A STATE of the CASE, AND A NARRATIVE of FACTS, Relating to The late Commotions, and Rifing of the Weavers, in the County of Glocester; As it Regards . . : A PETIT10N now prefented to the Hon. House of, Comi^ons By the Body of Clothiers, and others, Concerned in the Clothing Manufadtury of Stroud-Water, and Parts adjacent. , LONDON: Printed for R. Griffiths, in Fater-nofter Row. MDCCLVII. ■V [ i ] INTRODUCTION. T he late commotions amongft the weavers of the coun¬ ty of Glocejler, having occafioned various reports re- fleding upon the charaders of the general body of the clothiers; in vindication of the latter, the following Rate of the cafe, and narrative of fads, are now ofFered'tb the candid confideration of the publick: Which is thought more efpeci- ally neceffary at this time, as a petition is drawn up, and in¬ tended, to he prefented to the honourable houfe of commons by the clothiers, and others concerned in the labouring branches of the trade, praying relief from certain grievances and im¬ pediments the trade is fubjeded to by a late ad of parliament, and the attempts made to put the fame into execution; which, however well defigned, have adually tended to encourage a fpirit of difcontent, riot, and commotion, before imbibed by the weavers, and which has already been produdive of great injury and diftrefs to themfelves, and. all others dependent on. the manufadury.. Too apt is mankind in general to be prejudiced by the firlt reprefentatiori of things, more efpecially when the informant has the addrefs to infinuate himfelf under the artful difguife \ ■ B ■ of [ “ J of diftrefs, occafioned by the oppreffion of thofe he would thereby accufe, and when he has at will a falling tear to ex¬ cite compaffion*. Nothing has been wanting of this nature that could influence the human heart; no lies nor mifrepre- fentations have been fpared to calumniate a refpedtable body of reputable tradefmen. Many idle and diflblute fellows, never bred up to the weaving trade, finding the advantage of fuch a difgulfe, have ftiled themfelves journeymen weavers, and rambled about the country to a confiderable diftance, exadling alms under that denomination: Nor have there been wanting fome to believe and countenance the greateft abfurdities, and the moft incredible ftories. An inftance that now occurs to me I lhall give in this place, which the relator, a citizen of Ghcefler, of no mean ftation, told with a very grave and pitiful face, (to a worthy, clergyman) who being queftioned about the belief of his own ftory, feemed to give it counte¬ nance as a faft. Two journeymen weavers, during the late difiurbances, hav¬ ing flrolled about the country, to excite or extort relief, called at a houfe j and after inveighing (according to their accuftomary rant) mojt bitterly agamft the oppreffion and tyranny of the clo¬ thiers, one of them (in order 1 fuppofe more effeftually to draw compaflion and inflame refentment in his too credulous hea¬ rers) protejled, that when he left home, his wife was boiling .a dog for the fuftenance of berfelf and perifsing family ; the other (not willing to be outdone) replied, that j or his part, he fould * Wc arc told that one of the weavers, fent up by their body to follicit tbeir late bill, made ufeof this kind of rhetoric before the committee of the houfe of commons. /drri'c [ iii ] have been glad of a dog to eat, his family not having fared fo well for many days paft. That in a populous country (fuch Is the clothing part of Glou- cefterfiire) in a dead time of trade, and when bread is exceed¬ ingly dear, there Ihould be many diftrelTed objefts, will not be wondered at by the judicious j ,nor will it encourage any difin- genuous thought, or refledtlon, in thofe that are unprejudiced j for what part of England is there at this time exempted from them? But when fuch ridiculous ftorles are countenanced, and propagated, not only by the meaner vulgar, with a view to calf dirt on a whole body; infinuating that the oppreffion of their work-people is the caufe of fuch drftrefs; I know not which to impute it to, folly or wickednefs: or which' of thefe motives is moft deteftable, or deferves moft tp be.expofed,—as the confe- quence of propagating fuch calumnies muft have been fatal to many of the clothiers, (which was every day threatened) had not a military force happily jrrived for their protedlion. The clothiers have not only been calumniated, and afperfed in their charadters, by foolifli ftories and mifreprefentatiens, but the mob alfo has been encouraged, irritated, and amufed, by promifes, hopes, and flattering expeflations; which thofe who countenanced them were incapable of executing; this confe- quently kept alive the agitated fpirit amongft the weavers, and hindered them from returning to their work for feveral weeks,. to the great prejudice not only of themfelves, but to the annoy¬ ance of the whole country. The lofs of their labour and lett to others (which is irretrievable) during the time of their com¬ motions, amounts at the very loweft calculation to 15,000/. and upwards. By leaning too confidently on broken reeds, I fear the deluded weavers have drawn themfelves Into real poverty, and involved B 2 tire [ iv 3 the other branches of the manufafliury in almofl equal dlftrefs. Though few at prefent want employment, yet the late long va¬ cation has reduced, them very, low, and run them farther in debt than they will foon recover. Far be it from my intention to harden any heart that feels for them 5 my ow.vi is equally fen- fiblc with the moft compaffionate j and I can pity even that dif- trefs which is brought upon them by their own folly and difcon- tent, and wrought up into rage and afts of violence: however the clothiers have been reprefented,therearenotwanting,amongft them, many who have equal fellow-feeling, who have both abi¬ lities and inclination, notwithftanding all part provocation, to remedy any real grievance they may at any time labour under. The clothiers do not defire to have it in their power to op- prefs the weavers, but only to be enabled to keep up that due fubordinarion amongft their own fervants, which ought to be re- ligioufly preferved in all communities of men. This application to parliament is intended to heal, not inflame, the wound; to reftore a fettled calm,* and eflablifli peace, content, and happi-' nefs, in the minds of thofe, where at prefent there is only a temporary ceffation, arifing from neceffity; and no one knows how foon it may break out again into rage and violence, unlefs fome falutary means be found out to digell: the corrofive hu¬ mours that remain, and fave a finking trade from ruin. I lhall only add, that neither iit this introduftion, nor in the following fiieets, any thing is aflerted as fad, hut what is grounded on fubftantial evidence j fuch as fliall be produced to the publick, if requefted by any perfon who thinks himfelf impofed upon, or aggrieved