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Did you know that many counting nursery rhymes have their origin in Lacemaking?
Throughout the Nineteenth Century Lace Schools existed in many parts of the Midlands of the United Kingdom where lacemaking was a thriving industry. The Lace schools were not schools as we know them but places where the children, often as young as five years old, were sent to learn to make lace. Boys and girls would both attend the schools until they were competent lace makers, sometimes staying until they were fifteen years old.
Most of the schools were not pleasant place to be, the rules were strict, the conditions harsh and the children were expected to work from 6.00 a.m. until the light was no longer fit, with only short breaks for Breakfast and Lunch.
Each of the children would be expected to produce a certain amount of lace each day, depending on their skill and in the main, this was measured by the number of pins they moved in a day. More complex pieces were measured differently but as most of the lace made in the schools was ‘lengths’ and a figure was set, often as many as ten pins per minute, or six hundred an hour! The first pin of the day was always a ‘Striver’ pin, which was different to the others, usually marked by a bead attached to the top and the count began from there. Children who did not complete their allotted number of pins were kept behind until they had , and punishments were fierce – including having your nose rubbed on the pins which must have been unbelievably painful.
Because making the lengths of lace was quite repetitive the girls would sing songs, more like chants, which counted the pins as they went, often putting in a new striver pin at the end of each round. Lots of the songs worked on counting down, for example
Needle Pin, needle pin, stitch upon stitch,
Work the old lady out of the ditch,
If she is not out as soon as I,
A rap on the knuckles shall come by and by.
A horse to carry my lady about
Must not look til twenty are out
Each girl would sing part of the song, and then there would be silence until the required number of pins was worked – these silences were called ‘glums’. When the lace maker who had sung the verse had finished the right number of pins she would sing out ‘my glums done’, and the next one would take over. There were even little rhymes for announcing the completion of a glum
Tip and Stitch turn over,
Let it be hay or clover,
My glum’s done.
Many of them also taught the lace makers to work in a rhythm which always produces better lace for example ‘Jack be nimble, Jack be quick’ and ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, little star’. The most well known one is probably ‘One, Two, Buckle my shoe…’ which also tells a story to anyone familiar with lacemaking. Each number would be chanted with the placing of the pin.
“One, Two Buckle my shoe” – The lace maker gets ready to go out, “Three, Four, Knock at the door” – She (or He) arrives at a neighbours house, lace makers worked together to save on the cost of candles, “Five, Six, Pick up Sticks” – Pick up your Bobbins,
Seven, Eight, Lay them straight – Lay your Bobbins straight, “Nine, Ten, Big Fat Hen“ the completion of a circle or element in the lace and so it goes on..
Find out more about lacemaking at LacemakingBobbins.com
