. The Paisley thread industry and the men who created and developed it, with notes concerning Paisley, old and new . James (No. 1), 1747-1899. as exist, shows that many of the families now numerous in Paisleycame into the town at this period, and among them the family ofthe Clarks, which had hardly any representatives in the townbefore that date. James Clark, No. i (1747-1829), one of the sons of WilliamClark, commenced the business of weavers furnisher and heddletwine manufacturer in Cotton Street, and it may be mentioned inpassing, that he had at one time in his employment Alexander 3
. The Paisley thread industry and the men who created and developed it, with notes concerning Paisley, old and new . James (No. 1), 1747-1899. as exist, shows that many of the families now numerous in Paisleycame into the town at this period, and among them the family ofthe Clarks, which had hardly any representatives in the townbefore that date. James Clark, No. i (1747-1829), one of the sons of WilliamClark, commenced the business of weavers furnisher and heddletwine manufacturer in Cotton Street, and it may be mentioned inpassing, that he had at one time in his employment Alexander 36 The Paisley Thread Wilson, afterwards the famous American ornithologist, and authorof Watty and Meg. Thread or cord for heddles and harnesswas in good demand. This was made on the hand-twisting framesimilar to that introduced from Holland for the Barofarran thread,and was usually turned by a stout Highlander. There were many. Jajies Clarks House ix Coitox Street. of these small firms of twisters in Paisley in those days, and thematerial they used was principally linen. The loop or eye of the heddle was made of fine silk, as thatpart required to be particularly smooth. The silk was, of course,imported. On 20th November, 1806, Napoleon issued his famousBerlin Decree, by which an interdict was placed on the commerceof Britain, and the supply of silk ceased. In this predicamentJames Clarks brother, Patrick, turned his attention to perfecting The Clark Firm Zl in smoothness a cotton thread, and, as the inventions of Har-greaves, Arkwright, and Crompton had now placed fine cottonyarn on the market, he succeeded in producing a smooth cottonheddle yarn which replaced the silk. This improvement continuedtill cotton for heddles entirely superseded silk. Thus it may beremarked that Napoleon and the Clark family between them,
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