72 DORSET " BUTTON Y. 



The high top buttons were used for ladies' dresses, and there 

 were flat ones as well, the polishing and finishing off being 

 done at Is. per gross by four expert women, who could earn 

 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. daily, and have been paid as much as 8 for 

 a month's work. 



The wire button was brought out by a grandson of 

 Abraham Case, in the reign of George II. ; and another 

 member of the family started the trade at Bere Regis, in the | 

 best and most extensive premises in the place. He died in 

 1758, and was succeeded by Peter Case, who built Case's 

 Street and Clayton Square, Liverpool, on the profits of the 

 button trade. 



Towards the end of the 18th Century, Lady Caroline 

 Darner established a school at Milton Abbey for 12 poor 

 children, who were clothed and taught reading, and instructed 

 first in spinning, and afterwards in making buttons, the 

 industry being continued for many years. 



The central depot was established in 1803 at Milborne I 

 Stileham, a hamlet of Milborne S. Andrew, by Peter Case, 

 junior, and he was succeeded by his two nephews, George 

 and Henry, the latter being the father of the Mr. Case who 

 furnished these notes. At Milborne (he says) the trade 

 increased stupendously. Depots were formed at Pydel- 

 trenthide, Hanley, Woolbridge, Langton in the Isle of 

 Purbeck, Iwerne, and Shaftesbury. At Langton and Shaftes- 

 bury an agent was kept permanently ; at the other places 

 horses were kept to do the journeys on fixed days well known 

 to the workers, who came in hundreds to exchange their 

 buttons for goods and cash. 



Buttons were taken at the central depot, Milborne, on 

 Fridays only, when the place was crowded like a fair. The 

 London office was at 19, Addle Street, E.G., and the agent 

 there did business with England, Ireland, and Scotland, with 

 all the chief cities of Europe, and direct to Quebec, Boston, 

 and New York. This was in the forties, and the office was 

 held for 135 years for no other purpose than the sale of buttons, 

 when the returns were from 10,000 to 12,000 per annum. 



