Lacemakers used Silk or Cotton Thread, a Pattern pricked from a Parchment Template, Brass Pins & lots of Skill & Practice to make fine Patterns that appear within a regular Mesh known as the Ground. Protestant Refugees from Mechlin in Flanders & Lille in France between 1563-1568 & 1572 are credited with bringing Lacemaking to England & especially Bucks. ‘Bucks Point’ Lace incorporates Mechlin or Lille Designs on a Lille Ground. By 1791, the Universal British Directory recorded Amersham as the Centre of Black Silk Lace Production. It specialised in fine Silk Veils and wide Flounces of Black Lace that were used to decorate White Dresses. Hand-made Bobbin Lace was eventually replaced by Machine-made Lace & now only a few enthusiasts can reproduce the original intricate Patterns.
Lace was probably made in the Eastern Counties (Bucks, Beds, Northants) prior to 1563. This was, and still is, a Flax growing area. The 1st Wave of Lacemakers from the Continent came in 1563 to 1568. They were Flemish Protestants who left the area around Mechelen (Mechlin / Malines) when Philip II introduced the Inquisition to the Low Countries:
- 1563: 25-recent Widows, makers of Bone Lace, Settled in Dover, Kent; 400-Settled in Sandwich, Kent;
- 1567: It is estimated that 100,000 left Flanders when the Duke of Alva became head of the Spanish Catholic Army. Most of that number came to England.
The 2nd Wave of Lacemakers, many from Lille, left in 1572 after The Massacre of the Feast of St Bartholomew. Exactly how many is not known but many 100s came to Bucks & Northants. From this time Bucks Point Lace developed: it is a combination of Mechlin Patterns on Lille Ground. In 1586 Lord William Russell, son of the Duke of Bedford, owned Property near Cranfield, Beds. This is about 10-miles from Olney. He had fought for William the Silent in the Low Countries & he was married to Rachel, daughter of the Huguenot Marquis de Rivigny. He invited many Refugees to Settle under his Protection. Another English Gentleman, who had fought for William of Orange, was George Gascoigne: he Invited other Huguenots to settle near his Manor at Cardington, Bedford. Huguenot Emigration continued untiI the Edict of Nantes in I598. However when the Edict was Rescinded in 1685 by Louis XIV, there was another wave of Religious Refugees. About 10,000 left Burgundy & Normandy. The Lacemakers found their way to the by now well-established Lace Villages in the Counties of Bucks, Beds & Northants. Flemish & Huguenot names still common in this area; naturally most have been Anglicised over time.
Lacemaking has changed from being a Craft Industry that Supplemented the income of Families of Agricultural Labourers & provided Employment for Workhouse Inmates into a gentile pastime for Ladies.
The ideal place to make Lace is Outdoors, it is the best Light. In the Summer the women would Sit on their Doorsteps & work at their Pillows. In Winter the Light was either a Dim Oil Lamp or, more often, 1-Candle. Sometimes the Candle was aided by a Glass Bottle, round, filled with Water, called a Candle Lamp & this would Magnify the Light. One of the Lacemakers told me that they used to meet in each other’s Cottages in turn to Work & so save Fuel. Each would take along a pinch of Tea Leaves as a contribution to the “Brew“. To have been present on one of those afternoons listening to the lovely sound of 100s of Bobbins Clicking & the tongues going in broad Bucks telling the Local Gossip. I remember Mrs Harris’ brother talking about his mother who was a great Lacemaker. He said “we got so tired a-earing her a-clicketting they Bobbins“. He also said “I used to watch her a-Wickering they Bobbins round they Pins, I never knew how she kept they straight. She’d just push one bunch back & grab another lot, she never seemed to stop to look”.
Watching a real Lacemaker at work is wonderful, her left hand is continually moving Bobbins, back, forth, over, under whilst her right sticks in the Pins. The Rhythm of the Clicking Bobbins never ceases until a thread breaks or a Bobbin runs out. It is a quite unforgettable memory, the Music of the Bobbins & sad to say, a lost Joy for a modern Worker cannot get the same Rhythm. Only those who learned at the age of 4 or 5 & worked on for 70 or 80-yrs could get that unforgettable Music from the Bobbins.
