was the philosophy of walking. Where imaginary, colloquial, ratiocinatory stroll were the martyrs ?-where the suicides in with a couple of these personified Enthytheir times to be found, who could die in memes-these sappers and miners of Pyrthe cause of cloth? Alas! these are re- rhonism-these syllogistic engineers; or, served for the present day. Their martyrs by way of variety, spout high-sounding hyand suicides fell principally in the cause of perboles with the orators, and lash my -cloth? Psha! whip me such dyers of country's oppressors with some of their elocloth; no, but in the cause of virtue, or quent artifices! But, good reader, by their country's honour. this time you have waxed weary of myself and my habits. We shall say no more, therefore, touching clothes, fearing you may take me for one of Jewry, and ejaculuate,-"Verily, is this fellow an oldclothes man ?" How I love o' nights to imitate these worthy philosophers, and to give my limbs and mental faculties their legitimate enfranchisement. In my gown and sandallike slippers, how I do delight to take an HISTORY OF THE LINEN TRADE. PART I. "WHY SHOULD THEY RAISE MORE COMMODITIES SINCE THERE ARE NOT MERCHANTS SUFFICIENTLY STOCKED TO TAKE THEM OF THEM; AND HOW SHOULD MERCHANTS HAVE STOCK, SINCE TRADE 19 PROHIBITED AND FETTERED BY THE STATUTES OF ENGLAND?"-SIR WILLIAM PETTY.* and encouraged as the staple of England, and linens as that of Ireland." But it unfortunately happens that those who assert the claims of England on our gratitude, can-not agree as to the time when, forsaking her wonted policy, she played the benefactress. Some have named the administration of Strafford-some that of Ormond· while others have even said that prior to 1699 we had no linen manufacture. We will not stop separately to refute these unfounded ders the grounds on which we reject all of them, as well as the once fashionable theory of English generosity, which they were fabricated to sustain. THE early history of the linen trade of Ireland is involved in much obscurity, the elucidation of which affords ample scope for research; but however interesting such might prove, as it would be somewhat foreign to our present purpose, and could not tend to much practical benefit, we will not enter upon it here, but rather pass on to review its history and progress from the time when its extent and importance as a commercial manufacture, caused its culture and increase to be deemed fit objects for le-assertions, but proceed to lay before our reagislative care. We, consider it necessary, however, though declining to enter minutely into the proofs of its antiquity, to refute a notion regarding its recent origin, which for obvious purposes has been circulated with more than ordinary care; and we regret to say, that, as a people, so ignorant have we been kept of the history of our country, by those who, with the key of liberty, held also that of knowledge, that this statement now passes current as a truism. But the spirit that is within us gives strong assurance, that the day is fast approaching in the which Irish literature will resume its former sta tion. Already has "the sunburst" appeared, and when its noontide brightness comes, our temple's veil shall be rent, the unhallowed prison-house wherein tyranny hath so long entombed the records of our glory, shall be opened, and the spirits of the illustrious dead being set free, our children shall receive their first lessons, in the history of the land which gave them birth. Hakluyt in his poem entitled "The Process of English Policy," written about the year 1430, enumerates the productions and mercantile commodities of different nations. He represents our exports as including hides, fish, wool, and linens, or to give it in his own words : "Hides and fish, hake, her-ring, Irish wool and linen cloth, Faldinge." It is evident from this that the manufacture of linen was a trade of some importance in Ireland at this early period, though of its actual extent we have no means of judging, further than appears from the fact of its being an article of export. that a bill was passed in the year 1542, to On referring to our statute book we find protect the fair traders in linen cloth from We allude to the prevalent belief that a the injurious practices of forestallers. We knowledge of this branch of trade was conare aware that this act has been frequently ferred upon us by England in the seven-represented by authors of high character as teenth century, and that the rapid progress it made in Ulster, owed its origin to the celebrated compact made between the Lords and Commons of Ireland and England, and ratified by William III. in the year 1698-9, whereby there was an agreement made between