Introduction
The industrial revolution improved the living standards of the poor not by robbing Peter to pay Paul, but by making Peter’s luxuries so cheap that Paul could afford them too. This win-win arrangement was made possible by the self-sacrifice and determination of inventors like John Heathcoat (1783-1861).
IT was the dream of most framesmiths at the turn of the nineteenth century to make machines that could mimic hand-made lace, but it required a dextrous twisting of the threads that they could not reproduce.
At sixteen, apprentice framesmith John Heathcoat was no different – except that in 1806, after eight years of heartbreaking trial and error, he laid a slip of strong, fine ‘bobbinet’, a machine-made tulle barely distinguishable from hand-made lace, on his wife’s lap.* By 1816, he had fifty-five machines at work.
John’s first factories in Nottingham and Loughborough were destroyed by traditional lace-makers, and his patents were infringed by rivals. The law came to his defence, however, and he moved his business to Tiverton in Devon, where the people were rewarded with two thousand jobs, a church, and £6000 invested in local schools;** across the country, meanwhile, the price for a square yard of tulle dropped from £5 to 5d, making a luxury item available to anyone.***
Tulle (pronounced ‘tool’) is named after the French city. It is a strong, lightweight netting typically used for bridal wear, as well as ball-gowns, ballet costumes and decorative ribbon.
Approximately half a million pounds today. See Measuring Worth.
** A fall from about £420 per square yard to about £1.70 today, which according to Smiles took place gradually over a twenty-five year period. See Measuring Worth.
Précis
In 1806, John Heathcote developed the first machine for making lace, hitherto an intricate, laborious and expensive manual skill. Despite vandalism by traditional lace-makers anxious for their future, Heathcoat’s factories gave birth to a new industry, creating thousands of jobs and making lace products readily affordable for the first time. (50 / 60 words)
In 1806, John Heathcote developed the first machine for making lace, hitherto an intricate, laborious and expensive manual skill. Despite vandalism by traditional lace-makers anxious for their future, Heathcoat’s factories gave birth to a new industry, creating thousands of jobs and making lace products readily affordable for the first time.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, must, otherwise, ought, until, whereas, who.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Defense. Nineteenth. They.
2 Country. Fifty. Lace.
3 No. Reward. Strong.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
sn (7+1)
sane. sauna. seen. sin. son. soon. sun.
sine.
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