72 THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX. 



which was termed "invisible," viz., lost, destroyed, or stolen. 

 When the percentage was high there were naturally many 

 complaints. 



One of Willmott's chief troubles was to obtain and keep 

 a sufficient number of workpeople for his increasing trade. 

 As I have already mentioned, the bulk of the work was done 

 by women and girls, child labour being used in the more 

 simple processes, such as the preliminary winding. A 

 considerable but unknown proportion of the 250 Dorset 

 women and children who were so employed in 1786, for 

 example, had been in receipt of parish relief, and the Overseers 

 in most cases welcomed the starting of a branch silk-house 

 as conducing to a reduction of the local poor rates. Un- 

 fortunately, employment being by piece work was very 

 irregular, and Willmott's letters in times of slack trade draw 

 a sad picture of his workpeople's hardships. On several 

 occasions James Vere and Co., of Bishopsgate, London, who 

 were the best customers of the silk mill, sent ten guineas to 

 Willmott to buy food for the starving children. One such 

 sum was expended in February, 1784, in the purchase of 350 

 loaves and 11 bushels of peas, the bill of which is among 

 our documents. The winter was then so severe that 

 communication between Sherborne and Cerne was impossible 

 for some time. To the trials of midwinter must be added 

 the shortage of water-power due to seasons of drought, which 

 also added to unemployment. 



On the other hand it must be said that even when silk 

 was in plentiful supply the workers would desert Westbury 

 mill in order to attend the numerous fairs in the town or the 

 races at Lenthay, or to help in the harvest fields. At times 

 the hours of work were very long, continuing through the 

 night when it was desirable to take advantage of a good head 

 of water in the stream. In November, 1 781 , Willmott remarks 

 in a letter " water now plentiful and shall work seven days 

 a week." 



The pay lists or wages books, with two small exceptions, 

 have not survived. Neither of the existing lists is dated, but 



