ELLE OSS Le ee ee 
By Pardoe Yates. 257 
like the Brussels. The loop pile, or “ Brussels,” carpet has also been 
made at Wilton for nearly a century andahalf. Mr. Acton Taylor, 
in his “ History of the Carpet Trade,” states that they were originally 
woven upon the “the principle of one frame or creel, so arranged 
that five sets of colors consisting of one hundred and thirty bobbins, 
could be worked. Upon each bobbin were wound four threads of 
worsted and the bobbins hung down from a frame into a pit similar 
toa hand saw-pit, the threads being divided at the top by an ingenious 
mechanism, so as to keep the threads from twisting or becoming 
too tight ; upon each bobbin was attached a small anchor, and this 
with the bobbin had to be lowered down for every five feet of 
carpet that the weaver made. Three assistants were also required 
by the weavers during the primitive state of the Brussels loom, one 
to draw out the wire from the thread surface; another one to draw 
up the design or figure which was put into the cordage in connection 
with the harness; and a third was constantly employed in taking off 
the worsted from the bobbin and lowering it with the anchor into 
the pit.” This principle was largely improved upon during the last 
century, and the introduction of the Jacquard machine in the first 
part of the century created a revolution in the process of manufacture. 
Of other industries established in Wilton, one for the manufacture of 
cloth, which acquired a fashionable publicity and was known by the 
name of “marble cloth,” was promoted by the same Earl of Pembroke 
who brought Anthony Duffosy to improve the then make of carpets. 
There is also in Wilton an important industry, owned by Mrs. Naish, 
which has achieved an unique prestige for the finest products of 
woollen felt. 
In conclusion I wish to state that for the historical description of 
carpets I have culled somewhat extensively from the able article on 
** Carpets and the Wilton Carpet Industry,” written some years ago 
for the Salisbury and Winchester Journal by the then editor, to whom 
it was my pleasure to lend the Weavers’ Charter and various historical 
and descriptive books on the subject. For the reference to the marble 
cloth industry, founded by Henry, ninth Earl of Pembroke, I am in- 
debted to Mr. Nightingale, whose loan of John Britton’s book, “‘ The 
Beauties of Wiltshire,” has added much interest to my researches. 
