Dutton, Berrett & Hungerford Twigs
Our Family's Journey Through Time
Notes:
Kersie Textile
Kersey
[kersy; kersies; kearsey; carsy; carsey; carsay]
A TEXTILE named after its place of origin (Kersey or Carsey in Suffolk). This was a twilled NARROW CLOTH, made from inferior grades of CARDED WOOL spun into thick YARN, and hence the occasional reference to Kersey yarn as in [Inventories (1602)]. Weavers using these yarns developed innovative techniques, which amply justified the skill and trouble involved. Once woven the cloths were fulled and shorn. Kersies were thick and handled smoothly lengthways. They were in much demand for tailored (as opposed to KNITted) STOCKINGS, and for garments that needed to be warm and flexible. Along with the superior BROADCLOTH, kersies were one of the most important of the so-called 'old draperies' (see OLD DRAPERY). Their production spread to most parts of the country as is shown in the number of place descriptors noted in the Dictionary Archive, the most common being the Counties of Devonshire, Hampshire and YORKSHIRE.
In most parts of the country, Kersies were commonly woven in lengths of about 12 YARD, hence the alternative name of DOZENS. [Acts (1572)] repeated the requirements laid down in a statute of 1465 that the maximal length of a Kersey was to be 18 YARD, although this was further shortened in [Acts (1593)], so far as 'Devonshire Kersies or Dozens', were concerned to 15-16 YARD in which the weight of each cloth was set down as 15 LB. Named varieties given in the 1552 rates were: ORDINARY, SORTING, Devonshire (also called DEVONSHIRE DOZENS), and CHECK. WHITE Kerseys were included by [Acts (1738)] among the NARROW WOOLLEN CLOTH produced in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Prices, as opposed to valuations, are so rarely found in the Dictionary Archive that they provide no meaningful data. One outside source, a plea by the London drapers, suggests that the price of kersies rose sharply during the sixteenth century, although as a case of special pleading its figures must be treated with caution. The London Drapers estimated in 1551 that northern kersies had formerly been 'solde by the clothmen' for £24 the PACK, the price was now £40, whereas those from Hampshire were then £29 the PACK, but were now £50-£52. For what it is worth, these figures suggest that the kersies produced in Hampshire were probably of better quality than those from the north. Margaret Spufford's data on prices found in probate accounts gives a huge range of figures: from 18d to nearly 12s per yard in the period up to 1610, 2s to 6s 8d from 1610 to 1660, and just over 14d to just over 9s from 1660 to 1700. These prices are higher than the valuations in probate inventories, as one would expect, but not by so great margin that the valuations ought to be considered untrustworthy. Those in one of the earliest inventories in the Dictionary Archive had nearly twenty varieties ranging from 8d to 12d the yard [Inventories (1538)] but by the first few decades of the seventeenth century valuations had risen markedly; for example in [Inventories (1619)] with nearly fifty varieties the range was from 20d to 4s 8d. By the eighteenth century, kersies were still being produced to suit most pockets. In [Inventories (1713)]C more than twenty varieties were listed valued from 16d to 4s 6d the yard.
OED earliest date of use: 1390
Found described as ASH COLOUR, BLACK, BLUE, BROWN, CHECK, COARSE, DAMSON, DARK, DRAB, DYED, FINE, GREEN, GREY, HALF THICK, IRISH, MARBLE, MEDLEY, MIXED, NARROW, OLD, ORDINARY, PUKE, RED, RUSSET, SINGLE, SKY COLOURED, SNUFF, SORTING, STRIPED, VIOLET, WESTERN, WHITE, WILLOW
Found described as from Burton, Hampshire, Maxfield (Sussex), Newbury, STAFFORD, Watchet, Wiveliscombe (Devon), YORKSHIRE Found describing CLOTH Found used to make BREECHES, COAT, CURTAIN, DOUBLET, HANGING, HORSE - CLOTH, HOSE, PILLION - GIRTH, SIEVE, STOCKINGS, SUIT, TILT, WAISTCOAT
Found for sale measured by ELL (very occasionally), PIECE, YARD
See also BLACK KERSEY, DEVONSHIRE KERSEY, DEVONSHIRE DOZENS, DOZENS, NORTHERN DOZENS.
Sources: Acts, Diaries, Inventories (early), Inventories (mid-period), Inventories (late), Newspapers, Rates.
References: Spufford and Stearn (2002), Tawney and Power (1924a), 192.
From: 'Kelp ash - Kitchen stuff', Dictionary of Traded Goods and Commodities, 1550-1820 (2007). URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=58804 Date accessed: 10 April 2009.
Latitude: 52.0597, Longitude: 0.918649
Matches 1 to 2 of 2
Last Name, Given Name(s)  |
Birth  |
Person ID | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fred Orriss | 1905 | I20082 |
| 2 | Grace Orriss | 1910 | I20083 |
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