Traditionally, Lace Buyers organised the Supply of Materials, Payment of the Workers & Sale of the Goods. Lace Schools were Established to Teach complicated Patterns to children. At 1st the children paid the Teacher but when Proficient, they were paid for the Lace they produced. Lacemakers have been affected by Politics & Industrial Innovation. Charles I banned Imported Lace in 1635 giving a boost to Home Production & Smuggling from Flanders, but this was soon reversed when Cromwell’s Puritans discouraged the Wearing of Lace. After the Restoration of Charles II & throughout the 18th & 19thCs, English Lace was worn by everyone, including Royalty & Babies, to adorn their clothes, fans, shoes & even night caps.
Lace Schools
- The children started on the narrowest edging working 6-7 hrs a day;
- they were paid 6d (6 pence) a day;
- they were not allowed to talk;
- Children who were slow to learn had their noses rubbed on the Pins & those who were Inattentive had their hands rubbed raw for “looking off the Pillow”
- they were allowed 10 minutes to Scramble;
- another Break was given over to Breaking Straw for stuffing Pillows.
To be Skilled in the making of Lace meant that an income was assured for Life, & the Girl or later in marriage, Woman, would not be a drain on the Local Community. Started by the Huguenots, the Lace Schools taught the young children very little other than Lace Making & tiny children paid a Fee of about 3d a week for Training. No Numeracy was included, only Bible Studies & only a few could sign their names.
The need for Light to see the crossing threads was imperative so a special Stool holding Flasks filled with clear Water around a single-Candle was used. Tiny patches of Light, refracted through the Flask Lenses, all the Lacemakers had to be able to see by on Dark Days. The Lacemakers were not allowed to have a Fire because the threads had to be kept clean & untainted by Soot. Instead, Embers from the Bakery were placed in Chaddy or Dicky Pots beneath the Lacemakers Stools & Skirts with the added risk of setting Petticoats Alight.
Lace is made on a Pillow with Bobbins marking each Thread. We see Bobbins made by the local Bodgers called Thumpers which were used in Amersham. Small off-cuts were used to make solid, bulky Bobbins each identifiable by their different Woods. There were spotted, striped & ringed Bobbins. The finer Bone Bobbins from further North in Bucks had decorative squared-off Beads at the end and are now Collectors’ Items for the Lacemakers of today. The Lace Patterns are pricked out onto thick Paper. The outline edges of the Lace, made from shiny threads or Gimps are marked on the Patterns in Indian Ink. Collars, Cuffs, In Victorian times, Ladies often wore, pinned on their Hair, a lightweight strip of Lace called a Lappet.
The above photograph, taken in 1918 of a Group of Lacemakers with those items (except the Bobbin Stand), all of which are on Display in Museum.
This Sculpture depicts a Bobbin Winder, Flash Stool, Bobbin Stand & Fire Pot. The Cowper & Newton Museum, Olney.
Buckinghamshire Lace was Fine & Expensive. The Makers were tied to 1-Dealer who supplied the Thread & the Patterns & then Sold the Product. When the Dealers Fees had been Paid the Lacemakers had very little from the London Trade. Noted Dealers in Amersham were William Stalham, 1653, Daniel Anderson, 1690, Henry Hopper, 1721, Giles Child, 1757, William Morten, 1792, James Brickwell, 1823 & Isabella Brickwell who Dealt until 1830.
Black Lace known as Amersham Veil, is recorded in 1792. Making Black Lace really strained the eyes because the threads did not cast a contrasting shadow as they crossed over each other. Fine Black Lace was exported to Paris for Risque Underwear. Blond Lace was made in the Almshouses in Amersham & sent to London for Queen Victoria’s Trousseau.
The difference between Bucks & Beds Lace is a Historical rather than a Regional difference. Fine Lace, called Buckinghamshire Lace, could be copied by Machine in Nottingham. The prices dropped & the Dealers went out of Business. But, by going to Malta, Dealers from Beds picked up new Designs that could not be Copied by Machine. These Designs became known as Bedfordshire Lace & extended Traditional Lacemaking, in both Counties by 50-yrs.
Lacemaking declined when Compulsory Education started. By 1880 children were making very little Lace & so were not acquiring the skills of Fine Work. The Thread was thicker, the Work poorer, the Designs Coarser & the Lace did not sell, even at 6d a yard.
