Lace Making in Leighton Buzzard

It is not known exactly when the craft of Lace Making was introduced into England, but locally it is thought that Henry VIII’s wife, Catherine of Aragon first taught it to some of the inhabitants of Ampthill in Bedfordshire when she resided there 1531. It is known that the greatest number of lacemakers was concentrated in Buckinghamshire and parts of Bedfordshire and that these areas remained the most important source of lace until the beginning of the twentieth century. As with straw-work, lace schools were set up in Bedfordshire, which taught between eighty and ninety girls and boys. The hours the children worked were long, discipline was strict and conditions were often cramped and cold.

A lacemakers pins would always be made of brass, which did not rust, and lacemakers would decorate them with beads or with coloured sealing wax. Most lacemakers had a bobbin winder and used thread that was either linen or cotton. Patterns were picked out on a strip of parchment which was usually just over a foot long. The parchment had a strip of cloth sewn to each end and this was pinned to a pillow; the lacemaker would rest the pillow partly on her knees and partly on a pillow “horse” to steady the work and keep it taut. Threads were wound onto specially shaped bobbins and hung on to the pillow at the beginning of the pattern.

During the late eighteenth century there was a shortage of change and businesses issued their own tokens instead. Some of these tokens would be exchanged at Leighton Buzzard where fine quality lace was produced. The lace would end up at the wholesaler’s premises in London where it would be sold on to discerning customers.