The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-02-18
OLDEST
HANDICRAFTS.

| the daily life of every homestead.
Sheep were the chief possessions of
| the Anglo Saxons, and their wool was
combed, carded, spun, woven and dyed
by the women, from the Kings daugh-
ter to the wife of the churl. Queen
Boadicea wore in her last great stand
for freedom, ''nnder her cloak tunic
of English made wool chequercd in
many colors," says the Roman hlstor-
ian Dion Cassius, and he goes on to
speak admiringly Of the brilliant tints
the Britons gave to their wools: light
red, green, blue, madderpink, some.
times violet and mulberry color, no
doubt woven into plaids much like
those the Scotch Highlanders use to-
day. The Romans always paid spec
ial attention to textile manufactures,
and one of their earliest acts, after sub
jugating Britain, was to set up linen
and woolen factory in the fortified
town of Winchester. No doubt the
soldiers of the various cohorts were
supplied with raiment from its shores,
for it was Government establish
ment, with manager, called by Taci-
tus ''the procurator," appointed by
the Emperor of Rome. To some ex-
tent the trade of Winchester languish-
ed when the Romans withdrew from
the country, but four centuries later
we find the people Of England using
Winchester linen.
Until the Normans came to Eng
land the wool woven produced only
coarse cloth and a rough kind Of blank
ct. English wool was then, as now,
the best known and most highly priz-
cd, but the Saxons had not acquired
the art Of weaving it with any degree
Of perfection. They did little more
than collect the fieeces over and above
what were needed for actual clothing,
and send them to Flanders, then and
throughout the Middle Ages the CEN
tire Of woollen manufacture. At what
date wool was first exported from Eng
land we cannot tell. It must have
been very early indeed, for we read of
merchants going to Marseilles and at
tending the great French fairs at
Rouen and ST. Denis in the ninth cen
tury. Before that time commercial
intercourse was carried on, for we have
most interesting document-our
first treaty ofcommerce, in tact-dated
79G A. D., by which Charlemagne
grants protection to certain English
merchants trading between France
and Mercia. Henry of Huntingdon,
writing in the twelfth century, alludes
to the extensive expectation Of fine
English wool ''to the main-an ex-
portation which eventually reached
such proportions that stoppage of
supplies used to thrcT half the popu-
lation of Flanders out of work.
Taxes, until almost the close of the
Plantaganet period, were calculated
not in money but in wool. In one
year the Parliament granted Edward
III. 10000 sacks of fine wool, and in
another year 10000.
In 1889 he was to have 1.-THE tenth
sheep, fleece and lamb" The Cister,
clan monks, since their settlement in
England, were notable wool growers.
an order for Benedietine monks con-
tracing for all they could supply.
Indeed, England supplied during the
fourteenth century almost all the wool
used in northern Europe. Spain also
grew wool, but it was far more diff
cult to carry goods from the Peninsula
to Flanders than across the German
Ocean, whereon light craft piled con-
stantly. The monks also grew much
flax, some affirming that the soil of
Great Britain was more suitable for
its production than that of any other
country, and its crops the largest,
toughest, and finest in the world. Such
natural advantages marked Enola
for manufacturing country; and
though unnotcd and unhecdcd by
knight and by baron in medieval
towns, in merchant and craft gilds
silently but surely was growing up the
SLOW structure of England's CONNER
cial wealth and influence.
In the train of William the Conquer
or had come certain Flemings skilled
in textile art, and what had been
languishing and undeveloped handi-
craft received impetus and improve
ment. Winchester remembered its
old glory, ana mace cHofts 10 revive
its trade, gaining permission from
William to hold great annual fair on
st. Giless Hill, where its manufac-
lures might be displayed, and to
which merchants of other districts
might r,sort. This fair was a great
centre of trade for several centuries.
It's DURATION, limited by William to
one day, was gradually extended, until
by 4 charter of Henry ii. it was allow
ed to last for sixteen days. During the
time it was held the shops of Southamp-