Embroidery, which included decorative Beading. Holmer Green became a Centre for this work through the encouragement of Mrs King from Little Missenden. She walked from her home to Holmer Green & acted as the Agent for the Village. The Beading went to London’s East End. Norman Hartnell bought Beading for the Queen Mother’s Dresses. When Debutantes “came out” their Ball Gowns were adorned with this Beading but that Market has now been replaced by the demand for Beaded Wedding Gowns in Greece. Over the last 80-yrs Holmer Green’s skilled Workers have gone through several phases of Embroidery Work. Originally they made “Frogging” to hold the necks of Cloaks together. This was Embroidery with Cord which was symmetrical about a Button & a Loop, again fashionable on the Cocktail Jackets of the 1950s. Beading work followed by “Tambour Beading” became the next Skills. Fine Beads are threaded onto the work in a Pattern. A fine sharp-pointed Needle which incorporated a tiny Hook near the point was used. During WW2, when resources were limited, “Roulé” work was done. Thin strips of Fabric were stitched, an easy job & then more skilled Workers linked the strips together with open-work Embroidery. This was used to decorate the fronts of Blouses.
Lace Making Equipment: The Pillow – These could be homemade but were usually bought Locally. There was a Shop in Olney, Bucks especially noted for their Production. South Bucks Pillows, such as would have been used here, were Bolster shaped and covered in Hessian. They were stuffed with long pieces of Wheat Straw running along their length. This type of Straw is rarely grown nowadays so other Fillings have to be used. The Straw was hammered down to ensure that it was very tightly packed. It was essential that the finished Pillow was firm enough to hold the Pins Tightly. Eventually, the central (most used) part would become worn & the Pillow would then have to be remade. The whole Pillow was covered in Fabric; usually Blue to show off the Lace, or Green, which was thought to be less trying to the eyes. Smaller cloths called “Cover Cloths” were used to Cover the Pillow where the Work was proceeding to keep everything clean & to separate 1-Batch of Bobbins from another. Bobbins & Pillows were considered very personal items. They would normally be Burnt when the user died. My mother was lucky enough to be given an old Village Pillow & Bobbins which had been kept in a friend’s Attic, but she was told that she must never let anyone know where they came from.
The Bobbins: In the South of Bucks these were all Wooden, hand turned from Local Timbers, often Fruit Woods. They could be bought from Local Shops such as “The Bobbin Castle” in High Wycombe High Street, but usually they would be made by the men of the Family using the same Skills as were required by the Bodgers in the Local Woods when making Legs for Windsor Chairs.
Yak lace – coarse Bobbin Lace typically made from Wool, which was cheaper & faster to make, often used on Mourning garments.
Lace Card-maker, Lace Pattern-maker – the Dealers supplied the Lacemakers with Patterns to follow for the latest Fashions. These were marked out on Cards by Pattern makers.
Lace Man – a male Dealer in Lace, who sold or supplied raw materials to home-based Workers, then Sold the Lace goods they made.
After 1843, Hearn & Veary opened a new Shop at Buckingham House, 36-High Street, known locally as “Bobbin Castle”. It was where W H Smith is now – they bought the Land for £1700. It is described here: “Nos. 38, 37 & 36 Mr Sherriff’s & Buckingham House were formerly the ‘Catherine Wheel’ the oldest House in Wycombe & perhaps the most beautiful.
The Bobbin size varied according to the thickness of the thread being used. They needed to be Heavy enough to hang down from the work in order to keep the thread taught. Around High Wycombe they were often decorated with inlaid Bands or Spots of different coloured Wood. They could also be decorated with Pewter Bands & occasionally with small objects like Buttons & Shells. Some Bobbins were made as a token of Affection or for special occasions. When Wooden Bobbins are used they acquire a lovely shine from the grease on the fingers of the Worker. In the North of Bucks where Mutton Bone was sometimes used, Bobbins were much finer. They were often marked with Inscriptions or other Decoration. As they were too thin to provide the necessary weight, Circles of Beads were wired onto their Ends. Such Bobbins are much Collected now but the simple South Bucks Bobbin much easier to Work with. The Top Section of the Bobbin is like a tiny Cotton Reel & is used to Wind the Thread onto. The Thread is held by a special Knot to prevent it from unwinding while working. The Worker does not need to touch the Thread & so the work can be kept clean. Bobbins are used in pairs, which are often of a similar Design.
The Bobbin Box: Surplus Bobbins were stored in small handmade Wooden Boxes. Most have bent hand made nails for Hinges. The very early Lace Makers from the “Low Countries” had special Compartments in their Bible Boxes to contain Bobbins, so precious did they considered them to be.
The Bobbin Winder: These are not essential as Thread can be wound onto the Bobbins by hand but they certainly speed up the process. They look rather similar to small Spinning Wheels, with a Wheel to turn the skein of thread & a small vice like Clamp to hold the Bobbin.
