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Taught/practised on:
NOTTINGHAM LACE
(R96) Sq.Set
Jenny Bradley Nottingham Lace
PART 1
1- 8
All dance ½ Chain & set to partners, ¾ turn RH to end with Ladies in
centre for LH across
9-12
Ladies dance LH across ½ way while Men dance ¼ way round
clockwise, Ladies ½ turn nearest Man RH
13-16
Men dance LH across ½ way while Ladies dance ¼ way round
clockwise & all turn partners RH
17-24
All repeat bars 9-16 to original places
PART 2
25-32
1L & 3M change places RH, cast behind 4s & change places RH to join
end of line while 1M & 3L dance similarly behind 2s, all set
33-40
All Adv+Ret, 1s+2L+4M also 3s+2M+4L circle 4H round to left to end in
line across (1s & 3s in centre of line)
41-48
All Adv+Ret, circle 8H round ½ way to end in Sq.Set opposite to
original places
PART 3
49-72
Repeat PART 2 with 2s & 4s as dancing couples, all ending in original
places
PART 4
73-96
Repeat PART 1
In 1589 William Lee of Calverton (a village about 8 miles northeast of Nottingham), developed a framework
knitting machine which enabled high volumes of lace to be manufactured. Frame workers wished to imitate
more closely the twisted pillow laces and in 1809 John Heathcoat patented a frame which twisted together
threads to form lace net. With the introduction of steam power in the 1800s the production of Chantilly and
other luxury weaves brought an economic boom to the district. Over 130 factories were based in the Lace Market
along with a population of 50,000. Of the many different twist frames following the Heathcoat bobbin net
machine, the most important was that invented in Nottingham in 1913 by John Levers.
Lace was a symbol of high fashion, good living and well-dressed homes. From the beginnings of the industry until
the end of the 20th century, at least 99% of the lace and net made in Britain passed through Nottingham. It was
only natural that lace made on machines in Britain came to be called "Nottingham Lace" with the largest buyer
of Nottingham Lace being North America. In addition to the lace manufactures, the Nottingham machine builders
built 99% of the world's twist lace machines and many of the warp lace machines. In the USA the lace-curtain
machine was simply called "The Nottingham Lace Machine."