Completed. Framesmith & Lace Manufacturers, Leicester, Nottingham, Devon & Paris

[MikeG]

Hi Roger,
I would be interested to know whether any Ambrose Brewin who was a lace manufacturer was in business anywhere apart from Loughborough or Tiverton.  I have a framesmith ancestor (John Quail) who worked initially in Tiverton but then moved to Chard.

Regards,

Mike

[E Roger H]

Not as far as I know. There seem to be Brewins in all sorts of places and may well be Ambrose Brewins. If there are, I'm pretty sure that they are not closely related to the Loughborough ones.

Of these Ambrose 1 was a maltser, his son Ambrose 2 was the one who went to Tiverton (being Heatcoat's manager, son in law and partner. Ambrose 3 (my great-grandfather) was the nephew of Ambrose 1, and was involved in the development and spread of powered knitting machinery.

[MikeG]

Thanks for your reply Roger.

[E Roger H]

Mike

I don't know how familiar you are with the history of lace-making machinery - apologies if this is "old news". Practical lacemaking machinery was developed by John Heathcote who, with his partner Boden,  built a factory in Loughborough. After Luddite attacks on the factory Heathcote moved to Tiverton. Ambrose Brewin 2 was Heathcote's manager and moved too, as did many of the people who worked in the factory. (I think I've seen the name Quail on a list somewhere online).

I can see that Boden's was one of the main lace factories in Chard (which eventually became at least as important a centre as Tiverton), so perhaps Heathcote and Boden went separate ways. I imagine that some of Heathcote's workers could have ended up in Chard.

Roger

[MikeG]

Hi Roger,

Thanks again for the info.  Yes, I've researched the topic quite a lot and the Quail name that you recall on a list would have been a posting of mine.

The lace industry in Chard built up after Heathcoat's patent for a bobbin lace machine expired in 1832.  I suspect that my ancestor worked for Joseph Wheatley, but I can't be certain and so I'm always on the lookout for any other lace manufacturer that he could have worked for. As far as I know, Boden did not set up in Chard.  I suspect Ambrose Brewin didn't either, as it would have been in competition with his father-in-law, John Heathcoat, but you never know in this game !

Best wishes & thanks again,

Mike

[E Roger H]

Mike,

See, for example, https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/downloads/eus/Somerset_EUS_Chard.pdf for information on Boden's Mill in Chard. It's a listed building and there seem to be plans to develop it. I agree about Ambrose - I haven't come across any sign of trying to split from the Heathcote business. Indeed I can't see why he would want to.

Roger

[MikeG]

Hi Roger,

Thanks very much for that reference - very useful. I recall now that I had found references to Boden in Chard, but only after my guy was already dead.  According to your reference, Boden set up there in 1837.  I'm interested in the period between 1823 and 1829, prior to the expansion of the industry.  It looks like the early manufacturers were Joseph Wheatley and John Oram, although I believe Oram was a needlemaker before establishing his lace business.

Best wishes,

Mike

[E Roger H]

Mike

You're obviously far more knoweldgable than me in this area but, according to the records of Boden and Company, Boden set up a new partnership (without Heathcote or Brewin as partners) in 1821:
https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/f861c69b-557a-38c7-9a92-7a377f8e1e9e

I don't know when Brewin became Heatcote's partner

Roger

[MikeG]

Hi Roger,

That's another very useful reference.  However, it states that Boden had branches in Barnstable and Derby and makes no mention of Chard.  Odd.  It also states the year for Heathcoat's patent expiry as 1821, whereas I thought it was later.  I've got a couple of books about Heathcoat, so I'll have to go back to them a re-read.  Thanks for stimulating my thought processes and providing such useful references.

Best wishes,

Mike