This is the first page of the history leaflet that comes with each of my lacy scarves that are made on the old hand
frames in my frameshop.
THE WILLIAM LEE TYPE FRAME
The Rev. William Lee of Calverton, near Nottingham, invented the knitting machine in 1589.
The story of this invention passed down over the years as follows -
At the very beginning of knitting technology there is a deeply moving story. As a poor clergyman, Rev. William Lee had all too often to watch his bride, Mary Paston of Woodborough, at her work. He began to wonder how he could make it an easier task. An ingenious invention, the Knitting Frame, finally crowned many years of hard work. By the time he knitted his first stocking in 1589, Lee had spent all his savings, but had developed the basic principles of mechanical loop formation which are still valid today. Although Queen Elizabeth 1st visited Lee’s frame shop, she denied him the patronage requested in order to protect the hand-knitters’ guild. Elizabeth’s successor, James 1st, even permitted envious hand knitters to destroy Lee’s machines. The inventor fled across the Channel and founded the first hosiery mill in Rouen. Unfortunately, when the French king was assassinated, support for Lee came to an end. He died in Paris in 1610 and was buried in a pauper’s grave. Three months after Lee’s death, his brother James rescued a few frames and returned them to London. In the 18th Century the centre of the trade moved to the Midlands where there was cheap labour and local supplies of wool.