Hucknall Torkard At Work: Introduction

Knitting-frame

A 19th century knitting frame
Science Museum London

In the late 19th century workers in the shawl and fall industry formed a trade union to represent their interests.
Click on 'Shawls and Falls' to discover more about this important Hucknall industry.

Shawl Union

Introduction

Framework-knitting (often abbreviated as 'FWK') was the predominant occupation in Hucknall-Torkard during the first half of the 19th century. It was a cottage industry synonymous with worker exploitation and poverty, which boiled over in Nottingham in 1811 with the Luddite rebellion.
However, nothing could stop the decline of the cottage hoisery industry and it was gradually replaced by steam-powered looms and factory scale production.
It was not until the 1860's, when first collieries were opened in the locality, that the lives of the people of Hucknall began to improve. Coal brought new work opportunities and wealth to the town and for the remainder of the century the economy grew and diversified.