both kingdoms, " that if Ireland gave up her woollen manufacture, that of linen should be left to her under every encouragement; that woollens should be considered referring to linen-yarn only. This mistake, which we must suppose to have been unintentional, may have arisen from an error which occurs in the report of the Committee appointed in 1772, to report on the history and progress of the linen trade,‡ where, pur *Political Survey of Ireland, p. 96-7. porting to give the sense of the act in their own words, the word "cloth" is omitted. This act, the 33rd Henry VIII. ch. ii. was entitled "An act for grey merchants." The preamble says:— "Forasmuch as divers merchants and other persons having little or no respect to the wealth of this land, have of late used to go from towne to towne within this land, being no market townes, to buy hides, fells, checkers, fleges, yarne, linen cloth, wooll, and flocks, whereby the fairs and markets within this land be greatly decayed."* The provisions of this act were, that persons continuing in those practices were to be in future amenable to the laws already in force against forestallers; and being only a temporary act, it was revived in 1569 by 11th Elizabeth, sess. 1, chap. v. -"Whereas, there was an act established and made by the authority of the said parliament (of 1542), that no person to the intent to sell the same, should buy within this land, hides, fells, checkers, fleges, yarne, linen cloth, wooll, or flocks, in any other place or places, but only in the open market or fayre; the said act shall be continued, revived, and from henceforth for ever remain as law within this realm, to be observed and kept." In tracing its statutary history we find that in the 3rd session of the same year, it was enacted,-"That whereas divers persons in this realm, carelesse of the common wealth, doe in season of the year lay into rivers, streams, brookes, and other fresh running waters, their hemp and flax to be watered:" severe penalties should be levied for its repetition, and oral proclamations to that effect should be made at stated periods in the public market places. In the same session, we find a still more important statute, chap. x., entitled-" An act for staying wooll, flacks, tallow, and other necessaries within this kingdom," the preamble to which says, "That diverse the commodities of this kingdom are transported out of the same, by sundry private covetouse persons, to the great hurt and damage thereof: that the said commodities may be more abundantly wrought within this realm ere they be transported, than presently they are, which shall set many now living idle to work, be it enacted, that whatsoever person shall, after the last day of September, in the year 1569, put, carry, or load, in any ship, wool, flockes, faxe, linen yarne, or woollen * Statutes, vol. i. p. 178. † Ibid, vol. i. p. 319-20. Ibid, vol. i. p. 343. 11th Elizabeth, ses. 3, c. v. yarne, shall pay for the same;" and then follow the penalties, which on flax and linen yarn was Is. in the pound duty, and 8d. pound for the use of the city, from which it might be exported. per The quantity of flax and yarn exported was greatly diminished by this act: and the merchants who traded in the export of these articles having lost considerably by the decrease, sought for redress by endeavouring to have the act repealed; but a different course was pursued, which in a great measure met the wants of the merchants, while it still kept the raw material at home till it attained the highest value which well-directed labour could bestow upon it. By the 13th Eliz. chap i., 1571, it was enacted,-"That no person shall transport any cloth or other work or stuff that is wrought or made in this realm of Ireland, of wool, flocks, linen yarn, or woollen yarn, out of this realm; but only a merchant in one of the staple cities or one of the burroughs or privileged or incorporated towns." It is expressly stated in the act, that the object of confining the export of the manufactured linens to the privileged towns was not to lessen the export, but to encourage the merchants who were, before the passing of the former act, engaged in the export of flax and yarn. In the second chapter of the same session we have an act explaining that which was passed in the 11th year of her reign, session 3, chap. x.: speaking of the intent of the enactment, it says,-" The meaning of which act was to stay the said commodities to be wrought within this realm, whereby many now living idly within the said realm should be set to work."