Twitching the Curtains

Newspaper advert reading ‘For the Spring, Lace Curtains. After Spring Cleaning one likes to ‘see something for the work’. And nothing makes such a pleasing difference to a room as lace curtains. They let in the glad sunshine through every fibre – Sunshine which is not only delightful but as doctors tell us, healthy too!’ The Public Notices to the right of the advert include: ‘Will the person who LOST TREASURY NOTE, Saturday, call at H. W. Thorne, Grocer, Gold Street, Tiverton.’ and ‘THREE little people at Dr. Seymour’s, 22, St. Peter Street, Tiverton, would be glad to have news of a pet WHITE PIGEON which left them last week. It has got a ring number on.’

We can’t tell if the lace in the curtains sold in Carey’s shop was made in Tiverton. Certainly, the invention of the Bobbinet machine by John Heathcoat in the early 1800s must have contributed to the expansion of the lace curtain industry. It was only when wide, machine produced lace became available that it eventually became affordable to anyone other than the very well off.

Lace or net curtains were very popular in the Victorian era and have enjoyed ‘ups and downs’ since then. As well as the advantages mentioned in the advert, they afford some privacy. ‘Nets’ appear to be a very English thing but they have endured with several mentions in 21st century media (Facebook, blogs etc) and they are even the subject of at least one PhD thesis!

Alongside the advert were a few of the many ‘public notices’ which appeared in the Gazette.

Treasury Notes were issued by the Government during the First World War. It was the first time that relatively low value paper money was in circulation. They remained legal tender until 1933.

The 1921 census shows us that the ‘three little people’ at 22 St Peter Street were the two sons and a daughter of Dr Seymour. He and his family must have been fairly new arrivals in the town as the youngest child who was almost 2, was born in Sussex.

Large Lappet

Lace Collar

All these small items are machine made lace. There is evidence that the Museum may hold ‘one and a half pairs of net curtains’ but their whereabouts is unknown! Lappets, seen in the first photo, were long, thin pieces of lace and came in pairs. They hung from a headdress and were popular in the 18th century.