Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
SILK IN ENGLAND.
Queens and Ladies Try to Re-Estab-
lish an Old Industry.

From the Queen.
The exact date of the introduction of
silk into England is not known. 1t was
first used for ecclesiastical purposes
for pals to cover the tombs of kings. to
wrap around the relics of saints and for
garments for the clergy in ceremonial
worship.
Later on it was worn by kings, but only
for state functions, and English mon
archs wore silken robes and sat under
silken canopies at their coronations. This
silk was always imported. chiefly from
France and Italy. The fabric began to
be made in England in the reign of Ed
ward III. An act Of parliament Tor
babe merchants from carrying on other
business except their own, but the silk
weavers were exempt from It.
Only small articles, such as ribbons.
tassels, girdles and finges, were manu-
| featured at first. and the industry was IN
| the hands OF women. Piece silk was not
| made in England till much later. In the
| middle of the fifteenth century there
| were over thousand people employed IN
the trade in London alone. 1t seems to
have suffered much from foreign COM
petition. for the London weavers obtain
ed an act of parliament to protect them
for five years from foreign goods.
| Silken garments were worn at the time
by royalty and the upper classes, but
\ only on state OCCASlOIS, 1OI thSy Wei 2
| enormously expensive and difficult to
procure. AS silk became better known
its use grew more general, and the 1ao-
RIGS employed in Elizabethan England
| were very splendid
Presents Of silken objects. generally
| for wear. were so much priced that they
were considered suitable for a subject to
offer to his sovereign, and many Eng
lish monarchs, notably Henry VIII, Ed
| ward VI and Queen Elizabeth, were the
/ ;r1A 80 ell rnlontC
| The use of silk in any shape was re-
| stricted by an act Of parliament to es-
Quires and yeomen of the kings house
hold. to sergeants. to gentlemen possess
| ing lands of the annual value Of ESQ and
| to their superiOrs in rank.
The rise OF the English silk industry
| began about 1920. and developed with
| such rapidity that silk weaving became
one Of the principal trades Of the coun-
try. The interest was increased by the
| invention by an English clergyman of a
| frame for weaving silk stockings We
| were thus enabled to supply the rest OF
| Europe with this much priced garment,
| and We practically maintained the mo-
nopoly for over a century. The silk indus
| try became most profitable one Tor
London in the reign of Charles ii. The
! extravagances of the French court were
emulated in England and silk was lavish
| ly used by all who could afford it.
The revolution of the edict OF Nantes
| drove thousands of foreigners to Eng
land, and among them were many silk
| weavers. Factories were set up and the
trade prospered by such leaps and bounds
that when the peace of Utrecht was con-
cluded the English silk industry had in
| creased twentyfold in fifty years, and
was adding greatly to the commercial
prosperity Of the country. Black silk for
hoods and scarves alone brought in an in
| come of 100000. So greatly did the
| trade thrive that in the early days Of the
nineteenth century there were in London
alone $4,000 looms. employing GO,OOO
hands.
| Patriotic English ladies bought only
native silk. and a good export trade was
carried on. When the untaxed importa-
ton Of foreign goods was allowed, how
ever. the silk industry declined, while
| foreign firms benefited to the extent OF
many millions annually. 1t was then
| that English ladies. led by the late Ouch
| ess of Teck. took the matter up and Brit
ish women were called on to help in the
development and revival of the silk in
dustry: and. led by English queens. the
ladies Of England have realized the i'm
| portance OF this trade to the Industrial
| welfare of the country and have en-
deavored to forward 1t by every means
| In their power.