ORBIT - Online Repository of Birkbeck Institutional Theses Enabling Open Access to Birkbecks Research Degree output Silk and globalisation in eighteenth-century London: com- modities, people and connections c.1720-1800 http://bbktheses.da.ulcc.ac.uk/58/ Version: Full Version Citation: Farrell, William (2014) Silk and globalisation in eighteenth-century Lon- don: commodities, people and connections c.1720-1800. PhD thesis, Birkbeck, University of London. c 2014 The Author(s) All material available through ORBIT is protected by intellectual property law, including copyright law. Any use made of the contents should comply with the relevant law. Deposit guide Contact: email Silk and Globalisation in Eighteenth-Century London: Commodities, People and Connections c.1720-1800 William Farrell Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD, Historical Research, Birkbeck, University of London Abstract The eighteenth century was the golden age of silk weaving in London. This thesis shows that the expansion and success of the silk industry was dependent upon connections with other regions around the world. Supplies of raw materials and labour came into London from Europe, the Levant and India. London silk weavers faced competition from silk fabrics produced overseas. The capital also sent its silk out into the world where it found a ready market in North America and the West Indies. These connections are mapped and compared to those produced for other global luxury commodities. A different picture of early globalisation emerges here, in terms of geography and chronology. Europe and the Mediterranean were as important as the North Atlantic and South Asia. Both imperial and non-imperial connections were important, whilst state and market activities reinforced each other. Far from being a gradual long-term process, early globalisation was disruptive and required management. Finally, labour is given far more prominence than is usual. Skilled workers were as mobile and dynamic as the flows of exotic commodities. They also played an important role in constructing the regulatory framework that oversaw the globalisation of London silk. I declare that the work presented in this thesis is my own and has not been previously published. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 6 List of figures 7 List of images 8 Glossary 10 Introduction 11 ‘A New Invention of Modern Times’ 11 The silk industry in London during the eighteenth century 17 Historiography of the silk industry and the guilds 23 Luxury goods and global history in the eighteenth century 26 Approaches to global history 32 Chapter Structure 34 1. Raw silk and sericulture 39 Introduction 39 Sericulture in the eighteenth century 43 Decline of the Levant trade and problems in London 46 North America 51 Bengal & Madras 57 People, networks & knowledge 63 Slow improvements in Bengal, failure in Madras 67 Conclusion 70 2. Silk and migrations 74 Introduction 74 Migration in the eighteenth century 76 3 In-Migration: families and friends 80 In-Migration: institutions and Protestantism 84 Out-migration: Glasgow and Copenhagen 88 Out-migration: Army and Navy 90 Out-migration: transportation 100 The Weavers’ Company and regulation of labour mobility 101 Knowledge and tools 104 Conclusion 108 3. The politics of silk 110 Introduction 110 Silk workers and textiles 116 From calicos to foreign silks 133 Enforcing prohibition 138 ‘Consider the poor weavers’ 140 Conclusion 146 4. Silk and smuggling 148 Introduction 148 What silks were smuggled? 153 Who smuggled and how: the long distance trade 169 Who smuggled and how: diplomatic baggage 175 Accept no substitutes 187 Conclusion 194 5. Exporting silks 196 Introduction 196 4 London silks abroad 201 Silk and consumers in Virginia 206 Surviving English silks 212 Ordering English silks 219 Getting what you wanted 223 Conclusion 229 Conclusions 232 241 Bibliography 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology, Birkbeck for awarding me a Research Studentship from 2009 to 2012. My supervisor Frank Trentmann was generous with his encouragement and advice at all stages of this project. Early versions of two chapters benefitted from the criticisms of Vanessa Harding and Sunil Amrith. I am grateful to the Pasold Research Fund who provided further support for the research on the export trade. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation kindly awarded me a Residential Fellowship to undertake work on silks in eighteenth century Virginia. Taylor Stoermer provided excellent hospitality and suggestions regarding manuscript sources; Linda Baumgarten took the time to show me the textile collections of the Foundation and answered my many queries. Stephen Conway supervised an early version of this project at MA level and continued to make useful suggestions subsequently. Tim Reinke-Williams, Samantha Shave, Spike Sweeting, Macdara Dwyer and Stephen Dean all provided excellent historical conversation. Most of all I would like to thank my parents, for everything. 