Hexham had been long famous for its manufacture of leather. Wright (1823)
gives some statistics — 77 men &
boys employed as Leather dressers and Glove-cutters, 40 boys employed as
Dusters and 1,111 women employed as Sewers. Skins dressed annually were 80,000,
and 18,000 skins of dressed leather were imported. From these were made and
exported annually 23,504 dozens of pairs of gloves. Dutch Oker was used in the
processing, but local fell clay could be used if necessary. Tanning was
a necessary allied industry and there were four tanneries, employing a score of
