386

HISTORY OF LACE.

The “ Weekly Magazine” of 1776 strongly recommends theart of lace-malcing as one calculated to flourish in Scotland; younggirls beginning to learn at eight years of age, adding: “ Thedirectors of the hospital of Glasgow have already sent twenty-three girls to be taught by Madame Puteau, 11 a native of Lisle,now residing at Renfrew; you will find the lace of Renfrew cheaper,as good and as neat as those imported from Brussels, Lisle, andAntwerp.” David Loch also mentions the success of the youngGlasgow lace-makers, who made lace, he says, from 10 d. to 4s. 6d.per yard. He adds: “ It is a pleasure to see them at work. Isaw them ten days ago.” He recommends the managers of theworkhouse of the Canongate to adopt the same plan: adding, theyneed not send to Glasgow for teachers, as there are plenty at theorphan hospital at Edinburgh capable of undertaking the office.Of the lace fabricated at Glasgow, we know nothing, save from anadvertisement in the “ Caledonian Mercury ” of 1778, where oneWilliam Smith, “Lace-maker,” at the Greenhead, Glasgow, in-forms the public he has for some years “ made and bleached can-dlewicks.” Anderson and Loch did not agree on the subject oflace-making; the former considering it an unstable fabric, tooeasily affected by the caprices of fashion. 12

Be that as it may, the manufacture of thread for lace aloneemployed five hundred machines, each machine occupying thirty-six persons: the value of the thread produced annually 175,00(1?.Loch adds that, in consequence of the cheapness of provisions,Scotland, as a country, is better adapted for lace-making thanEngland. In consequence of Loch’s remarks, his Majesty’s Boardof Trustees for the Fisheries and Manufactures, after asking anumber of questions, determined to give proper encouragement

11 “ Madame Puteau carries on a lace

manufacture after the maimer of Meclilinand Brussels. She had lately twenty-two apprentices from the Glasgow Hos-pital.Mrs. Puteau has ns much

merit in this branch as has her husbandin the making of fine thread. This hemanufactures of such a fineness as to bevalued at 101. the pound weight.”—Fssays tyn the Trade, Commerce, Manu-factures, Fisheries, &c. of Scotland,David Loch, 1778.

12 “ If you look at the wurdrobes of yourgrandmother, you will perceive what revo-

lutions have happened in taste of man-kind for laces and other fineries of thatsort. How many suits of this kind doyou meet with that cost amazing sums,which are now and have long since beenentirely useless. In our own day, did wenot see that in one year Brussels lacesare most in fashion and purchased at anyprice, while the next perhnps they areentirely laid aside, and French or otherthread laces, or fine sewings, the namesof which I know not, highly prized.”—Observations on the National Industry ofScotland, Anderson, 1778.