School: Leggah, Moyne (roll number 14328)

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1. The Weavers

   

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   Billy Smyth, the owner of the public houses mentioned, was a weaver by trade. He used to weave linen for shirts, sheets, & dresses. He also used to weave a material called "drogget" (droguet) which was composed of equal parts of linen yarn and woollen yarn. The weaver had to be very careful not to have the linen thread to coarse or it would cut the woolen thread. This material was coloured brown from a dye obtained from log-wood and worn by women as petticoats. Every woman could prepare the log-wood dye and use it.
   A better quality of "drogget" was obtained by weaving three parts woollen yarn with one part linen yarn. When this was properly dyed it was worn as dress material. The dye used in this case was log-wood and copperas. Great care had to be exercised in the use of this dye. Copperas being a mineral was liable to damage the material if too much of it was used. So it required a practiced person to prepare it. When the log-wood and Copperas were used in the proper proportions a beautiful bronze colour was obtained. Another weaver who lived at

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trades and crafts (~4,680)
            1. spinning and weaving (~482)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Francis Gallagher

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Teacher

   Informant

   Mick Smyth

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Moyne, Co. Longford