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The emigration of British lacemakers to continental Europe (1816–1860s)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2019

Fabrice Bensimon
Fabrice Bensimon*
Affiliation:
Sorbonne Université
*
*Corresponding author. Email: fabrice.bensimon@sorbonne-universite.fr
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Abstract

Between 1815 and 1870, thousands of British artisans emigrated to the continent. Among them, hundreds of lacemakers from the East Midlands went to work in northern France, especially Calais. Thanks to the ‘bobbin-net’ technology, they had a competitive lead. By emigrating, they could sell in French markets without paying duties or smuggling costs. They maintained close connections with the East Midlands, where they bought machinery and cotton thread, hired their workforce, and obtained first-hand information on patterns and techniques. These migrant artisans played a decisive part in boosting continental industrialisation and in creating a unified zone of production in north-western Europe.

French abstract

Entre 1815 et 1870, des milliers d'artisans britanniques ont émigré vers le continent. Parmi eux, des centaines de dentelliers de l'Est des Midlands sont partis travailler dans le nord de la France, en particulier à Calais. Grâce à l'invention technologique mécanisant la production (tulle dit bobin), ces dentelliers occupèrent une position dominante et sans rival. Emigrés, ils pouvaient vendre sur les marchés français sans payer de droits ni frais de contrebande. Ils maintinrent des liens étroits avec leurs Midlands, où ils achetaient leurs machines et du fil de coton, embauchaient du personnel et obtenaient des informations de toute première main sur les modèles, les motifs et les techniques. Ces artisans migrants jouèrent un rôle décisif dans le développement de l'industrialisation sur le continent européen et la création d'une zone de production unifiée dans le nord de l'Europe occidentale.

German abstract

Zwischen 1815 und 1870, wanderten tausende britischer Handwerker nach dem Kontinent aus, darunter auch Hunderte von Spitzenklöpplerinnen, die aus den östlichen Midlands zur Arbeit nach Nordfrankreich gingen, vor allem nach Calais. Dank der Bobinet-Technologie hatten sie einen Wettbewerbsvorteil, und durch die Auswanderung konnten sie auf französischen Märkten verkaufen, ohne Zölle oder Schmuggelkosten zu zahlen. Sie hielten enge Verbindungen mit den östlichen Midlands aufrecht, wo sie Maschinen und Baumwollgarne kauften, ihre Arbeitskräfte anwarben und Informationen aus erster Hand über Muster und Techniken erhielten. Diese Wanderhandwerker spielten eine entscheidende Rolle für die Ankurbelung der kontinentalen Industrialisierung und die Herausbildung eines einheitlichen Produktionsgürtels im nordwestlichen Europa.

Type
Special Issue on British Labour and Migration to Europe During the Industrial Revolution
Information
Continuity and Change , Volume 34 , Issue 1 , May 2019 , pp. 15 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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References

Notes

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