The Floor Of William Lee In Addition To His Knitting Machine

The even out of William Lee as well as his knitting machine pops upward at i time as well as again. For example, the 2019 World Development Report from the World Bank has a lift close the start of Chapter 1: "In 1589, Queen Elizabeth I of England was alarmed when clergyman William Lee applied for a violet patent for a knitting machine: `Consider thou what the innovation would practise to my pitiable subjects,' she pointed out. `It would assuredly convey them to ruin past times depriving them of employment.'”As someone who is inherently dubious virtually straight quotations from conversations held inwards 1589, I went to the footnote, which sent me to Richard Alexander McKinley, ed. 1958. The City of Leicester. Vol. four of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 History of the County of Leicester.  But I was unable to regain the quotation inwards the online version of this volume.

The William Lee even out is also told as the start of Chapter vii of the 2012 majority Why Nations Fail, past times Daron Acemoglu as well as James Robinson. But the citation at that topographic point is to a website for Calverton Village, where Lee grew upward dorsum inwards the 16th century. The webpage includes sentences like, "Those of yous who alive inwards the 20th century are aware of the bare facts of my life."  As someone who is inherently suspicious of first-person meshing essays written past times people who lived inwards the 16th century, I continued to hunt for something closer to an master source.

I won't enjoin yous the total even out of my journeys through libraries as well as archives, but instead volition merely jump to the destination.  The underlying source seems to locomote inwards an 1831 book, History of the Framework Knitters, written past times Gravenor Henson. The majority was as well as so republished inwards a 1970 edition. It's available through the magic of Google Books: the relevant even out virtually William Lee's sense runs from pp. 38-52. 

Henson was an of import British merchandise spousal human relationship leader inwards the early on 19th century. As Stanley D. Chapman notes inwards his "Introduction" virtually Henson's role inwards writing the book: "His top dog theme was that hosiery, lace as well as all other industries should locomote regulated past times the authorities so as to hold a decent living criterion for the workers as well as fair weather of trade. British industries must locomote protected from straight unusual contest and, to a greater extent than particularly, from industrial espionage, migration of skilled workmen to other countries, as well as export of machinery." 

Henson is writing inwards 1831, as well as hence has seen the opening decades of the Industrial Revolution. But inwards his judgement, William Lee's innovation of a machine for knitting stockings to a greater extent than than 2 centuries before was "the greatest triumph of mechanical genius then, or or many ages known." At a fourth dimension when applied scientific discipline inwards the textile manufacture meant spinning wheels as well as mitt looms, Lee invented a machine that could knit stockings. For an detailed description of its workings, a useful starting betoken is "William Lee as well as His Knitting Machine," past times R. L. Hills,  inwards the Journal of The Textile Institute
(1989, 80:2, pp. 169-184). 

Those who desire the entire passage from Henson's history tin locomote to Google Books. Here, I'll focus how Henson tells 5 elements of the story: 

• The root of the Lee's innovation inwards a disappointed romance
• The source of the story
• The encounter with Queen Victoria
• The excessive monopolies of that time
• Taking the applied scientific discipline to France

Origins of the Invention inwards a Disappointed Romance

"The innovation of the knitting machine, (since improve known past times the yell of the stocking frame as well as the workmen as framework-knitters,)  owed its origin, as is universally agreed, to a singular circumstance the disappointed dearest of the inventor the Rev. William Lee, curate of Calverton, inwards the county of Nottingham. This gentleman, it is said, paid his addresses to a fille inwards his neighbourhood, to whom, from some cause, his attentions were non agreeable; or, as with to a greater extent than probability it has been conjectured, she affected to process him with negligence, to ascertain her powerfulness over his affections. Whenever he paid his visits, she ever took attention to locomote busily employed inwards knitting, as well as would pay no attending to his addresses; this deport she pursued to such a harsh extent, as well as for so long a period, that the lover became disgusted, as well as he vowed to devote his time to come leisure, instead of dancing attendance on a capricious woman, who treated his attending with mutual frigidness neglect, inwards devising an innovation that should effectually supercede her favorite occupation of knitting, So sedulous was Mr Lee inwards his novel occupation, that he neglected every affair to gain this novel object of his attentions; fifty-fifty his sacerdotal duties were neglected; In vain did his sweetheart endeavour to reclaim him; she found,too late, that she had carried her sense of humour also far, all interests, all avocations, all affections were absorbed inwards his novel pursuit, from which he imagined he should realize an immense fortune. His curacy was despised, as well as at length abandoned, as beneath the notice of a individual who had formed inwards his imagination such gigantic prospects." 

