THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX. 67 



named Hart in a water grist-mill, dwelling house, and three 

 acres lying in the homage of Westbury within the manor 

 of Sherborne, then held under a lease dated 1728 

 from William, Lord Digby, upon the life of Sweet Hart, a 

 tide waiter in the port of Liverpool. John Sharrer, having 

 thus gained possession of Westbury mill and having 

 presumably started the silk trade, obtained another lease from 

 Edward, Lord Digby on the 1st April, 1755, for 99 years on 

 two lives, to begin after the death of Sweet Hart. On the 

 next day, Lord Digby and Henry his brother signed an 

 agreement with Sharrer whereby they undertook to grant to 

 him, as soon as certain legal formalities permitted, an absolute 

 lease of the mill and its appurtenances for 70 years, and 

 Sharrer was empowered " to pull down the buildings and to 

 " erect others in their stead for the better carrying on 

 " his business of silk throwing." The existing mill-house at 

 Westbury dates, therefore, from the year 1755 or thereabouts. 

 Sharrer, as we have seen, was a Spitalfields throwster, and 

 his object in thus extending his business was probably three- 

 fold. He had relatives living in Sherborne, there was water 

 power for his machinery, and there was a sufficient supply of 

 labour furnished by women and children, as to which I shall 

 have more to say presently. 



The trade having been established and the water-mill 

 rebuilt, the next document to be noticed is a partnership 

 agreement dated 2 May, 1764, between John Sharrer and 

 his two nephews, George Ward of Sherborne, silk thrower, 

 and William Willmott of Hornsey, who followed a similar 

 occupation. It is chiefly round the last named person that 

 this story centres, as Willmott eventually became the owner 

 of the silk mill and developed its business with untiring 

 perseverance. The agreement of 1764 recites that Sharrer, 

 in consideration of the trust and confidence reposed in his 

 nephews, desired to advance them in the world, and therefore 

 accepted them as his partners in the practical working of the 

 business for seven years. We also learn that the uncle had 

 expended more than 2,500 in rebuilding and fitting up 