by them. Stroud, January I2th, 1757. The EdITOR. Erratum. Page 21, line 5, for aids of the thrum, read, aids ami thrum. (I ) A STATE of the CASE, ^c. I N order fairly to ftate this cafe to the publickj the original fources of the late commotions and rifing amongft the weaversi muft be diftinguiftied from the more immediate caufes which fet them into that violent agitation: The former may be afcribed to the decay of trade, the intemperance and bad oeconomy of the labouring manufafturers in general, and the increafe of the number of weavers in proportion to other workmen employed in the manufadture; and to this may be added the dearnefs of provifions: all which I will diftinftly confider. I. To the firft I have good authority to fay, that within the laft five years there has been loft by the foreign trade carried on in this country, 50,000/. by bankruptcies, fall of goods, and want of fales, from the incroachment of the French in their trade trade uponus,whofe labouring manufadurers work much chea¬ per than ours; and confequently they are enabled to underlell us. This has obliged many clothiers to lay down their trade, and fome to reduce it; and many others are now inclined to¬ tally to decline their bufinefs. This latter need not be won¬ dered at, when it is confidered what vaft quantities of cloth belonging to the clothiers in this neighbourhood, are now ly¬ ing upon hand in Blackwell-hall, and other places; which at the moft moderate calculation amount to upwards of 150,000 1. and were I to fet the value at 200,000 1 . I fhould not exceed the truth. Hence it will appear, that want of employment is the chief ground of the weavers complaints. II. It is the misfortune of England in general, that our la¬ bouring manufaiturers live much more luxurioufly than thofe in any other country; but perhaps no place here more noted than ours for it, where good oeconomy is lefs praftifed and intemperance more prevalent, than in any other part of the kingdom. I need give no other evidence of their intempe¬ rance, than what has been taken from the excife books, and calculated by a very judicious officer fettled in this neighbour¬ hood. It appears that in the laft year, ending ’'July 5th, 1756, that in one flreet only, in the little town of Stroud^ containing in length not more than two hundred yards, there were, not- withftanding the great price of corn, brewed and entered for retailing, two .thoufand four hundred barrels of ale, befides fmall beer, a vaft number of hogfheads of cyder, and incredi¬ ble quantities of fpirltous liquors, and as much confumed, with¬ in that time, in the publick houfes; and by computation made by the fame officer, of the money fpent in the laft year, ending 2 >/y [■ 3 ] July 5th, 1756, in the town of Stroud, and the clothing- country juft round about it, upon ale, cyder, and fpiritous liquors j it appears the fame did not amount to lefs than 50,000 /. and fome years, when trade has been brilker, it. has amounted to near 70,000/, and this vaftfum (as there is very little travelling that way) muft be chiefly fpent by the labouring manufadturers. Their bad oeconomy appears in many in- ftances; fuch as their not going to market for their common neceffaries, but buying them, at the worft hand, at huckfter’s Ihops; not baking their own bread, but eating baker’s, the whiteft and moft delicate that can be made j not cultivating their gardens as they might do, though very few of the cotta¬ ges are without them, which obliges them to ufe lefs garden- ftuff than they ought to do, and to procure what they do ufe, at a dearer rate: and many other little incidents in their pri¬ vate management are apparently bad, which they might re¬ medy, were they traftable, and better acquainted jvitli the' management of the poor in many other parts of England, v/here whole families are fupported for one half that our ma'- nufafturers, when well employed, can earn, and yet appear more decent, and are better fatisfied with it. III. The increafe of the number of weavers in proportion to other workmen employed in the manufafliure, is the third thing I intended to take notice of. The mafter-weavers make great advantages from taking apprentices; which will appear inthecourfe of this narrative; and it is obfervable,. that the boys apprenticed by the parilhes are generally placed to wea¬ vers, becaufe they may be put out to them younger than al- moft to any other bufinefs: the weavers will take them for C little [ 4 } little money, and provide for them wholly, till they are out of their time; thefe confiderations have made the praftice of kite years almoft general, which has occalioned the increafe of their numbers to be much greater in proportion, than any other branches of the manufadlure, who' cannot with any convenience, and rarely do, take any apprentices. IV. It will be unneceflary to enlarge upon the lad: head, as the dearnefs of prdvifions in general is, too well known ; and therefore I ihall only remark, that the great numbers of inha¬ bitants colleded in this country, in order to carry on the manu- faftory, have made corn, provifions, and every other produce of the lands, generally dearer than in almod: any part of the kingdom. Thefe being the more remote fources of our late difturbances, I am led to their effedts, and the miftaken methods that have been purfued, in order to remove them:—hence the more im¬ mediate caufes of their breaking out into a flame, to the terror and confufion of the whole country, will evidently-appean The fplrlt of murmur and difcontent amongft the weavers, fliewed itfelf about two years ago, when the decay of the foreign trade began more fenfibly to be felt by themj ever fince which, they have been caballing, and ralfing funds, for making an application to parliament, which accordingly they did the lafl feflTions. The chief fubftance of the adl they obtained (which is now become matter of grievance) will appear in the memo¬ rial prefented by the clothiers at the quarter-feffions; I Ihall therefore omit to take any farther notice of it in this place. r 5 ] , ■ A queftion will here naturally arife: how came the clothiers j not to oppofe this bill, before it was palTed Into a law ? I The weavers petition to- the houfe of commons was pre- fented, a committee appointed to examine into it, a bill ordered to be drawn up, carried into the houfe, once read, and ordered to be printed, before the clothiers were properly apprized of it; and even then they were amufed, by being afluted froM autho- j rity riiey thought they ,might rely oh, “ the.hitentions of ( “ the bill were fuch, that m honeji mm could objeSl to.” Never-- thelefs feme clothiers met at Stroud on the occafion; where a / gentleman, who afts in the double capacity of a magiltrate and / counfel, declared. That the clothiers need not gi-ve themfelves any trouble about it ■, for that he had talked with a member of the houfe' a few days