376 Bradford-on- Avon. { Old Families & Worthies. 
commander, killed at the siege of Lyme in 1644, whilst serving 
under Prince Maurice. 
It was, however, the son of the last named John Yerbury, who 
bore the name,—so frequent in this branch of their family,—of 
Franorts, that struck out a new path for himself, and reaped fully 
the reward of his ingenuity. He was educated at first for the bar. 
Having a taste for all kinds of mechanical contrivances, he was 
accustomed, whilst a resident in London, to visit the silk manu- 
factories of Spital Fields. The ‘mystery’ of cloth-making was 
not unknown to him, from his connection with Bradford-on-Avon. 
He conceived the idea, that, by introducing into its manufacture 
some of the plans and contrivances adopted in the weaving of silk, 
cloth might be materially improved in quality. What was made 
here, before his time, was thick and coarse in its texture, and had, 
technically speaking, little or no ‘face’ on it. He matured his plans, 
and, when ready to carry them into effect, obtained for his invention, 
or, at least, improvement, the protection of a Patent." The document 
is still in the possession of the family. His enterprise and talent 
met with an ample reward in a large accession to his fortune. The 
improvements introduced by Francis Yerbury, were, in due time, 
adopted by other manufacturers, and led ultimately to results, so 
far as the cloth-trade was concerned, at the first but little ex- 
pected. 
Of his son, Jonn Wit11AmM YERBURY, who, on the death of the 
father in 1778, became the representative of the family here, we 
have a circumstance recorded that shews he had inherited no 
little portion of the brave spirit of his kinsmen. In a Journal 
published at the time, (1787,) we have the following account. 
“Some 1500 or more weavers from Bradford and Trowbridge hay- 
ing compelled their masters to acquiesce in certain new regulations 
[not stated] were so flushed with success that they marched in 
1 In the Patent, which is dated 26th Aug., 6 George III., it is recited that 
‘‘Francis Yerbury, after much application and many trials, attended with much 
expense, about four years ago invented and brought to perfection a new method 
of making thin superfine cloth for the summer season at home, and warmer — 
climates abroad, and yet notwithstanding the thinness of its texture, it is more 
. durable than cloth of a greater substance made in the common way.” 
