Object number
68/292/1-2
Description
This is a pair of net sleeves. They feature Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire bobbin lace trimmings, with pink cuff details.
This is a pair of net sleeves. They feature Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire bobbin lace trimmings, with pink cuff details. Donated along with various other muslin, cotton and lace garments 68/280-68/313.
Physical description
1 pair of sleeves: net; lace; muslin; good condition
Label Text
4. Bedfordshire net sleeves with Buckinghamshire bobbin lace trimmings. Pillow or bobbin lace making was one of the oldest and largest rural industries employing 30,000 children in the 1840s and 1850s. It was organised in two country districts of England; the Honiton area of Devon and the South Midlands. 68/292.7. Bedfordshire net sleeves with Buckinghamshire bobbin lace trimmings. Pillow or bobbin lace making was one of the oldest and largest rural industries employing 30,000 children in the 1840s and 1850s. It was organised in two country districts of England: the Honiton area of Devon and the South Midlands. This type of lace was used in edgings or trimmings for collars and cuffs, as can be seen in the example illustrated. Children, mostly girls, learnt the craft as early as possible, usually before they were 6. The girls were taken out of school and sent to Lace Schools, most of which were nothing more than someone's living room or kitchen. The conditions for these children were appalling. The poor ventilation and overcrowding caused many lung and throat problems. The children sat in awkward bent postures causing neck and shoulder ache. Furthermore the strong wooden busk worn as a support caused contraction of the chest and permanent damage to health and physique. The days were unbearably long; children 4-6 worked an 8-hour day and girls, 12-15, worked a 12-hour day. They amused themselves with macabre stories called "lace tells". The 1867 Workshop Regulator's Act and the drop in lace prices ended the practice of lace making as a cottage industry. 68/292.
Archival history
MERL ‘Handwritten Catalogue’ form-‘SLEEVES (PAIR)// PERSONAL Clothing accessories// Mrs Whitaker, Croyden// NET. Lace- mixed, ribbon [pencil drawing]’
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