Any Lacemaking Ancestors?

[danuslave]

When I was lacemaking we had a local woodturner who made bobbins for sale but his son, who was only 16 or 17 at the time, made some amazing ones - real works of art.  Even though I've given up lacemaking, I've kept most of the bobbins because they are so beautiful (and the others went to a good home!)

Linda

[genjan1953]

The 1851 Census shows my 4 x g. grandfather John BRANSOM aged 45, wife Mary aged 41 and 6 children living in Newton Blossomville, Bucks.  Ref: HO 107 1723.  It's interesting to me that all the women on the page are Lacemakers (except Mary, my ancestor) and all the men are Ag Labs.  The Occupation box is left blank for Mary 

Maybe Mary was not interested in Lacemaking, not skilled enough or whatever.  Or maybe she had her hands full housekeeping for a family of 8!  It does bug me that the Occupation box on the Census is left blank for so many women when they were clearly extremely occupied in what was essentially unpaid, unrecognised work.  I'll wager those women Lacemakers listed were also Housekeepers too!

PS though I admire and respect those Lacemakers for their skills, I wouldn't have the patience, it would drive me nuts!  Maybe I take after Mary?   

[PSRMJones]

My 3rd Great Grandmother Mary Ann Hewlett (married name ASHTON) and 5th Great Grandmother Mary Misseldine (married name Smith) were Lacemakers from Odell, Bedfordshire. 

Judging by the census data I have seen, it was a widespread occupation in this north Bedfordshire village.

Phil

[Annie65115]

I've got some Nottingham lacemakers in my tree. I also have a collection of antique scraps of lace which I picked up in junk shops for pennies years ago.

There was also a small lacemaking contingent in Leicester - a brother-in-law of my 4gt-grandmother was a lacehand in Leicester - and a connection through lacemaking between Leicester (and maybe Nottingham, I don't know) and Calais. Entrepreneurs who set up lacemaking factories in Calais used English lacemakers  - there was quite a little English enclave there, I think.


Many years ago I watched an elderly lady making bobbin lace and how her fingers flew! She was in her 80's, if I recall, but the really interesting aspect was that she had a neurological disability (? cerebral palsy) and all her life, her wrists had been bent forward so that she could not straighten them - they were at about 90 degrees to her forearm. Despite this she could hold the bobbins between her fingers and make this beautiful lace by hand.

[GFHWP]

Many Nottingham lace workers migrated to calais.
There are several references in Felkins History of Machine wrought Hosiery and Lace Manufature (not light reading but fascinating stuff)
 This is an extract of such
There were stated to be between 1600 and 2000 bobbin net frames in France, of which 650 were in Calais....The framework or carcase of the Calais machines were made there but many of the insides of the machines were obtained from Nottingham.  They were worked entirely by men who earned from 14s to 16s a week by 2 shifts of 6 hrs daily. Women winders gained 7s 3d to 9s 6d and children 2s 4d to 6s 4d weekly. Each machine gave employment to 12 persons in all.
Phil

[iolaus]

Bumping an old thread but having discovered one of my ancestors was amongst the Leicester Lacemakers who went to Calais I have to wonder what their life was like there - was it a little English enclave where they stayed within their own community or did they mix into French society, working and living side by side with the French - speaking the language etc as well

[ggrocott]

My grandmother was a lacemaker, as was her mother and many of the female relatives - they came from Bucks.  I have her bobbins and quite a bit of her hand made lace.  Would like to have a go some time but the local courses are on a day I can't make at the moment.

Her daughters became dressmakers and at least two of the sons were handy with knitting needles and sewing machines, strange the things that pass down families.

I also have London silk weavers on the other side tree.

[Annie65115]

What was your ancestor's name, Iolaus?

[iolaus]

James Cherry - he died in Calais in 1838, born Great Wigston in 1791