bejore, who had been pdncipally concerned in pro~ ‘ moting the bill, who informed him, that nothing was intended but to amife the weavers. The clothiers not having early notice enough, nor being,confulted as a body accufed, and principally' ‘ concerned, before fiicli large fteps .were taken j and relying too , much on th(|> informations which had been given them above- | mentioned, and not being apprized of, or forefeeing the confe- 1 quences that have lince arlfen, neglefted to make any applica- ■ tion for oppofing the bill. \ The weavers, after obtaining the aft, but before the quar- ter-feffions, drew up, and printed, a petition, which (as we arc informed) they caufed to beprefented to every juftlce within the county. I intended to have here inferted a tranfeript of the fald petition; but have not been able to procure a copy: the following, however, is an authentic copy of tire rate anne.xed [ 6 J *Ihe Taple or Scheme for rates of wages to be paid to the- woollen, broad-cloth weavers, as made and fettled at a general quarter-fejjions, held on Tucfday in the week neat after thefeafi ^Eafter, in the frft year of the reign of king George the Hundred of Threada 4 to yoo-A 600 700 80.0 9.00 1.000 noo 1200 - 1300 J 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200-^ Waga, j-Three-pence per yard,, Four-pence- Four-pence half-penny Five-pence farthing. Six-pence Six-pence, half-penny Seven-pence farthing Eight-pence Nine-pence farthing . Ten-pence half-penny Twelve-pence Thirteen-pence farthing Fourteen-pence half-penny Sixteen-pence * Seventeen-pence farthing Tw-fenty-pence Twenty-one-pencehalf-penny.’ vXwenty-four-pence Some clothiers, apprized of the weavers motions, and that a few of thejuftices had given them encouragement, drew up a paper for their own w.eavers voluntarily to fign, which many of them did j wherein they acknowledged themfelves well filtisfied'with their then wages, and agreed to work upon the fame terms as long as they worked for their refpeftive maftCrs; This produced threatning letters; two of the fame, import were: 2 drop?: [ 7 ] droprin the court-yard of Mr.^homasRobeyts, which, thougfr ftareely worth notice, as a faithful compiler, I (hall copy here.- ^oMr.^bomaiRsberts fojtpaid. ‘This is to give notice to all weaveys not to put theiy hands to' any papey made by Mr. Roberts or any other clothier, if you do, •we the weavers of eachparijh are fully rejotved' to meet in a body' and car him on the wooden, horfe, and-throw him into his majiers mill pound where he fgn'd the wrighting. jdhd as for you- clothiers we think it not worth your whiles t(S trouble yourfekes with any fuch thing, if you do be it to 'your peril, though it is our defre to be at quiet. The two letters d'ropt were exaftlythe fame. They not only threatned, but proceeded mlich farther with; refpedl to Mr. Jofeph Ellis j and as this was the firft appearance of rioting amongft the weavers, .! fhall give an exaft .relation of their behaviour on this occafion. Mr. Ellis s weavers, with great readinefs, voluntarily figned- the agreement; but as foon as it was known By fome of the riotous part of them, they allembled in a large body,, and; waited on John Stephens, efq; one of his majefty’s juftlces of the peace, defiring his advice, in order to flop thefe agreements- from going forward. He informed them, that U 7 ilefs thefe con¬ trasts were put a fop to, their aB of parliament was of no value. In confequence-of this-advice; they immediately proceeded to- put a total flop to Mr. Ellis's trade, by going to his weavers in a tumultuous manner, and obliging thofe who had figned the' agreement, to bring back their work; accompanying them ■ in Jargebodies,, and ufing infulting language; threatning that-alf thee [ 8 ] the weavers in feven parl/hes 'would alTemble at his houfe the following day; and acquainting him, that the jujlices were on their fide. To appeafe thefe riotous perfons, and prevent the impending danger, after feveral chains had been brought home in, one day in the manner defcribed, Mr, Ellis thought fit, for his own fafety, to fend for fome principal weavers, and in their -prefence he deftroyed the contraft that had been figned. This was a fpecimen of what the clothiers were to expeft, and leads me to the Michaelmas quarter-feflions, where the weavers attended, and prefented the following petition to the court. Gloucefterfliire. ‘ To the worfipjul the jujlices of the peacefor the faid county, ‘ at their general Michaelmas quartei-feUions ajfembled, the ‘ ^th Odtober, 1756. ‘ The humble petition of the feveral woollen broad-iCloth ‘ weavers, rcfiding in the feveral pariflies of Hampton, ‘ Bifley, Stroud, Panijwick, Wooten Under-Edge, Durfey,, ‘ Horfey, King-Stanley, and Rodborotigh, on behalf of ‘ themfelves, and all the other woollen broad-cloth ‘ weavers refiding within the county of Gloucefler. ‘ Sheweth, * HAT the wages of woollen broad-cloth weavers in the ‘ faid county being unfettled, and great complaints being- ‘ made of the hardfliips and oppreflures which the weavers- ‘ laboured under thereby, this court of their quarter-feffions of ‘ the peace, in the firft year of his prefent majefty’s reign, ap- ‘ proving [ 9 ] ' ' ‘ proving.of a report of Nathaniel Stephens, 'Thomas Cook^ and ‘ Charles Tate, efqrs. three of his majefty’s juftices of the peace ‘ for the fald county, dated the 14th day of February then laft, ‘ touching the wages of woollen broad-cloth weavers, in the ' faid county, in purfuance of an order of reference made for ‘ that purpofe; and having fuch conference and confideratioh ‘ of all neceffary circuniftances, as by lavv is diredtedj touching ‘ weavers wages, did limit, rate, order, arid appoint the wages ‘ of vvobllen broad-cloth weavers' for the future, until altera- ‘ tion by proper authority, to bcj and to be paid, according to ‘ the number of hundred of threads contained in each refpec- tive chain of woollen broad-cloth, and according to the re- ‘ fpeftive proportions, and fums, rated arid exprefled in the ‘ table or fcheme of rates for wages fubjoiried to the faid'order, ‘ and which table or fcheme of rates of wages is alfo hereunto ‘ fubjoined. ‘ That the weavers greatly pleafed themfelves with the atten- ‘ tion that this court was fo good to give to their grievances, ‘ were well fatisfied with the faid rates, and readily acquiefced ‘ with the faid order, hoping that the clothiers (who are their ‘ employers) would alfo on their part have conformed thereto, ‘ and paid due obedience to the faid order, and to the authority ‘ of this court. ‘ But fo far from any fuch compliance, that the clothiers * treated the faid order with the greateft contempt, not any ‘ ways complying therevvith; well knowing that as this court ^ could not inflia any penalty on the non-eonformarice there- ‘ with, and that the weavers could not bear the cxpence of ‘ applying to this court on every breach thereof, the