Catalogue description WILLMOTT OF SHERBORNE SILK THROWERS

This collection of records provides an insight into the business and private lives of the Willmott family of Sherborne in the latter part of the eighteenth century. It comprises business and personal accounts, partnership agreements, apprenticeship records, deeds and business and personal correspondence.

Willmott family, silkthrowers of Sherborne, Dorset

The majority of this collection is held by the Dorset Record Office but five volumes, namely two silk books for the years 1773-1780 and 1780-1787, two 'out' letter books for the years 1772-1778 and 1778-1782, and a general ledger 1774-1799 are held by Sherborne Museum.

For further information on the Willmott family and the silk throwing industry in Sherborne the following articles should be consulted:

Elizabeth O Cockburn: 'Sherborne Silk Mills and Marglass', Sherborne Historical Society Fowler Lecture 29 March 1984 (RON 19/11/1)

Frederick Marsden: 'A Short History of Sherborne Silk Mill From 1753 Onwards', Journal of the Sherborne Historical Society Vol 8, 1971 (RON 19/11/2)

Henry Symonds FSA: 'The Silk Industry in Wessex', Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol XXXVII, 1916

Maureen Weinstock MA, FR Hist.S: 'Portrait of an Eighteenth Century Sherborne Silk Mill Owner', Studies of Dorset History 1953

The Willmott's silk-throwing business was established in 1753 by John Sharrer, a London silk-thrower who leased Westbury Mill and built a new mill-house. In 1764 he took his two nephews George Ward and William Willmott into partnership. Sometime between 1764 and 1768 John Sharrer died and in 1769 George Ward and William Willmott dissolved their partnership. William remained in Sherborne and kept the mills at Cerne Abbas and Stalbridge and George Ward took the business at Bruton in Somerset and £500. John Sharrer's widow, Susanna, also conveyed her interest in the Sherborne mill to Willmott for £1500.

Early in 1773 trade was very bad but by 1774 it had picked up and Willmott bought out Fooks and Webb. The main competition in Sherborne, however, was from Mrs Smout at the Abbey Silk Mills.

During the spring of 1775 William was laid up with a serious illness but he recovered and the next ten years saw great activity and expansion. In 1778 he installed a larger water wheel at Sherborne and in 1781 he installed a horsemill and horsewalk, both to try to improve on the insufficient water supply. By this time he also had silk houses at Cerne Abbas and Dorchester and in 1783 he bought a silk-throwing mill at Taunton with John Norman.

In 1787 William Willmott died of a fever after a short illness. He had been an active member of community life in Sherborne, having been elected a Governor of Sherborne School in 1769, Warden in 1784 and a Brother of the almshouses in 1769. He was also Guardian of the Poor for many years.

William's wife, Mary ran the business after his death until their sons were old enough to take over. One of her first decisions was to sell their half share in the Taunton Mill to William's former partner, John Norman. In 1800 Thomas Willmott, William's second son, was taken into partnership by his mother.

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