Immigrant entrepreneurs and the emergence of London's East end as an industrial district

London Journal

Volumn 21, Issue 1, 1996, Pages 38-45

  Godley, Andrew ^a  

^a NONE

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EID: 0001559749     PISSN: 03058034     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1179/ldn.1998.21.1.38     Document Type: Article

References (49)

1. This data is from the 1851 population census and is analysed in A. Godley, 'The Development of the UK Clothing Industry in the Long Run - 1850-1950: A Review of the Data. I. The Census of Population', University of Reading Discussion Paper in Economics, vol. VII (1994), No. 290.
2. Ibid, on tailoresses. For early history on clothing in London see, S. D. Chapman, 'Innovating Entrepreneurs in the British Ready-made Clothing Industry', Textile History, XXIV (1) (1993); P. G. Hall, The Industries of London since 1861 (1962), ch. 4; D. L. Munby, Industry and Planning in Stepney (1951); P. G. Newman, 'The Early London Clothing Trades', Oxford Economic Papers (1952).
3. Ibid, on tailoresses. For early history on clothing in London see, S. D. Chapman, 'Innovating Entrepreneurs in the British Ready-made Clothing Industry', Textile History, XXIV (1) (1993); P. G. Hall, The Industries of London since 1861 (1962), ch. 4; D. L. Munby, Industry and Planning in Stepney (1951); P. G. Newman, 'The Early London Clothing Trades', Oxford Economic Papers (1952).
4. Ibid, on tailoresses. For early history on clothing in London see, S. D. Chapman, 'Innovating Entrepreneurs in the British Ready-made Clothing Industry', Textile History, XXIV (1) (1993); P. G. Hall, The Industries of London since 1861 (1962), ch. 4; D. L. Munby, Industry and Planning in Stepney (1951); P. G. Newman, 'The Early London Clothing Trades', Oxford Economic Papers (1952).
5. Ibid, on tailoresses. For early history on clothing in London see, S. D. Chapman, 'Innovating Entrepreneurs in the British Ready-made Clothing Industry', Textile History, XXIV (1) (1993); P. G. Hall, The Industries of London since 1861 (1962), ch. 4; D. L. Munby, Industry and Planning in Stepney (1951); P. G. Newman, 'The Early London Clothing Trades', Oxford Economic Papers (1952).
6. J. H. Clapham, An Economic History of Modern Britain, vol. 3 (Cambridge, 1938), 183; also see A. Godley, 'Singer in Britain: The Diffusion of Sewing Machine Technology and its Impact on the Clothing Industry in the United Kingdom, 1860-1905', Textile History' (1996).
7. J. H. Clapham, An Economic History of Modern Britain, vol. 3 (Cambridge, 1938), 183; also see A. Godley, 'Singer in Britain: The Diffusion of Sewing Machine Technology and its Impact on the Clothing Industry in the United Kingdom, 1860-1905', Textile History' (1996).
8. See Sidney Webb's 'Preface' to B. L. Hutchins and A. L. Harrison, A History of Factory Legislation (1911) especially his assertion that the East End clothing industry was pre-industrial and of no 'profit to the community . . . not even self-supporting', xi.
9. The literature on the economic problems of the East End in the 1880s, compounded by the arrival of Jewish immigrants, is too large to detail here. The best recent work is D. Feldman, Englishmen and Jews: Social Relations and Political Culture, 1840-1914 (New Haven, 1994).
10. Beatrice Webb's (née Potter) view is best articulated in her contributions to the Booth survey, especially The Tailoring Trade' and 'The Jewish Community (East London)'. In the 1903 edition of the completed survey Life and Labour of the People in London these can be found in the 1st series, volume 4, chapter III (citation pp. 60-1 emphasis supplied); and 1st Series, volume 3, chapter IV.
11. Beatrice Webb's (née Potter) view is best articulated in her contributions to the Booth survey, especially The Tailoring Trade' and 'The Jewish Community (East London)'. In the 1903 edition of the completed survey Life and Labour of the People in London these can be found in the 1st series, volume 4, chapter III (citation pp. 60-1 emphasis supplied); and 1st Series, volume 3, chapter IV.