The Threads: Fine Linen Thread was preferred for Bucks Point Lace. It is much stronger than Cotton & less likely to break while working. Thicker Thread known as Gimp, could be used to outline the Design. Modern Workers have had to adapt to different types of Thread as Linen Thread is very hard to obtain. Even for earlier Workers it was Imported & so would have to be Purchased from a Supplier or Specialised Shop. Our Villages are known to have been a source of “Gold Lace“, probably using very fine Brass Wire. Whether any of the thread was truly Gold I do not know. Certainly I have not been able to find any examples of such Thread in the Village, probably because it was too expensive to keep. There is an example (much Tarnished) in Aylesbury Museum Archives. Towards the end of Local Lace Making, Villagers began to make a very Coarse Lace. It was made of a Woollen Thread called Yak & would have been used for Household purposes rather than Clothing. I was given a Sack full of Bobbins by an old friend. Many were very large & had been used for this Type of Lace. Some were wound with coloured thread, which was also used in a bid to encourage Sales.
Pins: Pin making was a specialised process. People in our area obtained their Pins from Long Crendon where Needles were a Cottage Industry until the Industrial Revolution. Pins were made of Brass so that they would not Rust & mark the Lace. The Heads were applied by hand & were sometimes decorated with blobs of Red or Black Wax or Beads. The marked Pins would show how much progress the Worker had made in a set time & were called “Strivers“.
Patterns: The Patterns were known as Prickings, since the position which the Pins were to take was marked out by small holes made with a Needle like “Pricker“. Again this was specialised Work. Workers depended on a Supplier to provide the Template for the Pricking. This Work was mainly done by Men. I remember re-Pricking a much used Pattern for a Local Worker as she had never learnt to do it herself. As South Bucks Pillows were Bolster shaped they were ideal for long lengths of Lace & short Strips of Pricking would be placed one after the other around them to make a continuous piece of Lace, or a continuous length of Pricking might go right round the Pillow. This was sometimes overlapped at the ends Leading to Damage to the Pattern in that area. Prickings were originally made on Vellum. Later a Waxed Card was used. Nowadays Prickings can be made from Photocopies of the Original Pattern. Some of the old Patterns are held in High Wycombe & Aylesbury Museums. They would have taken many hours to make & so were much Cherished. In the days before Electricity this was a real problem. Even Candles were expensive, so the light was Magnified using a Globe of Water placed in Front of the Flame. In Lace Schools a number of Globes were used so that several children could work around 1-Candle. To make the best use of daylight Lace Makers worked outside their Cottages. Even so, the fine Work caused their Eyesight to deteriorate.
Dicky Pots: Everyone in our Villages must have suffered from the cold & yet it would have been impossible to manipulate the Bobbins if the Fingers were too Cold. Dicky Pots were used, which were simple Clay Pots with a Handle. These were filled with Hot Embers from the Fire & placed under the ladies long Skirts & Petticoats. They must have been rather a Fire hazard!
Pillow Horses: These were Wooden Stands used to support the Pillow while in use. The simplest ones stood at the back of the Pillow & prevented it from rolling off the Worker’s Lap. This is the type which were Acquired from Lacey Green.
Rural Life in the Chilterns was hard & the Lacemakers’ Wages were essential for keeping the Family going. According to Dr S D Clippingdale, Writing in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, ‘The Chiltern Hills & Dales in certain of their Natural & Medical Aspects’, (1909), some had an Opium Habit:
“A Druggist – stated that his Firm, which had been Established over a 100-yrs, formerly kept a Box in which was stored crude Opium for Supply to the Lacemakers. Another Druggist stated that an old woman when out on Saturday night, making her Purchases for the following week, would call regularly for her Pint of Laudanum. Used in the 19thC as a pain killer or sleeping aid; it was highly addictive, leading to many of its users forming a Drug Addiction. Reddish-brown in color and extremely bitter, Laudanum contained several Opium Alkaloids, including Morphine & Codeine. Laudanum was historically used to treat a variety of conditions, but its principal use was as a Pain Medication & Cough Suppressant. Laudanum was a tincture of Opium containing approximately 10% powdered Opium by weight (the equivalent of 1% Morphine). Laudanum is prepared by dissolving extracts from the Opium Poppy (Papaver Somniferum) in Alcohol (ethanol). A Local Medical Man stated that 15-yrs ago it was common to observe the Listless Gait & the Contracted Pupil of the Opium Eater & that Patches of White Poppy were still grown for making Poppy Tea for Infants.”
More recently they may have drank Homemade Wines – Dandelion, Cowslip & Elderberry.
Aston Rowant & Chilterns Spring Line Villages 