Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-07-08
ERIVING its name from the
French "Drapperie," meaning
cloth work, the Diapers

Il "a French 'Drapperie," meaning
\ cloth work, the Diapers
company, as early as 11SO,
has been associated with the textile
trade of London: and has numbered
many distinguished men among its
members since the proud day, in the
reign of Henry |, when Henry Fitz-
Alvin, member of the company, be-
came London's first lord mayor,
which office he continued to hold for
"a years.
Between 1881 and 1714 no less than
53 diapers were thus hOnOred, Nays the
Christian Science Monitor. Not only
did Fitz-Alwin bring civic dignity to
the company, but he left it all his
lands in st. Mary Bothawe.
Cloth was made in England from
very early days, but from Saxon times
onward the chief seat of the indus
try was The Netherlands, whose
weavers obtained the raw wool from
England. Edward III, anxious to fos-
ter it as a British trade forbade both
the export of English wool, and the
import of cloth, and invited balloon
weavers to settle in England. He
gave the first charter to the Diapers
company in 1864, to enable it to en-
force the statutes relating to the sale
of cloths.
Growth of the Industry.
The industry had so rapidly in
creased by 1885 that Sir Nicholas
Brembre, mayor of London. issued an
order separating drapery from tailOry
and the weaving business.
Busy times were the fairs of st.
bartholomew, West Smithfed and
Southwark, where an enormous trade
in textiles was done; and which
the diapers and the merchant tailors
attended for their trade search, so as
to keep sharp guard over Illicit prac-
tees, such as cloth of unlawful width,
or short measure.
Edward III is credited with present
ing the "Drapers' Ell" to the company,
and frequent items in their accounts
are disbursements for new yards" or
companies standards" and also for
cases in which to keep them.
BY the reign of Henry VI the
diapers had become 50 powerful that
the king granted them their charter
of incorporation in 1893, which, with
their six other charters, is still pre-
served. 1t is a very splendid affair
beautifully Illuminated with a head
piece of gold and colorS of the finest
work, and is in a perfect state of
preservation.
A Tilt With Royalty
Royal eXtortions and levies do not
appear to have affected the diapers
as much as some of the other com
panies, but in 1921 we read of great
activity being displayed by them, in
conjunction with the divers auncyant
felishippes" who assembled at "Frers
Austyns" to discuss how they could
either avoid or lessen the heavy con-
tributiOn demanded of them by Henry
VIII toward the fitting out Of five
ships for the explorer, Sebastian
Cabot. With great bravery they in
formed the king that he had no legal
right to eXtOrt their contributions;
and that it was "a sore adventure to
jopard We ships with men and goods
unto the said. island (NewfOundland)
upon the singular trust of one man."
but finally a peremptory message
from my Lord Cardynall" brought the
trucuIent spirits into due submission.
Keen business men were these stall
wart diapers, for not only do their
records contain many entries illustra-
tive of their trade activities, but they
show that the management Of their
charities was equally alert. In 1927
they entered into a prolonged dispute
with the Criticized Friars, regarding
the boundaries of the ground pur-
chased for aImshouses by Sir John
Mlborn, and Of the keeping up by the
friars of certain observances in his
memory.
Pageants and Professions.
II the diapers displayed energy In
business and kindly works, they were
also always to the fore in the civic
pleasures which abOunded in the mid
die ages; and of their "ridngs," pag-
eants by land and water, their mid
summer walks" and their professions,
when one of their number CHANGED to
become lord mayor there are many
quaint and interesting records.
On the occasion Of the marriage of
Henry VII and Elizabeth, we hear of
the diapers, with the others, going