RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE HOSIERY MANUFACTURE. 85 



coercive j>rotection, and rapidly increased in the midland counties. This 

 portion of the history of stocking- weaving is curious and instructive. 

 Its results were, that, hy 1753, the frames in London had declined to 

 1,U00, and increased in Nottingham to 1,500, in Leicester to 1,000 ; the 

 total number having risen to 14,000. Meantime cotton hose, first woven 

 in 1730, were getting into notice and demand. Specimens of stockings 

 made at intervals during the years 1790 to 1850 from Arkwright's yarn 

 for the most part, of great excellence, and quaintly fashioned, are shown 

 in the present Exhibition. They are the manufacture of the late John 

 Allen, Esq., of Nottingham, and are well worth careful examination. 

 Invention, having for its object to vary by the improvements of this 

 frame, the kind and style ol production, began about 1750, and has con- 

 tinued ever since in vigorous operation, reaching a very high point 

 indeed. The midland counties have long been famous for mechanical 

 skill and invention. 



The " tuck-presser," which was attempted in 1730, and applied in 

 1745, was followed by Jedediah Strutt's Derby rib-patent in 1759. By 

 this invention a variation of the uniform or plain-looped work of the 

 stocking-frame was effected by machinery, which applied " points " to 

 such of the " hooks " or needles as held the Ioojds it was desired to 

 operate upon, and then removed these loops to the hooks to the right or 

 left hand, which would cause an alteration in the face vf the work, and 

 if repeated, produce interstices. The principle to be carried out was 

 simple, but required great skill in its application by Mr. Strutt. An 

 addition was thereby to be made to the machine, breaking in upon its 

 uniform action. It involved the entire control of any loop and conse- 

 quently over each hook across its face. This principle lies at the bottom 

 of Morris's patents of 1763 and 1781, whereby "eyelet" (oeillet) hole- 

 work was produced, as seen in the open work in the ankle and insteps 

 of ladies' hose. Under Crane's patent, 1768, looped nets were made. 

 Else, in 1770, made the " pin " lace machine by further change in this 

 machinery. This principle of control and selection, modified in its ap- 

 plication, produced the "knotted," by Horton, 1776 ;" twilled," 

 " stump," " mesh," and "point," machines, the latter by Lindley, in 

 1778. Indeed, although Lee's machine was, considering his times and 

 circumstances, an astonishing effort of genius, it was succeeded after the 

 time of Strutt by very extraordinary variations and additions. By some 

 of these, adaptations were made of the stocking-frame to the production 

 of fancy hosiery ; by others to make imitations of pillow-lace. Thus 

 in 1769 and 1777, Robert Frost patented machines, in one' of which he 

 introduced perforated hollow long squares of wood, and in the other a 

 long solid square of wood having knobs on the surface, workiug on the 

 principle of a barrel organ upon the loops at pleasure. On this plan 

 the first machine-wrought lace was made by him. Is it possible that 

 Jacquards grand idea came from knowledge of this important inven- •- 

 tion? In 1 782, the warp-machine was constructed by Tarratt, on the 



