Wool

Object Name:

Wool

Object ID:

1982.101.11

Place of Origin:

Boscawen, NH

Date:

1800-1900

Description:

Wool roving. A sample of carded wool adhered to a paper card with hand written text in black ink written below: "Roll of carded / wool from first / woolen mill in / New Hampshire / owned by Richard / Gage at Boscawen / (Penacook). Ready to/be twisted into / yarn by the spin-/ ning wheel. Carding / was done also at / Shepardson's Mill in / Claremont." Housed with a separate piece of paper with handwritten notes in pencil, "Carding [underlined] / Roll of wool from mill / of Richard Gage, first / woolen mill in N.H. / In 1820, 20 woolen mills / in U.S. Largest 20 carders, / Gage's in Boscawen 5" / Explain difference / between woolen mill, / spinning mill, and factory. / John Pearson in Rawley / first factory. / how cording was / done. Wool rubbed with /1/3 oz. in soft fat, pork / fat preferred. Matted / into cards.Even youngest / child had stent. Dr. Wood / tutor of Webster, prefaced / sermon while carding, / Today of death proudly / wore blue homespun cape / of wife's weaving." Repeated on reverse side of paper, "Today of death proudly / wore blue homespun / cape of wife's weaving." One of a set of 12 cards compiled by a textile historian. See objects 1982.101.01-12.

Material:

Textile
Wool
Paper

Dimensions:

W-4.25 L-9.5 inches

Provenance:

From woolen mill owned by William H. Gage in Boscawen, NH. Compiled by a textile historian who included history of each piece on paper to which fragments were attached.

Credit Line:

Gift of William L. Warren

People:

Warren, William L. (1912-1998), Gage, William H. (1791-1872), Gage, Richard B. (1776-1855), Wood, Samuel, Webster, Daniel (1782-1852)

Subjects:

Wool industry, Carding, Spinning, Homespun, Textile production