INDUSTRIES 



the legal prosecution of the offenders and 

 asked the help and support of the assembly in 

 prosecuting the case. The petition was granted.* 



Is it owing to the altered conditions and a 

 more severe competition that we find during the 

 eighteenth century so many tanneries for sale, 

 and not a few tanners forced to compound with 

 their creditors ? From 1768 to 1 800 we hear 

 of the attempted sale or closing of yards at 

 Drayton, Newnham, Wellingborough, Stanwick, 

 King's Sutton, Wilbarston, Brigstock, Syrcsham, 

 Rothwell, Rushden, Kettering, Northampton, 

 Oundlc, and Lowick, and some of them were in 

 the market twice or more. We also hear of 

 tanneries at Towcester, Slapton, Wilby, and 

 Abthorpe. 



In 1729 an advertisement appears of ' a com- 

 pleat and effectual method of tanning without 

 bark by a gentleman who received ;^200 for the 

 discovery,'^ and there is no doubt that experiments 

 were constantly being made with a view to 

 cheapening the dressing of leather. 



At any rate the costliness of the process was 

 not due to the excessive wages paid by the tan- 

 ners. A further reference to the same source 

 shows us what was probably the standard wage. 

 ' Wanted a journeyman tanner, 7;., Ss. or 91. 

 per week. Enquire Mr. Bellamy, Lowick, or 

 Mr. Baggerly, Oundle.' ' 



Evidently the orders relating to the sale of 

 goods in open market were not now enforced. 

 Leather was still brought into the town from the 

 neighbouring villages, but a leather market had 

 been established at the Star Inn in Abington 

 Street, removed in 1723 to the 'Talbot,' in the 

 Market Square, and again to the ' Peacock ' in 

 1726. It appears, however, that at St. George's 

 Fair, and at the important cheese fair held yearly 

 on 19 September, there continued to be a con- 

 siderable exhibition of leather. The old enact- 

 ments against ' regrating,' or buying hides and 

 leather to sell again in the same condition as 

 bought, are no longer enforced. The Mercury of 

 22 May, 1742, records the death of Mr. Alder- 

 man Woolston of Northampton, and says, ' he 

 was the greatest dealer of leather in these parts.' 

 In 1777 an advertisement from Wellingborough 

 tells us that 



' Hadlington and Sharman have taken a Warehouse in 

 Dy Church Lane, Northampton, and supply hides, 

 butts and insole leather, also curried leather. Satur- 

 days 1 1 to 4.' 



In 1762 men are required for dressing ' AUom ' 

 leather at Rushton Mill, near Kettering. 



In 1790 considerable agitation was caused by 

 the rise in price of oak bark. It appears that 

 a large quantity had been sold for export, and a 

 meeting of Northamptonshire tanners was held at 

 Oundle, 30 October, at which it was decided to 



' Northampton Boro. Rcc. ii, 299. 



' Ncrtkampton Mercury, 16 June, I 729. 



' Ibid. 10 August, 1762. 



petition the government to lay a tax on bark 

 exported from the kingdom, it being the opinion 

 of the meeting that 



' as the free exportation of bark is highly injurious to 

 the Leather trade, and consequently to the Revenue of 

 this Kingdom, we feel ourselves deeply interested in its 

 discontinuance.' 



This protest not having the desired effect a fur- 

 ther step was taken in April, 1791, when the 

 public was cautioned * against buying and re-selling 

 oak bark contrary to the statute of 1 James I, 

 c. 2. 



That other branchesof the trade were straining 

 after the enforcement of the old by-laws is 

 shown by the declaration ° of the curriers which 

 appeared in the Mercury two years later, protest- 

 ing strongly against persons who had not served 

 a seven years' apprenticeship working as curriers. 



In the year 1795 prices of leather in the 

 London market are given weekly in the North- 

 ampton paper. The following list is interesting 

 for comparison : — 



Butts. Crop Hides 50-60 lb. 14! to 15^. per lb. 



60-70 „ 15 „ i6i. „ 

 Dressing Hides, 1 2 J to 1 3a'. per lb. 

 Calfskins, 40—50 lb. 21 to 23^. per lb. 

 „ 60-80 „ 20 „ zzd. „ 



80-120 „ 18 „ loJ. „ 



The large amount of extra business caused by 

 the demand for boots in the army during the 

 Peninsular war affected the leather producer 

 equally with the boot manufacturer in Northamp- 

 ton. It seems that the journeymen curriers 

 embraced the opportunity, and endeavoured to 

 improve their position by combining to raise 

 wages. On 14 November, 18 12, the following 

 notice appears : — 



'To Curriers. 

 In consequence of Proceedings having been insti- 

 tuted against the Journeyman Curriers late in our 

 employ for a Combination the undermentioned have 

 absconded and left their work in an unfinished state, 

 it is therefore earnestly requested that the trade in 

 general will refuse to entertain them till they have 

 made a full Atonement for their highly improper and 

 unwarrantable Conduct. (Eight names of workmen 

 given). 



Signed : — John Shelton. '\ , , 



Samuel Hartup. V /-, « , 



T-, T) Curriers. 



Tho. Bumpus. J 



The great cost of the war had caused the 

 government to grasp at any means of increasing 

 the revenue, and in the last session of Parliament 

 ofi8i2atax had been imposed on all leather 

 whether of English or foreign manufacture. The 

 tax was a heavy one, consisting of 3^. per hide on 

 all ox, cow, or horse hide dressed by oil or alum, 

 and three halfpence per pound avoirdupois when 

 tanned. Calf skins had to pay in proportion, 



* Ibid. 16 April, 1 79 1. 



* Dated Northampton, 8 June, 1793. 



* N ortkampton Mercury, 14 Nov. 1812. 



ii3 40 



