dress

Summary

Lightweight watered taffeta silk,striped in ivory, lemon, green and pink - the stripes of various widths. Silk probably dates from 1760s. Open robe with tie tapes for wearing 'en polonaise'. Many stitch marks on bodice and re-siting of pinked trimmings, show that dress was re-made soon after the original making. Bodice has edge to edge fastening, now altered. Original bodice was boned. Originally the lining of the bodice appears to have extended slightly beyond the silk on the right hand side, allowing a small flap for pinning the fronts together. Neckline is fairly low, and square. Sleeves are tight and above elbow length. Tie tapes either side of the waist with four ivory silk ribbon loops to draw up the skirt fuilness en polonaise. Bodice and sleeves lined with linen. Robings are lined with a yellow silk from which embroidery appears to have been unpicked. 19th Century alterations : Dress protectors , pleated cotton ruffles and the whalebone in the bodice front casings have been removed. The dress came to donor from a great aunt who died in the 1960's aged 90. The donor's father remembers the aunt wearing the dress for a fancy dress ball. The greataunt told donor's mother that the dress had belonged to her great great grandmother. Possibly this was Elizabeth Kenworthy (1748-1829) who eloped with donor's great great great great grandfather James Wrigley (1748-1809) in 1767 (they were both under age). They were married at Rochdale Parish Church, and settled at the Old Hall, Yorkshire. James Wrigley started the manufacture of woollen cloth at Netherton in 1768 and built up a prosperous trade in 'Wrigley Meltons', a livery cloth which has a great reputation until after the Great War. The business remained in the Wrigley family until the mills were sold in the 1930's.