good intent ‘of E ^0 ] ‘‘ of the faid order could not be anfwered, nor the poor un- happy weavers be any ways relieved thereby. ‘ That their hardftiips and fufferings have fince increafed by the continued oppreffions of the clothiers, and the great re- ‘ dudlion of their wages; infomuch that the weavers cannot ^ get above four pence for fixteen hours labour upon many ‘ forts of work, whereby their families are thrown upon, and * become burthenfome to the parilhes. They were induced to ‘ lay their grievances before the honourable houfe of parlia- ‘ ment, who (for their relief and without any oppofition' from ' .the clothiers) were pleafed to pafs an aft in the laft feflions of ‘ parliament, and in the twenty-ninth year of his prefent ma- . ‘ jelly’s reign, intituled, “ An adl to render more effedtual an " aft pafled in the twelfth year of the reign of his late majefty “ king George, to prevent all unlawful combinations of work- “ menemployed in the woollen manufa(frures,andforbetterpay- “ ment of their wages; and alfo an aft pafled in the thirteenth “ year of the reign of his faid late majefty,for the better regulation “ of the woollen manufaflure, and for preventing difputes “ among the perfons concerned therein, and for limiting a time " for profecuting for the forfeiture appointed by the aforefaid “ aft, in cafe of the payment of the workmen’s wages in any “ other manner than in money.” Whereby it is (amongft other ‘ things) enadted, that from and after the twenty-fourth of June ‘ 1756, it ftiall be lawful for the juftices of the peace, affem* ' bled at any of their general or quarter-feffions, held next after 5 Michaelmas, yearly, to make rates for the payment of wages to ‘ weavers and others employed in the woollen manufafture, ac- ‘ cording to the number of yards th.at the chains are laid upon f ,th,e warping bars, and not otherwife: which rates lhall conti¬ nue ^ nue for one year, from the making thereof j and that the faid ‘ juftices (hall yearly in'their general or quarter-feffions, either ‘ continue fuch. rates for another ,:y€ar, -or alter them, in fuch ‘ manner as they fliall think fit, always obferving the direftions ‘ of the faid aftforthat purpofeV'Snd ifany maker of mixed ‘ medley, or white broad-cloth, fhall not pay to the weaver or ‘ weavers employed by fuch maker, according to fuch'rates, every perfon fo. offending is to .forfeit,- and pay,, the -fum of ‘ five pounds, to be recovered as .therein is mentioned. ‘ That the weavers are riot only greatly diftreffed by the ‘ hardihips and opprelRons aforefaid, but the clothiers, have ‘ alfo laid the chain four or'fiye yards longer on the bar j and, inftead of paying the weaver in ftop-lift cloth tvvo lhUlings.a ‘ cloth for ffopping, (being the u'fual price) they firft reduced ‘ it to onefliilling, and now refufe to pay any thing, though the ‘ flopping occafions the cloth being one fifth loriger’in weaving. '. ‘ The great hardfhips which , the weavers thus groan under, ‘ and the extreme jpoverty to vyhich many of them are reduced ‘ thereby, balling’ for' irriniediate relief,''they are iriduced tp May their cafe before yoiir worfliips, and humbly intreat you ■‘ will pleafe to take the fairie into confideration, by making of ‘ rates for the payment of wages 'to weaver's, and others employr ‘ ed in the woollen manufadlureSj 'in purfuarice of, arid accord- '* ing to, the direftions of the faid ad of parliament j- and to ‘ make fuch order therein, as fo your worihips (hall feem meet; ‘ and your petitioners, as in duty bound, fli'all for ever pray.’ To this petitidri the. fame rate.'of prices tyas annexed as in the former, which was fepSrately p'r'eferited to the juftlces ■previous to the feflidns: rlhall only obferve upon ^his rate, that it vvas near, upon ail average, one third higher than that which I (hall have occafion hereafter to fpeak of, D At ■At the fame time moft of the confiderable clothiers aU tended, and prefented to the juftices the following memorial, figned by upwards of feventy principal perfons. Cop'j of a memorial humbly addrejjed to the leorjhipful bench juflkes afembled at the Boothdll in the city of Gloucefter, their general quarter-fejions, held next after Michaelmas, for the county of Gloucefter, in the year of our Lord 1756. ' made the laft fefllon of parliament, in¬ tituled, “ An adl: to render more effedual an a( 3 ; paffed “ in the twelfth year of the reign of his late majefty king George.^ “ to prevent unlawful combinations of workmen employed in “ the woollen manufaftures, and for better payment of their “ wages j and alfo an aft paffed in the thirteenth year of the reign “ of his faid late majefty, for the better regulation of the woollen “ manufafture, and for preventing dilputes among the perfons “ concerned therein 5 and for limiting a time for profecuting for “ the forfeiture appointed by the aforefaid, aft, in cafe of the “ payment of workmen’s wages in any other manner than in “ moneyIt is enafted that it fliall be lawful for you, his ma,- ‘ jefty’s juftices of the peace for the county of Gloucefter^ affemi- ‘ bled at your Michaelmas quarter-feffions, to make rates for the ‘ paymentof wages to weavers, and others employed in thewool- ‘ len manufaftures, according to the number of yards that the ‘ chains are laid upon the warping bars, and not otherwife, ‘ and according to the rate of former afts of parliament re- * ferred to therein which faid rates fliajl continue in force for ‘ one year from the making them, and are fubjeft to be con- * tinned or altered as you Ihall think fit j and if any maker of ‘ mixed medley, or white broad-cloth, fhall not pay the weaver “ or t is J ^ or weavers employed by fuch maker, according to fueh rates, ' every perfon.fo offending iliall forfeit and pay the fum of ‘ five pounds: the penalties to be recovered by adtion of debt, ‘ by any perfon who fliall fue for the fame, or may be levied ‘ by dillrefs, upon cohvidion before any two or more juftices ‘ of the peace for the county or place where the offence is ‘ committed j and all appeals to be madp to the next general ‘ or quarter-feffions} and all orders at fuch general or quarter- ‘ feffions relating to the pretnifes are final, and not] liable to be ‘ removed by certiorari, or any other form or procefs of law. ‘ We, the principal clothiers of the county of Gloucefter, hav- ‘ ing taken that part of the faid adt into confideration, and ‘ being convinced of the inexpediency of it, and the impolfibi- ‘ lity of putting the fame into execution in an equitable man- f ner, do, by thefe prefents, remonftrate againft it. And ‘ Firft, Becaufe we apprehend that every law, which tends ‘ towards raifing the price of labour, (as it mull in the end ne- * ceffarily advance our manufadtures) will be greatly prejudi- ‘ cial to the trade of this nation. Were our manufadures all * confumed at home, it would be of lefs moment j but as we ‘ have to