INDUSTRIES 



stronger and tougher in the fibre than that tanned 

 in any other way, and moreover the time taken 

 to produce it was reduced from months to days. 



For a year or two the American manufac- 

 turers had the field all to themselves, but mean- 

 while leather experts both in England and on 

 the Continent were hard at work in their foot- 

 steps. ' An accurate knowledge of chemistry was 

 requisite, and the closest attention to every detail 

 of manufacture; while in the old ways of tanning 

 the method was largely rule of thumb, in chrome 

 tanning accuracy is essential to success, which 

 has involved the invention of new schemes of 

 analysis which require of the tanner a familiarity 

 with chemistry before undreamt of ' Messrs. 

 Pettit and Sons^ were the first in Northampton 

 to seriously attack the problem, and after years 

 of patient and somewhat disheartening striving, 

 were able in the year 1898 to place a pure 

 chrome tanned calf skin before their customers. 

 It is not too much to say that the introduction 

 of chrome tanning has brought about a revolu- 

 tion in the leather trade. Such firms as refused 

 or were unable to depart from the old methods 

 found their market gradually slipping away, and 

 more than a few have had to retire from the 

 trade altogether. The chrome tanned skin, 

 whether in black or brown, was found to be a 

 very serviceable material, and complaints of 

 leather broken in wear soon ceased. In 1904, 

 however, with a desire to cheapen material, an 

 attempt was made to substitute for the pure 

 chrome tannage a combination of vegetable and 

 chrome, by adding a chroming process to a skin 

 already tanned by bark or its substitutes. By 

 this means a leather has been produced very 

 similar in appearance to a pure chrome skin, but 

 possessing neither its strength nor toughness. 



During the past few years efforts have been 

 made by a few manufacturers to dress in Eng- 

 land, on the chrome system, glazed kid skins, 

 which are imported in immense quantities from 

 America and Germany. In 1903 a large 

 factory situated in Crane Street, Northampton, 

 was acquired for that purpose by the British 

 Crome Tanning Company, and is producing 

 considerable quantities of black glazed kid. 



As has been already intimated, the manufac- 

 ture of leather in the county during the past 

 fifty years has never attained to the importance 

 which would be expected considering the pro- 

 minence of its boot industry. Higham Ferrers 

 possesses the oldest-established leather-dressing 

 business in the district. Mr. Thomas Sanders, 

 who died in February, 1905, started in 1847 ^ 

 a dresser of hides for army boots. The business 

 was developed and extended in all branches of 

 currying, and in 1890 the dressing of kips and 

 East India calf for linings was added. On the 

 death of Mr. Sanders the business was acquired 

 by Mr. Thomas Patenall, who continues it 

 under the old name. 



In Raunds some of the army boot contractors 

 have for some years curried hides, mostly of 

 Yorkshire tannages, for their own use. In 

 Wellingborough Messrs. J. Page & Co. of the 

 Midland Works commenced a business in 1875 

 as dressers of Persian sheep and similar skins, for 

 the boot trade, which after the lapse of thirty 

 years is still in a flourishing condition. They 

 were the first outside London to embark in this 

 branch of the trade. Mr. J. Caldicott, who 

 was formerly in Messrs. Page's employ, started 

 a business on similar lines in 1887. In Ketter- 

 ing Messrs. Stimpson Bros., of Northampton, 

 obtained premises in 1897 for the purpose 

 of the manufacture of lining leathers. In 

 1903 they started making chrome leather, and 

 have been very successful in dressing sheep 

 lining leathers and goat skins by the chrome 

 process. 



In Rushden Mr. C. Saunders started about 

 1865 as a general currier and leather-dresser. 

 The business is still continued by his sons, who 

 during the past two years have turned their 

 attention to chrome tanning. About 1875 

 Mr. Chas. G. Cunnington started business as a 

 currier of leathers suited to the boot trade, in 

 which he is still actively employed. Mr. Fred 

 Corby in 1890 opened works in Rushden for 

 the dressing of waxed and russet goods for the 

 trade, but now employs himself almost entirely 

 in the dressing of kips and russet linings, of 

 which he handles large quantities. 



BOOTS AND SHOES 



The fact that King John purchased a pair of 

 single-soled boots and Edward I winter shoes for 

 his fox hunter, William de Blatherwick, and his 

 two assistants in Northampton, has sometimes 

 been given as evidence of the town's early pro- 

 minence in the boot-making industry. There 

 is no doubt, however, that in mediaeval Eng- 



' Procter, Principles of Leather Manufacture. 

 ' Now consisting of the brothers Messrs. G. VV. 

 and J. T. Pettit. 



land every town was practically self-sufficing as 

 regards the every-day commodities of life, and 

 that those purchases were due to the temporary 

 residences of the kings, either at the Royal 

 Castle in Northampton, or at one of the hunting 

 lodges in the vicinity. 



No allusion to shoemaking as a special trade 

 of the town, or to shoemakers or cordwainers as 

 a specially large or influential body, is found 

 either in the Liber Custumarum or in the local 



317 



