MANUFACTURES. 
ahd other parts of England. Tlie value 
estimated at the current prices, of linens 
exported, on an average of three years pre- 
ceding 6 th of January 1799, was 1,278,7347. 
therefore, if the quantity retained for home 
consumption is not greater than the export, 
the value of tlie whole must be upwards of 
2,500,0001.; and it probably will not ex- 
ceed the truth if the yearly value of the 
whole of this manufacture in Great Britain, 
with the thread, and other branches of the 
flax trade, is stated at 3,000,0001. The 
linens which most of the families in Scot- 
land make for their own use are not stamp- 
ed, and consequently are not included in 
these returns, which must therefore be less 
than the quantity actually manufactured by 
several millions of yards; and the value 
stated is certainly much below the actual 
selling prices. There ds no account kept 
of the linen-manufacture in England ; and 
as it is considered as an object of subor- 
dinate importance, its annual value is pro- 
bably under 1,000,0001. but even if it is 
somewhat less than this amount, it will 
appear that the total value of the manufac- 
ture, rated at the current prices, cannot 
be less than the sum before stated, or 
3.000. 0001. The number of persons em- 
ploved in it is probably not less than 
95.000. 
The hemp-manufacture at present ex- 
ceeds 1,600,0001. per annum, but is less in 
time of peace ; the persons employed in it 
are probably about 35,000. 
The paper-manufacture has been greatly 
advanced of late. ■ A hundred years ago 
scarcely any paper was made in this country 
but the coarse wrapping papers ; and for a 
long time most of the superior kinds con- 
tinued to be imported ; the export is, how- 
ever, at present considerable. The annual 
value of tlie manufacture, at the present 
high prices of the article, cannot be less 
than 900,0001. and the number of persons 
employed in it 30,000. 
The glass-manufacture was much im- 
proved in the course of the last century, 
particularly in the article of plate-glass, and 
it has greatly increased of late years; it 
may now amount to 1,500,0001. per annum, 
and the persons employed in it to about 
36.000. 
The potteries, and manufactures of 
earthenware and porcelain, advanced rapid- 
ly during the last century, in consequence 
of the great improvements made in them, 
and the introduction of many new and 
beautiful wares, both for our own use juid 
VOL. IV. 
foreign markets. The article of quren’s- 
ware was invented in 1763, by Mr. .T. 
Wedgewood, to whom the public are also 
indebted for most of those elegaut species of 
earthenware and porcelain which, moulded 
into a thousand different forms for orna- 
ment or use, now constitute the most valu- 
able part of this manufacture. The annual 
value will pVobably not ,be over-rated at 
2.000. 0001. and tlie number of persons 
employed at 45,000. 
The iron-manufacture is supplied partly 
by the produce of our own mines, and 
partly by those of other countries ; with 
respect to the first, it appears that the 
total produce of pig-iron in Britain is at 
least 100,000 tons; and reckoning on an 
average, that 33 cwt. of crude iron produce 
one ton of bars, and that the manufacture 
of malleable iron amounts to 35,000 tons 
per annum, this branch will require 57,750 
tons of crude iron ; and the value in bars, 
at 201. a ton, which is considerably under 
the present price, is 700,0001. the remain- 
ing 42, 250 tons, cast into cannon, cylinders, 
and machinery, &c. at 141. a ton, are 
worth 591,5001. The supply of foreign 
bar-iron is chie^y obtained from Russia 
and Sweden; and the quantity imported 
on an average of six years, ending with 
1805, after deducting what was re-export- 
ed, has been 33,628 tons, value 865,1821. 
which, with the sums before mentioned, 
amount to 2,156,6821. This value is greatly 
increased by subsequent labour; but the 
proportion of the increase cannot be easily 
determined, the quantity of labour being 
so very different in different articles. Some 
years ago the value of the iron-manufacture 
was estimated at 8,700,0001. which sum ap- 
pears rather too high at present; but in- 
cluding tin and lead, the value of the whole 
will probably not be taken too high at 
10 . 000 . 0001 . and the number of persons 
employed at 200,000. 
The copper and brass manufactures are 
now established in this country in all their 
branches. Till about the years 1720 or 
1730, most of the copper and brass utensils 
for culinary and other purposes, used in 
this country, were imported from Ham- 
burgh and Holland, being procured from 
the manufactories of Germany; even so 
late as the years 1745 and 1750, copper 
tea-kettles, saucepans, and pots of all sizes, 
were imported here in large quantities; 
but tlirough the persevering industry, capi- 
tals, and enterprising spirit of our miners 
and manufacturers, these imports have be- 
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