encounter many potent rivals in foreign markets, who ‘ have grown upon us, (particularly our greatefl enemies, the ‘ French, who, happily for them, have already this great advan- ‘ tage over us, that labour is much cheaper inFrance than here) ‘ we cannot but think it would be more advifeable, in order ‘ to preferve our little remaining trade, that, inftead of raifing ‘ our manufadtures, to which this law diredtly. tends, every ‘ fcheme Ihould be adopted that would cheapen them, and eve- ‘ ry juftifiable method Ihould be ufed to render them upon ea- ‘ fier terms, to procure the neceffarles of life for the labouring ‘ manufadturer at a lower price, and to remove all temptations Da to [ 14 r ‘to Idlenefs, luxury, and intemperance oiit of their way: '* hereby only (hall we be enabled to vie with our rivals in ‘ foreign-markets. ‘ Secondly, Becaufe the execution of this law tends to invert ‘ the laws oflbclety, and to deftroy that due fubordination which ‘ oughttQ be religioufly preferved in all communities. The weav- ‘ ers by this adt will be rendered more our mailers than we ‘ are now theirs. A levelling and turbulent fpirit (to which ‘ we have fome caufe to impute the. rife of this new adl) ought ‘ never tojje-countenanced amongll the commonpeople, andla- ‘ bouring manufadturers of this kingdom, where they have ‘ been but too much already Imbibed. This has been evident ‘ in our own country, formerly, on the like occafion. The fame ‘ (parks villbly remain, and will be eafily blown into a flame j and ‘ the general maxim is apparent from thofe recent inftances and ‘ commotions that very lately dlfturbed feveral of the nor- ‘ them counties, and which have already proved fatal to them- ‘ felves, and the properties of their fuperlours. ‘ Thirdly, Becaufe the . value of weaving is leffened by fome ‘ alterations in the weaver’s favour, the numbers of forts and ‘ the qualities of the manufadtures of this county are greatly in- ‘ creafed. They are now too various to be reduced to any re- ‘ gular or fixed (landard ; and it has been found, by expe- ‘ rience prior to our days, that.thefe and all other laws for the re- ‘ gulatlon of the price of labour, are not to be reduced to pradlice, ‘ nor expedient to. be put into execution. There need no bet- ‘ ter evidence of diis, than to confider how many of them lie ‘ dormant at this time, notwithftanding they are not repealed. ‘ Fourthly, Becaufe we are alTured that the honeft and in^ ‘ duftrious weaver, who is a good workman, and has employ- ‘ merit I '^.5 ] ‘ ment at the rates generally now paid, may get a comfortable ' fubfiftence for himfelf and family; and that one fingle loom, ‘ thus employed, will get from thirteen to eighteen flhllings per ‘ week; and an increafe of wages would only make thofe who ‘ are now wanting in diligence to become more idle.' What ‘ need is there then of innovations ? why muft our hands be ‘ tied up by penal laws, whllft others are free ? why muft the ' firft manufadture in the kingdom (for fiich the woollen is juft- ' ly efteemed) be put under unneeeflary reftridiionsand, if ' unneeeflary, they muft be pernicious; for trade is a tender * plant, that can only be nurfed up by liberty : if you cramp ' it, it will die away like untimely fruit. Befides, the perfons ‘ employed in weaving are not chofen for their ftrength or ro- ‘ buftnefs; the bufinefs is neither laborious nor toilfome; nor ‘ are weavers, who work under their own roofs, expofed to ‘ thofe hardftiips and difliculties which many other trades are ‘ liable to. The weak, the lame, the old and decrepid, the ' puny women, and even children, and fuch whofe conftitu- ‘ tions and natural abilities are not equal to other employments, * are made weavers. Is it juft or reaforiable, therefore, that the ‘ labour of fuch people lliould be eftimated, or put upon a foot- ‘ ing, with men of ftronger and more robuft conftitutlons, or ‘ more ufeful abilities ? ■ ‘ Fifthly, Becaule we know It to be a matter of fadt, that it is impoflible to rate the price of weaving by the hundred, ‘ (which is the only method yet preferibed) in an equitable ‘ manner for one fort of cloth of almoft any given hundred, ‘ may be, and is, worth near one fourth more,, for the labour of weaving, than another fort poffibly can be, let it be done ever * fo well. r i6 ] ‘ Sixthly, Becaufe the execution of this law will tend,to in- ‘jure the goodnefs.of the manufadtury, and hurt the reputa- ‘ tionr of it, more efpecially in the Turkey trade, where the dif- ‘ tinguilhing excellence of the cloth confifts in the fmallnefs ‘ of thefpinning, and height of the hundred, as It thereby heft ‘ imitates the French manufadtury; for the maker, in order to ‘ fave fomething in the weaving, will be tempted to lower the ‘ hundred. ‘ Seventhly, Becaufe fuch as are willing to keep up the reput ‘ ration of the manufadtury, or thofe who think it better to ‘ Hand Bill than to go on under fuch Innovations and reftricr ‘ tions, by taking Heps to avoid them, will perhaps be expofed ‘ to the refentment of that fpirit which has already appeared, ‘ and which, once raifed, may be produdtive of the moft dan- ‘ gerous confequences. ‘ Eighthly, Becaufe we think it abfolutely abfurd, and repug- ‘ nant to the liberties of a free people, and the interell of trade, ‘ that any law Ihould fuperfede a private contradt, honourably * made between a matter and his workman $ which we appre^ * hend to be the cafe of the prefent, if put into execution, and ‘ which we believe cannot be paralleled in that refpedt by any ‘ other law now in ufe. ‘ Ninthly, Becaufe we apprehend the putting this adt into exe- ‘ cutIon,wilI not only occafion prefent commotions and confu- ‘ lions, but will pave the way for a fatal migration of our manu- ‘ fadlury to fome other counties, where it may meet with favour, ‘ and be countenanced by gentlemen, and men of the firft pro- ‘ perty, who feel the want of fuch for the employment of the ‘ neighbouring poor, and the confequent improvement of their ‘ ettates, and enjoy all the advantages of unreftrained liberty. * Thefe revolutions of manufadturles are common from one I ‘ kingdom ( 17 ) ‘ kingdom to another, thro’ good or 111 policy. If we look back ‘ but a few centuries, we fliall fee the Britons exporting their ‘ wool into foreign countriesj to be manufaftured for them. ‘ Thro’ the 111 policy and bigotry of Louis XIV. of France, the ‘ looms of Spital-fields are now employed to furnifli the richeft ‘ manufadtures of filk for thofe very countries, from whence we ‘ formerly received them. Internal revolutions of this kind are ‘ not only evident In our own nation, but particularly fo in our ‘ own manufadlury. The county of Suffolk, and fome other * places, were formerly the feats of manufadnre for woollen ' broad-cloths, where it is now hardly known. Salisbury and ‘ Worcejler were celebrated witliin this laft century for the fame, ‘ (which the prefent