with a great number of cottons to be uttered and sold to the inhabitants, whereby many poor people have been well set to work, as well with dressing and greasing of the said cotton as with putting to size the same." Ten years later, temp. Edward VI., an Act was passed for regulating the weight and dimensions of Lancashire and Cheshire cottons and Manchester rugs and friezes. ASPECT OF MANCHESTER IN 1552. The population probably ranged from five to six thousand people. Its trade had already risen into sufficient prosperity to cause a considerable influx from the immediate out-townships and various parts of Lancashire and Cheshire. Analysing the list of surnames in the Court Leet Records we find that a great number of Scottish people had by that time settled in the town, for Scotland was one of the sources from which the merchants and chapmen of Manchester drew their linen yarn and wool. The Welsh element is sufficiently shown by the occurrence of seven names, while Irish nationality is represented by four surnames. The population was, therefore, already well leavened with new blood, a sure criterion of the expansion of industrial Manchester; this fresh infusion gave a further impulse to the restless trading spirit of this busy little manorial market place. Leland, riding into the town in 1542, calls it in his terse way, "the fairest, best built, quickest, and most populous of all Lancastershire;" but when we come to 1552 the outlines become much clearer. The town stretches in one direction along the bold rocky brows of the Irk valley up Milne Bridge (Scotland Bridge), which takes us to the town's oak woods at Collyhurst. On its banks are the Walke Mill, the Collyhurst and Smedley fulling mills for working the friezes and rugs. There are only a few badly paved, narrow, winding streets-fenell street, hengynge dyche, mylne gate, smethe door, and huntsbank; from the top of the rocks rise the College and the Old Church, and reached from the town side by a finely arched stone bridge, spanning the deepchannelled ditch. The centre of life is the market place; there are the booths, the stone cross, and the conduit. Crossing over we are in Market Stede Lane, and walk down Saynt Marys gate and the old Market stede; a few steps lead us to Deynsgate, where they are building new black-and-white timber houses for the wealthier class; in the distance extends Aldport Park and Knot Mill Bridge; on the east side, without the pale of Hyde Cross, stretches Wythegraves. The martial spirit is kept up by two pairs of butts, one in Market Stede Lane for the inhabitants of the south side of the church, the other upon Collyhurst for those on the northern side. The crowded market is held twice a week, and the great annual fair in autumn at Acresfield. The Irish merchants with their linen yarn haggle at Patrick Stone, near Smithy Door. Aulnegers and leather-sellers are scrutinising cloth and leather packs. The town numbers among its burgesses many rich mercers, grocers, haberdashers, clothiers, linen drapers, corvisers, and merchants and chapmen, who give employment to many linen and wool websters, shearmen, fullers, dyers, tanners, and whitlawers. The timbered dwelling-houses and shops are scattered in picturesque irregularity; some old houses are still in homely thatch. From the backs of the houses we step at once on rural ground and pasturage. The pleasant appearance of the town is further enhanced in the outskirts by a number of quaint old halls-Hulme Hall, on the brink of the Irwell, leads by a ford to Ordsall Hall; the access from Deansgate is marked by stately Aldport Park and lodge, and the top of Market Street Lane leads up to Garrett Hall, owned by the Traffords. The leading hostelries are the Bull's Head Inn, in the Market Place, and the Eagle and Child, situate at St. Mary's Gate, both bearing the respective crests of the Radcliffes, of Ordsall Hall, and of the Derby family, painted on their signboards. TRADE IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. The chapmen do already a busy trade in their local manufacture, and regularly visit the great fairs of Chester, London, and Stourbridge, near Cambridge. Richard Nugent, of Manchester, in his journey to London fair in 1589: Paid and spent in riding to London for his diet in London ... for standing in the fair for his horse grass in London ... Blackwell Hall being then the great 0. 13. 5 I. 5. 2. O. IO. O. 0. 9. 2. resort of the Manchester frieze, rug, and cotton men. At the close of the London fair he travelled to the Stourbridge fair and: The roads which radiate from the town are the king's high road, which, crossing Milne Bridge, up Smedley, past the Peel and Stocks, goes into Yorkshire. From Market Sted Lane, past Garrett Hall, the route winds through Stockport to Derby and London, which, however, is the more intractable road to the metropolis. From Deansgate, then in an impassable, broken condition, and marked by holes and ruts, across Knot Mill, Cornbrook, and Cross Ferry Bridge, past Knutsford, to Cranage, we link on to the great Holyhead Road, taking us likewise to London, and altogether a more comfortable road, leading through level country. Another road passes, viâ Salford, through Pendleton, to Warrington, and from thence also striking both to Chester and Liverpool. At that time there were no real regulated posts available for the traders and the carriage of post-letters, but only foot and horse messengers, who followed the king's court from place to place, and any letters, packets, invoices, or accounts were entrusted to the care of the slow carrier who despatched the goods of the Manchester people to their destination. In 1588 Chadwick, in the employ of a Salford clothier, is mentioned. The chapmen and merchants went to the fairs and trading towns on horseback, or engaged, when necessary, post-horses. Not only did the Manchester traders attend the great fairs, but their business transactions also extended far away to Hull, Worcester, Bristol, and Salisbury, &c., and their cottons found even their way already in 1580 to Rouen. Canon Raines has copied some letters in his introduction to the Derby Household Books, which show us the particular style of address used. It includes the request: 1580, geve this with convenient speed, from Oxford to Handley. 1588, theise d. (= dedi), from Newfield to Worden in Lancashire. Unfortunately, he does not state whether any charge for post-carriage is indicated on these letters. We emerge now from the sixteenth century. Camden still makes a passing allusion to the condition of the town which, in 1582, he says, "far excelleth the towns, lying about it, for resort unto it & for clothing." MANCHESTER IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. At the opening of the seventeenth century the frieze and woollen industry begins gradually to dwindle away, already hinted at by Camden. Instead, we are faced with a steady growth of the linen industry and a vigorous development of the fustian manufacture, which we find well established in the second decade. The linen websters were in full activity and the linen yarn trade with Ireland in a flourishing condition; while there existed a growing demand for Cyprus and Smyrna cotton wool required for the weft of the fustian-makers. It was purchased and brought from London. Humphrey Chetham was one of the leading buyers and chapmen, and employed, as we see from his account books, a large number of carriers for the conveyance of his merchandise to the different parts of Lancashire and the great fairs and markets. Manchester waggon-men were to be seen with their heavy loads of packs travelling in all directions. From the Carriers' Cosmography, published in 1637, we learn that: : The carriers of Manchester do lodge at the Bear in Bassishaw, they do come on Thursday & Friday, they likewise also lodge at the sign of the Axe, in Aldermanbury, they do also lodge at the Two-necked Swan, in Lad Lane. There come every second Thursday, also there do lodge carriers that do pass through divers other parts of Lancashire. The Axe and Bear were the habitual inns of the Yorkshire and Derbyshire carriers; while the Two-necked Swan and the Bell were patronised by the carriers |