DATE
|
PLACE
|
NOTES
|
|
2700
BC |
China |
Oldest
silks 4000 years.
|
|
700
BC |
Japan |
Producing
silk
|
|
?
BC |
India |
Silk
manufactured for more than 2000 years.
|
|
400
BC |
Persia |
Manufacturing
wrought silks around Tyre
|
|
340
BC |
Greece |
Alexander
the Great conquered Persia took secret of manufacture of wrought
silks to Greece.
|
|
173
AD |
Rome |
Silk
a rarity. Pure silk could be worn only by women.
|
|
552
AD |
Greece |
Industrial
espionage by 2 Persian monks who smuggled eggs and details of Sericulture
etc from China to Constantinople enabled the Greeks to learn the art of
silk manufacture. |
|
1100
|
Sicily |
Roger
I forced captured Greek silk workers to move to Sicily and set up
silk manufactury there. From Sicily the industry spread all over
Italy.
|
|
1200
|
England |
Fresh
mulberries traded in London in 1170. may indicate attempted
establishment of silk manufacture.
|
|
1300
|
Italy |
Thousands
employed in silk manufacture around Florence.
|
|
1363
|
England |
Act
restricting tres to "one kind of goods" me an exception for
weavers, spinsters and "other women employed upon works in linen,
wool or silk....in embroidery etc"
|
|
1454
|
England |
Law
passed to protect the silk women of London against imports of small wares
such as "twined ribbons, chains or girdles". Extended in 1463
to: "laces, ribands, fringes of silk, silk twined, silk
embroidered, tires of silk, purses and girdles".
|
|
1455
|
England |
"Sylkewomen
and throwsters of the craft and occupation of silkwork" London.
..people from the provinces apprenticed to the tre. (Fretwell).
|
|
1466
|
France |
Louis XI encouraged development of silk industry. In 1480 workmen
from Florence, Genoa and Venice settled at Tours.
|
|
1482
|
England |
Act
no longer in force "Great Distress. Imports again prohibited.
|
|
1504
|
England |
Prohibition
of import of wrought silk, ribands, laces, girdles, corses, tissues and
points but it was me lawful to import raw and unwrought silk as
well as other wares.
|
|
1521
|
France |
Silk
manufacture at Lyons.
|
|
1554
|
England |
Sumptuary
Law -to encourage home manufacture.
|
|
1567
|
England |
Draw
loom introduced by Flemish weavers
|
|
1585
|
England |
Influx
of artisans and merchants from Flanders, Brabant
|
|
1604
|
England |
Dutch
engine loom for tape and ribbon weaving introduced to Britain
|
|
1606
|
England |
James
I encourages silk manufacture. John & Frances Bonnell employed to
manufacture silk at Greenwich.
|
|
1608
|
England |
Mulberries
and silkworm eggs offered by the King. Project failed but why is not
known.
|
|
1628
|
England |
Lord
Aston of Tixall paid £60a year to continue the Greenwich project.
|
|
1629
|
England |
Mr
Burlamach a London Merchant brought silk dyers, throwsters and
weavers from Europe to make bro silks from raw materials.
Rapid increase in manufacture so that silk throwsters were
able to achieve corporate status |
|
1630
|
England |
In
an act of Charles I the tre in importing, throwing, dyeing and
manufacturing silks was said to be "much increased within a few years
past".
|
|
1661
|
England |
The
company of London silk throwsters said to employ 40000 men, women and
children. Tre was restricted to freemen.
|
|
1685
|
England |
Refugee
merchants and manufacturers from France (70000) of whom many settled in
Spitalfields. Introduced the manufacture of alamodes, lustrings, broces,
ducapes, watered tabbies, satins, mantuas, black velvets etc.
|
|
1698
|
England |
Import
of French (and later Indian &
Chinese)
manufactured silks prohibited .
|
|
1701 |
|
|
|
1713
|
England
|
Treaty
of Utrecht .One provision was
for "reciprocal trade under
a low valued
added tax. Manufacturers petitioned
against it..
English manufactures said to be 20 times
greater than in 1664 in
blacks, coloured
silks, gold and silver stuffs.. and the
industry was involved in a reciprocal
trade in woollen and other
English
goods with Italy and Turkey.
|
|
1715
|
England
|
First
throwing mill on the
Italian model established at
Derby by Lombe.
|
|
1720s
|
England
|
Tide
of fashion in favour of English
Goods -Warehouses of London and
Manchester the resort of French
merchants (Lardner).
|
|
|
England
|
Export incentives. Duties on dye drugs
removed |
|
1732
|
England
|
Petition
against renewal of Lombe's patent opposed.
|
|
173.
|
England
|
Throwing
mill built in Stockport.
|
|
1749
|
England
|
Duties
on imports of raw silk from China
removed.
|
|
1753
|
England |
Throwing
mills built in Congleton
and Macclesfield.
|
|
1763
|
England
|
End
of the 7 years war.
Depression in
silk industry. Intense competition from
imported products. Fashion from wearing
French silks. Imports of ribands, laces
girdles banned.
|
|
1764 |
England
|
Duties
on raw and thrown silks
reduced.
|
|
1766
|
England
|
Imports
of brocade and other wrought silks banned
.
|
|
1773
|
England
|
Spitalfields
Act to regulate the
wages on the London industry.
|
|
1779
|
England
|
Shortage
of organzined silk leads
to importation of Italian thrown
silk being permitted.
|
|
1812
|
England
|
Jacquard
loom brought into use.
|
|
1820
|
|
|
|
1826
|
England
|
Repeal
of Act prohibiting the import 1829 of wrought
silks. Repeal of Spitalfields Act. Duties reduced. "Free Trade"
|
|
1830
|
England
|
Power
loom weaving of bro silks.
|
|
1838
|
England
|
Patent
for Jaquard attachment for a power loom
|
|
1860
|
England
|
Cobden-Chevalier
treaty allowed French silks
into England duty free but English silks
imported into France paid a 30% duty!
|
|
1890
|
England
|
Artificial
fibres -Rayon, compete 1900 with
silk.
|
|
1925
|
England
|
Protective
duties imposed on imported silks.
|
|
1939
|
USA |
Nylon invented |
 |
|
A.W.Bednall, Macclesfield 1990-2008 |