338

HISTORY OF LACE.

arrival of the French settlers after the revocation of the Edict ofNantes. At the same period, the author of the “Magna Bri-tannia ” 7 states that, at Woburn, “ lace of a high price is made inconsiderable quantities.” Savary and Peuchet both declare thetown of Bedford alone to have contained 500 lace-workers.

The lace schools of Bedfordshire are far more considerablethan those in Devonshire. Four or five may frequently be foundin the same village, numbering from twenty to thirty childreneach, and they are considered sufficiently important to be visitedby government inspectors. Their work is mostly purchased bylarge dealers, who make their arrangements with the instructress:the children are not bound for a term, as in the southern counties.Boys formerly attended the lace schools, but now they go at anearly age to the fields.

The wages of a lace-worker average a shilling a day; underpress of business, caused by the demand for some fashionablearticle, they sometimes rise to one shilling and sixpence.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.

Though the first establishment of the manufacture may havebeen in the sister county, the workers of Buckingham appearearly to have gained the lion’s share of public estimation for theproduce of their pillows, and the manufacture flourished, till,suffering from the monopolies of James I., we read how in theyear 1623, April 8th, a petition was addressed from Great Marlowto the high sheriff of Bucks, representing the distress of thepeople from “ the bone-lace making being much decayed.” 8

Three years later, 1626, Sir Henry Borlase founds and endowsthe free school of Great Marlow, for twenty-four boys, to read,write, and cast accounts; and for twenty-four girls, “to knit, spin,and make bone lace;” and here at Great Marlow the trade

Defoe wero published, with additions, by New Survey of Great Britain, collectedRichardson the novelist, in 1732, ’42, ’02, and composed by an impartial hand,’69, and ’78: The last is “ brought down by the Rev. Thos. Owen.’’ Lond.to the present time by a gentleman of 1720-31.

eminence in the literary world.” 8 “State Papers,Dom.” Jas. I. vol. cxlii.

1 “ Magna Britannia et Hibernia, or a P. R. O.