The Woollen Industry: 81 (Shire Library)

Most places in Britain have had some connection with the woollen industry. For several hundred years, it was Britain's principal source of wealth and provided more jobs than all the other industries put together. The country's fortunes were largely dependent on the wool trade. The English language has been enriched by many phrases derived from the trade - 'dyed in the wool', 'spinning a yarn', 'on tenterhooks' - and many thousands of people owe their surnames to ancestors who were websters, weavers, fullers, tuckers, walkers, listers and so on. This book traces the history of wool in Britain from Prehistoric times to the present day and uses many previously unpublished illustrations to illuminate its story.

Chris Aspin is a historian with a particular interest in textiles. He drew on his large collection of local history material when compiling this Album. Mr Aspin, a retired journalist, is currently preparing a history of the first water-powered spinning factories. He is the author of the Shire Album 'The Cotton Industry'.