Weavers of Coventry

I purchased an interesting, nicely produced print of the soup kitchen set up in 1861 to aid starving silk weavers. It's a facsimile of a double-sided page form the Illustrated London News, and has a piece about the weavers on the reverse below which is also a piece about the run up to the American Civil War - real history. I love artefacts like this! Here's the text on the rear: It's a period we tend to forget about, but actually an important for Coventry; as silk weaving declined, so watch-making was approaching its zenith.

Forgive me if the following is not appropriate to the Historic Coventry site but - Heritage mentions the weaving industry in Coventry on 24th February and his/her interest in the subject. One of the industrial influences which contributed to the survival and development of Coventry Godiva Harriers when so many other athletic clubs in the area folded, was the weaving industry, surprisingly; at a time when patronage was so important to Harrier Clubs' finances, first Stevens then Franklin played a part. Is Heritage able to tell me if old records of names of the workforce of specific weaving firms exist? If so, where? In particular, in the late 1920s, Botterill and Landells are important to my history of the changing design of the Lady Godiva Badge, the club emblem. I have letters referring to their offer to design a new badge for the club 'at their factory'; I don't know if 'their' means 'where they worked', or whether to their owned a weaving shed. By the late 1920s, the large woven vest badge was gradually being replaced by a blazer pocket sized badge, so it might be indicative that they worked at Cashs' if their offer had been taken up by the Godiva Club officials. Is it possible from the thread use as seen on the reverse of a badge, to determine which firm produced it? One other problem of understanding I have is, how were the cards on the Jacquard loom changed (or the weft set up?) to produce the same design, say a depiction of Lady Godiva, but of a totally different size? And lastly, how could part of a design, again say one of Lady Godiva, be extracted from a complex woven piece to just appear as Lady Godiva in isolation?

For interest, plate one from the John Prest book.

For anyone interested in the up and downs of the Coventry silk ribbon trade they should also try to get a copy of 'Master & Artisan in Victorian England.' This is the autobiography of Joseph Gutteridge (see above photograph) and compares the life of a skilled artisan, Gutteridge, with that of William Andrews who became a successful businessman and a prominent citizen of Coventry. For those interested in local schools there are references to life in the Baker, Billing and Crowe's charity school. Depends on taste but probably a better read than the Prest book, but for anyone interested in Coventry both should be on the bookshelf.

Thanks Heritage for the details on both books, the housekeeping money is dwindling

I didn't realise we had so many weavers in Coventry from this list We have discussed Cash's also seen some of his works on here yet I don't hear much about a young local Foleshill lad called Thomas Stevens and his works on here, perhaps I am wrong. Here are some of his works, also a bit of history on the town, also a website of his works. If you click on the side topics it shows his pictures of his works. A bit faded but at least I know it's not a copy

The gentleman who I got this from use to be an agent for Cashs here in Coventry. He told me to get a magnifying glass to look at it the superior work compared with the Chinese and now.

Taken out from frame as Tennyson message was hidden

75% of the population of Coventry was involved in the weaving industry at one time.

Thank you Dutchman shame it's no longer here.

Does anyone remember Dalton and Barton in Fisher Road? Apart from Stevengraphs, they made labels for the clothing industry.

I have never heard of them Greg but I shall be looking out for their works on clothes now

Greg, two local weavers from Foleshill set up in business as Dalton & Barton in MASON Road in 1851 and the company was still there until about 1964 when the firm closed. David Wright, a director of the company before it closed, purchased some of the machinery from the firm and set up the Wyedean Weaving Co Ltd, Haworth, West Yorkshire.

My stepmother was a weaver, we had a large loom in the front room of the house in Hall Green Rd. She didn't weave labels and such but wove suit lengths and the like. For special small items like scarves she walked the fields getting wool off barbed wire that the sheep had left behind. This she would card and then spin on her spinning wheel. She would make dyes from natural things like onion skins. She would go to country fairs and sell cloth and take orders. By profession she was a nurse but the weaving that started as a hobby took over her life and the house. Les

That's interesting LesMac, it would have been nice to see a photo of her weaving at the house. Have you anything of her's that she made I wonder? I found this photograph of a woman working a loom at Bulkington