names of fome particular forts of broad7 ‘ cloth, now made amongft us, evince) ’till, under the mlllaken ‘ notion of wife Regulations, and falutary ReJlriStions, and thro’ ‘ the grants of particular privileges, freedoms, and exclufive ‘ charters, .they have drove it from them: and TorkpirCyViifan ‘ our own knowledge, hath gained from us fome confiderable ‘ branches of our trade; becaufe their labouring manufadlurers ‘ are better oeconomifts, more tradlable, temperate, and frugal, ‘ and confequently work cheaper than our’s. ‘ Tenthly and laftly, Becaufe we know of no other county ‘ where the weavers have made any ftir about their wages but ‘ this, nor where they have been encouraged to attempt at putting ‘ this-aft into execution. It 1s our misfortune, rather than our ‘ fault, if, through the prefent dulnefs of our trade, fome occa^ ‘ fions of complaint of the lownefs of wages paid to them have ‘ arifen, or that fome few members of our body, whom we ‘ would by no means countenance, have taken that advantage ‘ of the times, which it would not have been in their power to «do in a more flourifliing trade: but is it equitable that a whole ‘ body. [ iS 1 ‘ tody of refpeftable tradefmen (hould therefore be cenfured, ‘ and brought under unneceffary and unprecedented reflri£tIons, ‘ fuch as will be produftive of thofe bad confequences fet forth ‘ in thefe our remonftrances ? Why fliould the weavers be ex- ‘ empted from feeling the effefts of bad times any more than ‘ their mafters, or any other branches of the manufaflury ? If ‘ the head and the body fuffer, ought not every member to bear ‘ a part ? Befides, may we not afk why this county fliould firft ‘ lead the example, efpecially in thefe times ? Is it a means to ‘ mend our trade ? or rather, will it not be a means to fpread ‘ the fpirit of murniur and difeontent into other counties? And, ‘ thould thofe other counties have the wifdom to difcountenance ‘ it, will they not have a great advantage over us ? But, fhould ‘ they be fo imprudent as to follow us, and thereby render the ‘ law general, our foreign rivals will reap the benefit of it: and ‘ the next age mayjuftly reproach the prefent, for fuffering fuch ‘ unneceffary Innovations, becaufe, in all human probability, ‘ they will have the mortification to experience thereby future ‘ migrations in the woollen broad-cloth manufaftnry, as re- ‘ markable as thofe that are paft, and which we now, thro’ the wifdom, virtue, induftry, and good policy of our anceftors, re- ‘ fledt upon with pleafure and fatisfadion. ‘ As we have feen a printed paper, under the form of a peti- ‘ tion, which the weavers have procured to be drawn up for ‘ them, and which (as we are informed)'they have caufed to be ‘ prefented to every juftice of the peace in the county, to requeft ‘ their attendance at this feflions, and their affiftance in putting ‘ the aforefaid ad into execution 5 therefore, with all deference ‘ and refped to the worfhipful bench, we prefent thefe our re- ‘ monftrances againft that part of the ad before recited, which ‘ refpeds the rating the price of wages to be paid by us to the [ 19 ] ‘ weavers; but as to that part of the aft,which relates to the ' payment of workmen in any other manner than in money, it ‘ is our fincere defire that it fhould be put into execution in the ‘ ftridell manner.’ After the petition and memorial were read, the court (which was exceedingly numerous) proceeded to examine into the merits of the refpeftive applications; and the council for the petitioners having opened the cafe, the witnefles, in order to fupport the fails fet forth in the petition, were called upon, but they came very lliort in their evidence, no inftance of op- preffion being proved; and if it be confidered that no clothier, let him be ever fo careful, can have all his chains of the fame fort equally good for the weaver, and that low wages often arife from the chain being unlldlfully fet to work, from idlenefs, in his work, or want of ability in the weaver, little regard will be had to any evidence that appeared there in their favour. The court having gone thro’ all the evidence that was offered on the part of the weavers, the clothiers were examined, in or¬ der to fupport their memorial. Their evidence principally tended to eftablifla two points, which they fully proved: the one, that the wages paid to the weavers by the generality of the , trade were not leffened for a great number of years part; that the honeft and induflrlous weaver, who is a good workman, and has full employment, by the wages then paid, may get a comfortable fubfiftence for himfelf and family; that one Angle loom, fo employed, will not only earn from thirteen to eighteen fillings, (as fet forth in the memorial) but to twenty-one fillmgs per week, and upwards: and the other, that the fettling of the wages to be paid to weavers by the hundred, was impradlicable to be done, in an equitable manner, becaufe the clothier or weaver muft frequently be injured by it. It [ 20 ] ■ It appeared, in the courfe of the: weavers evidence, that the perfons employed to work one Angle loom were the matter,, a journeyman, and a child for a quill-winder, who is commonly intitled to one penny out of a lliilling: that often the wife, or daughter, of an apprentice-boy, from twelve to fifteen years of age, adls the part of a journeyman, who is intitled to. one third of the whole wages paid for fuch a piece of work, befides fmall. beer, and lodging (if he has no home of his own): that fome- , times a journeyman works at the head of a loom, with an ap¬ prentice-boy j in which cafe, if the boy is a learner, the jour¬ neyman is intitled to five pence out of a fliilllng: that often a matter-weaver, who keeps two looms employed, hath no jour¬ neyman, but only apprentices} and then a quill-winder, who is hired for is, 6 d. per week, will fupply both the looms. The ■reafons why a matter-weaver has a (hare fo much larger than the journeyman, appeared, by the fame evidence, to arife from feme few incidental expences, fuch as candles in winter-time, fize, tools, ©’c. The proportion of the matter’s neat wages to the journeyman, after all confiderations are allowed for, and ex- ■pences paid, is, upon the average of the trade, as feven (hillings to five, or thereabouts. The court appearing very well latisfied with the evidence that had been given by the clothiers, (of whom only one third were examined) many other inftances of fums earned by a Angle loom in one year, would have appeared upon oath to have amounted from 35/. to. 40/. and ftill ftronger rnight have been produced} I (hall inftance a few, Onejiphorus Paul, Efq; paid latt year for one fingle loom’s work done in the year, upwards of 45 /. and to a weaver, who kept two looms at work, and employed neither journeyman, nor ap¬ prentice, but his own family only, the neat fum of 957. 