest man, and must own he appear’d so to me. He is said to deal for about £50 per week. “ Birmingham, 1743 :—In conversation with Mr. Henry Morris,! and Mr. Bourn,§ at the Castle Inn, I haveing acknowledg’d my deficiency in the price of yarns, and inquireing of Mr. Morris ; he declin’d perticulars ; pretending he could not so well answer me that, there were such great variety ; but I know, (says he,) that we give a penny a hank for spinning. N.B. Hank is another word for skein. * “ Who erected Mr. Cave’s work at Northampton.” f “ That is to be spun by the engine, either at Birmingham or North- ampton.” t “ A Lancashire dealer.” § “ At this time negociating a partnership with Mr. Morris.”