A further review of John Gaisford’s ‘Clothiers and merchants in Spanish Cloth’, (our volume 101) has recently been published in The Economic History Review (2025: 1-2).
John Gaisford ed., ‘Clothiers and Merchants in Spanish Cloth, 1627-1667: The Ashe family of Somerset, Wiltshire and London and their account books’, Somerset Record Society 101 (2023): 531pp, 16 plates, colour & b&w. £51.69.
The review was written by Dr Negley Harte, University College, London.
Dr Harte explains that “The transcription of four large account books covering 1627-1665, transcribed in their entirety…enables Dr Gaisford to give as complete as possible an account of the Ashe family’s trade at their profitable peak. He does it with great competence.”
Drawing on the information in the account books, the editor explains the processes used by the Ashe family to produce ‘Spanish Cloth’, a lightweight, attractively coloured cloth made of wool dyed before being woven, rather than afterwards as had traditionally been done. Through the accounts Dr Gaisford has been able to trace the journey of the woven cloths by waggon to London and onward to the English and French ports, for delivery to merchants in Paris. Dr Harte continues “Masses of details are carefully presented, and the profits which accrued are carefully assessed.”
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