As Henson tells the story, Lee came upward with the stance for the framework knitter afterwards hours upon hours of watching the fingers of his romantic interest.  As Henson describes inwards extensive, delightful, as well as (to me) impenetrable detail, it involved a complex array of  hooks, needles, grooves, combs, springs, trucks, Pb sinkers, the slur cock, jacks, as well as other parts attached to a wooden board. 

The Source of the Story!

"The greater role of this data was obtained from Mr, Hardy, Twister's-alley, Bunhill-row, London, who was apprenticed inwards London, inwards 1711, as well as died, aged 90, inwards 1790--from Mr Woods, Godalming--and from an ancient stocking maker who died inwards Collin's Hospital, Nottingham, aged 92, as well as who was apprenticed inwards Nottingham inwards the reign of Queen Anne, as well as all of them gave a similar account. This is inwards some mensurate confirmed past times the arms of the London Company of Framework-knitters which consist of a stocking frame without the woodwork, with a clergyman on i mitt as well as a adult woman on the other as supporters."

Going to See the Queen

Having at i time discovered the method of knitting past times machinery, his adjacent attempt was directed to obtain the golden harvest which had flattered his imagination. He removed his innovation to London for the role presenting it to the Queen, inwards the fond promise of receiving her congratulations, as well as those of her whole court. ...  Such a regain as the fine art of making so complicated a stuff as knitting past times mechanism was considered almost miraculous; Elizabeth was excited past times curiosity (in companionship with Lord Hunsdon as well as his son) to inspect the frame incognito. Lee at i time imagined himself certainly of a handsome remuneration, but his hopes proved delusive. It is said that nada could top her disappointment, when she perceived that Mr. Lee was non making silk but woollen stockings, as well as that his machine was non capable, without bang-up improvement, of making the articles inwards which she took so much pride of existence the outset wearer. ...

Though supported past times the powerful intercession of Lord Hunsdon, as well as his boy Sir Wm Cary, every bit a favorite with Elizabeth, she refused to brand either a grant of coin or secure him a monopoly or patent. Her answer is said to have got been to the next purport: -- My Lord, I have got also much dearest to my pitiable people, who obtain their breadstuff past times the occupation of knitting, to give my coin to frontward an innovation which volition tend to their ruin, past times depriving them of employment, as well as hence brand them beggars. Had Mr. Lee made a machine that would have got made silk stockings, I should, I think, have got been somewhat justified inwards granting him a patent for that monopoly, which would have got affected only a minor issue of my subjects. but to relish the exclusive privilege of making stockings for the whole of my subjects is also of import to grant to whatever individual."

The Excessive Monopolies of that Time

Apparently Lee ran into a dissimilar problem: Queen Elizabeth has been granting lots of monopolies to courtroom favorites, as well as at that topographic point was a widespread sense that it had gotten out of hand. Thus, the granting of unwarranted monopolies became a argue to deny Lee a monopoly as well. Henson writes:

The fourth dimension which Mr. Lee had chosen to brand an application to the government, though to his sanguine heed real propitious for remuneration. was inwards reality the reverse; the treasury of Elizabeth was extremely low, owing to the enormous expenses which she had incurred inwards preparations to encounter the Castilian armada inwards the preceding year. Already had the Parliament begun to limited their decided umbrage at the grant of the privileges of patents for monopolies; which, as they were as well as so conducted, were justly considered national evils, as well as the most odious agency of rewarding courtroom favorites, past times an excessively tyrannical manner of private taxation. Nearly all the nobles enjoyed a patent for the most useful as well as full general articles of consumption, such as iron, lead, saltpetre, salt, oil, glasses, &c. &c., to the amount of to a greater extent than than i hundred articles, which were sold, imported, or exported past times virtue of letters patent. These patent rights, were sold to persons who farmed the profits, as well as hence demanded what prices they stance prudent for their commodities. When the full general listing was read over inwards the House of Commons inwards 1601, a member, indignant at the the extortions, exclaimed, " Is breadstuff with the number?" "Bread?" cried the house, with astonishment, "Yes I assure you," he sarcastically replied, "if nosotros locomote on at this rate, nosotros shall have got a monopoly of breadstuff before adjacent Parliament." 