12. Beatrice Webb's (née Potter) view is best articulated in her contributions to the Booth survey, especially The Tailoring Trade' and 'The Jewish Community (East London)'. In the 1903 edition of the completed survey Life and Labour of the People in London these can be found in the 1st series, volume 4, chapter III (citation pp. 60-1 emphasis supplied); and 1st Series, volume 3, chapter IV.
13. C. Booth, Labour and Life of the People, vol. 1 (1889) 574.
14. See Munby, Industry; E. Hunt, British Labour History, 1815-1914 (1981), 184-5; D. Baines, 'The Labour Supply and the Labour Market 1860-1914' in R. Floud and D. McCloskey, eds., The Economic History of Britain since 1800 vol. 2 (Cambridge, 1981) 163.
15. See Munby, Industry; E. Hunt, British Labour History, 1815-1914 (1981), 184-5; D. Baines, 'The Labour Supply and the Labour Market 1860-1914' in R. Floud and D. McCloskey, eds., The Economic History of Britain since 1800 vol. 2 (Cambridge, 1981) 163.
16. See Munby, Industry; E. Hunt, British Labour History, 1815-1914 (1981), 184-5; D. Baines, 'The Labour Supply and the Labour Market 1860-1914' in R. Floud and D. McCloskey, eds., The Economic History of Britain since 1800 vol. 2 (Cambridge, 1981) 163.
17. S. Fraser, 'Combined and Uneven Development in the Men's Clothing Industry' Business History Review, LVII (1983), deals with the United States' industry, but his description of the 'bipolar-structure' could just as well apply to Britain.
18. See Godley, 'Censuses of Population' for more detail.
19. This may not be so surprising to followers of the theses of R. Samuel, The Workshop of the World. Steam Power and Hand Technology in Mid-Victorian Britain' History Workshop Journal (1977), and C. Sabel and J. Zeitlin, 'Historical Alternatives to Mass Production' Past and Present, CVIII (1985).
20. This may not be so surprising to followers of the theses of R. Samuel, The Workshop of the World. Steam Power and Hand Technology in Mid-Victorian Britain' History Workshop Journal (1977), and C. Sabel and J. Zeitlin, 'Historical Alternatives to Mass Production' Past and Present, CVIII (1985).
21. See A. Godley, The Development of the UK Clothing Industry in the Long Run, 1850-1950: A Review of the Data. II. The Censuses of Production', University of Reading Discussion Papers in Economics, vol. VII (1994) No. 293 (revised).
22. R. Tawney, The Establishment of the Minimum Rates in the Tailoring Industry under the Trade Board's Act of 1909 (1915), especially Ch. 1. It has been claimed that wages in London tailoring firms were lower than in Leeds; see for example, J. Morris, 'The Characteristics of Sweating: The late Nineteenth Century London and Leeds Tailoring Trade' in A. V. John, ed., Unequal Opportunities: Women's Employment in England, 1800-1918 (Oxford, 1986). This claim was based on a report by the Board of Trade in 1909 and is wholly dependent upon the assumption of a longer working week in Leeds. While this was true of the 1880s it was much less likely after 1900. Day rates were higher in London.
23. R. Tawney, The Establishment of the Minimum Rates in the Tailoring Industry under the Trade Board's Act of 1909 (1915), especially Ch. 1. It has been claimed that wages in London tailoring firms were lower than in Leeds; see for example, J. Morris, 'The Characteristics of Sweating: The late Nineteenth Century London and Leeds Tailoring Trade' in A. V. John, ed., Unequal Opportunities: Women's Employment in England, 1800-1918 (Oxford, 1986). This claim was based on a report by the Board of Trade in 1909 and is wholly dependent upon the assumption of a longer working week in Leeds. While this was true of the 1880s it was much less likely after 1900. Day rates were higher in London.
24. Munby, Industry shows how Stepney dominated the clothing industry in London prior to 1939, esp. pp. 61-63. Also, see Hall, London, Table 4 and 5, p. 39-40.
25. Munby, Industry shows how Stepney dominated the clothing industry in London prior to 1939, esp. pp. 61-63. Also, see Hall, London, Table 4 and 5, p. 39-40.
26. J. B. Jeffreys, Retail Trading in Britain, 1850-1950 (Cambridge, 1954), especially Table 85, p. 453.
