Remembering Lacemakers

On 25th November we remember St Catherine of Alexandria who was martyred for her Christian beliefs in 310 AD. She is the Patron Saint of spinners, weavers and lacemakers.

Since Tudor times English lacemakers have laid aside their bobbins for a while and celebrated St Catherine's Day with Cattern cakes. It is a simple recipe and I recently made a batch to share with you. I enjoyed one with a cup of coffee and have written the recipe at the end of this post.

No one is sure when people started making lace in England. It is thought that Henry VIII's first wife Queen Catherine of Aragon (above), while awaiting her divorce from the king in 1533, taught lacemaking to some of the ladies living in Ampthill in Bedfordshire. At the time she was living in Ampthill Castle and a lace pattern named after her is still being used in that area today. The story goes that she felt such sympathy for the impoverished lacemakers that she burnt all her own fine lace so that more could be ordered from the local women thus providing them with a much needed income.

My great grandmother and her sisters were lacemakers in Buckinghamshire in Victorian times. The lace they produced was very intricate and it would have taken hours to complete a short length.

My granny kept a box in her dresser drawer which contained her mother's lace bobbins and when I was little I was sometimes allowed to look at them. I'm sorry to say this box was lost over the years and the bobbins in the picture sadly aren't my granny's. I bought these at a sale in Bedfordshire five years ago and promised myself that I would learn the craft but I'm afraid I haven't yet got round to it. These bobbins once belonged to an elderly lady and are all attached to her unfinished work. I don't like to remove them.

Children in the main lacemaking counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire were taught lacemaking at a very young age. Lace schools were set up specifically to teach them the craft and from this photograph you can see how young some of them were. Finding employment in these agricultural counties wasn't easy and lacemaking provided a small amount of much needed income. Every female in the family would be expected make lace. They would work from dawn until dusk weaving the fine threads often by the light of a single candle. In the late 1700s William Cowper became a great friend to the lacemakers in his town of Olney in Buckinghamshire and he fought for their welfare. I visited his home (now a small museum) a few years ago and found it fascinating. You will find a link to it in my sidebar.

There are many lace pattern books available. The one on the left by Pamela Nottingham is very popular and gives you lots of patterns and tips for making a variety of lace styles. It wasn't until I bought my bobbins that I discovered what fascinating little works of art they are and how much can be learnt from them. The book on the right by Christine and David Springett is a must for all antique bobbin collectors as it not only illustrates hundreds of different bobbins but also gives information about the men who made them.

Antique bobbins are made from either bone (not ivory) or wood. The bone ones were often beautifully decorated and would have cost more than the wooden ones which were plainer. No two bobbins are ever identical. Here are some Victorian from my own collection.
1). The one at the top is well used and the name on it is quite rubbed. It reads John Bunyan. He lived in the heart of lacemaking country (Bedford) whilst writing 'Pilgrim's Progress' and many lacemakers owned a Bunyan bobbin. 
2). The second bobbin has a more ornate shape and is wrapped with fine brass wire.
3). I love this third example. It has been engraved with the wishes of its owner and reads 'Elizabeth Pickering would love to live happy with Robert Pain'. Many lacemakers had the names of their sweethearts and family members engraved on their bobbins. I wonder Elizabeth and Robert ever married.
4). The plainer wooden bobbin at the bottom has three pewter 'jingles' on it.

The book on the left by T L Huetson contains a history of lacemaking as well as lots of interesting facts about bobbins. The small paperback on the right by C and D Springett includes fascinating information about the vintage glass beads (called spangles) that are found on old bobbins. 

This is a fabulous book about British festivals and celebrations with accompanying recipes and old customs. It was written by Julia Jones and Barbara Deer in 1987 but is still readily available from second-hand booksellers on line.

On page 8 is the entry for St Catherine's Day. Each page is illustrated in a scrap book style.

Here as promised is the recipe for lacemakers' Cattern cakes.

9 oz/275 g self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 oz/25 g currants
2 oz/50 g ground almonds
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
7 oz/200 g caster sugar
4 oz/100 g melted butter
1 medium egg, beaten
A little extra cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Oven temperature 
200 degrees C.
400 degrees F.
Gas 6

Sift flour and cinnamon into a bowl. Stir in currants, almonds, caraway seeds and sugar. Add the melted butter and beaten egg. Mix to a soft dough. On a floured board roll out to a rectangle 12 ins x 10 ins (30 cm x 25 cm). Brush the dough with water and sprinkle with a little extra sugar and cinnamon. Roll up like a Swiss roll and cut into 2 cm (3/4 ins) slices. Place (spaced well apart) on a greased tray and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack then enjoy! (Makes approx 12).

Comments

[Suzanne]

Eli, you must learn to make lace! YOu would love it. My daughter , now 21 took lessons from a lady from Holland a few years back who has made lace for over 70 years, she is fantastic. I am fortunate to have a local lacemakers guild a town over that meets once monthly. They also tat. What a craft though! I am not beyond bookmards but I do love it when I get a bit of quiet:-) What a lovely book, I shall have to look for it. Those bobbins are lovely too, nice spangling on them!

[Martha]

So many bobbins to keep track of for a small piece of lace! It looks like an impressive skill. You should give it a go. I just love all the bobbins. I can see how collecting them could become addictive! :o)
Take Care!

[Redwood House]

Hi Eli, what a very interesting blog you are a mine of information, about it seems to me, everything. Please tell me you do need to look some of the facts and info. from books or should I be able to remember this amount of wonderful facts. I must admit I have a job remembering to get the weetabix or goodies from the freezer in time to defrost. The bobbins are delightful how very interesting to learn how to use them, my elderly aunt used to do tatting and she was fasinating to watch. I'm afraid a sewing machine is about as much as I can cope with. I am still very tempted to have a go at knitting though or maybe crochet might be easier!!!!
Getting colder down here I had better light the woodburner, stay cosy in your beautiful part of the country.
Jan

[Andrea]

I never realised what works of art lace bobbins are! I love the bobbin with the owener's sweethearts name engraved on it. Really interesting blog post, thankyou.
Andrea

[clarice]

I find lace making utterly fascinating. I love to watch people making it, all those bobins going. The recipe looks yummy, thank you. I thought of you yesterday, I got a bunny kin cup for $5.00 ae a local sale. I was thrilled and thought of all your cups. Clarice

[clarice]

I find lace making utterly fascinating. I love to watch people making it, all those bobins going. The recipe looks yummy, thank you. I thought of you yesterday, I got a bunny kin cup for $5.00 and a local sale. I was thrilled and thought of all your cups. Clarice

[Cathy Santarsiero]

Dear Eli, What a lovely and informative post! So much I never knew. The bobbins are a lovely as the lace! Have a happy day. Warmly, Cathy in New York. ^..^

[Selia Renzetti]

Dear Eli,

Thank you so much for sharing! Your bobbins are so beautiful. I have never seen anyone make lace but now I am very intrigued after reading your post. I will have to try the recipe for cattern cakes!

Blessings,
Selia

[Paula]

Dear Eli,

What a wonderful post, as always! Thank you for sharing about lace making. I enjoyed reading it so much. The bobbins are just beautiful! I would love to learn to make lace. I hope you will give it a try. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I love the photo of your teacup with the cakes you made, just lovely!

Love, Paula

P.S. Thank you for telling me about the roses!