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(This contribution has been submitted as an entry for the Max Gate literary award.)
Industrial espionage is not solely confined to the modern era of multi-nationals and computers, let us go back to the end of the 17th century, to Norwich. It was here that Henry Lombe, a twice-married worsted weaver, lived and worked. By his first wife, he had two sons Thomas and Henry, and by his second wife he had another two sons John and Benjamin. When Henry died in 1695, he left his brothers as trustees, and instructed them to educate his children to a useful trade. Thomas the eldest went to London where he became successful in business. John, half-brother to Thomas went to Derby and in 1702 was found to be working for a Mr. Crotchet who started up a small silk-mill.
According to Hutton in his "History of Derbyshire" of 1817; "The wear of silks was the taste of the ladies and the British merchant was obliged to apply to the Italian with ready money for the article at exorbitant price."
But Mr. Crotchet was doomed to fail in his venture as three engines were needed for the process of producing silk and he had but one, consequently John lost his job, but his desire to obtain the Italian method of silk-throwing became an obsession. He could not learn the trade in England so his half-brother Thomas financed a journey to Italy.
Even up to the beginning of the 18th century the Italians were the principal producers of thrown silk. The method of throwing silk was brought into England by the Huguenot Artisans but the price of silk was so high that it impeded its progress so the manufacture was carried out mainly in the dominions of Savoy by means of a "large and curious machine". The Italians had preserved the mystery of their invention by certain laws. It seems the minimum punishment for breaking such laws was death, for example the culprit was executed, his property forfeit and a picture of the culprit painted on the outside of the prison walls, hanging by one foot from the gallows with an inscription underneath of the actual crime, placed there no doubt as a perpetual mark of infamy.
Bearing this in mind John succeeded in getting employment in a silk mill in Piedmont, in northern Italy. He was trained as a mechanic and in time became familiar with the machine's workings. In William Hutton's "History of Derbyshire", the author writes that John bribed the workmen, but this would have been a dangerous act as it would have led to his expulsion if not his execution.
(Hutton, it should be added, worked for many years in a silk-mill and found the work hard and treatment harsh) he says: "He staid some time, but as he knew admission was prohibited he adopted the usual mode of accomplishing his ends by corrupting the servants. This gave him frequent access in private. Whatever part he became master of he committed to paper before he slept".
John was away from England for several years before returning home with two Italian workmen to assist in the building of his own silk throwing machine. It is said that John had to flee for his life when the Italians suspected his dark doings, but he arrived in London in 1716. After conferring with his half-brother Thomas, a specification was prepared and a patent taken out in 1718, the patent (number 422) was granted for 14 years and was for: "A new invention of three sorts of engines never before made or used in Great Britain, one to wind the raw silk, another to spin, and the other to twist the finest Italian raw silk and to organize in great perfection which has never been done in this country".
A specification of the patent was enrolled in the Petty Bag Office, the roll it seems was mislaid and turned up again in 1867.
John Lombe arranged with the corporation of the Town of Derby for the leasing of the Island on the River Derwent at a ground rent of £8 a year. The Island, ideally suited for water-power was 500 feet long and 52 feet wide. The factory was to be built entirely at the expense of Thomas Lombe, and was to be the first factory to be built in England. The mill took three years to complete.
The main effect of the silk mills production was to reduce the price of thrown silk, bringing it below that of the Italian price. The King of Sardinia having heard of the success of the Lombe undertaking stopped the exportation of Piedmontese raw silk. A woman was sent posing as a friend and became associated with John and one evening gave him poison. He lingered in painful movement for two or three years before dying in 1723, at the premature age of 29. The funeral is described in Hutton's "History of Derbyshire". "John Lombes was the most superb figure ever known in Derby. A man of peaceful deportment, who had brought a beneficial manufactory in the place, employed the poor at advanced wages, could not fail meeting respect and melancholy with pity. Exclusive of the gentlemen who attended, all the people concerned in the works were invited. The procession marched in pairs, and extended the length of Full Street, the Market Place, and Iron-Gate, so that when the corpse entered All Saints at St. Marys Gate, the last couple left the house of the deceased, at the corner of Silkmill Street."
Thomas became Sheriff of London and Middlesex in 1727 and was knighted the same year. Production at the silk-mill went on from strength to strength and before long had acquired a European reputation.
In 1731, the subject of renewing the patent came before Parliament. Let us end with the words of Mr. Perry, who supported Sir Thomas Lombe's petition. "The art had been kept so secret in Piedmont that no other nation could ever yet come at the invention, and that Sir Thomas and his brother resolved to make an attempt for the bringing of this invention into their own country. They knew that there would be great difficulty and danger in the undertaking.
because the King of Sardinia had made it death for any man to discover this invention, or attempt to carry it out of his dominions. The Petitioners' brother however resolved to venture his person for the benefit and advantage of his native country, and Sir Thomas was resolved to venture his money and to furnish his brother with whatever sums should be necessary for executing so bold and so generous a design. His brother went accordingly over to Italy; and after a long stay and a great expense in that country, he found means to see this engine so often, and to pry into the nature of it so narrowly that he made himself master of the whole invention, and of all the different parts and motions belonging to it". But the patent was not renewed.
David Jenner |
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