Jospeh Pinder, one of the last living handloom weavers of the 19th century
This poem was printed in Punch Magazine in 1862. In the early 19th century Luddites attacked the factory machines that were about to destroy the cottage industry of handloom weavers. By 1815, these weavers had difficulty finding work. They tried selling their cloth at lower prices than the factories, with the result that their average wages plummeted from 21 s to less than 9 s in 1817, the year of Jane Austen’s death. By 1850, handloom weavers had been reduced to starvation wages. In light of their plight, this poem, which contrasts the wistful observances of the lowly weaver against the lavish lifestyle of the Ton, becomes all the more poignant.
Hyde Park, 1817
SPITALFIELDS AND HYDE PARK.
A Little “Weaver, unemployed,
Chanced in Hyde Park to stray,
And there, as best he might, enjoyedUnwilling holiday.
The great folks being now in Town,He strolled, and viewed their show,
Around the Ring, and up and downA stroll in the park
The walk by Rotten Row.
What high-bred cavaliers were there,
Straight-backed, and clean of limb;
What horsewomen, superbly fair,Displayed their airs to him!
What equipages Beauty bore.And Consequence, reclined,
Whom portly coachmen sat before;Smart footmen stood behind!
The little man, admiring, read
The faces of the Great,
Who passed him with erected head,
Rotten Row, Tom and Jerry, 1821
And countenance elate,
High fed, from sordid want secure,
From cares and troubles mean,
How brave their bearing, to be sure,
Their aspect how serene!
A heart our little weaver had
In others’ joy that shared.
Himself though hungry, he was glad
Hyde Park, Rotten Row
To think how well they fared.
It raised him in his self-respect
To see how riches can,
With nurture in a sphere select,
Exalt his fellow-man.
If, entering on this earthly scene,
Endowed with Fortune’s boon, His infant lips he had between
But held a silver spoon, He thought he also might have shone
Amongst the grand and gay, Then being out of work alone,
Not likewise out of pay.
Punch Magazine, Vol 42-43, 1862, p 133
Handloom weaver, 1888
More on the topic:
Hi Vic. Great article. Although set in the early 19th century this poem and your article highlight how the modern world is changing. If we are not adaptable we suffer.
Like the prints of Hyde Park and Rotten Row.
Tony
Too bad they didn’t know some of the tenets of modern advertising and business. Instead of offering their goods at a lower price they should have offered it at a higher price and played up its exclusivity. Hind sight is always 20/20. It is too bad that change can’t be painless and that progress always leaves some corpses behind.
Loved the illustrations. The cariacature of fashionable people who went to exrtremes reminds me of so many fashion shows today– extremely ugly.
Thanks, Vic! Great article. I see some parallels between our time and the Regency era, between the political and financial upheavals, jobs vanishing, so much change.
You are so astute with your comments, Tony, Nancy, and Igilbert. This poem resonated with me because of the parallels with the jobless today and the very rich who show no shame in exhibiting their wealth during these trying times.
Nice post, and thanks for the link to the Yorkshire weaving website! I have enjoyed visiting the mills in England where this work went on for so long. It is still possible to talk to the people for whom this was their life’s work or that of their family — we met several such people who now, in the 70s and 80s, are volunteers at the museums. I particularly enjoyed:
— Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire – a national trust property, where the transition from individual labor to factory labor is explained. This was one of the original water-powered mills, which at least did not have the pollution problems of the later factories, and now is in a park-like setting.
— Queen Street Mill near Burnley, Lancaster — a later one, used for scenes in “North and South”, and the last surviving operational steam-powered mill in the world.
— Farfield Mill, Sedburgh, Yorkshire — a woolen mill that is now an arts center, but has museum exhibits on textile workers’ lives and working power looms
— Masson Mills in Derbyshire — Surely Elizabeth Bennet and the Gardners passed Arkwright’s water-powered cotton mill during their Derbyshire trip! It’s now mostly a shopping center but the tour of the mill area is fascinating.
Linda, thank you for stopping by and sharing your first-hand knowledge.
Another interesting post, Vic. But what do I see in the first illustration—the belles are wearing skirts that cut off just below the knee? Would this be the equivalent of the fashion models of today who parade in see-through fabrics with nothing on underneath?
Chris H.
Chris, the illustration was a satirical exaggeration, as dress hem lines did indeed go up to reveal slippers and ankles. The waist lines had gone up as far as they could go under the bust. After this year, the skirt shapes became conical and waists slowly began to lower.
Interestingly, women did not as a matter of course wear under drawers. They wore chemises, petticoats and stockings. As the century progressed, underdrawers became more popular. Rowlandson’s cartoon of the Exhibition Staircase illustrates exactly how little Regency ladies wore underneath those gossamer clothes. https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2010/11/06/ladies-underdrawers-in-regency-times/
Wonderful find, that poem, and especially at this moment, how sad and true. Well done!
Thank you, Diana. This poem tugged at my heart. So glad that you and others are equally touched.
Hi Vic,
J’aime beaucoup ce poème! Je ne connaissais pas cette histoire des tisserands! Merci pour toutes ces informations historiques!
Bel article!
Bises,
Dentelline
estoy buscando semillas de High Bred alguien sabe algo?