1749: Brussels looms reach Kidderminster (John Broom and John Pearsall) and the town makes carpets 'the same as Wilton'

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Research notes

The 1911 Britannica says a Brussels loom was set up in Kidderminster in 1749, and the Victoria County History (Wilts.) agrees Kidderminster began Brussels weaving in 1749. Local history: John Broom, a stuff manufacturer, 'travelled to Brussels, Tournai, or Wilton' and returned with plans for the Brussels loom and immigrant workers. The source warns none of the versions can be proved and all suggest industrial espionage. Another account says Broom and Pearsall built the first Brussels loom factory at Caldwell Park Farm and, in March 1749, a two-storey, 150 ft building with 32 looms at Mount Skippet; a 1753 map shows two carpet halls leased jointly by them. A Worcester oral tradition calls him 'John Brown' and adds a spy at the skylight. Bishop Pococke (1751) reportedly noted Kidderminster carpets 'the same as Wilton' (only secondary citations seen). Conflicting dates: an 1831 topographical dictionary credits 'Mr. Broom's' grandfather with Wilton and Brussels carpet in 1745; an older text says Wilton carpets were first made at Kidderminster in 1749. Sources: https://www.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/the-origins-of-carpet-making-in-kidderminster-2/ · https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Kidderminster · https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol4/pp148-182 · https://www.worcesterpeopleandplaces.org.uk/news/737/146/A-Carpet-Spy-In-Kidderminster.html · https://parishmouse.co.uk/england/worcestershire/kidderminster-a-topographical-dictionary-of-england-1831/ · https://world4.eu/carpets-design-19th-century/ Research note (Oct 2026): from search results; pages not opened.