'Frivolite' !!!! Marvellous!

2008/6/4 Robin Hamilton <[log in to unmask]>:
> 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.
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> 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.
>



-- 
David Bircumshaw
Website and A Chide's Alphabet http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/
The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
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