Swanskin is a close woven twill-weave flannel cloth for work clothes. It was used by fishermen and laborers. It is employed also as Ironing cloth to support on ironing tables.
History
In the 17th century, the cloth industry was an important part of Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton's economy, with production taking place in cottage industries in the surrounding areas. In the 18th century, the towns and Blackmore Vale area produced a coarse white woollen cloth known as 'swanskin,' that was used by Newfoundland fishers and for British Army and Navy uniforms. Local watermills became fulling mills for cleaning the raw wool, and teasels were used for napping the cloth.
Original 18th century samples of the fabric were thought to be lost until 2022, when a team of British-Canadian students found woollen swanskin mittens on the Change Islands. These can be found at the Olde Shoppe Museum on the islands. Further information on Dorset's role in the swanskin trade can be found at the Sturminster Newton Museum.
Swanskin
Some sources (Fairchild's dictionary of textiles) define "swanskin" as a generic term for soft, napped fabrics of the time period.
See also
References
- Leigh, Samuel (3 February 2018). Leigh's new picture of England and Wales. Creative Media Partners, LLC. p. 139. ISBN 978-1376569032.
- "Definition of SWANSKIN". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- "Swanskin definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- Samuel Tymms, William Camden (1842). Camden's Britannia epitomized and continued - Volume 2. H.G. Bohan. p. 108.
- George Morley Story, W. J. Kirwin, John David Allison Widdowson (1990). Dictionary of Newfoundland English. Canada: University of Toronto Press. p. 548. ISBN 0802068197.
- Mercer, Juanita. "Any rare swanskin clothing stashed in your attic? Newfoundland on the hunt for more of the historical garments | SaltWire". www.saltwire.com. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- "The Museum | SNHT". 2017-12-18. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- Fairchild's dictionary of textiles. New York: Fairchild Publications. 1959. p. 535.
External links
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