Do you use cash?

Tuesday, 17 February 2009 12:00

Still on the Coventry canal - more "back story"!

Coventry was the home of silk ribbon weaving in the mid 19th century. There was a huge influx of weavers, causing housing problems inside the city walls. As a result a settlement was built outside the walls at Hillfields in 1828. This became the centre of weaving with factories producing ribbon for commercial purposes.

There was "industrial unrest" among the craftsmen because of this commercialisation and one factory was burnt down. Eventually there was a peace established and chief among the peace makers were the Cash brothers. The industry collapsed in 1860, mainly due to imports, and many of the weavers immigrated. However Cash's survived.

How many of us had Cash's name labels sewn into our school clothes? Did you spend hours sewing them into your childrens' clothes just before they started school? They lasted better than the iron-on ones, as I soon disovered! The firm established by the Cash brothers is still in production - hence Cash's name labels!

J. J. Cash produce commemorative woven ribbons on a Jacquard loom and below is the one of Graham Sutherland's tapestry in Coventry Cathedral.

A woven ribbon of a woven tapestry

Alongside the Coventry Canal, just beyond bridge 2, are an elegant row of houses known as Cash's Hundred Houses, built in 1857

Cash's Hundred Houses

They were the home and work place of Cash's weavers from 1857 for the next 138 years. The living accommodation was on the lower two floors and the top story was occupied by looms. These looms were driven by  a single central shaft from a steam engine. It must have been a noisy place to live when the looms were working at full blast! Only 48 houses were eventually built and only 37 now remain.

Modern technology has overtaken the residents - the factory has moved, weaving is computerised and the houses sprout satellite dishes!

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