The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-22

ORIGIN OF THE WORDS BLANKET, WoRsTEp KER-
sEYMERE, AND LINsEY WooLsEY.-W Whle Edward
Ill, in 1887 repeated his invasion of Scotland, and
"ravaged the country with great fury, burning
Aberdeen and many similar towns." as the his
torians tell US; and while he was engaged in rails
ing army 10 invade France in 33o, cxacting
from the impov erished English people all their
wealth 10 waste II in war: and when he vast
ing France with war, borrowing money from all
foreign princes who would lend To him, pawning
the English crown, which made him king, that
he might still further extend destruction over fer
tile France; when, in the battles which our histo
rlans and poets have minutely recorded and
loitily sung of swords cashed with swords, and bat
>Ae-axes rung upon coats of mail, the warrior he
roes OF England minghng their blood and hacked
heads with the blood and hacked heads of the
rior heroes of France, there a servant of man
kind making noise in Bristol, which of in
hnitely greater service to England than the entire
conquest OF Europe would have been. This was
Thomas Blanket. The noise he made not tina {
Of the clashng sword, but of the clashing shuttle.
! His purpose was not TO destroy what his country
already possessed, but to give his country what II
did not yet possess-bankefs-a covering of com
fort to go TO bed with ia sleep under, that il mil ght
be refreshed in sound sleep, and rise in health and
strength 10 its daily work of making mankind
happy by being happier itself Thomas Blanket
was soon initiated by his neighbors, who, like him,
set up looms in their own houses and made woollen
cloth like that which he made. The cloth was
named by his name; and TO this day. and through
all time IN this country, will the name be known,
that he the first 10 introduce the blanket
manufacture into England.
No cloth of any kind had been weaved in Eng
land before the reign Of Edward III. We read thst
in 1881 John Kemp, from Flanders, introduced the
weaving Of cloth into England; that the king in
vited fullers, dyers, and forth, to come from
Flanders and settle here. This policy on the part
OF Edward was Discreet and, viewed in connection
with some other OF his actions, proves him TO have
had some perception Of the real sources Of national
well being. But he no sooner allowed the cloth
manufacture TO be implanted in England, than he
almost rooted IL up again by restrictive enactment.
and oppressive taxes TO carry his wars. The
manufacture ofthe twisted double thread Of oollen
called worsted, introduced into Englan nd about
this time, soQn after. The village Of Worsted
! about fifteen miles from Norwich, the first
place where this thread was made, and IL took the
name of the village. There 10 spinning nor
wOollen manufactures at Worsted now, but from
the tombs in the graveyard aud the bcnefactons
lett 10 the parieh, which recorded ia the church
we have proof that the manufacturers Of Worstcd
were numerous, opulont and lived there ia success
siyc generations, during several centuries. IL may
also be noticed here, that after inquring into the
history Of the parish and manufacturers OF WOrsed,
visited Linsey, which gave the name to the fab
ric known ne linsey woolsey; and the KcEsey and
the Mere, close 10 il in Suffolk where the work.
shops were situated IN which the cloth called kcr.
seymere was hrst made The cloth called now
dters from the original, and there IL but little
trade Of any kind In kcrsey now. But, as at
Worstcd, the graveyard and the church have
many records ui manufacturers long deceased
Their names, though now Angciscd, and common
in Suffolk, all Of Flemish origin From Somsr-
uiHs forthcoming Biographic History Of Free trade
and The Lsagus, and b't Pioneer Of ProgTos.