Hand Loom Weaving
Weaving was a longstanding occupation in Ribchester, although parish records indicate more weavers in Dutton than Ribchester in the early part of the 18th Century. Handloom weavers would traditionally combine agriculture with weaving. Linens and fustians were the fabrics produced in Lancashire though woollen fabrics were also common.
The golden age of handloom weavers in Lancashire was a result of several factors. Government legislation to ban cotton imports in the early 18th Century coincided with a demand for lighter fabrics. The development of industrial techniques such as the flying shuttle; allowing one man to weave wider fabrics, the invention of the spinning Jenny and water frames providing substantial supplies of raw materials. Lancashire was also fortunate that the textile industry was not controlled by the strong guilds which existed in other parts of the country; it also had a damp climate. Ribchester lay on an established pack horse route from Blackburn to Longridge and Preston, then connecting with major access to Liverpool and London. Putters out could easily provide yarn and collect the finished product.
In 1773 it was described as a poor village, but as late as 1821, 1830, 1841 trade directories indicate that handloom weaving was the primary activity in the "township". Certainly the parish records and the trade directories indicate that the village supported numerous grocers, a tea merchant, a draper, butchers, 3 tailors, shoe, boot, clog and patten makers, hatters, substantial woodworks (wheelwrights, bobbin makers, joiners, cabinet makers, coopers), maltsters, cordwainers, even a hairdresser, a vet, and a dancing teacher. A corn miller existed over the whole period.
In 1828 William Radcliffe described the handloom weavers he knew at the end of the 18th Century: "Their dwellings and small gardens clean and neat - all the family well clad - the men each with a watch in his pocket and the women dressed in their own fancy - the church crowded to excess every Sunday - every house well furnished with a clock in elegant mahogany or a fancy case - handsome services in Staffordshire ware."
Handloom weavers in the late 18th Century could earn 30/- a week and some were known to earn as much as £5 - this could be the equivalent of as much as £250 per week today. Although this golden age was short lived, it created much of the architectural heritage of the village.
A study of 18th Century recipes from the early 1700s and even into the mid 19th Century show great similarities whether they be hand written or in printed published form. The diet of the handloom weavers would have been augmented in Ribchester by the nearby agricultural areas which encroached well into the village. Early maps show most homes had gardens, substantial areas of meadow, orchards and open spaces. Around 90% of the agriculture in the parish was permanent grass for rearing cattle, sheep etc and only a very small acreage was arable land, suggesting a good ready supply of meat and dairy produce. Gardens would provide vegetables, fruit and would certainly allow for the keeping of poultry and pigs. Game was available legally or illegally, and possibly similarly fish. The traders in the village would provide dry goods, spices etc., or these could have been brought by itinerant traders. In the early 1800's there was a carrier 3 times a week to Blackburn and twice a week to Preston.
Ann Ward, 2008
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See examples of Weavers Cottages in Ribchester