Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1920-11-11

cloth work, the Diapers
company, as early as 11S0
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
90 diapers were thus hOnored, Nays the
Christian Science Monitor. Not only
did Fitz-Alwin bring civic dignity to
the company, but he left 1t 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 1t 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 Smithfield 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-
tices, 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 so powerful that
the king granted them their charter
of incorporation in 1888. which, with
their six other charters, is still pre-
served. 1t is a very splendid affair,
Illuminated with a head
piece of gold and colors of the finest
work, and is In q perfect state of
A Tilt With Royalty.
Royal eXtortions and levies do not
appear to have affected the diapers
Is much as some of the other COM |
)anies, but in 1921 we read of great
lctivity being displayed by them, in
with the divers auncyant {
elishippes" who assembled at "Frers I
AuStyns" to discuss how they could {
ther avoid or lessen the heavy con- '
ribution demanded of them by Henry
III toward the fitting out of five l
hips for the explorer. Sebastian a
'abot. With great bravery they in c
Owned the king that he had no legal t
light to eXtOrt their contributions; n
nd that it was "a sore adventure to c
Opard We ships with men and goods o
nto the said island Newfoundland il
pom the singular trust of one man." d
ut finally peremptory message n
'om 'my Lord Cardynall" brought the v
uculent spirits into due submission. n
Keen business men were these stall fl
art diapers. for not only do their
cords contain many entries illustra- al
We of their trade activities, but they cl
low that the management of their fl
arities was equally alert. In 1927 &C
ey entered into a prolonged dispute to
tn the Criticized Friars, regarding &C
e boundaries of the ground pur- tn
ased for almshouseS by Sir John M
Thorn, and of the keeping up by the es
ars of certain observances in his tn
emory. 81
Pageants and Professions. de
If the diapers displayed energy in
siness and kindly works. they were
10 always to the fore in the civic
assures which abounded In the mid ma
ages; and of their "ridings," pag- an
ITS by land and water their mid au
inner walks and their professions, sh
en- one of their numher CHANGED to
.ome lord mayor, there are many
lint and interesting records.
IN the occasion of the Iharriage of SD,
nry VII and Elizabeth, we hear of Do.
diapers, with the others, going scr