Going to France

William Lee persevered, encouraged past times the stance that if he could create a knitting machine for silk stockings, he mightiness yet have a patent or other fiscal back upward from Queen Elizabeth. Henson reports that past times 1596-97, afterwards 7-8 years to a greater extent than work, he succeeded. Henson refers to this innovation as "the most wonderful deed of a unmarried genius ever displayed, fifty-fifty inwards these mechanical ages." Henson reports that although at that topographic point were some rumors that Lee received a patent, the "London as well as Godalming men, unitedly say that he had no patent." He was as well as so enticed to relocate to France, but his political back upward inwards French Republic disintegrated afterwards the assassination of Henry the Great, as well as Lee died shortly thereafter. Henson writes:

His [Lee's] apprentices as well as workmen were principally composed of his relatives, who stance it so high a laurels to belong to the novel craft, that they wore their working-needles, having ornamental silvery shafts, suspended from a silvery chain, at their breasts; as well as this grade of distinction was preserved so belatedly as the reign of Queen Anne. After the expiry of Elizabeth, Mr. Lee, who was at i time past times the pinnacle of life, became inwards some mensurate melancholic, for he found that her successor James, who retained Elizabeth's government minister Cecil, followed the same course of teaching inwards refusing him remuneration. ...
About this time, the Marquis de Rosni, improve known as the Duke of Sully, outset government minister as well as favorite of Henry IV. i of the ablest men Europe has produced inwards modern times, arrived inwards London, as ambassador, for the role of negotiating an alliance betwixt France, England, Holland, Venice, as well as the northern powers, against Philip III., Emperor of Germany, King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, as well as Sicily. The policy of this genuinely bang-up man, who had revived to an extent before unknown the manufactures of France, chop-chop induced him to accept payoff of the fail of Cecil. He applied to Mr. Lee, as well as made him real first-class offers, provided he would withdraw himself as well as his mechanism to France. ...

Though he declined acceding to Sully's wishes, he gave him argue to promise that, provided his ain authorities however neglected him, he mightiness yet locomote induced to emigrate. - - Some years afterwards this, having lost his bang-up patron as well as apprentice Lord Hunsdon, he was,induced to closed with the proposals of the Duke of Sully, as well as to withdraw with the whole of his men, excepting i who (returned to Nottingham), to Rouen, inwards Normandy. Having established his frames, as well as commenced his manufactory, he went to Paris, where he was introduced past times the Duke to his Sovereign, Henry the Great, who gave him a gracious reception. This benevolent Monarch, who was then, as well as is now, the darling of the French nation, especially of the working classes, was meditating the humbling of the ascendance of the family of Austria, as well as was preparing for the opening of a displace the most bright that had taken house inwards that age, when the desperate assassin, Francis Ravaillac, as he passed through the streets of Paris, during a momentary halt of his carriage, got upon its wheels, as well as at 2 blows deprived Henry of life, as well as pitiable William Lee of all his bright expectations. He was as well as so inwards Paris, expecting, afterwards the hurry of the deviation of Henry, that his minister, Sully, would have got leisure to accommodate with him the establishing of his manufacture upon an extended scale. So dreadful a misfortune acted as a thunder bolt upon the unfortunate ingenious man, as well as when, on waiting upon Sully, he found that that bang-up government minister had resigned the whole of his appointments into the hands of Mary de Medicis, the Queen Regent, as well as that he was preparing inwards disgust to retire to his estate, leaving the authorities inwards the hands of Italians, his fortitude forsook him, as well as he gave way to the melancholy which had attacked him inwards London; he stance himself the most unfortunate of men; alone, unprotected, inwards a unusual country, afterwards twenty-two years’ struggles;" he sickened at the thought, as well as sent for his blood brother James, from Rouen, but before he arrived, the inventor of the stocking frame died of a broken heart, inwards the midst of strangers. This happened inwards the twelvemonth 1610.

The applied scientific discipline of Lee's knitting machine was at this betoken known, as well as gradually adapted as well as adopted. By the 1620s it has larn established as a method of production.

Who knows what Queen Elizabeth really said, to a greater extent than than 250 years before Henson published his history inwards 1831? But quoting her concerns virtually the workers, together with business organization virtually her ain silk stockings, is in all probability as well-justified as many other long-ago historical examples. At to the lowest degree if yous (or I) enjoin the even out inwards the future, at that topographic point is a combat to a greater extent than context virtually monopoly powers of that time, as well as how applied scientific discipline that cannot flourish inwards i province may caput to another.