14/. for [ 21 ] for work done in one. year, and a day over. Mejteurs - Jofeph Watben and company, paid laft year to a weaver who keeps two looms employed, and feldom has any afliftance, but his wife and daughters, near 8o/. and it being coarfe work, in which the ends of the thrum will anfwer the expence of the flay andharnefs, and nothing paid out of it for fize, it is better than the neat income out of loo/. per ann. free land.* And Mr. Robirt Ellis fenior, can give an' inftance in his trade of one Angle loom earning lately ili one year near 50 /. If the weavers in general do not earn fuch wages,' it muft be im¬ puted either to their negligence, drutikennefs, unfkilfulnefsi want of full employment, or to all thefe caufes combined. The other point which arofe for the confideration of the court, and to which the clothiers evidence principally tended, was, that the fettling of the wages to- be paid to weavers by the hundred, was impradicable to be done, in an equitable ’manner; becaufe the clothier, or weaver, muft frequently be injured by it. It was proved that the higheft hundred, or number of threads In the chain, could not afcertmn the value of weaving, nor did always deferve the greateft wages. Inftances were given, wherein very different prices were paid for cloths of the fame hundred, by the fame mafter and yet the loweft prices often were the beft wages: this difference very frequent¬ ly amounted to twenty or twenty-five per cent upon the value of weaving, and in fome particular inftances to forty per cent, fince no regard is had to the fort of cloth intended to be made, whether thicker or thinner, narrower or wider; whetlier the fpinningof the abb or flioot is larger or fmaller, finer or coar- fer, what breadth the chain is fet upon the loom, or what * This work, by the rate hereafter mentioned, is advanced from 16 r. to 23 r. per cloth. E 2 quantity [ 22 ] quantity of abb is put into the cloth: to illuftrate and confirm .this evidence, two fkains of abb were produced, intended to be wove on chains of the fame hundred, which the fame ma¬ ker made iife ofj the one being more than as large again in the fize of the thread than the other, confequently muft fill up the chain-fafter, and deferve lefs wages; it being a very com¬ mon thing to fhoot l^ngllp and 8 famjh abb, upon chains of the fame hundred, and finenefs; though the value of weav¬ ing in one muft be widely different from the other, and tlie fame difproportion in the finenefs and quality of the abb muft often happen in lower forts of goods; which was fufficiently pointed out by the evidence : yet I fhall now give an inftance, which was not proved at the feffions.—Mr. Richard Cook, of Lodgmoor, has for many years, in the regular courfe of his trade, made two forts of cloth of the fame hundred, or num¬ ber of threads in the chains; upon one of which he flioots abb that cofts him but 5 d. per pound the fpinning, for which' he pays 25 s. per piece for weaving j upon the other fort he flroots abb that cofts him 11 d. per pound the fpinning, and for which he pays 40 s. per piece to the weaver, for the fame length ; and upon the loweft price full as good wages are made, as upon the higheft-: many inftances may be given, to prove fads of the fame kind j but, before I difmifs this inftance, I cannot help making one remark upon it. If it be confidered how many different prices may be paid for the fpinning of the abb, from 5^/. to 11 d. per pound, all which ought to be differently rated in the value of weaving, and that the chain is fubjeded to the fame variation, no other evidence need be given of the impradicability and inequality of making a general rate, to af- ccrtain the wages to be paid to woollen broad-cloth weavers. Were r 23 ] Were the number of forts of cloth as inconfiderable'now as they were when the aft of the 5th of Eliz. was palTed, for fet¬ tling the price of wages, (now almoft grown obfoletc) and when, perhaps, not more than fix or eight forts were made in the whole county, it might have been poflible to have made fomewhat of an equitable rate for the 'price of weavingbut not by the hundred only, becaufe the alteration of the weather or feafon of the year will make the chains vary in their weight, and different growths of wool will be different in proof. Jf the chain is new, and the abb ftale, or vice verfa, or the warp fometimes fmaller, or fometimes larger, the judicious manu- fitfturer will fee neceffary occafion to vary his hundred, in order to make the fame fort of cloth, that -they may be like the fample, or what he ufually fells at the fame price *. It alfo appeared, on evidence given by Mr.' Jofeph Wathen, that by the introduftion of a new kind of (buttle, called the bobbing-fhuttle, within the laft twenty years, the weaver could do the fame work one day in eight fooner than they could be¬ fore : here is a-ftrong inftance of the groundlefnefs of the com¬ plaints, refpefting the price of wages, made by the weavers. Though the clothiers candidly admitted in their remon- ftrances, that fome inftanees of low oppreflive wages might have happened, by fome members of their body taking advantages of the times, which could not have happened in a more flou- rilhing trade, it appeared by the evidence of Mr. Thomas Ro¬ berts, that fuch low wages delerved much lefs notice than was expefted. A weaver, who had worked a confiderable time with a clothier,, the mod noted for beating down the price of * If the wages to weavers were fettled by the hundred and yard, or by any rate ^ then the moft indifFerent workman would be entitled to as good wages as the- beft. wages,. [ 24 ] wages, having applied to Mr. Roberts for work, becaufe his old mafter could not employ him. Mr. Roberts queftioned him about the wages his laft mafter gave him, whether they were not very low The weaver replied, “ That though they- nsiere in- “ deed loio, yet that he did very well with them, becaufe the work “ was done accordingly.” From the evidence given to-the court (tlie chief fubftance of which hath been already recited) though the members of the bench cartie thither very defirous of giving every relief to the weavers! and had taken all the pains they poffibly could to find out a method for fettling a rate for their wages, the chairman declared, That it was the opinion of every gentleman upon the bench, that no equitable rate for fettling fuch wages could be made by any law now in being. This difappointment fo inflamed the weavers, (many of whom were prefent in court on the occaficn) that they immediately appeared in a riotous and tumultuous manner, and infulted fe- veral clothiers upon their return; and, from that time endea¬ voured to prevent any work being done in their bulinefs for above fix weeks afterwards j and fcarcely any work was done during that time. The weavers breathing out threatnings againft the clothiers, efpecialiy againft thofe who appeared at the quarter-feflions, the clothiers were under a neceflity of