HISTORY

History of the Piece Hall - Woollen Cloth

A number of different woollen cloths would be used for clothing

Wool is not of a uniform quality. Quality partly depends on the age of the sheep - lambs' wool is finer than later wool from the same sheep. The breed of sheep also affects wool quality but even within the same breed, fleeces will vary.

In the 19th century, the wool was sorted by quality and the names given to the various qualities give the business a poetic air to the modern-day reader, more used to gradings like A, B, C. The best wool was called Royal Prime or Picklock; this was followed by Prime, Choice, Super, Head, Downrights, Seconds, Abb, Livery and Britch.

Short fibre wool was used to make cloths like kerseys and pennistones. Long-fibre wool would be made up into worsted cloths like shalloons, callimancoes and russels.

Kersey - a coarse cloth, usually ribbed

Shalloon - a light cloth with a glazed finish, used for lining coats and for dresses

Russel - a cloth made from cotton and wool with a ribbed finish.

Broadcloth - a fine, densely-woven woollen cloth with a smooth finish

Callimancoe - satin twilled wool cloth

 

© Stephanie Marriott,

	www.piecehall.info © Richard Porter & Stephanie Marriott The Piece Hall Shops Association 2002-2005