The Clothiers trade

The Teasle or Dipasacus is a plant much cultivated in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which requires two years to come to maturity. It is an article of essential importance to the Clothier, who uses the crooked awns of the head of the plant for raising the nap on the cloth. In the Autumn of the second year, the heads of the plant are cut off, dried carefully and after being fixed to long sticks, are conveyed away for sale. Temporary sheds are usually erected in the teasle fields for the work-people employed, who are not unfrequently form very interesting groups.

"Named "croppers" from their cropping the wool off the cloth. They previuosly wet the cloth thoroughly and then comb the wool one way with a teasle. (Some are shown in the painting.) The cloth after being dried and brushed on the tenters, is placed on the shear board, a long narrow table, where he then proceeds to clip the wool. The handle of the shear is supported by one hand, whilst the other he works by means of a small leaver, called a gig, affixed to the upper edge. Th e pressure of the shears is increased by the addition of heart-shaped lead weights placed on the flat surface. An able workman will earn great wages, and if industrious and steady, is certain to make his way in the word."

"Since the general use of machinery for almost every purpose of manufacture, the spinning wheel, as here represented, has been laid aside. It is, however, still in some degree necessary, particularly for the warp of woollen stuffs, in which a strong hard twisted thread is required. The demand, therefore is even yet sufficient to employ a considerable number of poor people, to whom the low wage of about one halfpenny per pound may be an object".

"The manufacture of cloth affords employment to the major part of the lower classes of the people in the north west districts of the West Riding of Yorkshire. These cloth makers reside almost entirely in the villages, and bring their cloth on market days for sale in the great halls erected for that purpose at Leeds and Huddersfield. The men have a provincial character; and their galloways also, which are always overloaded, having a manner of going peculiarly their own".

"About half a century ago the Yorkshire broad cloth was exposd for sale, on market days, on the bridge and in the principal streets of Leeds. Since that time, two commodious halls have been erected; the one for the sale of white cloth only; the other for coloured. The plate represents the interior of the latter building. They are open every Tuesday and Saturday morning for one hour; in which very limited time all business is transacted. The cloth is arranged on low stands; the manufacturer behind it, and the merchant or buyer passes in front. As bargains are made in half whispers, strangers are much suprised with the silence which prevails in such a crowd. There is a large circular hall, built by Sir John Ramsden, at Huddersfield, for the sale principally, of plain, or narrow cloth"