THE SILK INDUSTRY IN WESSEX. 83 



in 1853 it was converted into the big schoolroom, and is 

 now used as the school library. Also, a portion of the exist- 

 ing school chapel was once used for the purposes of the silk 

 mill.* 



The severity of the winter season in January, 1795, caused 

 " incredible hardships " to Mrs. Willmott's workpeople, 

 notwithstanding the benevolence of the inhabitants of the 

 town. Vere sends a sympathetic letter, with another gift 

 of ten guineas for food ; in the following month he reports 

 that raw silks would not come from foreign countries for 

 some time " in consequence of the embargo laid on all ship- 

 ping," a situation which almost finds a parallel in the year 

 1916. Bread was Is. the loaf in Sherborne during the 

 summer of 1795. 



Happily, those days of vanishing wages and high prices 

 were followed by a period when silk was plentiful and earn- 

 ings regular, as may be inferred from a letter written to Vere 

 in March, 1799. Thomas Willmott tells his friend that he 

 had recently erected a large engine in the winding house at 

 Cerne, and was about to put up another of a similar kind ; 

 that he had taught the hands at Cerne to " tram " fine silk, 

 which they had not previously done, and that he would 

 shortly be able to return a larger quantity than ever before. 

 All this speaks of flourishing trade, and the next letter indi- 

 cates that an extension to a new district was contemplated. 

 On 27 November, 1799, Thomas Bartlett writes from Evershot 

 to Mrs. Willmott saying he was told that she wished to 

 establish a silk manufactory in the town, if sufficient work- 



*At the beginning of the 19th century the Abbey mill was occupied 

 by a throwster named John Gouger or Genger. In this connection 

 Dr. E. K. Le Fleming has kindly sent to me an extract from the parish 

 books of Wimborne 



Dec. 16, 1817. Resolved at a Vestry that " The children and other 

 persons in the workhouse shall be employed by Mr. Genger of Sherborne 

 in the winding of silk," at the same price as paid locally. Mr. Genger 

 was to " find gratis the machinery necessary for carrying on the 

 concern." 