‡ We have quoted these several statutes as well for the purpose of proving how groundless is the assertion, that the linen manufacture of Ireland is of recent origin, as of showing that, at that period, the annihilation of the woollen was not considered a necessary prelude to the encouragement of the linen. We have quoted these important documents at some length, because it will be necessary to a clear understanding of the more recent legislation relating to this trade, to have a perfect knowledge of the principles on which it was legislated for at the period when those statutes were enacted. We may now pass to the important era of Strafford's lieutenantcy. His name has Statutes, vol. i. p. 349-51. 66 struction which Carte put on the motives of Strafford. But let the Deputy himself speak; and with a becoming candour he will declare that his zeal was not for Ireland or her people, and that his object was not only to enrich them, (the Irish) but make sure still to hold them dependant on the crown; and for wholly laying aside the manufacture of cloths or stuffs there, which, if not discou been so often associated with this trade, and its origin among us has been so incorrectly attributed to him, that it may not be considered superfluous to add his own testimony to the many proofs we have already given, that however he might have improved or increased it, we are not indebted to him for its introduction. Every exertion he used for its advancement we fully appreciate, and shall as candidly acknow-raged, it might be feared that they might ledge; but we claim also the privilege of scrutinizing his motives. And when his countrymen claim for his memory the grateful remembrance of our nation, they should be reminded that his private despatches show, when he came among us to encourage our linen trade, that his secret object was to rear it as a scaffolding, based on the gratitude of a warm-hearted and confiding people, whereon his foot might rest secure, while his hand was stretched forth to pull down our then popular and extensive woollen manufacture. We may be met by the assertion, that though the trade had been in existence, prior to the arrival of Strafford, it had fallen into decay. Happily there are documents preserved among the state papers of the Deputy which prove that this is not correct. From a memorandum dated 1633, which is entitled "Remembrance of what commodities serve for Spain and Portugal out of Ireland," we extract the following: "Gallicia-wheat, rye, some linen-cloth. The Cannaries-butter, some calves, skins, linen-cloth, iron. iron. Madeira Island-pipe staves, linen-cloth, Having enquired minutely into the state of our commerce both prior to and after his arrival here, he found that in woollens we were likely to rival England, and to protect her trade, he determined to crush ours. Speaking on this subject, Carte says" But any To have moved him to undertake but a laudable zeal for the good of the kingdom that he governed." Such was the charitable con * Stafford's Letters, vol. i. p. 105. beat us (the English) out of the trade itself by underselling us, which they are able to do."* Such were Strafford's motives, and as one who did a partial good that he might inflict a greater evil, let his memory be esteemed amongst us. During his administration proclamations were issued, by which a standard length was assigned to the yarn threads; the breadth, length, and quality of linen cloth was fixed by law, and all cloth and yarn not made in accordance with the regulations were forfeited. On the 25th of May, 1641, the House of Commons resolved" that the proclamations touching linen yarn, published ultimo Maii, 1636, et ultimo Januarii, 1636, and the proceedings and consequences thereof are voted by this house to be, and to have been, great grievances to this kingdom."+ To this resolution the Lords' committee agreed, and on the 2nd June," the warrant signed by the late Lord Deputy, and the proclamations were voted grievances and contrary to the law of the land." Among the many complaints which the Lords laid before Charles, were the oppressive effects of these procla mations; and we learn that-" a reasonable provision was made for every one of their linen yarn and cloth, when made of less complaints, except that about the seizure of goodness and length than the regulations established." Notwithstanding these complaints, we find that the various means adopted for the "increase" of the linen manufacture produced the desired effect; the improvement however was short lived, its progress having been completely checked by the civil wars. We learn from Anderson, on the authority of Mr. Lewis Roberts, that at this period, (1641) Ireland possessed a considerable exIn a small treatise port of linen yarn. entitled "The Treasure of Traffic," Mr. Roberts "The town of Manchester says,-" buys the linen-yarn of the Irish in great | nufacture received during Ormond's admiquantity."