THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX. 79 



April, 1781, by lending to them an " engine mistress " and 

 others to instruct the Taunton hands in the new trade. 

 This kindness was but ill repaid, as Paul is reproved 

 in March, 1783, for having improperly tried to obtain 

 workpeople from among those engaged at Westbury mill.* 

 When Willmott wrote this complaint he certainly had 

 no idea that within twelve month he would be in con- 

 trol of the Taunton undertaking. The new departure by 

 Paul and Vansomer having proved to be unsuccessful, it 

 was suggested to Willmott that he should acquire the mill. 

 At first he declined, on the ground that the distance from 

 Sherborne was too great, but subsequently he decided to 

 buy the mill and machinery in Upper High-street, Taunton, in 

 conjunction with John Norman of that town. The purchase 

 was arranged in November 1783, for a sum of 1,050, and the 

 new partners began operations at once. In May, 1784, there 

 was a local scarcity of labour owing to the flourishing state 

 of trade since the peace with France, and in October of the 

 same year there is a reference to bull baiting in Taunton which 

 had interfered with the attendance of the workpeople. As 

 the correspondence relates chiefly to matters within the 

 county of Somerset, it is perhaps outside the scope of this 

 paper, and it will therefore be sufficient to say that Norman 

 and Willmott started a winding house at Chard, and another 

 at Coombe St. Nicholas, of a similar character to those in 

 Dorset. 



Returning to the main story at Sherborne, I find that 

 Willmott writes to a Mr. Fisher at Dorchester in October, 

 1783, concerning a fire policy for Westbury mill, saying that 

 he had insured with the Sun Fire Office for more than twenty 

 years. The new policy was to be for 3,000, comprising the 

 mill 750, dwellinghouse 500, machinery and silk in trust 

 1,500, and sundry smaller items. 



"There is a very nice letter from two mill hands at Taunton in 

 March, 1783, warning Willmott as to what was going on there. 