6 LIST OF FIGURES 1. Raw and thrown silk Imports – the Mediterranean and Asia Compared, 1710 to 1808 (lbs), p.49. 2. Raw and thrown silk imports compared by value (£s), selected years, p.68. 3. London weavers as % of total soldiers, 1718 to 1757, by Ship, p.95. 4. Numbers of London weavers enlisting in the East India Company Army by Year, 1718 to 1757, p.96. 5. Ages of soldiers enlisting in the East India Company Army, 1718 to 1757, p.96. 6. Silk workers’ total possessions recorded in inventories at the French Protestant Hospital, 1771 and 1812 (number of pieces), p.127. 7. Types of possessions recorded in inventories of silk workers at French Protestant Hospital, 1771 and 1812 (number of pieces). p.128. 8. Seizures of cottons and silks in the Port of London, 1770 (number of pieces), p.154. 9. Seizures of cottons and silks in Port of London, 1780 (number of pieces), p.155. 10. Seizures of cottons and silks in the Out Ports, 1770 (number of pieces), p. 155. 11. Seizures of cottons and silks in the Out Ports, 1780 (number of pieces), p. 156. 12. Customs seizures of silks in London and Out Ports, 1770 (number of pieces), p. 156. 13. Customs seizures of silks in London and Out Ports, 1780 (number of pieces), p. 157. 14. Indian and Chinese textile pieces imported by the East India Company into London, 1700 to 1820, p. 161. 15. Indian textile pieces imported by the East India Company into London, by region, p.161. 16. Silk or silk mix pieces sold at Customs auctions 1768 to 1800, p. 165. 17. Cotton pieces sold at Customs auctions 1768 to 1800, p. 166. 18. Lace, thread and ribbons sold at Customs auctions 1768 to 1800 (yards), p. 166. 19. Textile pieces seized from a gentleman in London, 1764, p.168. 20. Textile pieces seized from a servant in London, 1764, p. 169. 21. Wrought silk exports from England 1700 to 1800 (lbs), p. 202. 7 22. Wrought silk export markets 1700 to 1800 supplied from England (lbs), p. 202. LIST OF IMAGES 1. Jan van der Straet Nova Reperta, title page (1591). Museum number: 1895,1031.148, © The Trustees of the British Museum, p.11. 2. After Robert Wilson, Bethnal-Green Company of Irish Impresst Volunteers (London, 1777-1779). Museum number: 2000,0521.33. © The Trustees of the British Museum, p.93. 3. Isaac Cruickshank, Nautical comfort!, (London, 1800-1810). Museum number: 1872,1012.5017. © The Trustees of the British Museum, p.97. 4. Published by Richard Marshall, Saint Monday in the Afternoon, or All Nine and Swallow the Bowl( London, c.1770s). Museum number: 2001,1125.51. © The Trustees of the British Museum. Museum number: 2001,1125.51, p.118. 5. William Hogarth, Plate 1 of Industry and Idleness, “The fellow ‘prentices at their looms”. (London, 1747). Museum number: 1896,0710.2. © The Trustees of the British Museum p.119. 6. William Hogarth, Finished drawing for Plate 4 of Industry and Idleness “The industrious ‘prentice a favourite and entrusted by his master” (London, 1747). Museum number: 1896,0710.10. © The Trustees of the British Museum, p.119. 7. 8 & 9 (details), Anonymous, The Weavers in an Uproar, or a Quartern Loaf cheap at Twelve Pence (c.1765). Museum number: 1859,0514.204. © The Trustees of the British Museum, p.120. 10. William Dent, The Force of Friendship (1784). Museum number: 1868,0808.5304. © The Trustees of the British Museum, p.121. 11. William Dent, Doctor Barnacle driving a load of Spittalfields Weavers to poll for Westminster (1784). Museum number: 1868,0808.5291. © The Trustees of the British Museum, p.121. 12. Isaac Cruikshank, A general fast in consequence of the war!!, (London, 1794). Museum number: 1935,0522.8.95. © The Trustees of the British Museum, p.123. 13. & 14 (detail). Isaac Robert Cruikshank, The national pop-shop in Threadneedle Street 1826. (London, 1826.). Museum number: 1868,0808.8685 © The Trustees of the British Museum, p.124. 15. Printed silk square worn as a cravat, made 1820s-1830s in Berhampur, Orissa. Museum number: T.1738-1913, © V & A Collections, p.160. 16. & 17 (reverse). Corner of embroidered French waistcoat shape, showing Customs’ stamp. Made c.1750-1759, Silk, hand woven and hand embroidered. Museum number: T.12&A-1981, © V & A Collections, p.167. 8 18. Pompeo Batoni, Philip Metcalfe, (c. 1766-1767.) Oil on canvas, 718 mm x 597 mm, © National Portrait Gallery, London, p.183. 19. Pompeo Batoni, Edward Howard, (1766), Oil on canvas. 139 cm x 101.5 cm x 251.7 cm. Museum number: W.36:1-1949, © V & A Collections, p.183. 20. Pompeo Batoni, Portrait of John Scott (?) of Banks Fee, (1774). Oil on canvas, 101.3 x 74 cm, Inventory number: NG6308. © National Portrait Gallery, London, p.183. 21. Anon, Lord – or the Nosegay Macaroni (1773). A plate from The Macaroni and Theatrical Magazine, February 1773, p.193.