[See ante, p. 35.]
In King James the First's time coarse paper, commonly called
whitebrowne paper, was first made in England, especially in Surrey and
about Windsor.
At Bemarton near Salisbury is a paper mill, which is now, 1684, about
130 yeares standing, and the first that was erected in this county;
and the workmen there told me, 1669, that it was the second paper mill
in England. I remember the paper mill at Longdeane, in the parish of
Yatton Keynell, was built by Mr. Wyld, a Bristow merchant, 1635. It
serves Bristow with brown paper. There is no white paper made in
Wiltshire.
At Crokerton, near Warminster, hath been since the restauration (about
1665) a manufacture of felt making, as good, I thinke, as those of
Colbec in France. Crokerton hath its denomination from the crokery
trade there; sc. making of earthen - ware, &c. Crock is the old
English word for a pott.
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It ought never to be forgott what our ingenious countreyman Sir
Christopher Wren proposed to the silke stocking weavers of London,
Anno Domini 16-, viz. a way to weave seven paire or nine paire of
stockings at once (it must be an odd number). He demanded four hundred
pounds for his invention; but the weavers refused it because they were
poor; and besides, they sayd it would spoile their trade. Perhaps they
did not consider the proverb, that "light gaines, with quick
returnes, make heavy purses." Sir Christopher was so noble, seeing
they would not adventure so much money, he breakes the modell of the
engine all to pieces before their faces.
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