Mercery facts for kids
Mercery was a special type of business long ago. It first meant fancy fabrics like silk and linen that came to England in the 1100s. Later, it also meant a person who sold these fabrics, called a mercer. The job itself was also called mercery.
Mercery has a long and interesting history, going back over 1,000 years in what is now the United Kingdom. London was a very important place for trading silk during the Middle Ages. This trade was very special and brought a lot of money to wealthy people.
Most mercery businesses were run by families. This usually included the mercer (the husband), his wife, their children, servants, and apprentices (people learning the trade). The husband would sell the goods in a small shop, at markets, or at big public fairs. The wife often worked in the workshop. She would buy the materials and make different silk cloths and other items. She also helped manage the workshop and taught the apprentices and her children how to help the family business.
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What is a Mercer?
The word mercer for a cloth merchant is not used much today. It came from the French word mercier, which first meant someone who brought fabrics from faraway Eastern lands.
Mercers were merchants who sold cloth, usually fine cloth that was not made nearby. However, records show that many mercers in smaller towns were also shopkeepers who sold many different dry goods, not just cloth. Other similar jobs included haberdasher (selling small sewing items), draper (selling cloth), and cloth merchant. A clothier was someone who actually made the cloth.
Today, the word mercer is mostly used with the Worshipful Company of Mercers. This is one of the oldest and most important trade groups in the City of London.
Where Did the Word "Mercery" Come From?
When it was first used, the word mercery described selling many different things. This included small items like needles and thread, and also expensive materials like silk or brocade. The word can be traced back to the early 1000s. It was first used for foreign merchants from places like modern-day Germany, France, and the Netherlands. These merchants were in a good location to bring luxury goods from the East and their own products into England.
It was only in the 1100s that mercery became a specific job, separate from a general merchant who might only sell linen. Mercery became linked with silk, linen, and other special items. These included high-quality things like fancy dress accessories, small luxury goods, and bedding. These were different from the simple everyday clothes of most people, which were usually made of linen or wool. Selling silk and expensive clothes made the mercer's job different from a general merchant. This was even written in London's trading rules. London was a big trading center, and there were enough mercers to clearly define certain goods as mercery. Laws were made to control prices and protect local mercers.
Mercery in London's History
London was the main center for the mercery trade in England during the Middle Ages. Before the 1100s, goods like silk, linen, and fustian (a type of cloth) mostly came from overseas. Only linen was made and sold in England.
The mercery trade grew more in England because of how trading, making goods, and selling them worked in the Middle Ages. As clear trade routes were set up over time, and new ways to get money for trade (like credit) became available in big cities for merchants and bankers, the mercer trade in London grew a lot.
Raw silk came from Italy to London. Here, silkwomen would turn it into items like laces or braids, and use it for embroidery. This mercery market continued throughout the Middle Ages. Londoners who used silk relied a lot on Italians to bring it to London. From the 1100s, mercers could also meet Italian and other foreign suppliers directly at big trade fairs in places like northern France.
Fustian also came to London through the same trade routes, mostly controlled by Italy in the 1100s. Fustian was an old cloth from the Middle East made from flax and cotton. It was copied in Italy and became very popular, making good money for mercers. Also, more flax was grown in Europe, and linen became a sign of wealth for the growing middle class. New inventions in the 1000s, like the treadle loom, helped make more linen and flax, making them more popular than ever in London.
Besides trading and making expensive cloths, mercers also sold many different smaller items. These were popular in London because they were cheaper for regular people than buying large amounts of silk, linen, or cheaper cloths like fustian and hemp.
The Black Death and Mercery's Growth
In the 1100s, the mercery trade was mostly about trading silk, linen, and fustian from overseas. In the first half of the 1100s, most mercery fabrics were brought in by foreign traders. While silk cloth was mainly for nobles and the church, many smaller items made from silk and linen were popular with more people. Silk was used a lot for things like dress accessories.
The Livery company for general merchants was formed in 1394. But soon, the Black Death caused huge problems for the company. More than a third of its members died, and things looked very bad. However, this group of merchants not only survived the plague but also grew strong in the economic recovery that happened only fifty years later.
