South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-04

Knitting has always. from very
early times. been done by women;
Jet the common stocking is a com
paratively modern accessory of the
toilet. Queen Elizabeth is said 90
have been the first woman 10 wear
silk hosiery, according % Perry
Walton I'm The Story Of Textiles"
These were sent from France. as a
present 20 Queen Elizabeth from her
minister, Sir William Cecil. The
stockings were black. and they
greatly pleased her majesty.
Until Henry Wis time, cloth
stockings were generally worn.
queen Elizabeth's silk woman, Mist
ress Montague. made for her a pair
or stockings knitted OF silk yarn.
These greatly pleased the queen,
and after that she demanded 20 have
only such produced for her.
The queen is cited as having said:
II like silk stockings so well, be
cause they are so pleasant, fine. and
delicate that henceforth L Will wear
no more cloth stockings
Knitting was known in England
as early as Henry Tvs time. but
stockings were not worn in ancient
times among the common rank and
file. The first stockings were cut
from linen. wool or silk, sewed to-
gether Not until 1880 does knit
ting appear commonly in England
and Scotland. Then we hear Of
knitted bonnets and hose, and this
early knitting became common
domestic industry. Not until ma
Chinery was invented for the max
ing of hosiery did it in any way
aba This came about in the 10th
century.
In THE story of Textiles" the
author cites a rather interesting
story Of the invention Of this ma
chine. A clergyman. the Rev. Will
liam Lee. Of st. Johns college, Cam
bridge. wearied by the close devo-
tion 20 her knitting, OF "a young
woman in whom he was interested,
declared he would invent machine
10y which hosiery could ne made and
thus save this foolish occupation Of
women This. il is stated, he did.
When he appeared before queen
F-Iizabeth's kinsman, Lord Hunsdon,
for patent, he was refused. My
lord" said the queen. Il have. too
much love for my poor people who
obtain their bread by the employ
ment OF knitting to give my money
10 forward any invention that will
tend 10 lead to their ruin by de-
privinC them Of employment and
II
Lee made "a machine that would
make silk stockings. 7 should think
] should have been justified in
granting him a patent for that
monopoly. which would have af-
fected only a small number Of my
subjects. but 20 enjoy the exclusive
privilege of making stockings for
the whole of my subjects is too i'm
portant 10 be granted TO any indi-
Nidual"
Lee got no patent. but he did later
make machine for knitting silk
stockings. Again he was disap
pointed. lie went TO Paris with his
macsine. but. owing 10 many cir
cumstances, ne failed ever 10 see
his great invention patented. His
brother brought il back TO England
ard set il up. forming the first hos
iery company in London. The Lon
don Frame Work Knitters. For
many years. England held the secret
Of knitting by machine. Then Jede-
Ciah Strut. a former inventor.
bought and set up a machine for
making ribbed hosiery. i'm Derby. in
1851. where, later developed the IA
NOUS Derby works.
The next great center of knitted
hosiery was at Ipswich, Mass In
ISIS, several Nottingham knitters
came % America and established a