ELASTIC WEB MANUFACTURE (fn. 1)
The elastic web industry in Leicester dates from
1839, when Caleb Bedells, an inventor in the hosiery
firm of Wheeler & Co. of the Abbey Mills, announced that he was about to commence the production of 'an improved caouchouc webbing' and
opened a factory in Southgate Street. (fn. 2) At first
designed for use in braces, the new webbing was
quickly adapted for the wrists of gloves and the tops
of stockings, and in such articles as boots, fasteners
for ladies' veils, hair-nets, and other garments. In
1840 John Briggs, a glove manufacturer, applied for
and received a patent for making elastic-wristed
gloves and within four years he had 330 frames
manufacturing them. (fn. 3) The discovery that by vulcanizing rubber (i.e. treating it with sulphur) it
could be made resistant to heat and cold, served to
popularize the new industry. (fn. 4) Whereas in 1846 only
Briggs and Bedells had been manufacturing elastic
web, by 1861 there were twenty firms. (fn. 5) In 1853
Messrs. Hodges & Turner became the first to use
steam power in the trade. (fn. 6) Only sixteen firms were
listed in 1863, but by 1877 there were no less than
47 firms in the borough of Leicester alone, with one
at Belgrave and several in the north of the county. (fn. 7)
Profits were quickly made in these early days and
improvements in the industry made it a remunerative one. In 1863 it was stated that the new industry
was responsible for the recent growth of the population of Leicester, (fn. 8) but although the manufacture
of elastic web undoubtedly attracted some of the
immigrants to Leicester the development at the
same time of the hosiery and the boot and shoe
trades must have played a much more important
part in the growth of the town. Although by 1877 it
seemed as though the elastic web industry was going
to be one of the major industries of the borough, it
failed to maintain its early progress. At first wages
were high (fn. 9) and profits easy, and the industry was
stimulated by the popularity of the elastic-sided
boot. After this went out of fashion the industry
declined, although elastic webbing was still in demand for various uses, and the continuity of the
industry is maintained by such firms as that of
Archibald Turner. This firm, with that of Luke
Turner, was founded by one of the pioneers of the
industry, and inhabits the fine Gothic factory in
King Richard Road. Archibald Turner's was the
only Leicester firm to exhibit in the Paris Exhibition
of 1878, when Leicester goods were held to be as
good as those produced by either France or Spain. (fn. 10)
The decline of the industry at the end of the last
century has been attributed to various causes.
Strikes were apparently common, but their causes
are unexplained, (fn. 11) although it is probable that the
early boom in the industry had an unsettling effect
upon both employers and employees. The Leicester
Elastic Weavers' Trade Protection, Sick Benefit and
Funeral Society was formed before 1878. The rules
provided for contributions of 6d. weekly, if the
member was working for two days or more, which
seems to imply that short-time was not unknown. (fn. 12)
The number of firms had fallen to 30 by 1888. (fn. 13) By
1902 there were only 18 firms and the number of
factors and merchants had dropped from 15 in 1877
to 6 in 1902. (fn. 14) One of the new firms which appeared
during the last decade of the last century was that of
Faire Bros., whose fine terra-cotta factory in Rutland
Street was designed by Edward Burgess in 1898. (fn. 15)
In 1911 it was stated that in spite of the drop in
numbers, the industry employed between ten and
fifteen thousand workers, who produced nine-tenths
of the country's elastic web products, (fn. 16) but the
industry seems to have suffered a serious set-back in
the First World War. By 1920 there were only eleven
firms and the total employment in 1921 was apparently as low as 3,500. (fn. 17) In 1936 only nine firms were
manufacturing elastic products in the borough and
by 1951 this number had been reduced to four. (fn. 18)
There are still a few factories outside Leicester.
Technical developments have been made in the
industry since its commencement and from an early
stage firms have been set up to supply the rubber
thread which other firms weave into elastic web and
other fabrics. One of the first firms of this kind was
that of W. & A. Bates who began in a factory in
Charlotte Street but shortly afterwards moved to the
present St. Mary's Mills. They supplied square-cut
rubber thread for webbing, but between 1925, when
the firm became part of the Dunlop organization,
and 1930, a round thread was produced and named
'Lactron'. Soon a multiple thread was perfected,
consisting of three strands of 'Lactron' with a trefoil
section. By 1932 a thread of extreme fineness named
'Lastex' was produced, which could be woven with
finer and finer threads to make a much sheerer
elastic fabric. (fn. 19)
The elastic web industry in Leicester now manufactures surgical and medical requisites, braces,
belts and suspenders, elastic and elastic fabric.
During the Second World War much of the output
of the factories was devoted to making aircraft parts,
such as braided rubber shock-absorbers and rings. (fn. 20)
Most of the workers are men, women being employed
only as winders, warpers, and examiners, never as
weavers. A great part of the output of webbing is exported to Mexico in particular and to South Africa. (fn. 21)