* Shortly after the restoration of Charles II. the Duke of Ormond was appointed Lord Lieutenant, and one of his first acts was to form a council of trade. His instructions to this council were-"You are to take into consideration all the native commodities of the growth and production of his Majesty's kingdom of Ireland, and how they may be ordered, nourished, increased, and manufactured, to the best advantage of the public; and to consider by what way any of the manufactures of the said kingdom are corrupted, debased, and disparaged, and by what means they may be restored and maintained in their ancient goodness and reputation." Speaking of that branch more immediately under our consideration, he says, "You are to consider how a manufacture of linen-cloth and linen-yarn may be advanced and settled in this kingdom, with most advantage to his Majesty and his people."+ His biographer, speaking of the interest Ormond took in advancing the commerce and manufactures of the nation, says, " but of all the schemes of this sort there was none that his Grace was so fond of as that of the linen manufacture. As soon as he came over into Ireland he undertook its revival, and got acts of parliament passed for its encouragement. He built tenements for the reception of as many of those as were to be employed at Chapel Izod, near Dublin, where, before he went the next year to England, there were 300 hands at work in making cordage, sail-cloth, ticking, and as good linen cloth and diaper, of Irish yarn, as was made in any country of Europe." Many of our landowners followed his praiseworthy example, and, among others, Lord Dungannon, in the north, so effectually succeeded in reviving the linen trade of Ulster, that a writer of the day says, in reference to it, "The Scotch and Irish of that province addicting themselves to spinning of linen-yarn, attained to vast quantities of that commodity, which they transported to their great profit; the conveniency of which drew thither multitudes of linen weavers, so that my opinion is, there is no greater quantity of linen produced in the like circuit in Europe."§ nistration may be judged of by referring to the Commons journal of the time: "September 18th, 1662.-It is ordered, upon question, that the report of the committee of trade cloth within this kingdom, be taken into debate on for the encouragement of the manufactory of linenTuesday next." "'* "February 8th, 1665, Sir Peter Pett reported that the committee met, and having considered the bill for advancement of the trade of linen manufacture, found the same to be a bill of public use and advantage to this kingdom."† This bill (17th and 18th Chas. II. chap. ix.) was entitled-" An act for the advancement of the trade of linen manufacture." By it the grand juries were empowered to levy twenty pounds annually in each county, (except Dublin and Kerry,) to be distributed in premiums of £10, £6, and £4, for the best three pieces of linen of stated length and breadth. Money was granted for the building of a bleach-yard in each province; penalties were imposed on such landowners as should set land without covenanting that a certain portion be sown with flax or hemp; and on farmers who should not sow a stated quantity in proportion to the amount of land they tilled. By it also a freedom from state service was granted to all weavers for a limited period. It was during his administration that "an act of the English parliament declared the exportation of our black cattle and sheep a common nuisance, and prohibited the same perpetually ;"§ and the generous Scotch, profiting by the example set them, "did likewise." The Duke of Ormond now became our avowed advocate; he represented to his Majesty the great loss we sustained by the recent acts for the encouragement of English trade," which left us without a market for our beef, by shutting us out from both the English and American trade :— "For (says his Grace) Irish beef was not to be disposed of in all places, being deemed of little value in most parts of Europe; though after being husbanded in England, it passed for English beef, and was famous all over the world.|| Have we not the same prejudice to contend with at present? Have not our manufactures, at this very day, to be sent to England to acquire caste, before they will meet with purchasers-not abroad—but IN The legislative attention which this ma- IRELAND? History of Commerce, vol. ii. p. 317. Laurence's Interest of Ireland, introduction, London, 1682. Carte's Life of Ormond, vol. ii. p. 343. § Laurence's Interest of Ireland, p. 189. Commons Journal, vol. i. p. 540. † Ibid, vol. i. p. 702. Statutes, vol. iii. p. 157. |