The mercers were able to do well after the Black Death because of the huge loss of people. This meant that wages (pay) went up because there were fewer workers. With fewer people, farmers could also focus more on raising animals and growing special crops instead of just grain. This made people's diets and health better. The general population had more money and their basic needs were met, so they started buying more things. The company used this chance to grow and become a major part of England's new economy. Towns that mercers had not visited before now became part of a big trading system. Also, the Black Death helped the mercery trade in the late 1200s because, after the population drop, ordinary men and women could afford better clothes.
Changes in Religion and Society
The merchant trade group became a livery company, which are London's oldest trade groups. The Worshipful Company of Mercers was made up of men and women in the same trade. It helped its members socially and religiously.
The English Reformation in the 1400s brought big social and economic changes for the Worshipful Company of Mercers. The mercers tried to benefit from these changes. They bought one of the many religious buildings that Henry VIII closed down. They also showed loyalty to the Protestant idea that the king should lead the Church. Before, the clergy (church leaders) had power. This power then went to the rich noble class. Powerful mercers gained power in the government to make sure they had control over the silk trade. This stopped other merchants from selling their goods on their own.
Mercers quickly adapted to these religious changes. Because of their job, these young men often traveled to markets overseas. This made them more open to new ideas and changes.
Mercery's Success in the 1400s
Mercers were very successful during this time. Their overseas trade was growing, and they controlled how their goods were sold across England. A very successful mercer could move up from being just a shopkeeper to serving a special group of rich customers.
During this time, more mercers became part of the aristocracy (the highest social class) as they got richer. They gained important positions like aldermen (city officials) and mayors. In the Middle Ages, these city leaders had a lot of power. Even though the mercers' company had rules that favored older members, all mercers now had a better chance to become successful than ever before.
This success for the average mercer came from the thriving overseas trade of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, especially in places like Northwestern Europe. London mercers exported at least 30% of the cloth during that time. More importantly, the company kept tight control over competition. Other merchants found it hard to sell materials like silk, linen, fustian, wool, and other items on their own.
Decline of the Mercery Trade in the Late 1500s
The mercery trade started to lose its important position in selling goods. This was because it failed to control its market. Independent sellers who were not part of the mercery company found success by selling goods cheaper than the Worshipful Company of Mercers. Also, fewer and fewer men wanted to join the company, so recruitment dropped.
The mercery trade used to be a great way for people from lower classes to become upper-middle class. Its downfall was due to the Mercery Company's carelessness. They did not respect the common artisans and sellers. They forgot that their success was built on the hard work of the average mercer and his wife. The company stopped promoting the importance of silk items and focused on more expensive opportunities. They also stopped trying to control the linen market as a main source of income. The wealthy mercers did not understand the struggles of the merchants who did not make money from the silk trade like the elite did. This led to a quick loss of control over the textile market.
What Did Mercers Sell?
Most of the items mercers sold were made from silk. They used silk to create many different dress accessories like laces, loops, and tassels. Dress decorations could be simple designs on sleeve edges or more fancy designs on bands called orphrey. These were often used by rich people and the church.
Linen was used for shirts and underwear. Silk and linen were also made into headwear. This included the common coif worn by both men and women, women's wimples (a type of head covering), and all kinds of kerchiefs (headscarves).
An accessory that everyone used, no matter their social class, was the pouch. Mercers sold these in many different designs.
Mercers also sold other items made from different materials. These ranged from pins and needles to bells and knives. People bought these less often, usually when they had extra money for useful small items. Even though these items were not fabric, they became very popular between the 1000s and 1200s. Mercers, whether rich or poor, could afford to make and sell them.
Famous Mercers
- Wynne Ellis, a British mercer from the 1800s
- Robert Large, who died in 1441
- Geoffrey Boleyn, an English mercer from the 1400s
- Richard le Lacer, an English mercer from the 1300s
- Charles Woodmason
See Also
- Haberdasher
- Mercerised cotton
