574 ON THE PRICE OF TEXTILE FABRICS., ETC. 



demand, if indeed it be not the case that the need for such 

 articles was satisfied by the use of home-spun cloth. The early 

 entries of the Clare estates inform us that table-linen was 

 manufactured at Aylesham, as does also an entry from the 

 Elham roll of 1340. It appears, too, that the purchases made 

 at St. Ives and St. Neots were Norfolk stuffs. 



On two occasions, at Southampton in 1306 and at Maiden 

 Bradley in 1326, a kind of cloth, which could not from its 

 price have been woollen, was purchased under the name of 

 c pannus de Hybu.,' or c pannus Hibernicus.' It would seem 

 that a linen manufacture was established in Ireland even at 

 that early date. 



On two occasions, at Clare in the years 1284 and 1285, pur- 

 chases are made of sheeting under the name of c tela de Leges,' 

 that is, of Liege. This fabric, bought for the use of the Earl of 

 Gloucester, is far more expensive than ordinary stuff. Such 

 an article is probably implied in the name of Flanders linen, 

 nine ells of which are bought by the fellows of Merton at is. 

 the ell. The c pannus ad torale,' purchased at Elham in 1346 

 and 1348, seems also to be sheeting, though of a coarser or 

 cheaper kind. 



The word c lintheamen,' which occurs often in the original 

 accounts, appears to be used indifferently for sheets and shirts. 

 I have given two entries of this name in 1311 and 1320, in 

 which it seems that it must mean the former. In the year 

 1304 an entry will be found of two new shirts at Southampton 

 bought at 5f*/. each. 



The material used for towels and napkins is called linen and 

 canvas indifferently. Occasionally it seems that napkins were 

 purchased by the piece, the piece varying greatly, according, 

 no doubt, to size and quality. Sometimes, again, linen is 

 bought by the ell, the use being expressly designated. Thus 

 the c carentinilla' bought by the Countess of Leicester at Dover 

 in the year 1264 is said to be intended for napkins, as also 

 another stuff, called c carientunda,' at Harewood in 1286. At 

 another place, in 1328, we read of a fabric called c Tarent towel/ 



