THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX. 81 



the public that the funds then amounted to 439 3s. 3d., and 

 complains of the wrongful removal of a tablet and a box for 

 donations which had been placed in the south aisle of the 

 abbey church in the year 1771. 



I find that Mary, the widow of William Willmott, arranged 

 to continue the throwing mill until her sons were old enough 

 to relieve her of the management. One of Mrs. Willmott 's 

 first steps was to sell to John Norman her husband's half 

 share of the Taunton mill, and if we may judge from the 

 amount paid to Willmott's executors the Somerset under- 

 taking had been a profitable venture. The branch silk- 

 houses in Dorset remained unchanged. 



On 9 June, 1787, an inventory was made of the effects at 

 Sherborne and elsewhere, from which I have extracted the 

 following particulars as to the appliances, &c., used by an 

 eighteenth century silk-thrower. 



Westbury mill 



In the workshop on the ground floor, 



10 pair of compleat mills, 3 silk bins, 1 silk press, 1 beam and scales. 

 In the second floor 



4 pair of compleat mills, 1 dumb mill, 5 engines compleat. 3 bins. 

 In the upper floor 



1 spinning mill, 8 engines compleat, 2 bins. 

 In the Tram shop 



1 beam and scales, 43 Tram wheels compleat with stools, 1 iron stove, 

 4 bins, 11 trays. 



(There were also 126 baskets in which the wrought silk was returned 

 to the owners. This method of packing had been first introduced by 

 William Willmott, the baskets being made locally.) 



Setts of tools with outdoor windsters in Sherborne, Ceme and Point- 

 ington, 240. (I have not found any other reference to the last 

 named parish.) 

 At the work -house at Cerne 



32 wheels, 27 rices and runners, 31 Spanish engines, 1 chest, 1 beam, 

 scales and weights, 6 basketts. 

 At the work -house at Dorchester 



35 wheels, 35 engines, 4 rices and runners, 1 chest, 1 beam, scale and 

 weights, 20 baskets. 



The year 1787 was marked by the failure of the silk crop 

 in Italy, which entailed a serious loss to English mills and 



