City Women in the 18th Century

Jessica Collins, Senior Archivist

City Women in the 18th Century is an exciting new outdoor exhibition opening in the Cityof London this autumn. It will displaythe often ornately engraved trade cardsof the businesswomen of centuriespast, bringing them to the attention ofthe wider public for the first time andcelebrating women’s work in London.

Focusing on the Cheapside area ofthe City, which was renowned inthis period for its luxury goods, theexhibition will display the trade cardsof the scores of women who establishedand ran successful businesses asmilliners, fan makers, silversmiths andupholsterers – to name just a few ofthe trades represented. Visitors mayexplore the 700-metre exhibition trailfrom Paternoster Square in the west tothe Royal Exchange in the east, witheach trade card displayed near theoriginal location of the 18 th -centurybusiness it represents.

The visual display of these cards – all from The British Museum – will offer an accessible way to explore women’seconomic import 18tjth ance in 18th -century commerce and manufacturing withinthe City. Although bills and receiptswere often written upon them, tradecards were essentially business cards and served to advertise goodsand services; they often featured elaborately decorative borders anddetailed illustrationsUnlike today, most of the luxury goods the cards promoted were made on site, and women traders often employed a considerable workforce. Although the full

extnt of their activities escapes extant records, this project adds to a growing body of literature disputing the assumption that women did not enter the labour market in large numbers until the 20th century and suggests a female workforce – at least in the City of London – than was previously believed. featured include Ann Boyer and Many of these women were Free of one of the City’s livery companies, and those that were not were often entitled to trade by extension of their [often deceased] fathers’ or husbands’ trading privileges as Freemen. The project complements the research of our Senior Archivist, Jessica Collins, who recently published a case study and detailed analysis of women in The Clothworkers’ Company across the 17th and 18th centuries: ‘Jane Holt, Milliner, and Other Women in Business: Apprentices, Freewomen and Mistresses in The Clothworkers’ Company, 1606-1800’, Textile History, 44 (1), 72-94, May 2013. Jessica has been making contributions to the exhibition, which is curated by Dr Amy Erickson of the University of Cambridge, an authority on women’s history in 18th -century livery companies.

Jessica’s research has uncovered important information on severalbusinesswomen working under the auspices of The Company in the 18th century, but for whom only passing references are found in theClothworkers' records. Women featrued included Ann Boyer and ElizabethHutt.

Ann Boyer was the daughter of Jonathan, a Clothworker and silk dyer of Ivy Lane, Newgate Street. She was made Free by Patrimony on 1 August 1753. The following day, Jonathan turned his apprentices over to Ann, including her brother, John. Doing so signified the transfer of responsibility for their training to his daughter, which must indicate considerable confidence in her abilities. One conjectures that she had longe been involved in operation of the business, although she did not, of course, become a Freewoman until after her 21st birthday.

John completed his apprenticeship (under his sister, Ann) in 1757. As the exhibition City Women will illustrate, the siblings subsequently co-ran their father's silk dyeing business - a seemingly unusual turn of affairs, as there ar no other surviving trade cards for a female/mail co-owned silk dyeing enterprise among the 16,000 trade cards in The British Museum's collection. The Boyers produced several different and highly ornamental trade cards over time, which hints at the success and growth of their business; however, one suspects Ann was always the senior partner. Tellingly, when their father, Jonathan, passed away in 1763, he made his daughter sole executrix and beneficiary of his estate, although his son had reached his majority by this stage.

Elizabeth Hutt was the widow of John, Clothworker and upholsterer. She managed a substantial upholstery enterprise in St Paul’s churchyard in the mid-1700s, taking on at least five apprentices in her own name once widowed. Elizabeth supplied furniture to a wealthy clientele that included the Duke of Norfolk (for whom she supplied a dressing table and glass) and Duke of Gordon (to whom she sold a Wilton carpet measuring 29 yards). Elizabeth would have been working in close proximity to Christopher Gibson, upholsterer; his trade card (pictured on the facing page) gives some idea of the fit out and luxurious feel of upholsterers’ showrooms at the time.

Elizabeth was able to charge substantial fees when taking on her apprentices, even after the death of her husband – such was the demand for the children of the middling classes to gain a reputable trade. Jane Holt secured her apprenticeship with Hutt through a payment of £50 – a premium rate in 1745. John Iliffe also paid Hutt a £50 apprenticeship fee. By the time of his Freedom, Iliffe was described as a journeyman in the Strand. However, we now know that he eventually took over Hutt’s upholstery business and marketed himself as ‘the successor to Mrs Hutt’ on his subsequent trade cards, confirming the esteem in which Elizabeth’s establishment was held.

Detail from a trade card of Christopher Gibson. © Victoria and Albert Museum.

The City's exhibition promises to provide insight into women's long-overlooked contributions to the City of London's economy in the 18th century. The stories of many more fascinating women besides Ann Boyer and Elizabeth Hutt lie waiting to be uncovered. The exhibition opens on Saturday, 21 September, coinciding with Open House London. Visit http://citywomen.hist.cam.ac.uk.

Trade card of Ann and John Boyer, ‘Silk Dyers, at the Green Man in Ivy Lane’, offering a variety of soft furnishings ‘at the Lowest Prices.’ © Trustees of The British Museum.