Lace making in Otterton has been a long
established cottage industry. Indeed Polwhele, the
well known historian says in 1790 “females of the
village are entirely manufacturers of a coarse
kind of thread lace”, When the craft first started
is unknown, but it is said it was brought over by
Flemish refugees about 1600. Lace making is
mentioned on a gravestone in Honiton Churchyard in
1617. (Michael Harrison).
The craft was the most important occupation – and
moneymaker- of the ladies and girls in the towns
and villages of South East Devon. It augmented the
income for village families especially during the
hard times of the agricultural depressions of the
19th and early 20th centuries. According to the
1841 Census at least 240 females, both young and
old, in Otterton were engaged in this delicate
work.
In 1823 Mr.& Mrs Lawrence opened a Lace Shop
somewhere in the village. Sprigs of Honiton Lace
were bought from neighbouring villagers. They
moved to Sidmouth about 1830 which became their
Headquarters.
By the 1850’s Mr.Stephens of Sidmouth was
collecting finished articles and in 1852 he set up
the Otterton Lace Institution. On the 5th. July
1853, 130 lady members paraded through the village
to the Church beneath “5 splendid arches with
flags flying....thousands? of spectators
congregated to witness the scene. The Church was
crowded to excess”. Tea was provided by Messrs.
Stephens & Co. of Sidmouth for 703 lacemakers
afterwards on the Green, followed by sports and
dancing.
By 1857 Robert Bucknell had opened a shop in
Otterton dealing in lace and in January 1860 was
buying the lease of 2acres of land from William
Wood of the Newton Poppleford Silk Mill. These
were cottages at the corner of Pig Street ie.
Hayes Lane and Behind Hayes. About this time
Bucknell moved to East Budleigh off High Street
near the Church and is known to be doing business
with Wood at the Silk Mill. He was still dealing
there in 1886.
Also in 1857 William and Mary Pratt had opened a
shop dealing in lace in “The Lawn”. The Pratt
family continued lace trading at least to 1939. By
1861 Miss Catherine Mary Pidgeon had opened a shop
in Brook House, Fore Street as a Draper and
Honiton Lace Manufacturer. Nearby at Jane Prince’s
shop at No.3 The Green she was also dealing in
lace being also a General Store. Both the Pratts
and Miss Pidgeon were in business to 1914 when
they were joined by Mrs. Mary Ann Gorman lace
dealing at Spinning Wheel Cottage, Crosstrees.
Miss Pidgeon, who attended at Salem Chapel, died
in 1927 and Mrs. Gorman closed before 1939.
Mention should be made of Miss Sarah Harding, then
Miss Eliza Langmead who assisted Miss Catherine
Pidgeon.
Miss Dorothy Miller assisted at Pratts shop and
her daughter Maureen continues today in the
exquisite art of lacemaking in Otterton.
Notes:- Among the various varieties of Euonymus
shrubs that may be growing in our gardens is the
Common Spindle Tree (Euonymus Europaeus). You may
be surprised to find examples growing in the wild
(some up to 20 feet in height) in the Otterton
hedgerows. This was a valuable tree in years gone
by as it provided a tough wood that did not
splinter and was used for making bobbins for the
lace-making industry in the district – also for
meat skewers.
1905
Mrs. Mary Freeman, Otterton Post Office
SOURCES
Otterton, A Devon Village by E. Michael Harrison
(Includes a comprehensive study on Lacemaking in
Otterton in the Appendix) 1984
All About Otterton by Millington & Jones 2000
“The Devon Almanac” edited by Todd Gray 2000
Fairlynch Museum, Budleigh Salterton.
© Gerald Millington 2016