27. Hall, London, 42-8, especially Figs. 8 and 9 showing huge increase in the number of ladies tailors in the East End 1901-51; Munby, Industry, Table 24, p. 177, showing foundation dates of firms in various segments of the clothing trade. For womenswear, out of 61 founded pre-1939 covered in Munby's survey 30 were founded between 1900-18 and a further 19 between 1919-29. This represents an annual rate of entry of 1.6 rising to 1.7. Only 1 out of the 61 originated before 1900. For men's tailoring 38 firms founded before the Second World War were covered in the survey, 8 of which began before 1900. For Morris Cohen, see Feldman, Englishmen, 176-7; arid especially A. Kershen, Uniting the Tailors: Trade Unionism amongst the Tailors of London and Leeds, 1870-1939 (1995).
28. Hall, London, 42-8, especially Figs. 8 and 9 showing huge increase in the number of ladies tailors in the East End 1901-51; Munby, Industry, Table 24, p. 177, showing foundation dates of firms in various segments of the clothing trade. For womenswear, out of 61 founded pre-1939 covered in Munby's survey 30 were founded between 1900-18 and a further 19 between 1919-29. This represents an annual rate of entry of 1.6 rising to 1.7. Only 1 out of the 61 originated before 1900. For men's tailoring 38 firms founded before the Second World War were covered in the survey, 8 of which began before 1900. For Morris Cohen, see Feldman, Englishmen, 176-7; arid especially A. Kershen, Uniting the Tailors: Trade Unionism amongst the Tailors of London and Leeds, 1870-1939 (1995).
29. Hall, London, 42-8, especially Figs. 8 and 9 showing huge increase in the number of ladies tailors in the East End 1901-51; Munby, Industry, Table 24, p. 177, showing foundation dates of firms in various segments of the clothing trade. For womenswear, out of 61 founded pre-1939 covered in Munby's survey 30 were founded between 1900-18 and a further 19 between 1919-29. This represents an annual rate of entry of 1.6 rising to 1.7. Only 1 out of the 61 originated before 1900. For men's tailoring 38 firms founded before the Second World War were covered in the survey, 8 of which began before 1900. For Morris Cohen, see Feldman, Englishmen, 176-7; arid especially A. Kershen, Uniting the Tailors: Trade Unionism amongst the Tailors of London and Leeds, 1870-1939 (1995).
30. Hall, London, 42-8, especially Figs. 8 and 9 showing huge increase in the number of ladies tailors in the East End 1901-51; Munby, Industry, Table 24, p. 177, showing foundation dates of firms in various segments of the clothing trade. For womenswear, out of 61 founded pre-1939 covered in Munby's survey 30 were founded between 1900-18 and a further 19 between 1919-29. This represents an annual rate of entry of 1.6 rising to 1.7. Only 1 out of the 61 originated before 1900. For men's tailoring 38 firms founded before the Second World War were covered in the survey, 8 of which began before 1900. For Morris Cohen, see Feldman, Englishmen, 176-7; arid especially A. Kershen, Uniting the Tailors: Trade Unionism amongst the Tailors of London and Leeds, 1870-1939 (1995).
31. M. Wray, The Women's Outerwear Industry (1957), chapter 1, and 26-33 on dominance of Jewish East End firms and Board of Trade Survey; A. Kershen, Off the Peg (1992).
32. M. Wray, The Women's Outerwear Industry (1957), chapter 1, and 26-33 on dominance of Jewish East End firms and Board of Trade Survey; A. Kershen, Off the Peg (1992).
33. Wray, Womens Outerwear, 28-30. Indeed Berketex and Ellis and Goldstein as well as the subsequently more successful Russell and Alexon all had their origins in Morris Cohen's Albert Square workshops. Information supplied by A. Kershen.
34. Munby, Industry, pp. 197-9. See R. Waldinger, Through the Eye of a Needle (New York, 1986) for a similar analysis of the New York industry.
35. Munby, Industry, pp. 197-9. See R. Waldinger, Through the Eye of a Needle (New York, 1986) for a similar analysis of the New York industry.
36. K. Honeyman, 'Montague Burtons: The Tailor of Taste', in J. Chartres and K. Honeyman, Leeds City Businesses (Leeds, 1994).
