Census Occupations - Straw Plaiter
Below are some resources I recommend if any of your ancestors in your family tree were Straw Plaiters.
A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z
Description: Someone who worked in the straw industry weaving the flattened straw into ribbons, ready for use in hat-making. Plaiting was mostly undertaken by women and children and the latter would commonly attend plait schools (prior to 1870), known locally as 'sore thumb schools'. They spent most of their day learning plaiting techniques though such as the use of the shiny and dulls sides of straw to create different looks. Plaiting was seen by authorities as morally corrupt - plait parties were thrown which involved drinking, young women spent time alone with males in the fields, and social banter and gossip was often at the centre of plaiting. This was really to alleviate the boredom of the workers but the church blamed it on high levels of illegitimacy. Plait workers were well paid and often young girls would earn more than their father's or brother's who toiled all day as an agricultural labourer. By 1900 the industry was in decline thanks to cheap imports. The straw industry employed vast numbers of workers in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire and drove their local economies. Straw from these areas and Suffolk were considered the best quality. See also: Straw Bleacher, Straw Cutter, Straw Dealer, Straw Factor, Straw Hat Maker, Straw Merchant, Straw Sewer, Straw Splitter, Straw Worker.
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