History of Linen in Belfast

The internationally famous Northern Irish linen industry was for generations of supreme economic and social significance. Although of less international significance today it continues to fulfil a role for local employment. Linen did not become important to the Irish economy until the 17th century because of the Earl of Stafford's (Wentworth) intervention. At a time when the Irish wool trade was up against government defensive tactics, brought in to protect the English wool industry against cheaper alternatives for the English market. It was Wentworth who gave preferential treatment to the Irish linen industry by promoting the adoption of new methods and introduced improved seed from the continent as means by which he encouraged the Irish linen industry to develop as a trade-off for the loss of the wool industry.

The government pursued a policy of aiding Irish linen industry development with the introduction of 500 families of Huguenots, French protestants fleeing persecution by Louis X1V. These families came equipped with skills which allowed the widespread growth of a cottage industry in Northern Ireland. Louis Crommelin, a leading Huguenot, received the title of' 'Overseer of the Royal Linen Manufacture' . Crommelin's influence played a significant role in the development of the industry from the Lisburn and Lagan valley base created by the Huguenot immigrants. However, other industry development work was also set in motion by Lord Conway, Lord Hillsborough and the Brownlows in Lurgan together with the London Livery companies in the Coleraine area.

Cotton the dominant textile in the British Isles was replaced in Ulster by linen during the early nineteenth century with the introduction of inventions that permitted wet spinning of fine linen yarns and powerloom weaving .Significant to the introduction of these processes was the untimely destruction by fire of the Mulholland Brothers cotton weaving factory in Belfast in the 1820s. During the rebuilding programme a decision to switch to linen was made and became so successful that other manufacturers soon changed to linen production.