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thrown　silk　was　manufactured　to　supply　the　trade；　and　the　weaving

of　silk　became　a　thriving　business。　　Indeed；　English　silk　began

to　have　a　European　reputation。　　In　olden　times　it　was　said　that

〃the　stranger　buys　of　the　Englishman　the　case　of　the　fox　for　a

groat；　and　sells　him　the　tail　again　for　a　shilling。〃　　But　now　the

matter　was　reversed；　and　the　saying　was；　〃The　Englishman　buys

silk　of　the　stranger　for　twenty　marks；　and　sells　him　the　same

again　for　one　hundred　pounds。〃



But　the　patent　was　about　to　expire。　　It　had　been　granted　for　only

fourteen　years；　and　a　long　time　had　elapsed　before　the　engine

could　be　put　in　operation；　and　the　organzine　manufactured。　　It

was　the　only　engine　in　the　kingdom。　　Joshua　Gee；　writing　in　1731；

says：　　〃As　we　have　but　one　Water　Engine　in　the　kingdom　for

throwing　silk；　if　that　should　be　destroyed　by　fire　or　any　other

accident；　it　would　make　the　continuance　of　throwing　fine　silk

very　precarious；　and　it　is　very　much　to　be　doubted　whether　all

the　men　now　living　in　the　kingdom　could　make　another。〃　　Gee

accordingly　recommended　that　three　or　four　more　should　be　erected

at　the　public　expense；　〃according　to　the　model　of　that　at

Derby。〃＇5＇



The　patent　expired　in　1732。　　The　year　before；　Sir　Thomas　Lombe；

who　had　been　by　this　time　knighted；　applied　to　Parliament　for　a

prolongation　of　the　patent。　　The　reasons　for　his　appeal　were

principally　these：　that　before　he　could　provide　for　the　full

supply　of　other　silk　proper　for　his　purpose　（the　Italians　having

prohibited　the　exportation　of　raw　silk）；　and　before　he　could

alter　his　engine；　train　up　a　sufficient　number　of　workpeople；　and

bring　the　manufacture　to　perfection；　almost　all　the　fourteen

years　of　his　patent　right　would　have　expired。　　〃Therefore；〃　the

petition　to　Parliament　concluded；　〃as　he　has　not　hitherto

received　the　intended　benefit　of　the　aforesaid　patent；　and　in

consideration　of　the　extraordinary　nature　of　this　undertaking；

the　very　great　expense；　hazard；　and　difficulty　he　has　undergone；

as　well　as　the　advantage　he　has　thereby　procured　to　the　nation　at

his　own　expense；　the　said　Sir　Thomas　Lombe　humbly　hopes　that

Parliament　will　grant　him　a　further　term　for　the　sole　making　and

using　his　engines；　or　such　other　recompense　as　in　their　wisdom

shall　seem　meet。〃＇6＇



The　petition　was　referred　to　a　Committee。　　After　consideration；

they　recommended　the　House　of　Commons　to　grant　a　further　term　of

years　to　Sir　Thomas　Lombe。　　The　advisers　of　the　King；　however；

thought　it　better　that　the　patent　should　not　be　renewed；　but　that

the　trade　in　silk　should　be　thrown　free　to　all。　　Accordingly　the

Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer　acquainted　the　House　（14th　March；

