OF SAMUEL CROMPTON. 345 



principally from the fine yarns produced by 

 Hargreaves*s, and other subsequent machines. 

 The Lancashire manufacturers followed them in 

 the thicker and finer fabrics, and about 1805 

 or 6 the Nottingham lace trade sprang up. Mr. 

 Heathcote (originally a whitesmith) invented 

 a machine, by which he could make lace, 

 similar to that of Brussels and Buckingham, 

 which was worked by hand ; and he principally 

 if not wholly, at first, used fine flax yams. 

 Two-fold fine cotton twisted together was 

 found to answer very well as a substitute ; and 

 as it required the finest yarns, a great impulse 

 was given towards perfecting the production of 

 fine cotton yarn. It bore a high price, as the 

 lace manufacturer had only to compete with 

 hand-spun thread, and hand-made lace. 



Having brought this brief sketch down to 

 the present period, I shall close the paper, by 

 subjoining a brief account of the growth of 

 cotton, communicated to me by an old and 

 intelligent Planter of Sea Island Cotton ; pre- 

 mising, that the inforn\ation was supplied, in 

 consequence of an advertisement which I had 

 caused to be inserted in the Charlestown news- 

 papers. 



2 X 



