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This item came from contents cleared in 1939....and in my opinion is important to the historians amongst you regarding textiles and broadcloth prices and uses in the Georgian era...these sort of items are seldom found these days in context.
Here is a really interesting hand written letter with samples of cloth attached to the paper with yardage and prices.
Manuscript bifolium as some word say.
First of all the paper..... it is antique .. it is not made up or a reproduction item... the paper has been folded in half and it has 2 watermarks ...so as you see it now its folded.. opened out as a single bit of paper is it 15 and half inch x 12 and half inch .. it has the fine lines within the paper going vertical to the writing.. and the water marks are a Royal Crown with GR below then a double framed diamond shape with initials or devices in it......this is nearly 3 inch long ... the larger watermark is a Garter with Latin wording surmounted with a Crown and Britannia in it...this is 5 inch long.
It is a letter - part letter... but has not got any addresses upon it.. it has been folded ...and unlike the entires of the period.. this has not been the outer envelope too.. this has no seal and no address....so it could well be part of a larger letter...it is only written on 2 sides.. the front and the inner face as you open the page..often referred to as BIFOLIUM.
So as you look at it .. it has 6 differant cut samples of cloth at the top row and a further 4 on the lower part...most are the same size .. and the blue one is slightly larger....top line says
Yard Wide
then the 6 peices of cloth - textile have a price below such as 7/ squiggle Yd ... so it may mean 7 shillings a yard or possible 7/6 or 7/4 shillings per yard.. it matters not really.. so they get cheaper as they go to the right...apart from the top far right the blue cloth its 7/ yard....the lower row says Broad Cloths 6/4
then below the first one says Forest 6/? Yd ...then the next two are 5/? yd and the final larger blue material is 2/? p=yd ....anyway the actual materials will be of interest to someone... if you look at them they have differant coloured edges.. where they have been made.. I am not into textiles etc... but often buy early letters - entires and manuscript documents... and to find them with textile samples on is very rare.
So now to the letter below... it starts with
Hon Sir, indicating the person to whom the samples are for is of a high status within the community ..a Bart - Baronet etc... and then he goes on to say about the patterns of goods he has in stock at the moment ..and he expects to be home in a few days and will send more patterns but some are allready sold to M Vane Esq.....he mentions Yellows including Buff ...he then goes on to say about not providing certain colours unless bespoke and asks if he has any patterns or particulars of cloth to send him, he will try and match etc... turning the page now... he carries on with a sentence about his stock being small .... almost sold out as near to the year end as possible..so if any of these are wanted by him he will greatly oblige... Sir, Your most obed' Servant .. signed R. Hargreaves.... 25 Jan 1765.
Interesting websites to consider looking into are below..... Nostell Priory at this time was owned by Sir Rowland Winn 4th and 5th Baronet ... one died in 1765 and the next one took over then....both were in the process of upgrading the residence and making many changes.. all of which can be found below..Im sure there will be some way of finding out more who this chap R. Hargreaves was and where he resided etc and if the Bart. purchased any of the samples for the house ... furniture or clothing...it seems rather expensive at 7/ shillings per yard but if you look through the history of Broadcloth making etc.. it was expensive ...I have really enjoyed researching this item...I am sure there will be more archives somewhere relating to this great Georgian house and its owners and its only a matter of time , energy and research.. this in My opinion is an IMPORTANT part letter for anyone interested in the Georgian period and actual Broadcloth examples from this period.....if you are into this sort of thing.
The paper does have some small worm holes..
We are no longer allowed to add links to our listings on ebay so you will all have to make time to research the items for yourselves.
See pics.
Please see close up pictures for more detail.
The item(s) are shown next to an English 1 penny which is 20mm dia for scale.
Conversion ... approx... 2.5cm = 25mm = 1 inch
If you have any questions, please contact me via ebay messages...go to OTHER question.
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