Machynlleth
Victorian trade directories
  Slater's Directory, 1858 - flannel and lead  
 

The examples shown below are from the entry for Machynlleth in Slater's Directory of North Wales, 1858.
The short introduction to the town in this directory said that "many persons are employed" in the flannel industry, and that the local lead mines are important. The lists of flannel manufacturers and lead merchants in the area at that time are shown here.

  
The surnames
come first in
these lists !
 Flannel makers, 1858 Lead merchants, 1858
There are 21 flannel manufacturers
included in this list, and five fullers.
The flannel making process involved
carding, spinning and weaving the
local wool into a strong cloth.
The cloth was then soaked in warm
water and fuller's earth to thicken
and cleanse the fabric.
 

The other heading that seems strange today is lime burners. They used specially built limekilns to burn coal and limestone together to produce lime for use as an agricultural fertiliser and as a mortar for building purposes.

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