New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-14
INDUSTRIAL ENGLAND.
Wy gOBERT p. PORTER. MEMBER OF THE LATE
TARIFF COMMISSION.
HISTORY OF THE BRADFORD WORSTED
MANUFACTURE.
,rroM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTDrYEl


fe1 II the time of the Conquest to the De Laceys
who were "Normans OF gentle birth " and "attpnd-
aa,s on the King" Indeed, as | remarked III
mr last letter, the" De Laceys and
tbe Warrens seem to have come in for most of the
West Riding of Yorkshire. One would suppose
that hundred or manOrs, and score or two
towns each. would have made these fiery Darohs
Indifferent to an odd pasture, but unhapplly such
WAS not the case as we read of one of the young DE
Laceys Henry think. going into training, before
he was of age to fight the Earl of Warren who not
ooatented with allowing his COWS to browse
in the De Lacey meadows, had actually approprl-
atea one of that Earl's pastures. Bradford after
undergoing for several centuries the vclSsitudeS OF
The De Iaceys' fortunes seems to have come
through marriage TO "Old John of Gaunt, t1me-hon-
cred Lancaster and on his death Richard H. ana
the town the honor of capturing it, and with Brad
foul the remainder of Johns immense estate, but
the same year he was dethroned. and Henry Boiling
broke succeeded both to the throne and the estate
and Bradford seems to have become the property of
the Crown In early times BradfordiaDs had
queer way of combining business and plety, and SO
they made Sunday market day. 1t is said they ala
little piety in church ard good deal OF business
at the market standings. ThoughnOt so exact IN
their observances of Sunday as the Glasgoyians,
Bradford people would never encourage laziness
tolerate drunkenness, and as early as the sew
enteenth century they suppressed the greater part
Of the ale houses aud set the lOafers TO work. with
these fundamental ideas of industry it is hardly
surprising that the Bradford people were too busy
70 brook delay in settling the differences between
the people and the Stuarts. The town had become
ernbroed in the war, and the people furiously re-
pulsed the Royahsts and drove them back to Leeds.
Writing from Bradford to his father, Sir Thomas
Fairfax said: These parts grow very impatient OF
our delay to beat them the Royalists) out of Leeds
and Wakefield, for by them all trade and pro-
visions are stopped, so that the people in these
clothing towns not able to subsist." Their I'M
patience arose from the breaking up OF their trade
and the closing of their markets.
The assault of the Royalists, however, left last
ing mark on Bradford and finished 1t for some time
for trade aud manufacture, and it was not until
nearly a century later that the town began TO re-
cover itself. At the close of the eighteenth CEN
fury prosperity seems to have come to Bradford ali
at once and from place of little over l3,OoO III
1901 il now has a population of about loo'OOO'
In 1878 Piece Hall was erected. and before the
nineteenth centuty had begun the first wOrsted
mill was built and the foundation of its present
trade laid At this time the district was crowded
with hand-oOm weavers and spinners. anc the
worsted manufacture began 10 assume considerable
importance. CalimancOes shalOons, and few
tamnles were then the chief products ofthe Bradford
looms DR.. Doran very properly dates the a'er lhi-
portance of Bradford from 1881, when the Reform
bill helped to raise it TO the dignity OF Parla-
mentary borough with the privilege OF returning
twOmembers The local newspapers ofthat time show
most amusingly their sense not only of increased
dignity but of increased responsibilities There
Is an undisguised consciousness" says DIR. DoTan.
THAT the eyes of Europe mot to say oil the Worid
generality are fixed upon the new borough, nu-
nicipal borough, with a worshpfu Mayor and cor
poration." Who, might add for 50 Nh GrinneH'
the United States Consul, has to-day informed me-
have since adminlstcTed local government with inc
success that has certainly not been attained IN any
CITY of the size in our own country if ii has been IN
England.
The local papers of the days of municipal reform
in ENGLAND give an Incident worth recalling. as
showing what constituted Radical In the early
DAYS of Bradford's municipal existence Hardy
ond Lister were the Radical candidates. Hardy
made the declaration at the nomination. lie was
for vote by ballot. That was all. lie was against
+rienniaI Parliaments and household suffrage.
Ranks the Conservative announced as his PLATFORM
the limitation of the hours of labor for women
and children The Radicals elected They
sent their sons to be chared in place of Themselves
and the roughs tossed the lads out of the cars ana
smashed the charots of triumph Commenting on
this incident the authority already quoted rcmarkS'
"Tbe Bradford 'man-folk' were always vigorous
in arms as well as speech-sometmes cruel III
the old DAYS of riot they burned mills ana DIoAe w
machines with fury of d'light. IL was inier
method of arguments discussion VIA SUCKS aS
onr HIbarnian friends at home would call II. Inc
irnor,ndv hind Marchioness of Hartford pre-
vented a railway being built between Bradford
and Leeds because il would encrOach upon some
land Of hers which lay between. Ralls, miis anu
MACHINERY all now exist in spite OF these ignorant
individuals. Bradford generally got tho worst Oh
her strikes That of the wooi-cOmDers ana STUN
weayers in 1925 lasted nearly six months, ana was
finally wound up by the departure OF Tue treasurer
with the funds
R,adford lies at the bottom Of an irregular basin
ofbiIIs avery outlet of the town. except the mar
row valley which follows tine course OF the DECK
AMI rms out into Aredale being more or less OF an
ascent The streams that descend into 1t and coz
in the Bradford beck, aud the extensive Dcds
of coal in the immediate vicinity, are eXcepuohai
advantages for the manufac urer. Mills and work
shops are here crowded together and extehd ioi
miles around, and the whole community IS ouAy
md active There are some uncommohiy un'
briId,nes In the town and think the City Hall ~
far handsomer than that OF Leeds. There arc az
+Ia nre sent time oyer 200 wOrsted mills in the
town hut shall reserve for my next letter de-
ta1ed account of my visits to these mills, together
with description of the condition OF the opera
tives lean now only deal. in a general way, WIN
Bradford its history the peculiarly OF It's people
md the present condition Of It's trace =,
The Bradford dialect is very peculiar, ana MI
Cunningham, who has given Yorkshire diaioctS cor
siderable careful study, claims indigenous to the
4o,,r ,tsaIrn When Dr. Doran visited Bradford
With the British Association he remarked III MS
customary happy way: "Tho vowes at Bradford
are altogether of very loose way of life" tor OK
ample. a is short in shape" which becomes snap
it takes a mincng sound Of in "wash y; ana IL
"dapeen it becomes a very round indeed. WINE