History
Straw Plaiting
Image: Culture Trust Luton. Plaiters demonstrating at an exhibition held in the Luton Plait Halls in 1885.
This section can only provide a limited amount of information since this is a huge subject, but I have packed as much information as I possibly can about this world industry into my book Straw Plaiting. Straw plaiting was a worldwide industry and the sections on this page, whilst based on information and images of the British industry provides basic information for you to continue your own research.
No one can be certain when the industry of straw plaiting began but we do know that in 1689 and 1719 two petitions to the British Government claimed that thousands of people would be badly affected if laws were passed to promote the wearing of felt hats, in the first petition and imports of plait from Holland and Italy in the second petition. That tells us that there was an established industry in those countries well before the 1600s. The petition of 1719 says that making of straw hats, bonnets, baskets and other things out of wheat straw has been an employment “time out of mind” for the poor people, men, women and children from four to eighty years old in the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Edited image: Cassell’s Family Magazine, 1882. Artist unknown.
Plait schools
Early in the 1800s plait schools were set up in villages around the area. Whilst children at some schools were well looked after there are many accounts of overcrowding with children crammed into a small, airless room and made to work for many hours. None of the images published during the 1800s show these poor conditions, to the contrary the schools look rather lovely and the teachers very kind and diligent.
With the introduction of the Education Act in the mid-1870s plait schools gradually closed. Interestingly in some of the newly set up schools children still plaited, but only as part of a more organised education programme.
Plait schools are known to have existed in other countries such as Germany and Switzerland, but they must also have been organised elsewhere.
Copyright: Veronica Main
Plaiting
Straw plaiting required little investment. The plaiter needed the prepared straw, nimble fingers and the ability to learn and copy a pattern. If they worked well they could earn a good amount of money. A plaiter could begin by making whole straw plait and then progress to making split straw plaits which would generate more income. It is important to remember that the plaits they were making were fashion items. Patterns and colour ways were constantly changing at the whim of fashion. The plaiter needed the ability to quickly learn a new pattern and to be able to make it to the exact size ordered by the dealer.
It doesn’t matter which country, and what type of straw the plaiter was using, the working methods were similar.
Edited image: Plaiters at Charlton Mill Pond near Hitchin. Courtesy: North Hertfordshire Museum
A plaiter’s life
Men plaited, children by the age of four could be skilled plaiters and women plaited. Another advantage of plaiting as an occupation was they could walk and talk while they worked. They were not confined to their homes. During the mid 1800s plaiters could earn large amounts of money, if they were skilful. For women and children plaiting provided an alternative to becoming a servant. Their income also meant they had money to spend and could buy nice clothes. This independence was met with disapproval by higher society and soon plaiters were accused of being immoral and slovenly. Whilst it may have been true of some, it was not true of the majority.
Image courtesy: The scene shown was staged for an exhibition held at Luton’s Plait Halls in 1885.Culture Trust, Luton
Plait Dealers
In Great Britain, plait was made into lengths of ten or twenty yards (9 or 18 metres). A twenty yard length was known as a score. The lengths made for sale in other countries varied and were often much longer. The work of plaiters in some of the villages were so highly regarded that the dealer would go to their house to buy their plait and commission more. More commonly the plaiter had to walk to a market. Markets took place on different days in the plaiting areas and the plaiter might have to make a long walk to get there in time for opening. The benefit of going to market was that once the plait was sold the plaiter could purchase straws for the coming week.
Edited image courtesy: Culture Trust, Luton. Luton’s last outdoor Plait Market in George Street, c. 1868.
Plait market, Luton
Plait markets are recorded in Hertfordshire from the early 1700s although reports that Tring Market was selling straw plait in the reign of Charles ll requires further serious investigation. When Luton Market began is not recorded. It took place on a Monday in George Street and the plaiter had the opportunity to sell to either a plait dealer or directly to a bonnet sewer. Market day would have been noisy with a great deal of bartering with plaiters trying to get the very best price for their plait and buyers trying to spend the least amount.
Edited image: Illustrated London News, December 1878
Plait Halls, Luton
Luton built dedicated Plait Halls which opened in 1869. This must have been a great improvement for both sellers and buyers. Within the Plait Halls there were the Plait Dealers and suppliers. This rather romanticised image shows a plaiter offering her plait to a dealer. It does capture the bustle of the hall and indicates the amount of plait on sale.
Edited image courtesy: Culture Trust, Luton. Inside the Luton Plait Halls, probably taken 1885.
Gray and Horn, Plait Halls, Luton
This much published image shows the stall, inside the Plait Halls of Gray and Horn who were an important and respected company of Plait Dealers. The photograph is said to show the products of ‘English’ plaiters. The scores of plait can be clearly seen. What is less obvious, since this is a black and white image, are the colours and patterns of the plaits for sale. In real life the stall would have been bright, colourful and shown us fashion of the time.
Now the plait was ready to go to the hat companies for the next stages of manufacture.