Holiday Cottages Dartmoor
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Devon has long been celebrated for its woollen and lace manufactures; one or the other of which was formerly to be found in most parts of the county, but both have greatly declined here during the present century, owing to the amazing extension of machinery and the factory system, in the Midland and Northern Counties, which have nearly annihilated these branches of industry in their primitive seats, where the old domestic system was adhered to.
There are still several large woollen mills and several thousand looms in different parts of the county, employed in making serges, blankets, and other coarse woollen cloths. Cloth was woven at Exeter and Chudleigh in the reign of Edward I. Dartmoor wool, however, was at that time exported; but Edward III. prohibited the exportation of wool, and encouraged the immigration of foreign weavers, many of whom settled in this county. In the 15th century, friezes, Tavistocks, or western dozens and other sorts of coarse cloths, were exported by the Devonshire merchants to Brittany. In the reign of Edward IV., an Italian taught the English the art of weaving kerseys; and in the early part of the 16th century, “Devonshire kerseys,” were an important article of commerce to the Levant. The woollen manufacture was greatly extended here in the reign of Elizabeth, and continued to flourish till the close of last century. The market for wool and cloths, which had been long at Crediton, was removed to Exeter, in 1538. Totnes produced a sort of coarse cloth, called Pynn-whites, not made elsewhere. Crediton was famous for fine spinning. Barnstaple and Torrington furnished bayes, frizadoes, &c., and Pilton, cottons and linings, “so coarse a stuffe, that there was a vae (a woe) pronounced against them in these words :- Woe unto you, ye Piltonians, that make cloth without wool.”
Many other places contributed to the great Exeter mart, which ranked next Leeds in 1759, and exported no fewer than 330,411 pieces of cloth, in 1768, but its trade suffered considerably during the American war. In 1789, the East India Company bought here 121,000 pieces of serges, &c.; of which 600 pieces of broads were made at Crediton, and the rest chiefly at Ashburton, Tavistock, Modbury, North Tawton, and Newton Bushel. While they had the monopoly of the tea trade, they were enabled to force their serges or long ells, on the Chinese in exchange, and they were induced to do this on several occasions, at the request of government, in order to relieve the weavers and manufacturers of this Country in times of distress. From 1705 to 1805, this company annually purchased here from 250,000 to 300,000 pieces. In 1838, there were still in the county 39 woollen mills, and more than 3000 looms employed in weaving serges. Of the latter there were in and around Ashburton, 660; Okehampton, 530; Collumpton, 500; Buckfastleigh, 700; Exeter, 800; Totnes,230; South and North Molton, 200; Crediton and North Tawton, 150; and Tavistock, 100. The manufacture of blankets has been introduced into Devonshire since the expiration of the East India Company’s trading monopoly, and many of the women of Devon, previously employed in weaving serges, have since been employed in glove making.
Since the repeal of the prohibition to export English wool, great quantities have been exported from Devonshire, chiefly to France, for the manufacture of finer articles than serges. In 1838, there were in Devon three flax mills and three silk mills. The latter are at Church Stanton, Aylesbeer, and Ottery St. Mary, and employ upwards of 400 hands. From 1755 till 1835, there was a celebrated carpet manufactory at Axminster. Bone or thread lace, commonly called Honiton lace, is extensively made in the town and neighbourhood of Honiton, and in many other parts of the county, and gives employment to many thousand women and children.
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