176 History of Hingham. 



whistle sounded its daily call to work, and the hustle and hum 

 of business activity was again established. For the past ten 

 years the factory has not been in active operation, owing to the 

 peculiar condition of affairs in the cordage manufacturing busi- 

 ness, but the buildings have been kept in good repair and the 

 machinery in perfect order, ready at any moment to be started 

 again whenever the business conditions make it expedient. 



The goods manufactured by this company have always been of 

 the best quality, and the selling agents from the incorporation of 

 the companv have been the successive firms doing business in 

 Boston with which the Whitens of this town have been connected, 

 the present firm being M. F. Whiton & Co. 



Other manufacturers of twine and cordage on a smaller scale 

 have been Nicholas Wall, Henry Wall, James Dower, and James 

 Graham, all of whom obtained much of their experience in the 

 employ of the Hingham Cordage Company, and then established 

 small ropewalks of their own. 



The Hingham Jute and Bagging Company was incorporated 

 Oct. 28, 1869, with a capital of $25,000, afterwards increased to 

 ■S27.000, for the purpose, according to the Articles of Agreement, 

 '• of manufacturing cordage, bagging, and other textile fabrics " 

 in the town of Hingham. The articles were signed bv David 

 Whiton, Thomas F. Whiton, Albert Fearing, Morris Fearing, John 

 Rider, L. C. Whiton, and Lincoln Fearing. The company pur- 

 chased land at Hingham Centre, near the Hingham Cordage Com- 

 pany's rope-walk, in the rear of Main Street, and also one of the 

 factory buildings formerly occupied by Burr, Brown, & Co., which 

 was removed to Hingham Centre, and with additions became the 

 factory of this company. Here the manufacture of jute bagging- 

 was carried on for a few years, but was soon given up. The cor- 

 poration was legally dissolved in May, 1879. 



The manufacture of umbrellas and parasols was established in 

 Hingham prior to 1818 by Benjamin S. Williams, on South Street 

 near Hobart's Bridge, and gave steady employment to a large 

 number of hands. It was incorporated as the Hingham Umbrella 

 Manufacturing Company in 1825. The manufactured stock was 

 sold principally in Boston. 



Edward Cazneau succeeded Mr. Williams as the proprietor, and 

 on June 13, 1828, gave public notice, by an advertisement in the 

 " Hingham Gazette," that " all Umbrellas or Parasols sold here 

 by retail will be kept in repair twelve months, gratis." The cov- 

 erings used in the manufacture were of silk, oiled linen, and Eng- 

 lish ginghams, in brown, blue, and green. There are several 

 umbrellas now (1893) in use which were made at this manufac- 

 torv, all of seventv vears aero. The industry was discontinued 

 here in 1842. For the year ending April 1, 1837, the number of 



