Author Archives: irishhistoricaltextiles

Sallied Forth In Your Drawers

Posted on June 13, 2012

In October 1900, when asked his opinion on what ‘national costume’ should be adopted in a soon-to-be-independent Ireland, the Republican Pádraig Pearse had this to say: Frankly I should much prefer to see you arrayed in a kilt, although it may be … Continue reading →

Posted in bog clothes, clothing, colour, dublin, ireland, kilts, knitting, laws, leather, men's clothing, national costume, ninth century, patrick pearse, personalities, school uniform, seventeenth century, stockings, trousers, twentieth century, weaving, wool | 12 Comments

Gentle, Civill, Wilde, and Irish

Posted on May 14, 2012

If you thought it was cool that we have a detailed map of Dublin from 1754, then let me go one (century) better, and show you this one: John Speed’s map of Dublin from 1610. Isn’t it wonderful?! Click to … Continue reading →

Posted in bog clothes, john speed, maps, personalities, seventeenth century | 7 Comments

Abundantly Happy When They Can Afford An Athlone Hat

Posted on April 30, 2012

Do you remember this post I wrote about Swift’s 1720 pamphlet called the Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufacture? Well, here is another quote from it: I think it needless to exhort the clergy to follow this good … Continue reading →

Posted in athlone, caps, colour, cork, eighteenth century, felt, hand-carding, hats, ireland, jonathan swift, military, mills, nineteenth century, socks, stockings, USA | 11 Comments

Weekend Reads 12

Posted on April 27, 2012

Image source.  It’s been a crazy fortnight! The blog has been silent (though not my twitter!), and there hasn’t been a post since the one I did on Elizabeth Patten’s 18th century travelling quilt. There were two reasons. The first … Continue reading →

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I Find My Soul Knit to These Poor Sheep

Posted on April 16, 2012

Elizabeth Bennis. Picture cropped from the cover of her edited diary, which you can buy very cheaply here. Elizabeth Patten was born in Limerick in 1725. The Pattens were an upper-middle-class Presbyterian family, headed by Isaac (d.1743). At the age of … Continue reading →

Posted in cotton, eighteenth century, ireland, limerick, linen, personalities, quilting, religion, USA, waterford | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Weekend Reads 11

Posted on April 14, 2012

Indoctrinate them in the ways of textile history as early as you can! Image source. Another week has flown by! I hope you enjoyed my posts on Limerick gloves, and on the Tenterfields of Dublin city. If you ever have … Continue reading →

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To Drag Free Citizens to the Tenter-fields, and There to Torment Them

Posted on April 12, 2012

Possibly the only portrait of John Rocque – this upperclass man with his ‘way-wiser’ is drawn in his map of Middlesex – source. In 1754, John Rocque came to Dublin. In 1756, he produced the four-sheet Exact survey of the city and suburbs … Continue reading →

Posted in dublin, dublin, eighteenth century, ireland, laws, nineteenth century, weaving | 6 Comments

“The Irish glover!” cried Mr. Hill, with a Look of Terror

Posted on April 9, 2012

Maria Edgeworth, 1768-1849, born in England but lived in Ireland since she was a young child. From the age of five, she lived at the family estate in Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford, with her twenty-one brothers and sisters. In 1804, Maria … Continue reading →

Posted in gloves, leather, limerick, literature, nineteenth century, novels, personalities, short stories | 10 Comments

Weekend Reads 10

Posted on April 6, 2012

Image source. Hope you had a good week! Here is a delectable list of the best of the textile history best from around the net this week. There are just two videos of Queen Victoria in the British Pathé archive. … Continue reading →

Posted in weekend reads | 2 Comments

A Law to Cut Off All Our Weavers’ Fingers

Posted on April 4, 2012

Irish ten pound banknote, one of the series issued between 1976 and 1982, featuring Jonathan Swift and the Dublin City Council coat of arms. An economy-themed image of Swift FTW! In 1720, Jonathan Swift published a pamphlet called Proposal for the … Continue reading →

Posted in cork, dublin, eighteenth century, england, ireland, jonathan swift, laws, linen, personalities, silk, wool | 5 Comments