Carpet knotting

Knowledge of carpet-knotting must have percolated into England during the sixteenth century and been practised here, as there are three carpets still in existence known to be of English workmanship and dated 1570, 1584 and 1585 respectively.

The fact that carpets were being produced cannot have been widely known, however, as during Queen Elizabeth's reign an attempt was made to find an expert to teach carpet-knotting in this country.

A trader sent to the East in 1579 as a representative of the Muscovy Company was thus instructed: "If before you returne you could procure a singular good workeman in the arte of Turkish carpet-making, you should bring the arte into this Realme, and also thereby increase worke to your Company."