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From: Poetryetc: poetry and poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Robin Hamilton
Sent: 04 June 2008 15:33
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: More on Judy's Tatting
Ten years before the earliest OED citation for "tatting", the admirable
Peter Parely's Annual for the year 1832 was charitably informing its female
readers about tatting.
According to this, "tatting cotton" was a grade of cotton thread, finer than
sewing cotton although less fine than Boar's Head cotton thread, and
available from Messers. Walter Evans and Co. In 1832, it was described as
"new".
In the same issue, an advert from Mrs. Pullan (Aigulette) informed the
readers of the journal that she was the sole official agent for Evans&Co.
(and gave her address to which cheques should be sent). According to her,
tatting cotton was "the only article manufactured expressly for Frivolite,
combining all the requisite strength with great softness and pliability."
Fuller details from this wholy estimable publication below.
R.
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Cotton and its Manufacture.
I think I have, on some former occasion, given my young friends an account
of the cotton tree and the natuaral history of cotton, and bow it is grown,
carded, spun, and woven. I wish now to say a few words to you concerning a
particular branch of the cotton manufacture, namely, that which includes all
the various kinds of cotton and thread brought into use of late years, for
knitting, crotchet, and point lace, as well as the best kinds used in
sewing.
And I particularly address myself to Peter Parley's feminine readers. The
various processes connected with the manufacturing of this kind of article
are conducted at the village and factories of Darley Abbey, and situate
about a mile north of Derby, on the river Derwent, and belong to Messrs.
Walter Evans, and Co., known to ladies as the manufacturers of the Boar's
Head Cotton. The superintendent of the works, who has been forty-nine years
iu the employ of the firm, conducted me into the first room, called the
mixing room; the name seemed to me a misnomer, since the cotton which is
brought their in bales from the ship is separated and piled in compartments
according to its quality. Here were divisions extending from the floor to
the ceiling, and each description marked. All these are of different
qualities and used for distinct purposes, the best quality being
manufactured into Boar's Head and the new tatting cotton. From this place
the cotton wool is taken to a room where it is placed in the opening
machine, (set with iron teeth), revolving many hundred times a minute, which
receives and opens the wool, impelling it upwards by its draught to the
other end of the machine, in the course of which journey it loses much of
the seed and other extraneous matter with which it arrives in England ;
already it begins to appear softer and more fleecy., when it is put into
another machine which still further opens and purifies it.
The wool having passed through this machine is placed on another, where it
is pressed and rolled into a mass, something like a sheet of wadding; it is
in this state taken to another machine, which forms the sheet into the first
roving, every process making it softer and more fleecy. The rovings are
afterwards placed together and formed into another roller, or sheet, and
passed to the second carding engine, which forms a roving softer and more
fleecy than before. It next undergoes drawing by various ways and principles
of machinery, and is passed to the jack frames, which forms the cotton wool
into a finer roving.
The spinning then begins, which converts the still soft cotton into thread
of different kinds, knitting cotton, tatting cotton, and reel cotton
(sewing); it is first spun into a single thread, then united, and finally,
six threads are spun into one, for the kind called Boar's Head Cotton. When
spun into the knitting cotton, known to ladies as the Boar's Head Knitting
Cotton, it is made up into hanks, the qualities being distinguished by the
colour of the thread used for tying them, thus pink tie, blue tie, mark
distinctive qualities of the cotton. The sewing and tatting cotton are also
made into hanks for bleaching, after which the curl is taken out by
machinery for that purpose.
The next room was to me one of the most interesting, from the great number
of young women, at least one hundred, employed in winding the boar's head
and the tatting cotton on the spools ; for in order to preserve the full
strength and softness of these articles the hand wheel is employed,--it is
on this account that the appearance of the boar's head differs from that of
sewing cotton which is wound by power, the spools being run on a spindle and
turned by machinery; each of this also requires the attention of a woman, by
whose side is a sort of dial or clock which indicates the length of cotton
on the reel. In this room were at least one hundred of the power-winding
machines, and at the extremity some young Luis were employed punching out of
sheets of stamped paper the boar's head and other labels ; a long counter in
the same room was occupied by young women making up the cotton in parcels,
or dozens and grosses. In another, young girls and boys were busily reeling
bobbin, or small cord, into the small skeins or knots in which we purchase
it ; here, as in some other departments, they work at piece-work, each thus
having earnings proportion to his industry.
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TO LADIES.
MRS. PULLAN (AIGUILETTE),
Conductor of the Needlework Department of all the leading Periodicals,
Begs respectfully to call the attention of Ladies to her stock of COTTONS
and THREADS, manufactured solely by Messrs. WALTON, Evans, and Co., of
Derby, to which eminent firm the public were indebted, upwards of thirty
years ago, for the introduction of the celebrated BOAR'S HEAD COTTON, the
unrivalled excellence of which is proved by its being the ONLY article
recommended by any standard authority on Needlework, whether plain sewing or
the most valuable point lace be treated of. In consequence of daily
complaints received by Mrs. PULLAN, in her Editorial capacity, of the
disappointment caused by the inferiority of other materials, she has opened
an establishment for the sale of all the Threads and Cottons manufactured by
Messrs. W. Evans and Co.; and as she receives every article direct from the
works at Darley, near Derby, her friends may rely upon being supplied with
the genuine Cottons only.
The stock consists of Sewing Cottons of every description ; White and
Coloured Boar's Head Cottons, for crochet and sewing ; Knitting Cottons;
White and Ingrain Red Embroidery ditto ; Mecklenburgh Thread, for Flanders
Lace, &c.; Tatting Cottons-the only article manufactured expressly for
Frivolite; combining all the requisite strength with great softness and
pliability ; Evans' Point Lace Cottons, prepared and arranged in elegant
boxes, which contain all the sizes requisite for working Modern Point Lace.
At Mrs. POLLAN's establishment may also be obtained Boulton's Needles of
every kind, his tapered indented Crochet hooks and Steel Shuttles for
Frivolite (both articles manufactured expressly for Mrs. PULLAN), with
Berlin Wools, and every other material for the work table. Attention is
invited to the choice and beautiful selection of modern and antique Point
Lace, Honiton Lace of the most novel patterns, Crochet and other fancy work,
which is always on sale. Lessons are also given in every description of
Ornamental Work, and Patterns prepared to order.
*..* Ladies in the country will receive parcels cheaply, by furnishing Mrs.
P. with the name of their Bookseller and his London Agent.
Post Office Orders to he made payable at Old Cavendish Street, in favour of
MATILDA Put.wt. Cheques to be crossed, "Royal British Bank."
Orders above £5 value sent carriage free to any part of the kingdom.
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