526 



A. D. 1800. 



Kerfeymeres, which of late have become an article of confiderable 

 importance, are not included in this account. 



The following eflimates of the number of packs of wool (of 240 pounds 

 each), and of the value of the broad and narrow cloths, together with 

 the fuppofed amount of the other branches of the woolen manufa(5lure 

 in the Weft-riding of Ycrk-flrire, and alfo in the whole kingdom, in the 

 year 1799, are taken from the evidence given by feveral manufadurers 

 to a committee of the houfe of commons in April 1800. 



£ St m. 



72,734 packs, average value 1 1 800,0/4, made 272,755 piecesbroad, of the estimated value of 3,795,157 

 30,028 14 420,392 180,168 narrow, average value sSQ . . 1,081,008 



Total value of broad and narrow clolhs * 4,870,165 



Blankets and other goods (apparently including kerseymeres) supposed above 1,600,000 



Stuffs, or worsted goods, supposed to amount to 1,400,000 



The whole woolen goods made in the riding being thus estimated at a^7j876jl65 



Some of the same gentlemen estimated the quantity of wool annually produced from 28,800,000 

 sheep, the supposed stock in the kingdom, to be 600,000 packs, for ^\■hich they assumed the medium 

 value of a^^ll per pack, the whole being ^6,60O,00O 



The value is increased in the manufacture from double to ninefold : assuming threefold 

 as an average, the total value of woolen goods manufactured in the whole kingdom, is 19,800,000 



In the year 1782 it was estimated at ^14,000,000, and in I791 at ^^19,000,000 f. 



This vail manufadlure is fuppofed to give employment to three mil- 

 lions of men, women, boys, and girls J, notwithftanding the decreafe of 

 the quantity of wool, and the great abridgement of labour by the ufe 

 of machinery, which, in the various procefTes previous to the weaving, 

 was ftated by one manufadurer to accomplifti by the hands of 35 per- 

 fons the work, which about the year 1785 required the labour of 1,634 

 perfons. 



The capital vefted in machinery, and buildings appropriated to the 

 woolen manufacfture, in various parts of the country, was fuppofed to be 

 about ;(^6, 000 ,000. "■ 



It is evident that the foreign demand for woolen manufadtures has 

 lately extended beyond the power of the country to fupply it : for many 

 more orders have been fent to the manufaclurers than they could pof- 

 fibly find wool to execute. The increafed demand may be afcribed, 

 partly to the failure of fome manufactures on the continent, occafioned 



* Tlie evidence ftates only the fuppofed total than founded upon fufficient data. One gentleman 

 of the value of the broad and narrow cloths taken ftates the wool produced in the years 1782 to 

 together, and the average value of the narrow: 1790 at 600, oco packs : and, though he and others 

 and thefe form the bafis on which the account flated that the quantity has been decreafing fince 

 given in the text is conllnicled. The broad cloths 17S4, he eftimatcs his total of all the woolen man- 

 appear to have been valued at above ^13:18:0, ufadtures upon the bnfis of 600,000 packs, entire- 

 which, unlefs the finer goods made a greater pro- ]y overlooking the imported wool of Spain and 

 portion of the whole than can well be fuppofed, is other countries, 

 furely much too high. J It may well be doubted, whether this number 



f There is no regular official account of any does not include the infant children and all other 



other branch of the woolen manufafture than the dependents of the nianufaO;turers. Other eflimates 



broad and narrow cloths of the Weft-riding of ftate the number at rather more than a million, or 



York-fhire. And it mull be acknowleged that all at moft at a million and a half. See F. iii,/. 603. 

 the numbers here given feem rather conjcftural 



