Hi all, The lives of weavers in the 19th century were very hard. The cotton trade of America had drastically reduced the weavers incomes, that, coupled with the invention of steam and then mechanical looms was what reduced the wages earned so much. If you go to -
www.stevebulman.f9.co.uk/cumbria/carlisle_factories_f.html you will find accounts of the lives of factory workers throughout the city of Carlisle. There is a section on the 'hardship of weavers'. William Farish is quoted in this webpage, he was a weavers son in Carlisle in the 1700/1800's and though it is said in the article about the fact that the family would not see meat on the table for weeks at a time, the quote I most remember is not mentioned, - that is, (in my own words), that 'his father was never as proud as the day he put a piece of bread in his son's hand'. This, (in case you have never heard of it), was caused by the 'corn laws' which kept the price of corn high, and so, the price of bread high. People at this time survived on porridge, soup made from bones and vegetables and cheap bacon for a taste of meat, (if they were lucky).
Jonathon Dodgeson Carr - of 'Carr's biscuits' was a man who objected to the corn laws and campaigned against them, he even had a waistcoat made that depicted ears of corn all over it in protest. (This is in Tullie House today!). He said there was no reason for the price of bread to be so high and wanted to bake loaves of all different sizes - which he eventually did, so that all people could afford bread.
Another place you can read about the plight of the weavers is in a book, 'Fire High and Do No Harm, Charles Thurnam, ISBN 0900744111. This is about the 'Shaddongate riots'. This too was about the corn laws.
A tory MP had gone into the Shaddongate area of Carlisle saying that the corn laws were good. The weavers kidnapped him, held him in a cottage and gave him a lesson in handloom weaving, - (though one of the papers say this was not the case!). My favourite quote from the papers at the time was that the council officials that were with him - 'Ran back to Carlisle as fast as their little council legs would carry them!!' The Mayor of the city went into Shaddongate with the entire Carlisle Police Force, - 2 officers, - the Mayor was 'beaten to within danger of his life and the police officers were thrown in the mill race. The riots, coupled with those in, (I think Spennymoor) were discussed in the Houses of Commons at the time as this was 1826 - only 35 years or so after the French revolution, which they were frightened might happened here just as in France. These riots incidently, are what spurred Robert Peel into pushing for a controlled police force throughout the country. Yes, Carlisle has a lot to answer for!!!
There is a photo of a weavers cottage at Kingstown in Carlisle at, www. geograph.org.uk/photo/643259, which shows how low the windows were in some cottages at the time, though not all were like this. (Duke Street were ordinary terraced houses).
So though weaving had been one of the best paid professions for a long time, things changed for the worse in the 19th century.
If I think of any other info or sites I will get back to you all, See you later, Morskaj.