pro¬ curing arms, and keeping guards about their houfes, for the prefervation of their property, families, and perfons 5 and many Others, who were not fo immediately concerned, were under great apprehenfions of danger, the mob frequently furround- Ing their houfes in large bodies, and levying contributions. To quiet thefe diforders, and reftore peace to the country, which was at that time in moft terrible confufion, there was a pieeting at the eleventh oiOBober, the 'ae.yX Monday after [ ^5 ] after the quarter-feffions, at the defire of fome of the mana¬ gers for the weavers, who requefted, in particular, that the clothiers, examined as evidenecs at the late felfions, would attend, to have a ftate of the weavers grievances laid before' them; and afford them fuch relief and affiftance as they fliould think proper; and propofed, on their own part, that a' few , reprefentatives of their body (hould be there, without riot or tu¬ mult. This requeft, fo reafonable in appearance, was. readily conlented to, not only by thofe who were particularly requefted, but by feveral other principal clothiers, who attended the faid meeting, not without fome apprehenfion of the confequences; when they found that not only the weavers chofen to exhibit their complaints and grievances were affembled, but alfo a very large body of weavers, and other perfons, computed at not lefs than 2 or 3000, and by fome at 4000, were colledled from .Kin^wood, and other dlftant parts; manyof whom hadno COIV cerri in the affair. The weavers, inftead of making an humble reprefentation of their cafe, produced a copy of the exorbitant rate by the hundred, which they before had caufed to be printed in the petition, addreffed, and handed by them to the juftices, pre¬ vious to the quarter-feffion; which rate they (modeftly enough at firft) requefted fltould be confirmed for them, infinuating that they could not live upon lefs' wagesand being very much preffed to make fome more reafonable propofals, be- caufe, otherwife it would be impoffible for the clothiers to ferve them, they abfolutely refufed, and feveral of them declared it was much as their lives were worth to accept of any lefs. The clothiers, after having ufed every poffible method tO' foften and bring the weavers to reafon, propofed to their mana¬ gers, that if they would choofe out of thofe prefent the beft mafters; [ 26 ] maftei's in every particular fort of work (havirig refpeft both to tlie chain and abb, and all other circumftances of the trade) they would endeavour that the whole trade ihould conform to the prices given by fuch mailers, and would themfelves fet the example; but this did by no means fatisfy them. The clothiers, now in a confined and dangerous fituation, in order to extricate themfelves, then made the following prd- pofal in writing, which wasfigned by nineteen of them, all that were prefent: “ Propofed, that the weavers, within one month, “ do chufe a committee of eleven or thirteen clothiers, fuch as “ they moll approve of, to meet once within one month from “ the date hereof, and once a quarter afterwards, to redrefs the “ weavers grievance, by fettling the price of wages to be paid “ to them 5 and, in the mean time, we who are here prefent do “ agree to the full fcheme of-wages now propofed by the “ weavers, in all the chains that we lliall put out to them hence- “ forwards, till fuch time as the faid committee do meet.” Stroud, iiX\\ 05 lobcr, 1756. But this being read to the multitude, (tho’ approved of by fome) was rejedled in general with indignation, oaths, and curfes: their tumult and rage greatly increafed, and the clothiers being quite pent up in a room by the mob, who threatned their lives with the molt horrid imprecations, if the whole of their requell was not complied with, found it neceflary, for their own liifcty, to fign every thing that the weavers demanded, which accordingly they did; one paper being figned, importing their compliance to pay according to the exorbitant rate impofed upon them,/wmr; other copies thereof, written and figned in the liime manner, for the life of every pai ifli, were next in¬ filled on by tbc mob, which the clothiers were complying with as fall as poffible; but the impetuofity of the rioters was fo great, and [ 27 ] and fuch numbers prefled forwards to enter the room, that be¬ fore the papers were all compleated, notwithllanding the efforts that were made on the infldc by many people, who exerted all their ftrength to prevent it, they forced open the door, and ruflied in like a torrent. In the midfl: of this confufion, under cover of the night, the clothiers,, thinking themfelves in the ut- mofl: peril of their lives, and to avoid at leaft the infults that muft neceflarlly have happened, efcaped moll: of them out of the back windows, tho’ they were, very high from the ground, the room being the fecond ftory, and having only one door. A. few had not time to efcape that way j for the mob having dif- covered the manner of their efcape, and that the chief of then* prey were mifling, guarded the windows to fecure the re¬ mainder; two of whom, after fome time, having'got partly out of the windows, in order to get ofi^, \vere threatned from below to have 'their brains knocked out, if they perfifted;. which obliged them to draw back. In this fituation, they found themfelves under a neceflity of remaining at the mercy of the mob, expofed to all the taunts and infults of mobbifh tyranny; fome pronouncing threats, whilfl: others, full of violence and rage, feemed thirfty for blood! ’till partly by art and ftratagem, (and their not being the principal objedls of refentment) and by the kind alTiftance of fome friends, and faithful fervants, who, entering the room by fome other windows, and mixing with the crowd, preferved them from harm, and at lafl: ef- fedted their deliverance, fo that happily no mifchief was done; tho’ it was concluded, from what was given out by the mob themfelves, and overheard by the people of the town, and others, that every clothier in the room was in the utmofl: dan¬ ger of his life; and indeed it appears too evidently fince, that F ' this [ 28 ] this meeting was requefled by the weavers, in order to have it in their power premeditately to do them an injury. Notwithftanding the particulars of this riot were publiihed in the General Evening Poft, (the author of the Gloucefter Journal being afraid^ as he himfelf declared, to print it) fome gentle¬ men were weak enough (or at leaft pretended fo) to believe that the papers figned by the clothiers at that meeting were voluntary; and kept up the expedlations of the mob, by pro- mifing them that it thould be confirmed at fome future fellions. • One circumltance, given in evidence at the quarter-feflions, I have purpofely omitted, that I might introduce it in this place. Two eminent and judicious clothiers, in the fame branch of trade, having, on occafion of the late a