Nottingham Lace

Like many other regions of England, residents of Nottingham made a living from the lace trade. Until the 1760s, lace was made by hand, a time consuming process resulting in an expensive luxury item which was a symbol of the wealth of the wearer. This lace was primarily bobbin lace, often made in very poor conditions with the lacemakers receiving piteously little pay for their labours.

During the Industrial Revolution, however, inventors adapted machines originally made for knitting stockings to create lace net. The machine lace industry grew rapidly and by the middle of the 19th century, machines were making very affordable, high quality lace and Nottingham became the centre of the machine lace trade. The emergence of machinery upset many workers who saw their livelihoods being threatened. The Luddite riots began in 1811 in Nottinghamshire, soon spreading to neighbouring counties.

The Lace Gallery at Nottingham Castle celebrates three centuries of lace making in this city. Not only does it offer a brief history of lace here, but also offers a wonderful display of both handmade and machine lace. John Heathcoat’s model of his 1809 bobbin net machine is part of the exhibition as is a wonderful panel of lace commemorating the Battle of Britain, produced by Nottingham firm Dobson, Browne and Co.

Sadly, tracking down evidence of Nottingham’s connection to the lace trade elsewhere in the city is very hard. Although there is an area called the Lace Market, the grand red brick warehouses and factory buildings no longer boast any connection to its history. However, I was delighted to find Debbie Bryan, an award winning, independent creative gallery which has examples of machine lace amongst other crafty items.

Debbie Bryan

1st Floor,

St Peter's Gate,

Nottingham

NG1 2JG

Nottingham Castle

Lenton Rd,

Nottingham

NG1 6EL