Townley’s death marked the end of an industry

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IN October 1923, The Tewkesbury Register and Gazette reported the death of 83-year-old Nelson Thomas Townley at the Groves Almshouses, Cotteswold Road.

Mr Townley was the last person in Tewkesbury to have made stockings by hand, once a thriving industry in the town.

Stocking-making in Tewkesbury dated back to the 16th century following the invention of a hand-operated knitting machine by a Nottingham clergyman, William Lee.

Due to its close proximity to the Cotswolds, Tewkesbury was well placed to embrace the woollen hose trade.

Stockings were made on a mechanised scale in the town, in places such as the steam-powered Patent Renewable Stocking Factory in East Street, where an information plaque can be found (inset).

But much of the work was carried out by people in their own homes.

The husband worked the knitting frame (all the stocking-makers listed in a Tewkesbury trade directory of 1820 are men) while his wife and children wound the bobbins with wool.

When cotton started coming into Britain from its colonies in the latter 18th century, Tewkesbury hosiers were quick to take up the new material.

The town vied with Nottingham to be the major producer of cotton hose and competition was fierce.

Nottingham maintained that its cotton fabric was of a higher quality and complained that inferior Tewkesbury products were being passed off as Nottingham’s best.

Nottingham hosiers petitioned Parliament and the Tewkesbury Act of 1766 sought to differentiate leg-wear from the two rivals.

In Victorian times, silk stockings became fashionable and Tewkesbury was quick to respond to the new trend.

The town’s theatre was converted into a silk mill and for a time Tewkesbury’s production of silk stockings was greater even than London’s.