1731）　that　〃His　Majesty　having　been　informed　of　the　case　of　Sir

Thomas　Lombe；　with　respect　to　his　engine　for　making　organzine

silk；　had　commanded　him　to　acquaint　this　House；　that　His　Majesty

recommended　to　their　consideration　the　making　such　provision　for

a　recompense　to　Sir　Thomas　Lombe　as　they　shall　think　proper。〃



The　result　was；　that　the　sum　of　14；000L。　was　voted　and　paid　to

Sir　Thomas　Lombe　as　〃a　reward　for　his　eminent　services　done　to

the　nation；　in　discovering　with　the　greatest　hazard　and

difficulty　the　capital　Italian　engines；　and　introducing　and

bringing　the　same　to　full　perfection　in　this　kingdom；　at　his　own

great　expense。〃＇7＇　　The　trade　was　accordingly　thrown　open。　　Silk

mills　were　erected　at　Stockport　and　elsewhere；　Hutton　says　that

divers　additional　mills　were　erected　in　Derby；　and　a　large　and

thriving　trade　was　established。　　In　1850；　the　number　employed　in

the　silk　manufacture　exceeded　a　million　persons。　　The　old　mill

has　recently　become　disused。　　Although　supported　by　strong　wooden

supports；　it　showed　signs　of　falling；　and　it　was　replaced　by　a

larger　mill；　more　suitable　to　modern　requirements。





Footnotes　for　Chapter　IV。



＇1＇　〃This　was　equally　the　case　with　two　other　trades；　those　of

glass…maker　and　druggist；　which　brought　no　contamination　upon

nobility　in　Venice。　　In　a　country　where　wealth　was　concentrated

in　the　hands　of　the　powerful；　it　was　no　doubt　highly　judicious

thus　to　encourage　its　employment　for　objects　of　public　advantage。



A　feeling；　more　or　less　powerful；　has　always　existed　in　the　minds

of　the　high…born；　against　the　employment　of　their　time　and　wealth

to　purposes　of　commerce　or　manufactures。　　All　trades；　save　only

that　of　war；　seem　to　have　been　held　by　them　as　in　some　sort

degrading；　and　but　little　comporting　with　the　dignity　of

aristocratic　blood。〃　Cabinet　CyclopediaSilk　Manufacture；　p。　20。



＇2＇　A　Brief　State　of　the　Inland　or　Home　Trade。　（Pamphlet。）　1730。



＇3＇　A　Brief　State　of　the　Case　relating　to　the　Machine　erected　at

Derby　for　making　Italian　Organzine　Silk；　which　was　discovered　and

brought　into　England　with　the　utmost　difficulty　and　hazard；　and

at　the　Sole　Expense　of　Sir　Thomas　Lombe。　　House　of　Commons　Paper；

28th　January；　1731。



＇4＇　Self…Help；　p。　205。



＇5＇　The　Trade　and　Navigation　of　Great　Britain　considered；　p。　94。



＇6＇　The　petition　sets　forth　the　merits　of　the　machine　at　Derby

for　making　Italian　organzine　silk〃a　manufacture　made　out　of

fine　raw　silk；　by　reducing　it　to　a　hard　twisted　fine　and　even

thread。　　This　silk　makes　the　warp；　and　is　absolutely　necessary　to

mix　with　and　cover　the　Turkey　and　other　coarser　silks　thrown

here；　which　are　used　for　Shute；so　that；　without　a　constant

supply　of　this　fine　Italian　organzine　silk；　very　little　of　the

said　Turkey　or　other　silks　could　be　used；　nor　could　the　silk

weaving　trade　be　carried　on　in　England。　　This　Italian　organzine

（or　thrown）　silk　has　in　all　times　past　been　bought　with　our

money；　ready　made　（or　worked）　in　Italy；　for　want　of　the　art　of

making　it　here。　　Whereas　now；　by　making　it　ourselves　out　of　fine

Italian　raw　silk；　the　nation　saves　near　one…third　part；　and　by

what　we　make　out　of　fine　China　raw　silk；　above　one…half　of　the

price　we　pay　for　it　ready　worked　in　Italy。　　The　machine　at　Derby

contains　97；746　wheels；　movements；　and　individual　parts　（which

work　day　and　night）；　all　which　receive　their　motion　from　one

large　water…wheel；　are　governed　by　one　regulator；　and　it　employs

about　300　persons　to　attend　and　supply　it　with　work。〃　In　Bees

Cyclopaedia　（art。　'Silk　Manufacture'）　there　is　a　full　description

of　the　Piedmont　throwing　machine　introduced　to　England　by　John

Lombe；　with　a　good　plate　of　it。



＇7＇　Sir　Thomas　Lombe　died　in　1738。　　He　had　two　daughters。　　The

first；　Hannah；　was　married　to　Sir　Robert　Clifton；　of　Clifton；　co。



Notts；　the　second；　Mary　Turner；　was　married　to　James；　7th　Earl　of

Lauderdale。　　In　his　will；　he　〃recommends　his　wife；　at　the

conclusion　of　the　Darby　concern；〃　to　distribute　among　his

〃principal　servants　or　managers　five　or　six　hundred　pounds。〃





CHAPTER　V。



WILLIAM　MURDOCK：　HIS　LIFE　AND　INVENTIONS。



〃Justice　exacts；　that　those　by　whom　we　are　most　benefited　　

Should　be　most　admired。〃Dr。　Johnson。



〃The　beginning　of　civilization　is　the　discovery　of　some　useful

arts；　by　which　men　acquire　property；　comforts；　or　luxuries。　　The

necessity　　or　desire　of　preserving　them　leads　to　laws　and　social

institutions。。。　In　reality；　the　origin　as　well　as　the　progress

and　improvement　of　civil　society　is　founded　on　mechanical　and

chemical　inventions。〃Sir　Humphry　Davy。



At　the　middle　of　last　century；　Scotland　was　a　very　poor　country。　

It　consisted　mostly　of　mountain　and　moorland；　and　the　little

arable　land　it　contained　was　badly　cultivated。　　Agriculture　was

almost　a　lost　art。　　〃Except　in　a　few　instances；〃　says　a　writer　in

the　'Farmers'　Magazine'　of　1803；　〃Scotland　was　little　better　than

a　barren　waste。〃　　Cattle　could　with　difficulty　be　kept　alive；　and

the　people　in　some　parts　of　the　country　were　often　on　the　brink

of　starvation。　　The　people　were　hopeless；　miserable；　and　without

spirit；　like　the　Irish　in　their　very　worst　times。　　After　the

wreck　of　the　Darien　expedition；　there　seemed　to　be　neither　skill；

enterprise；　nor　money　left　in　the　country。　　What　resources　it

contained　were　altogether　undeveloped。　　There　was　little

communication　between　one　place　and　another；　and　such　roads　as

existed　were　for　the　greater　part　of　the　year　simply　impassable。



There　were　various　opinions　as　to　the　causes　of　this　frightful

state　of　things。　　Some　thought　it　was　the　Union　between　England

and　Scotland；　and　Andrew　Fletcher　of　Saltoun；　〃The　Patriot；〃　as

he　was　called；　urged　its　Repeal。　　In　one　of　his　publications；　he

endeavoured　to　show　that　about　one…sixth　of　the　population　of

Scotland　was　in　a　state　of　beggary　two　hundred　thousand

vagabonds　begging　from　door　to　door；　or　robbing　and　plundering

people　as　poor　as　themselves。＇1＇　Fletcher　was　accordingly　as

great　a　repealer　as　Daniel　O'Connell　in　after　times。　　But　he

could　not　get　the　people　to　combine。　　There　were　others　who　held

a　different　opinion。　　They　thought　that　something　might　be　done

by　the　people　themselves　to　extricate　the　countr