37. Burtons was the biggest, but Hepworths and Prices Tailors were also large multiples with nationwide coverage and who always maintained a share of self-manufactured garments. See Jefferys, Retail.
38. Munby, Industry, 199.
39. Ibid. 161-191 on skills, and 191-224 on the diversity within the clothing trades in the East End.
40. A. Marshall, Industry and Trade (1st edn. 1919); S. Brusco, 'The Emilian Model: Productive Decentralization and Social Integration', Cambridge Journal of Economics (1982); M. Piore and C. Sabel, The Second Industrial Divide (New York, 1984); M. H. Best, The New Competition (New York, 1990); and more recently M. J. Enright, Organisation and Co-ordination in Geographically Concentrated Industries' and "The Determinants of Geographic Concentration in Industry', Harvard Business School Working Papers (1993) Nos. 51 and 52.
41. A. Marshall, Industry and Trade (1st edn. 1919); S. Brusco, 'The Emilian Model: Productive Decentralization and Social Integration', Cambridge Journal of Economics (1982); M. Piore and C. Sabel, The Second Industrial Divide (New York, 1984); M. H. Best, The New Competition (New York, 1990); and more recently M. J. Enright, Organisation and Co-ordination in Geographically Concentrated Industries' and "The Determinants of Geographic Concentration in Industry', Harvard Business School Working Papers (1993) Nos. 51 and 52.
42. A. Marshall, Industry and Trade (1st edn. 1919); S. Brusco, 'The Emilian Model: Productive Decentralization and Social Integration', Cambridge Journal of Economics (1982); M. Piore and C. Sabel, The Second Industrial Divide (New York, 1984); M. H. Best, The New Competition (New York, 1990); and more recently M. J. Enright, Organisation and Co-ordination in Geographically Concentrated Industries' and "The Determinants of Geographic Concentration in Industry', Harvard Business School Working Papers (1993) Nos. 51 and 52.
43. A. Marshall, Industry and Trade (1st edn. 1919); S. Brusco, 'The Emilian Model: Productive Decentralization and Social Integration', Cambridge Journal of Economics (1982); M. Piore and C. Sabel, The Second Industrial Divide (New York, 1984); M. H. Best, The New Competition (New York, 1990); and more recently M. J. Enright, Organisation and Co-ordination in Geographically Concentrated Industries' and "The Determinants of Geographic Concentration in Industry', Harvard Business School Working Papers (1993) Nos. 51 and 52.
44. A. Marshall, Industry and Trade (1st edn. 1919); S. Brusco, 'The Emilian Model: Productive Decentralization and Social Integration', Cambridge Journal of Economics (1982); M. Piore and C. Sabel, The Second Industrial Divide (New York, 1984); M. H. Best, The New Competition (New York, 1990); and more recently M. J. Enright, Organisation and Co-ordination in Geographically Concentrated Industries' and "The Determinants of Geographic Concentration in Industry', Harvard Business School Working Papers (1993) Nos. 51 and 52.
45. Munby, Industry, p. 203.
46. A. J. Scott, 'Industrial Organisation and the Logic of Intra-Metropolitan Location: III. A Case Study of the Women's Dress Industry in the Greater Los Angeles Region', Economic Geography (1984). The economics of fashion is extraordinarily underdeveloped with the only significant work of the modern era being D. E. Robinson, The Economics of Fashion Demand', Quarterly Journal of Economics (1961).
47. A. J. Scott, 'Industrial Organisation and the Logic of Intra-Metropolitan Location: III. A Case Study of the Women's Dress Industry in the Greater Los Angeles Region', Economic Geography (1984). The economics of fashion is extraordinarily underdeveloped with the only significant work of the modern era being D. E. Robinson, The Economics of Fashion Demand', Quarterly Journal of Economics (1961).
48. A. Godley, 'The Development of the UK Clothing Industry 1850-1950: Output and Productivity Growth', Business History (1995); and idem, 'Singer in Britain'.
49. A. Godley, 'The Development of the UK Clothing Industry 1850-1950: Output and Productivity Growth', Business History (1995); and idem, 'Singer in Britain'.