A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



an icehouse belonging to Mr. Topott, confec- 

 tioner, in Bridlesmithgate. 40 The Malt Cross of 

 Nottingham, around which the great market 

 trade in malt was carried on, was pulled down 

 in I7H- 41 



There were three wholesale breweries in Not- 

 tingham at the close of the. i8th century ; one 

 at Goose Gate, established in 1792, owned by 

 Thomas Simpson ; another on the site of Poplar 

 Place, started in 1794 by Henry Green & Co. ; 

 and a third, that of Messrs. Deverill & Co., at 

 the north end of Leen Bridge, this latter firm 

 being noted for the excellence of its porter, 

 which found a ready sale in spite of the prejudice 

 against brewer's ale then prevalent in the 

 country. So strong was this prejudice, that in 

 18004 the brewers endeavoured to compel a 

 sale of their ' inferior ' liquor by combining to 

 buy up all the public-houses. The magistrates 

 thereupon retaliated by stopping the licences. 42 

 In 1800 malt was i2s. per bushel, and ale 6J. 

 per quarter at Mansfield. 43 



The flourishing malting industry of Retford 

 had been gradually superseded by that of Work- 

 sop, which paid to the Excise at one time 

 ,50,000 for malt. 44 At Carlton-on-Trent a 



very extensive malting business was that of 

 Mr. Hole, which was ' capable of wetting down 

 140 qrs. of barley at a time.' 45 



In 1820 Messrs. Handley owned a brewery 

 in North Gate, Newark, which was ' a very ex- 

 tensive concern.' The trade with the Baltic at 

 this date was considerable, 46 whilst the Empress 

 Catherine of Russia was, we are told, ' extremely 

 partial to stout, humming liquor,' which was 

 largely exported from Nottinghamshire to that 

 country. 47 



According to the brewing returns for 1823-4, 

 Nottinghamshire produced in that year 24,309 

 barrels of strong beer, 5,472 barrels of table 

 beer, and 2 barrels of intermediate quality, 

 100,452 bushels of malt being consumed in the 

 manufacture. 48 



In 1852 Clinton malt-kilns were erected at 

 Worksop by Mr. J. M. Threlfall. At this 

 establishment, for nine months in the year, 

 300 quarters of malt were wetted down every 

 four days. 49 



At the present day an extensive trade in malt 

 is done at Newark and Nottingham, and the 

 output of the breweries of the county is still of 

 excellent repute. 



IRONWORK, FOUNDRIES, MOTORS, CYCLES, 

 MACHINE BUILDING 



The varied activities of the mechanical trades 

 of Nottingham prove its craftsmen in the metal- 

 lic arts to be the worthy successors of that 

 4 little smith of Nottingham,' for whom it was 



O ' 



proudly claimed that he could ' do the work that 

 no man can.' On one feature of these activities 

 the notable lace trade of the county is itself 

 dependent, for without those marvels of delicate 

 accuracy, the lace machines which are so largely 

 produced in the town, the textile staple produced 

 by their means could never have come into 

 existence. 



The Nottingham framesmith, whether en- 

 gaged in the repairing of the stocking-frame or in 

 the building of the lace-machine, worked under 

 peculiarly local conditions, as the industry differed 

 in certain well-defined respects from its conduct 

 in all other counties. Here the mechanic worked 

 under the immediate supervision of the lace 



40 Blackner, op. cit. 



41 Rec. Bora. Nott. iii, 473. 



41 Blackner, Hist. Nott. 202-3. 



43 Harrod, Hist. Mansfel/t, 34. 



44 Piercy, Hist. Retford, 10. 



45 White, Hist. Worksop, 67. 

 44 Thornton Soc. Trans, ii, 41. 

 " Shilton, Hist. Newark, 542. 

 48 Accti. and Papers, xviii, 325. 



manufacturer, by whom he was employed at a 

 weekly wage. 1 



A small iron foundry was erected in 1773 

 in Narrow Marsh by Mr. Foljamb, which 

 frequently changed hands. That erected in 

 Granby Street in 1803 by Mr. Alderman Ash- 

 well was spoken of by Blackner as ' a concern 

 of considerable magnitude, which is worked by 

 one of the most complete steam engines in the 

 kingdom, of 5 horse power.' Dispatch and 

 execution of workmanship are found here 

 in an equal degree to those at any other 

 foundry in the country. * A few years after 

 the commencement of this concern,' adds the 

 historian of the city, ' Mr. Ashwell introduced 

 brass casting also, which is pursued with flattering 

 success.' 8 



In the production of the Jardine lace ma- 

 chinery 2,460 persons are employed, the works 



49 White, Hist. Notts. 628. 



1 Ref. Com. Export Machinery, 1841, p. 172. 



' Blackner, Hist. Nott. 207. We are informed by 

 Mr. Henry Ashwell, son of the founder of this firm, 

 that in March 18153 person named George Harrison 

 was killed by the engine at this establishment, at the 

 moment when he had clandestinely introduced him- 

 self for the purpose of carrying to another foundry the 

 improved application of its powers. 



366 





