Dear Jane, Devon and others Jane and your email sent me scuttling to get my book out, Well Suited to the Colony by Gillian Kelly. The Naponic War ended in 1814 and it is believed that the first lace machine was smuggled into Calais in 1815. Until then the English were not welcome in France. This is St Pierre le Calais and not Calais as we know it today as the inhabitants of Calais asked that the machines were moved from Calais as they were noisy. By 1824 there were 412 English living in Calais and by 1841 this had increased to 1420. At that time the machines were making net for decoration in Paris, more than likely tambour as it was not until the 1830s a man named Jacquard provided the help and information to enable lace to be made on a machine. As a result of the French Revolution the lacemakers left Calais in 1848 and had a four month trip[ to Australia. Approximately 1000 people emigrated to Australia to take up new lives, most had their fare paid under the 'Bounty' system but some funded it! themselves. Ironically they did not take their machines with them and became general labourers, farm hands etc in Australia. See the website of The Australian Lacemakers of Calais, which was set up in 1982 as people started to research their ancesters, which gives more information.
I have several hundred photos from Gillian Kelly as well as information and photos from the then Chairman Richard Lander as I was giving talks etc about the subject. They both answered lots of questions for me and were extremely helpful and happy for the stories to be told in the UK. I think I did a review of the book in about 2007 and then wrote an article, which had drawings with it but not by me, giving further info etc for the Lace Guild a few months later. Anyone who was in the Lace Guild at that time will have seen the article and book review. I can give further information etc but must dash as I have to collect youngest granddaughter from school. Maureen E Yorks UK - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
