Spanish ballerina Clara Soley dances in Adolphe Adam’s ‘Giselle’ at the Prix de Lausanne in 2010. Heathcoat Fabrics in Tiverton, Devon, continues to supply machine-made tulle fabrics to the world’s leading ballet companies. Today’s process has not greatly altered since Heathcoat patented his machine in 1809.
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.1 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;2 across the country, meanwhile, the price for a square yard of tulle dropped from £5 to 5d, making a luxury item available to anyone.3
Based on ‘Self-Help’, by Samuel Smiles (1812-1904).
1Tulle (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.
2Approximately half a million pounds today. See Measuring Worth.
3 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: about, although, because, just, may, unless, whether, who.
Archive
Word Games
1Sevens 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.
2Jigsaws 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.
3Spinners 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 Meanwhile. Patent. Reproduce.
2 Across. Eight. Year.
3 Distinguishable. His. Reward.
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.)
4High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
d2n1e1i1r1n1r1
x
0
Add
Your Words ()
Post Box : Ask Nicholas
Grok : Ask Grok
You are welcome to share your creativity with me, or ask for help with any of the exercises on Clay Lane. Write to me at this address:
See more at Post Box.
If you like what I’m doing here on Clay Lane, from time to time you could buy me a coffee.
Buy Me a Coffee is a crowdfunding website, used by over a million people. It is designed to help content creators like me make a living from their work. ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ prides itself on its security, and there is no need to register.
Related Posts
The editor of the country’s most famous newspaper had to use a little sleight-of-hand to bring journalism to the people.
Picture: © xlibber, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0 generic.. Source.
Posted August 17 2019
Captain Cook’s friend and ship’s surgeon David Samwell gives us his impressions of the great explorer.
Picture: By Nathaniel Dance-Holland (1735-1811), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted August 14 2018
Michael Faraday’s tour of Europe included a ‘picturesque’ multicultural event on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius.
Picture: By 1Chiki1, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted March 16 2018
Picture: © Fir0002/Flagstaffotos, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: GFDL v1.2.. Source.
Posted June 16 2017